“In the beginning I call upon the First Beginning, from whom all illuminations descend as from the Father of Lights from whom comes every good and every perfect gift.
I call upon the Eternal Father through his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that through the intercession of the most holy Virgin Mary, the mother of the same God and Lord Jesus Christ, and through the intercession of blessed Francis, our leader and father, he may enlighten the eyes of our soul to guide our feet on the way of that peace which surpasses all understanding.
This is the peace proclaimed and given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ and preached again and again by our Father Francis.
At the beginning and end of every sermon he announced peace; in every greeting he wished for peace; in every contemplation he sighed for ecstatic peace like a citizen of that Jerusalem of which that Man of Peace says, who was peaceable with those who hated peace: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” (Prologue, The Soul’s Journey into God, St. Bonaventure)
Hello Jonathan
ReplyDeleteThis is very beautiful. I am not terribly familiar with St Bonaventure, other than that there was an all boys college by that name opposite our all girls high school! The college had its own indoor skating rink and entrance was by permit only. A friend who was a pupil at the college kindly got a permit for me one winter. Needless to say, the permit was well used and greatly appreciated. I will have to take a more serious look at this great Saint. I am, though, a great lover of St Francis and all things Franciscan. I come from a very Fanciscan background with my father being a third Order Franciscan (as they were then called) and his sister was a Franciscan Nun. Anyway, I enjoy your blog and I find it interesting as well as informative. Thank you and God bless you.