Posted on 07/14/2014 8:19:07 PM PDT by Salvation
St. Bonaventure
Feast Day: July 15
Born: 1221 :: Died: 1274
St. Benedict was born at Narsia in Umbria, Italy. Coming from a rich Italian family, his life was full of adventure and wonderful events. As a boy, he was sent to Rome to study in the public schools but was troubled by the bad behavior of the other students. When he was a young man, he became disgusted with the terrible lifestyle of pagan Rome (Romans who believed in false gods).
Benedict left the city and went looking for a place where he could be alone with God. He found the right spot. It was a cave in the mountain of Subiaco. Benedict spent three years there alone. The devil often tempted him to go back to his rich home and easy life. But Benedict prayed and did penance and did not give in to these temptations.
One day, when the devil sneakily tried to tempt him with bad thoughts and Benedict almost gave in to the temptation. Then he felt so sorry for the sin he would have committed that he threw himself into a bush of long, sharp thorns. He rolled around in the thorns until he was covered with scratches. From then on, his life was calm. He did not feel powerful temptations like that again.
After three years, people started coming to Benedict. They wanted to learn how to become holy. He became the leader of some men who asked for his help. But when he tried to make them do penance, they grew so angry that they even tried to poison Benedict. He made the Sign of the Cross over the poisoned wine and the glass shattered to pieces.
Later, Benedict became the leader of many good monks. He started twelve monasteries. Then he went to Monte Cassino where he built his most well-known monastery. It was here that St. Benedict wrote the wonderful rules for the Benedictine order. He taught his monks to pray and work hard. He taught them especially to be humble always.
Benedict and his monks greatly helped the people of their times. They taught them how to read and write, how to farm, and how to work at different trades. St. Benedict was able to do good because he prayed all the time. He could read minds, could tell the future and drive out demons. He destroyed many pagan statues and altars where they worshiped the false gods. He died on March 21, 547. The pope proclaimed him the patron of Europe.
Reflection: "Put Christ before all else."-the Rule of St. Benedict
Tuesday, July 15
Liturgical Color: White
Today is the Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus,
virgin and Doctor of the Church. St. Teresa
helped reform the Carmelite Order, founding
17 convents. She died in 1528.
What connection is there between the "natural moral law" and the Law of the Old Covenant?
The Law of the Old Covenant expresses truths that by nature are evident to human reason yet are now proclaimed and authenticated as God's Law.
What significance does the Law of the Old Covenant have?
In the Law (the Torah), and its centerpiece, the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue), the will of God is manifested to the people of Israel; following the Torah is for Israel the central way to salvation. Christians know that we can tell by the Law what ought to be done. They also know, however, that it is not the Law that saves us.
Every man has the experience of finding that something good is, so to speak, "prescribed". But one does not have the strength to accomplish it; it is too difficult; one feels "helpless" (see Rom 8:3 and Rom 7:14-25). One sees the Law and feels that one has been handed over to sin. And so precisely through the Law it becomes clear how urgently we rely on inner strength in order to fulfill the Law. That is why the Law, as good and important as it is, only prepares the way for faith in the saving God. (YOUCAT questions 334-335)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1961-1964) and other references here.
Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)
Section 1: Man's Vocation — Life in the Spirit (1699 - 2051)
Chapter 3: God's Salvation: Law and Grace (1949 - 2051)
Article 1: The Moral Law (1950 - 1986)
II. THE OLD LAW ⇡
God, our Creator and Redeemer, chose Israel for himself to be his people and revealed his Law to them, thus preparing for the coming of Christ. The Law of Moses expresses many truths naturally accessible to reason. These are stated and authenticated within the covenant of salvation.
The Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments. The precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is contrary to the love of God and neighbor and prescribe what is essential to it. The Decalogue is a light offered to the conscience of every man to make God's call and ways known to him and to protect him against evil: God wrote on the tables of the Law what men did not read in their hearts.13
13.
St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 57,1:PL 36,673.
According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good,14 yet still imperfect. Like a tutor15 it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to St. Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a "law of concupiscence" in the human heart.16 However, the Law remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It provides a teaching which endures for ever, like the Word of God.
14.
Cf. Rom 7:12,14,16.
15.
Cf. Gal 3:24.
16.
Cf. Rom 7.
The Old Law is a preparation for the Gospel. "The Law is a pedagogy and a prophecy of things to come."17 It prophesies and presages the work of liberation from sin which will be fulfilled in Christ: it provides the New Testament with images, "types," and symbols for expressing the life according to the Spirit. Finally, the Law is completed by the teaching of the sapiential books and the prophets which set its course toward the New Covenant and the Kingdom of heaven. There were ... under the regimen of the Old Covenant, people who possessed the charity and grace of the Holy Spirit and longed above all for the spiritual and eternal promises by which they were associated with the New Law. Conversely, there exist carnal men under the New Covenant still distanced from the perfection of the New Law: the fear of punishment and certain temporal promises have been necessary, even under the New Covenant, to incite them to virtuous works. In any case, even though the Old Law prescribed charity, it did not give the Holy Spirit, through whom "God's charity has been poured into our hearts."18
17.
St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 4,15,1:PG 7/1,1012.
18.
St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II,107,1 ad 2; cf. Rom 5:5.
Daily Readings for:July 15, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, just as we celebrate the heavenly birthday of the Bishop Saint Bonaventure, we may benefit from his great learning and constantly imitate the ardor of his charity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
ACTIVITIES
PRAYERS
o Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
o Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
LIBRARY
o Saint Bonaventure (2) | Pope Benedict XVI
o Saint Bonaventure | Pope Benedict XVI
o St. Bonaventure 3 | Pope Benedict XVI
· Ordinary Time: July 15th
· Memorial of St. Bonaventure, bishop and doctor
Old Calendar: St. Henry, emperor and confessor
St. Bonaventure was born in Italy in 1221. He joined the Franciscan Order and went to Paris for his studies. He was made General of his Order and deserves to be reckoned its second founder for his work in consolidating an institution that was as yet ill-defined in nature. St. Bonaventure died at Lyons in 1274 during the general Council between Greeks and Latins held in this city. Dante had already included him among the inhabitants of his "Paradise". He is known as the Seraphic Doctor.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Henry. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on July 13. In England this day is known as "St. Swithin's Day," celebrating the day his relics were transferred. The Catholic Church celebrates St. Swithin's feast on July 2.
St. Bonaventure
"In Bonaventure we meet a unique personality. He was unsurpassed in sanctity, wisdom, eloquence, and gifted with a remarkable skill of accomplishing things, a heart full of love, a winning disposition, benevolent, affable, pious, charitable, rich in virtue, beloved by God and man. . . . The Lord endowed him with such a charming disposition that everyone who saw him was immediately attracted to him." In these words the historian of the Council of Lyons concludes his account on St. Bonaventure.
At an early age he was a celebrated teacher and a powerful preacher. At thirty-six he was called to the highest post among the Franciscans, the Order which honors him as a second founder. He was an important figure at the Council of Lyons. His virtue and wisdom, his versatility and mildness were major factors in attaining the happy result that the Greeks so easily returned to the unity of the Church.
Bonaventure was a subtle scholastic and a profound mystic. Because of the latter he is known as the "Seraphic Teacher." In philosophy he was the principal leader of the Platonic-Augustinian school of Franciscan thought; as such he stood opposed to the Aristotelianism that was making its way into the schools of the time (Thomas of Aquin). Bonaventure's Life of St. Francis was a favorite book of the Middle Ages. When St. Thomas was told about Bonaventure's work, he said: "Let us allow one saint to labor for another." His contemporaries are said to have believed that no one was "more handsome, more holy, or more learned" than he.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Bowel disorders.
Symbols: Cardinal's hat; ciborium; communion.
Often portrayed as: Cardinal in Franciscan robes, usually reading or writing.
Things to Do:
St. Swithin's Day
The Roman Martyrology mentions St. Swithin, Bishop of Winchester, England. He died on July 2, but "St. Swithin's Day" is July 15 in the Anglican Church. He is another of the "weather saints" — if it rains on July 15, it will rain forty more days. If no rain, it will be fair for forty more days, as the old rhyme says:
St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days ‘twill rain nae mair.
This weather patronage traces back to July 15, 871 when the monks were translating his body (relics) from the outdoor grave to an indoor shrine in the Cathedral. The saint apparently did not approve, as it rained for 40 days afterward. See July 2 for more biographical details of this saint.
Also known as
Profile
Healed from a childhood disease through the prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi. Bonaventure joined the Order of Friars Minor at age 22. Studied theology and philosophy in Paris, France, and later taught there. Friend of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Doctor of Theology. Friend of King Saint Louis IX. General of the Franciscan Order at 35. Bishop of Albano, Italy, chosen by Pope Gregory X. Cardinal. Wrote commentaries on the Scriptures, text-books in theology and philosophy, and a biography of Saint Francis. Doctor of the Church. Pope Clement IV chose him to be Archbishop of York, England, but Bonaventure begged off, claiming to be inadequate to the office. Spoke at the Council of Lyons, but died before its close.
Born
Works
Additional Information
· Readings
· A man of eminent learning and eloquence, and of outstanding holiness, he was known for his kindness, approachableness, gentleness and compassion. - Pope Gregory X on hearing of the death of Bonaventure
· Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children. - Saint Bonaventure
· When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than that proceeding from the mouth. - Saint Bonaventure
· Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the “throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant,” and “the mystery hidden from the ages.” A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope, and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation. Then such a man will make with Christ a “pasch,” that is, a passing-over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert. There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulcher, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” - from Journey of the Mind to God by Saint Bonaventure
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail. (Isaiah 7:4)
In the face of a likely invasion from the north, Judah’s King Ahaz and the people of Jerusalem need some reassurance for their trembling hearts. How does Ahaz try to do that? By seeking a military alliance against his enemies. But the prophet Isaiah comes to tell him that political maneuvers won’t give him the kind of tranquility that God offers. That calm comes from a deep trust in the One who is more powerful than any adversary, including the hostile armies surrounding Jerusalem.
“Unless your faith is firm,” Isaiah warns, “you shall not be firm!” (Isaiah 7:9). Yes, Ahaz had to make careful political decisions. Yes, he had to consider his role as the leader of an embattled nation. But Ahaz had to decide whether he was going to make these decisions in faith or with human logic alone.
We’ve all encountered believers who radiate a deep peace—even joy—in the midst of overwhelming difficulties. We reach out to comfort them but end up having our own faith strengthened. Of course, these folks may also have strategies that help them cope, but the bedrock reality is that they are choosing to anchor their lives in the Lord and his faithfulness. When troubles arise, they don’t waste time analyzing whether their fear is reasonable or irrational. Instead, they turn to God and seek his courage, his wisdom, and his guidance.
We can’t always choose how to feel when hard times come, but we can choose whether we will base our lives on God or on our own strength and cleverness. Just as Peter in the boat still faced a stormy sea, we too will face storms. The question is whether we will anchor ourselves in the truth of Christ.
The best time to practice dropping this kind of anchor is before any storm overwhelms you. Today at least one circumstance will arise that you didn’t foresee. In that moment, stop and look to Jesus. Praise him because you know he is with you. Praise him for this opportunity, knowing that nothing can enter your life without his knowledge. Look to him, and try your best to follow his lead.
“Lord Jesus, help me set aside reliance on my own resources and ground my hope in your love alone.”
Psalm 48:2-8; Matthew 11:20-24
Daily Marriage Tip for July 15, 2014:
“Jesus…began to send them out two by two.” (Mk. 6:7) We are stronger together, in bonds of friendship and community.. You too, are sent to your neighbors, your town, your relatives, and the world to heal, to love, to forgive.
The wholly flaming fire
Sunday, 13 July 2014 16:49
Tomorrow we will be keeping the feast of Saint Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church. The Seraphic Doctor counsels us wisely:
Question grace, not instruction;
desire, not intellect;
the cry of prayer, not pursuit of study;
the spouse, not the teacher;
God, not man;
darkness, not clarity;
not light, but the wholly flaming fire
which will bear you aloft to God
with fullest unction and burning affection.
Pope Benedict XVI explained the mystical teaching of Saint Bonaventure in his General Audience on 10 March 2010; these are the words of a Doctor explaining a Doctor, of a mystic explaining a mystic, of a theologian of love explaining a theologian of love:
The six wings of the Seraph thus became the symbol of the six stages that lead man progressively from the knowledge of God, through the observation of the world and creatures and through the exploration of the soul itself with its faculties, to the satisfying union with the Trinity through Christ, in imitation of St Francis of Assisi. The last words of St Bonaventure’s Itinerarium, which respond to the question of how it is possible to reach this mystical communion with God, should be made to sink to the depths of the heart: “If you should wish to know how these things come about, (the mystical communion with God) question grace, not instruction; desire, not intellect; the cry of prayer, not pursuit of study; the spouse, not the teacher; God, not man; darkness, not clarity; not light, but the fire that inflames all and transports to God with fullest unction and burning affection…. Let us then… pass over into darkness; let us impose silence on cares, concupiscence, and phantasms; let us pass over with the Crucified Christ from this world to the Father, so that when the Father is shown to us we may say with Philip, “It is enough for me‘” (cf. ibid., VII 6).
Dear friends, let us accept the invitation addressed to us by St Bonaventure, the Seraphic Doctor, and learn at the school of the divine Teacher: let us listen to his word of life and truth that resonates in the depths of our soul. Let us purify our thoughts and actions so that he may dwell within us and that we may understand his divine voice which draws us towards true happiness.
| Matthew | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Matthew 11 |
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| 20. | Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance. | Tunc cœpit exprobrare civitatibus, in quibus factæ sunt plurimæ virtutes ejus, quia non egissent pœnitentiam : | τοτε ηρξατο ονειδιζειν τας πολεις εν αις εγενοντο αι πλεισται δυναμεις αυτου οτι ου μετενοησαν |
| 21. | Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes. | Væ tibi Corozain, væ tibi Bethsaida : quia, si in Tyro et Sidone factæ essent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in vobis, olim in cilicio et cinere pœnitentiam egissent. | ουαι σοι χοραζιν ουαι σοι βηθσαιδα οτι ει εν τυρω και σιδωνι εγενοντο αι δυναμεις αι γενομεναι εν υμιν παλαι αν εν σακκω και σποδω μετενοησαν |
| 22. | But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. | Verumtamen dico vobis : Tyro et Sidoni remissius erit in die judicii, quam vobis. | πλην λεγω υμιν τυρω και σιδωνι ανεκτοτερον εσται εν ημερα κρισεως η υμιν |
| 23. | And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day. | Et tu Capharnaum, numquid usque in cælum exaltaberis ? usque in infernum descendes, quia si in Sodomis factæ fuissent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in te, forte mansissent usque in hanc diem. | και συ καπερναουμ η εως του ουρανου υψωθεισα εως αδου καταβιβασθηση οτι ει εν σοδομοις εγενοντο αι δυναμεις αι γενομεναι εν σοι εμειναν αν μεχρι της σημερον |
| 24. | But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. | Verumtamen dico vobis, quia terræ Sodomorum remissius erit in die judicii, quam tibi. | πλην λεγω υμιν οτι γη σοδομων ανεκτοτερον εσται εν ημερα κρισεως η σοι |
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July 15, 2014. Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church
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Matthew 11: 20-24 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." Introductory Prayer: God our Father, you are my shelter against the burning heat of the day and the storms of life. I know and I believe that I can count on your help when I stumble, that you will catch me when I fall and guide my steps firmly in faith toward the promise of eternal life. Petition: Jesus, help me to seek you with a sincere heart. 1. Blessings and Responsibility: With every blessing comes a degree of responsibility. The greater the graces received, the greater the responsibility we have in the eyes of the Lord (cf. Luke 12:48). The mighty deeds worked by Jesus in the towns of Galilee were not seen by everyone in Israel to say nothing of those peoples in other parts of the world. Therefore, those who see Jesus´ miracles have a greater responsibility than those who do not. Jesus reproaches them so as to awaken them from their stupor. Since the miracles have not moved them to a deeper faith, then perhaps the reminder that they will one day be answerable to God might. Sometimes the fear of punishment is necessary to drive me from my sins. 2. The Goal is Repentance: The goal of all of Jesus´ signs is to bring about a change of heart. Already in the Old Testament, the signs and wonders worked by God were intended to elicit a response of faith and trust from Israel. Jesus never works a miracle in order to impress, but rather to convert people back to God or to bring them into deeper union with him. The danger of missing the point is real. Like the inhabitants of the cities of Galilee I can begin to take the miracles and signs of Christ´s love for granted while failing to redirect my life from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. Like Herod, at times I want to be dazzled by Jesus´ miracles, but do not heed the call to conversion and repentance which they contain. 3. Reward or Punishment: “But I tell you, it will be more tolerable…”. We can learn a great deal from this strong phrase. Firstly we will be judged for our actions and our omissions. Since God sees and knows perfectly, the judgment will be objective; those who knew less will be judged less strictly. In other words, Sodom, Tyre and Sidon will indeed be judged, but according to natural law and not according to Christian faith, which they did not have access to at the time. We can also deduce that there will be different gradations in heaven and hell according to how well our actions corresponded to what we knew to be true and good. This knowledge should stimulate me to be more generous with God and to strive to be ever more centered on things that are above. Resolution: Today I will read nos. 1783-1785 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church |
July 15, 2014
St. Bonaventure was a Franciscan priest who became the Minister-General of his order. He was a great philosopher and theologian filled with prudence and wisdom. He was appointed Cardinal-Bishop of Albano and participated in the Council of Lyons in 1274. He said in one of his writings, “A man should turn his full attention and gaze on Jesus hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope and charity. To truly experience God, one must surrender oneself to him, and he cannot do this unless the Holy Spirit should come and inflame his innermost soul.”
What inflames your life? What do you intensely desire and hope for in life? Are these spiritual things or worldly desires? Most probably we want a successful career, a happy family, a house, a car, etc. God will grant you all these but you must seek first the kingdom of God. How do you do this? “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything will be given unto you” so the song goes. By seeking to understand His ways, His thoughts and His plans for you, you will know how to live your life and God will fill it with many blessings. Put God first in your life and He will grant success to your endeavors. He will fill your life with many delights and consolations. Only the things of the Spirit can satisfy your longings and desires for happiness. A man centered on God loves others and seeks their happiness before his. Blessed is this man because he has found the pearl of infinite value.
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