FS #28: Soul of Franciscan Spirituality, Part 8 – May 29 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on May 29, 2023, where he continues his series on Franciscan Spirituality,  focusing today on how love, love of God, and His fullness of love, is the greatest source of happiness in heaven which is consistent with the focus on love in Franciscan Spirituality.

The Church teaches that heaven consists in the direct vision of God and possessing Him without fear of losing Him. It's the fruition of our life of grace on earth. In heaven, we find love, the first fruit of the Holy Spirit, as expressed by St. John Chrysostom, and in the words of St. Augustine, our end will be to rest, see, love, and praise God - the kingdom without end - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/4?16.

Living the life of grace, or charity, begins here on earth in the mystery of faith. Those in a state of grace possess the seed of their future glory in heaven, for they already live in God's love and grace. However, in this life, we can still lose God. Thus, we have moral, but not absolute certainty, that we're in God's grace. The direct vision and possession of God in heaven constitute eternal blessedness.

In heaven, the primary reason for our happiness lies in the question - is it the vision or the possession of God? Is it knowledge or love? Franciscan doctors argue that the beatitude of heaven will essentially be the possession and enjoyment of God in charity, resonating with Apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13:8 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/13?8  and 1 Corinthians 14:1 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/13?8 . St. Augustine and blessed John Duns Scotus also affirm the supremacy of love.

In heaven, we will see God as he is (1 John 3:2 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/3?2 ) but not completely, because God is infinite and our intellect in heaven will still be finite. Our Beatitude will be completed with the full flowering of the gift of wisdom, enabling us to 'taste' God, as quoted from Psalm 34:8 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/3?2.

In our relationships on earth, love becomes the bond and perfection of our relationships. So, in heaven, Jesus's prayer in John 17 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/17 will be accomplished, when he prayed that we may be one as He is with the Father.

St. Gregory the Great teaches that in heaven, the good rejoice in seeing their loved ones in eternity and will recognize many saintly men and women as old friends. Let's ask Our Lady, the queen of heaven and the mother of the church, for the grace to love her more, to better prepare for an eternity of love and joy in paradise.

Consider subscribing to the Missio Immaculatae magazine, a Franciscan publication dedicated to Our Lady's privileges and her mission in the church and world. Subscription details are available at http://missiomagazine.com. Ave Maria.

00:00 – Introduction
00:09 – Franciscan Spirituality, Eternal Life & Love
01:00 – St. John Chrysostom's Description of Heaven
02:53 – The Essence of Happiness in Heaven: Knowledge or Love?
03:19 – The Primacy of Knowledge or Love in Heaven: A Franciscan Perspective
03:53 – The Role of Charity in Attaining Eternal Happiness
04:48 – The Role of Will in Our Relationship with God
05:55 – St. Thomas Aquinas on Love and Knowledge of God
06:39 – St Bonaventure, Beatitude in Heaven
07:46 – The Importance of Love Over Knowledge in Relationships
08:13 – The Accomplishment of Jesus' Prayer in Heaven
08:38 – St. Gregory the Great on the Joys of Heaven

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.

Mass: Mary, Mother of the Church (Opt 1) - Feast
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/052923.cfm
1st: gen 3:9-15, 20
Resp: psa 87:1-3, 5-7
Gsp: joh 19:25-34

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=2233

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