4 January: Saint Angela of Foligno

“My love for you is no joke”
While meditating on the death of the Son of God on Holy Wednesday in 1301, Saint Angela of Foligno heard the following words within her: "My love for you is no joke". These words embody the essence of Saint Angela, the Franciscan mystic whom Pope Francis canonized on 9 October 2013, by equipollent canonization.
Angela was born in Foligno, Umbria, on 4 January 1248, into a wealthy family. Her father died early on, and her mother raised her in a superficial manner, which led her to live far from the faith. She married a man from Foligno with whom she had several children. Although she lived modestly, she had no financial problems. It is said that her life was morally disordered.
Her frivolous behavior was called into question by a series of events, including an earthquake in 1279 and the long war against Perugia. She began to reflect on the shortness of life and the possibility of going to Hell and considered going to Confession. Her shame, however, prevented her from making a full confession and she received Communion sacrilegiously several times.
But the Lord was waiting for her. When she was 37 years old, her life went through a radical transformation. Despite opposition from her family, she dedicated herself to prayer and penance. The premature deaths of her mother, her husband and her children led her to conversion. After Saint Francis appeared to her in a dream in 1285 urging her to begin a journey towards perfection, she returned to the confessional and was finally reconciled with the Lord.
Drawn to the poor and penitential life of the Franciscan Third Order, Angela renounced all her possessions. She professed the Rule of the Third Order in 1291, made her religious vows and, along with a companion, dedicated herself to heroically assisting the sick and lepers. She decided to make a pilgrimage to Assisi, an experience that made a lasting impact on her soul. During the journey, she had extraordinary mystical experiences that impressed her relative and confessor, Blessed Arnaldo of Foligno. Concerned that these phenomena could be caused by the devil, Brother Arnaldo ordered her to tell him about her inner experiences, which led to the Book of Blessed Angela.
Arnaldo, who became her biographer, wrote the famous Memorial, in which he described the "30 stages" of Angela's vocation and her frequent mystical experiences that culminated in the Most Holy Trinity dwelling within her soul.
Angela drew around her a group of spiritual children, who saw her as a guide and a true teacher of the faith, and became a “spiritual mother” to many, to whom she sent letters, as well as her Istruzioni salutifere (Healthy Teachings). Her teachings focused on poverty, humility, charity, and peace. One of her most famous sayings was: “The supreme good of the soul is true and perfect peace... Thus, whoever seeks perfect rest should strive to love God with all their heart, because God dwells in such hearts, and only he gives and can give peace”.
Already well-known during her lifetime as Magistra Theologorum (Teacher of Theologians), she promoted a theology based on the Word of God, obedience to the Church and direct experience of the divine in its most intimate manifestations.
Angela died in Foligno on 4 January 1309 and was buried in the Church of Saint Francis. Even before her death, the faithful had unofficially given her the title of Saint.