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catholicnewsherald.com | July 2, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
St. Bonaventure: ‘The Seraphic Doctor’ Feast day: July 15
Pope Francis
God’s grace transforms sinners into apostles
E
ven the lowliest of sinners can become the greatest of apostles by answering God’s call and allowing His grace to work in their heart and mind, Pope Francis said. The life of St. Paul, who went “from being a persecutor of Christians for not observing the traditions and the law” to being one of the great apostles, highlights the power of God’s grace, the pope said June 30 during his weekly general audience. “How often, in the face of the Lord’s great works, does the question arise: How is it possible that God uses a sinner, a frail and weak person, to do his will? And yet, none of this happens by chance, because everything has been prepared in God’s plan. He weaves our history and, if we correspond with trust to His plan of salvation, we realize it,” he said. In his main audience talk, the pope continued his new series of talks on the Letter to the Galatians, reflecting on the theme, “Paul, true apostle.” St. Paul shows “a father’s concern” for the Christian community, he said, and in reading his Letter to the Galatians, “we immediately discover that Paul has a profound knowledge of the mystery of Christ.” When problems arise, such as the dispute over whether Gentiles must be circumcised, St. Paul did not follow “the shallow arguments used by his detractors” but instead “chose to go deeper, because what was at stake was the truth of the Gospel and the freedom of Christians.” “He does not stop at the surface of the problems, as we are often tempted to do in order to find an immediate solution that deludes us into thinking that we can all agree with a compromise,” the pope said. “This is not how the Gospel works, and the apostle chose to take the more challenging route.” One of the ways St. Paul explains his reasoning is by reminding the Galatians of his history of violent persecution against Christians and “that he is a true apostle not by his own merit, but by God’s calling.” “On the one hand, he insists on underlining that he had fiercely persecuted the Church and that he had been a ‘blasphemer, a persecutor and a man of violence,’ the pope said. “On the other hand, he highlights God’s mercy toward him, which led him to experience a radical transformation, well known to all.” Pope Francis said St. Paul’s “wonder and gratitude” despite his past showed that, through the grace of God, even one who fought the disciples of Christ “could become a herald among the Gentiles.”
July 15 marks the feast day of St. Bonaventure, called “The he zealously collected documents about St. Francis of Assisi and Seraphic Doctor” of the Church. St. Bonaventure is known for heard testimonies of those who had actually known him. From his leadership of the Franciscans and his great intellectual this information, he compiled a biography of the saint that was contributions to theology and philosophy. adopted as his official biography by the General Chapter of the St. Bonaventure was born in Bagnorea in Tuscany, Italy. He is Friars Minor in 1263. widely believed to have been born in the year 1221, although some St. Bonaventure also wrote numerous mystical and ascetical accounts say 1217. treatises, most famously, “The Soul’s Journey into God.” Sources recount that in his youth, St. Bonaventure was cured of a In 1273, he was appointed by Pope Gregory X as Cardinal and Bishop dangerous illness by the intercession of of Albano. The pope also asked him to help St. Francis of Assisi. He went on to join prepare the Second Ecumenical Council the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor in of Lyons, an ecclesial event aimed at re1243. establishing communion between the Latin After making his vows, he was sent and Greek Churches. to complete his studies in Paris. He was St. Bonaventure worked to prepare the taught first by Alexander of Hales, an Ecumenical Council, but never saw its English doctor and Franciscan, and later completion. He died on July 15, 1274, while by John of Rochelle. While in Paris, he the council was still in session. He was became good friends with St. Thomas canonized in 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV. Aquinas, with whom he received the In his general audience on March 3, degree of Doctor. He also developed a 2010, then-Pope Benedict XVI spoke about friendship with St. Louis, king of France. the life of St. Bonaventure. He called to In 1257, St. Bonaventure was chosen mind the great works of literature, art, to serve as the superior of the Friars philosophy and theology that were inspired Minor. In this position, which he filled by the Christian faith during the time for 17 years, he brought peace and order. period in which the saint lived. His impact was so great that today he “Among the great Christian figures is sometimes referred to as the second who contributed to the composition of founder of the Franciscans. this harmony between faith and culture Taking on the position after a period of Bonaventure stands out, a man of action and extraordinary expansion for the order, contemplation, of profound piety and prudent St. Bonaventure worked to preserve a government,” he said. He called on people spirit of unity. He calmed the threat to note “the central role that Christ always of internal dissension that arose over played in Bonaventure’s life and teaching,” differences in interpreting the message and to imitate the way in which “the whole of of St. Francis of Assisi. Central to this his thinking was profoundly Christocentric.” work was his understanding that the — Catholic News Agency study of philosophy and theology did not oppose the call to poverty that was so Also online central to Franciscan spirituality. At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read St. Bonaventure proposed a unified about other saints whose feast days are in and collected text regulating the daily July, including: St. Otto, July 2; St. Augustine life of the Friars Minor. The text Zhao Rong and Companions, July 9; St. Kateri was accepted and ratified in 1260 by Tekakwitha, July 14; St. Lawrence of Brindisi, July the General Chapter of the Order in 21; St. Bridget of Sweden, July 23; St. Charbel Narbonne. Makhluf, July 24; and Sts. Joachim and Anne, Wishing to present an authentic image July 26. of the life and teaching of their founder, St. Bonaventure, as painted by Claude François, c. 1650-1660
‘Meditation on Christ in His humanity is corporeal in deed, in fact, but spiritual in mind. By adopting this habit, you will steady your mind, be trained to virtues, and receive strength of soul. Let meditation of Christ’s life be your one and only aim, your rest, your food, your desire, your study.’ — St. Bonaventure
Daily Scripture readings JULY 4-10
Sunday: Ezekiel 2:2-5, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Mark 6:1-6a; Monday (St. Anthony Zaccaria, St. Elizabeth of Portugal): Genesis 28:10-22a, Matthew 9:18-26; Tuesday (St. Maria Goretti): Genesis 32:2333, Matthew 9:32-38; Wednesday: Genesis 41:55-57, 42:5-7a, 17-24a, Matthew 10:1-7; Thursday: Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29, 45:1-5, Matthew 10:7-15; Friday (St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions): Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30, Matthew 10:16-23; Saturday: Genesis 49:29-32, 50:15-26a, Matthew 10:24-33
JULY 11-17
Sunday: Amos 7:12-15, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:7-13; Monday: Exodus 1:8-14, Matthew 10:34-11:1; Tuesday (St. Henry): Exodus 2:1-15a, Matthew 11:20-24; Wednesday (St. Kateri Tekakwitha): Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12, Matthew 11:25-27; Thursday (St. Bonaventure): Exodus 3:13-20, Matthew 11:28-30; Friday (Our Lady of Mount Carmel): Exodus 11:10-12:14, Matthew 12:1-8; Saturday: Exodus 12:37-42, Matthew 12:14-21
JULY 18-24
Sunday: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Ephesians 2:1318, Mark 6:30-34; Monday: Exodus 14:5-18, Exodus 15:1-6, Matthew 12:38-42; Tuesday (St. Apollinaris): Exodus 14:21-15:1, Exodus 15:8-10, 12,17, Matthew 12:46-50; Wednesday (St. Lawrence of Brindisi): Exodus 16:15, 9-15, Matthew 13:1-9; Thursday (St. Mary Magdalene): Song of Songs 3:1-4b, 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, John 20:1-2, 11-18; Friday (St. Bridget): Exodus 20:1-17, Matthew 13:1823; Saturday (St. Sharbel Makhluf): Exodus 24:3-8, Matthew 13:24-30
