FS #72: Nature in Franciscan Spirituality, Part 2 – Apr 30 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gave the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Apr 30, 2024, where he continued his series on Franciscan spirituality and the subsection, "Nature in Franciscan Spirituality," emphasizing the Franciscan understanding and appreciation of nature and how it should lead us to God.

He noted that even non-Christians and pagans have historically appreciated nature, though their understanding often did not lead them to God in a pure form. He contrasted this with the extremes of ancient philosophical thoughts from hedonism to stoicism, noting their insufficient grasp of nature's true essence.

He highlighted Jesus’ deep connection with nature, as Jesus often used natural settings and elements in His teachings. For instance, Jesus used the simplicity and beauty of nature to teach profound truths, as seen in His parables and metaphors drawn from everyday life. This approach made spiritual truths accessible and relatable, linking them to common experiences like observing lilies or the behavior of birds, thus revealing the divine orchestration of the natural world.

Father cited multiple biblical references to illustrate Jesus' teachings:

Matthew 6:28 - "Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?28
Matthew 5:45 - "He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?45
Matthew 11:7 - "As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John..." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?7
Matthew 12:20 - "A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench..." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12?20
Matthew 13:3 - "A sower went out to sow." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?3
John 15 - "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15
Matthew 13:31 - "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?31
Matthew 13:33 - "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast..." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?33
Matthew 13:24 - "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?24
Matthew 13:45 - "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?45
Matthew 13:47 - "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?47
Matthew 10:16 - "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?16
Revelation 12:11 - "They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/12?11
John 10 - "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10
Matthew 23:37 - "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together..." - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/23?37

Concluding, Father invited us to see nature not just as a backdrop to human activity but as a medium through which God speaks to us, urging us to embrace these natural metaphors in our spiritual lives.

For further reading - Catechism of the Catholic Church:
CCC 2416 - Animals are God's creatures, deserving respect - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2416.htm
CCC 344 - Creation is the first step towards the kingdom of God - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/344.htm
CCC 299 - The universe was created in a state of journeying - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/299.htm

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 "Nature 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: Tuesday 5th Week of Easter - Wkdy
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/043024.cfm
1st: act 14:19-28
Resp: psa 145:10-13, 21
Gsp: joh 14:27-31

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1802

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