FS #43: Spiritual Christocentrism, Part 4 – Aug 02 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Aug 02, 2023, where he continues his series on Franciscan Spirituality, and Spiritual Christocentrism, explaining how Christ is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, showing the Franciscan triple way. Today he focuses on the last, that Christ is our life.

In John 14:6 - Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14?6,  the very essence of life as part of the Blessed Trinity. This reality of Christ's incarnation is found in John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?14.

Jesus, as the living bread, signifies that he lives because of the Father and whoever partakes of him will also live because of him, as mentioned in John 6:57 - Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6?57. This suggests that just as Jesus' life comes from the Father, so should our lives revolve solely around Jesus.

Just as God has life within Himself and grants life to His Son, we, too, can attain life through Jesus. This is seen in John 5:26 - For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/5?26. Moreover, Jesus came to give us a full and abundant life as declared in John 10:10 - I came that they may have life and have it abundantly - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10?10.

The notion of staying connected to Jesus, as the vine, to bear fruit is encapsulated in John 15:1-5 - I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10?10. The divine life Jesus speaks about circulates within the mystical body of Christ, emanating from Jesus, passing through Our Lady, and reaching all believers.

In essence, the central theme of Franciscan spirituality links the supernatural with the intimate. Our actions derive value when we engage with the life of Christ. As Christ is our guide and goal, He becomes the light that reveals wisdom and knowledge, a love that binds us and Him, and the strength that infuses our lives with vitality.

Saint Francis and his followers sought to imitate and identify with Jesus, hence his commitment to poverty, humility, and prayer, as they fostered the life of Christ within themselves. This identification with Christ was so profound that Saint Bonaventure said that Christ had absorbed Saint Francis, reflecting his life overflowing with Jesus.

Saint Francis' prayer, 'absorbeat, queso, domine', echoes the sentiment of dying for love of Christ's love. Franciscan spirituality also saw the development of devotion to the Sacred Heart, the precious blood of Jesus, and the holy name of Jesus by saints like Bonaventure, James of the March, and Bernardine of Siena respectively.

This love and devotion towards Christ as the source and center of life is succinctly encapsulated in Philippians 1:21 - For to me, to live is Christ - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/1?21, Philippians 1:20 - Christ will be honored in my body - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/1?20.

Let's ask Our Lady for the grace to understand and cultivate a deep relationship with her and her Son, recognizing that there's no true life or intimacy apart from such a relationship. Let's aspire to become the person that God has destined us to be.

00:00 – Introduction: Christ as the Way, Truth, and Life
00:30 – God as Life Essence and Bread of Life
01:50 – Christ as the True Vine
02:35 – Transmission of Divine Life from Christ to Humanity
03:32 – Supernatural Reality and Intimacy in Life
04:16 – Christ as the Guide, Light, Love, and Strength in our Lives
05:24 – Emulating Christ

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: Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula - Solemnity - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12286a.htm
Readings:
1st: gal 4:3-7
Resp: psa 34:5, 7, 9-10, 18-19
Gsp: luk 1:26-33

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=2247

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