Franciscan Spirituality #9: Origins to Francis, Part 6 – Feb 27 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Feb 27, 2023, where he continues his series on Franciscan Spirituality as he gives more background leading up to St. Francis, this time focusing on the saints, reforms and intellectual schools that were immediate precursors to St. Francis.

Precursors of St Francis did not directly influence him because he did not have any spiritual master under which he learned.

St. Steven of Muret, French hermit order of Grandmont - Died 1124 AD - known for his poverty and used it for its ascetical value and saw Christ as the source of light and grace in the gospel. - https://www.hermitary.com/articles/muret.html

Italy Benedictine reform

St. Romuald - D.  1027 - Camaldolese - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romuald

St. John Gualbert - D. 1073 - Vallombrosa order - https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15262a.htm

St. Peter Damian - D. 1072 - Benedictine Reformer - https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=780

France Benedictine monasteries of Clairvaux - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clairvaux_Abbey - and Cluny reform - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluniac_Reforms

St. Bernard and St. Anselm of the french school of the Victorines focused on faith and charity.

St. Anselm - D. 1109 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anselm_of_Canterbury

Proslogion, may I keep growing in knowledge and love of God. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proslogion

3 stages for Theologians, 1 faith, 2 experience, 3 True knowledge

But absence is friendship, as is the humanity of Christ

Victorines - School of St. Victor - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Saint_Victor

Parisian school of St Victor - Hugo and Richard of St Victor

Relation between faith and reason, secular science and theology, all forms of knowledge have intrinsic value to fuel our longing for truth

Theology for Victorines brings us to the contemplative life

Fused monastic theology (contemplating Scritputre) with Scholastic (innovative, systematic reason regarding revelation)

See creation as the external word of God and a means to lift ourselves up to God the creator.

In and through the humanity of Jesus, we reach the rights of God.

Imitate Christ and thus arrive at loving contemplation of the divinity and intimate spousal union with God

This gets us quite close to Franciscan spirituality with its love for God, His creation, and friendship with Jesus, focusing on His humanity.

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: Monday 1st Week of Lent - Wkdy
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/022723.cfm
1st: lev 19:1-2, 11-18
Resp: psa 19:8-10, 15
Gsp: mat 25:31-46

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1653

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