Franciscan Spirituality #3: Intro, part 3- Feb 06 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Feb 06, 2023, and continues his series on Franciscan Spirituality as he explains the three general types of spirituality, God-centered, Christ-centered and Man-centered and how the Franciscan takes the central, Christ-focused path.

Three points of departure for theology and spirituality
Theocentric God-centered, glory
Christocentric, Christ-centered, love, charity
Anthropocentric, man-centered, reward

Theocentric – mainly from first millennium, oriented toward God in his adoration and fear of salvation, prayer penance, and the ascetical practices, desert fathers, Orthodox split off at about this time at the height of the theocentric theology spirituality and liturgy and have not changed much since

Christocentric – started with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 11th century focus on the necessity to pass through Christ, the one mediator between God and man, this was not ignored but not emphasized by theocentric. Need to be united with Christ and Grace to be in his body, the church.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Started with Clairvaux but was fully adopted by the Franciscans, who gave it its theological basis with the Absolute Primacy of Christ

Anthropocentric started in the 1500s with a Renaissance, which means to be reborn, as in the rebirth of the Roman and often pagan and secular thinking and culture. It focuses on humanity, man is the measure of all things. The interior life was considered in regard to humanity as far as the need to perfect oneself and the need to have the human initiative to put humanity in accord with the will of God with the help of His grace. The point of departure is man the point of arrival is God. Ignatian spirituality is this type

Franciscan it is Christo-centric between theocentric and anthropocentric. Christ is the God-man so he is in between, the mediator between God and man. Christ is at the center of our piety and our thinking. The absolute primacy of Christ. Christ is predestined from the very beginning, and all of creation is brought about for Christ and by means of him. Christ recapitulates, sums up, and completes all of creation and brings it all back to the Father. He is the universal mediator of nature, grace, and glory.

Franciscan spirituality is effective, focuses on feelings but it’s also involving theology and objectivity. Just as God comes to us by means of Jesus Christ, so too do we have to go back to God through Christ.

As Franciscans of the Immaculate, Christ came to us through Mary, so too do we go back to him through her in return.

We acknowledge Christ’s sovereignty over all things and we unite ourselves to him by means of love in order to relive his life in us.

When you add Marian consecration, according to St Maximilian Kolbe, it completes the family picture.

This is a continuation of his series of homilies on Franciscan Spirituality - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNN151zTIO4&list=PLejh_e0-LN4xgMllKrzSasL2Hljd5BHom

The material for this series comes primarily from Ciccarelli, Marciano M., "I capisaldi della spiritualità francescana" in Italian, which translates as "The Cornerstones of Franciscan Spirituality". No English translations exist at the time of this recording.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Paul Miki and companions - Mem
Readings: Monday 5th Week of Ordinary Time - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/020623.cfm
1st: gen 1:1-19
Resp: psa 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35
Gsp: mar 6:53-56

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1031&r=1383

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