FS #31: Dogmatic Christocentrism, Part 3 – Jun 26 – Homily – Fr Terrance
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Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Jun 26, 2023, where he continues his series on Franciscan Spirituality and how the idea that Christ is for God himself first. This is because the greatest good of God ad extra, outside of himself, relates to the Christocentric doctrinal basis of this spirituality.
Praise be Jesus and Mary, now and forever.
In today's reflection on Franciscan spirituality, we explore Jesus Christ's role in God's plan. According to the Franciscan thesis, Christ is primarily willed for God, then for us. God as the supreme good makes the incarnation - the becoming of man by Christ - an utmost demonstration of God's love, transcending even the need for redemption from the fall of Adam.
This aligns with Franciscan Blessed Raymond of Lull's view that the greatest good is a created good united to God, reached when the Word became flesh (John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?14).
Blessed John Duns Scotus argues for Christ's absolute primacy, with God willing the glory of Christ first. The incarnation is the first thing God willed in creation as it enables Jesus to love God as he deserves. God chooses Christ before all things and delights in him (Matthew 3:17 - This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/3?17).
The incarnation is God's masterpiece and expresses the triumph of uncreated love, making Christ preeminent among all creatures (Proverbs 8:22 - The Lord begot me, the firstborn of his ways - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/8?22, Colossians 1:15 - He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/1?15, Galatians 4:4 - But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/4?4).
In the divine plan, sin is seen not as the cause of the incarnation but as permitted due to the greater glory given to the Trinity and Christ. This rejects the sin-centered view of the incarnation - 'hamartia-centrism' - proposing that all creation and the actual ordering of divine providence revolve around Christ, not Adam's sin.
The incarnation isn't dependent on sin; Christ is willed for himself, and everything acquires its place and importance through Christ. This underscores Christ's absolute primacy.
00:00 – Introduction
00:31 – The Concept of God as Supreme Good and the Implications of the Incarnation
01:09 – The Significance of the Incarnation in the Context of God's Love
02:13 – Reflections from Blessed Raymond of Lull and the Concept of Created Good United to God
03:15 – Examination of Scotus' Thoughts on the Orderly Will of God and the Incarnation
04:36 – Jesus Christ in the Context of Creation and Predestination
05:40 – Christ as the Firstborn of All Creation and His Unique Predestination
06:48 – Sin in Relation to the Incarnation and God's Divine Plan
07:50 – Reevaluation of Hamartia-centrism and the Centrality of Christ in Divine Providence
Ave Maria!
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: Monday 12th Week of Ordinary Time - Wkdy
Readings: - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062623.cfm
1st: gen 12:1-9
Resp: psa 33:12-13, 18-20, 22
Gsp: mat 7:1-5
More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1425
Also on Facebook: https://fb.watch/lpmf8QVsvx/
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/R4188Ey2P5U
