FS #65: Man in Franciscan Spirituality, Part 11 – Feb 19 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Feb 19, 2024, where he focuses once again on the Franciscan view of the nature of a person, but this time on how grace is a free and unearned gift from God that elevates human nature towards eternal life. This continues his series and the subsection, "Man in Franciscan Spirituality," humanity's role in God's plan.

Father talks about how in Franciscan teaching, God's grace is like a free gift that we can't earn with money or actions. He explains that even though we naturally long for something beyond our world, only God can fulfill this longing by giving us grace. This grace is special because it's given freely by God, making us capable of being closer to Him and living a life that leads to heaven. Franciscan thinkers like John Duns Scotus and St. Bonaventure have said that grace is all about God's generosity, not what we do to deserve it. Jesus's life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate examples of this gift, offering us a way to become part of God's family. Father ends by suggesting we look to Mary for help in staying close to God's grace every day.

00:00 - Introduction to the Gratuitousness of Grace in Franciscan Spirituality
00:40 - Human Nature's Disposition Towards Receiving God's Grace
02:44 - The Role of Divine Intervention in Bestowing Grace
03:48 - Emphasizing the Unmerited Nature of Grace
04:47 - Distinguishing Grace from Natural Endowments
06:04 - The Incarnation as the Ultimate Expression of Gratuitous Grace
07:11 - Christ's Merit as the Basis for Our Adoption as Children of God
07:27 - Achieving Union with God Through Grace and the Mystical Body of Christ

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

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 of this book exist at the time of this recording.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Monday 1st Week of Lent - Wkdy
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/021924.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=1740

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