FS #68: Man in Franciscan Spirituality, Part 14 – Mar 13 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Mar 13, 2024, where he focuses once again on the Franciscan view of the nature of a person, but this time emphasizes the necessity of aligning personal and societal growth with spiritual values, underlining the choice between divine order and chaos in fostering meaningful relationships and societal progress. This continues his series and the subsection, "Man in Franciscan Spirituality," humanity's role in God's plan.

Father discussed the importance of openness to God and others, emphasizing the dynamic nature of reality and society from a Franciscan perspective. He highlighted the idea that true progress and perfection in society come from striving for the supernatural, as this is the source of real improvement beyond mere technical or moral enhancements. He mentioned that every person is involved in the rhythm of supernatural life, with the potential to participate in the fruits of Christ's passion, stressing the significance of being in a state of grace. He warned against rejecting the supernatural, which leads to personal and societal degradation. A society devoid of supernatural elements becomes decadent and disintegrates, highlighting the current crisis in Western societies. Only a Christian society, rooted in divine will and order, as exemplified in Wisdom 11:20 - has arranged all things by measure and number and weight - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/11?20, can truly evolve and perfect itself. God is the ultimate source of order, creating harmony in accordance with His divine will. Humans, as relative principles of order, must align with God's established order, including natural and moral laws, to avoid sin and chaos. Embracing God's order leads to flourishing relationships, while turning away causes fragmentation and hostility. Father called for cooperation with God's design for a society governed by justice, grace, and charity, seeking the intercession of Our Lady for the grace to live according to God's laws and citing Matthew 24:12 - when wickedness is multiplied, the love of many will grow cold - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/24?12, to advocate for a resurgence of charity and the reinstatement of divine laws in society.

00:00 - Introduction, Openness to God and Others
00:20 - Dynamics of Reality and Social Life in Franciscan Perspective
01:21 - Human Openness to the Supernatural and Its Implications
02:34 - The Role of Christian Society in Societal Evolution
03:02 - The Principles of Divine Order in Creation
03:39 - The Importance of Adhering to God's Established Order
04:28 - The Impact of Choosing Order Over Chaos
05:10 - Fostering Charitable Relationships Through Divine Cooperation

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: Wednesday 4th Week of Lent - Wkdy
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/031324.cfm
1st: isa 49:8-15
Resp: psa 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
Gsp: joh 5:17-30

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1760

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