Saint of the day for December 22: the Story of Blessed Jacopone da Todi

Saint of the day for December 22nd
(c.1230 - December 25, 1306)

The Story of Blessed Jacopone da Todi

Jacomo or James, a noble member of the Benedetti family was born in the northern Italian town of Todi. He became a successful lawyer and married a pious and generous woman named Vanna.

His young wife took it upon herself to do penance for her husband's worldly excesses. One day Vanna, at Jacomo's insistence, took part in a public tournament. She was sitting in the stands with the other noblewomen when the stands collapsed. Vanna was killed. Her shocked husband was even more upset when he realized that the penitential belt he was wearing was for his sinfulness. On the spot, he promised to radically change his life.

Jacomo divided his possessions among the poor and entered the Secular Franciscan Order. Often dressed in penitential rags, he was teased as a fool and called Jacopone, or "Crazy Jim", by his former associates. The name became dear to him.

After 10 years of such humiliation, Jacopone asked to be accepted into the Order of Friars Minor. Due to his reputation, his request was initially denied. He composed a beautiful poem about the vanities of the world, an act that ultimately led to his admission into the Order in 1278. He continued to lead a life of strict penance, refusing to be ordained a priest. Meanwhile, he wrote popular hymns in the vernacular.

Jacopone suddenly found himself at the head of a disturbing religious movement among the Franciscans. The spirituals, as they were called, wanted a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had on their side two cardinals of the Church and Pope Celestine V. These two cardinals, however, opposed the successor of Celestine, Boniface VIII. At the age of 68 Jacopone was excommunicated and imprisoned. Although he acknowledged his mistake, Jacopone was not acquitted and released until Benedict XI became pope five years later. He had accepted his imprisonment as a penance. He spent the last three years of his life more spiritual than ever, crying "because Love is not loved". During this time he wrote the famous Latin hymn, Stabat Mater.

On Christmas Eve 1306, Jacopone felt that his end was near. He was in a convent of Clarisse with his friend, Blessed Giovanni della Verna. Like Francis, Jacopone welcomed “Sister Death” with one of his favorite songs. It is said that he finished the song and died when the priest sang the "Glory" of the midnight mass at Christmas. From the moment of his death, Br. Jacopone was revered as a saint.

Reflection

His contemporaries called Jacopone, "Crazy Jim". We could very well echo their taunt, because what more can you say about a man who has started singing amid all his troubles? We still sing Jacopone's saddest song, the Stabat Mater, but we Christians claim another song as our own, even when the daily headlines ring out with discordant notes. Jacopone's whole life rang our song: "Alleluia!" May he inspire us to keep singing.