Understanding Franciscan Spirituality
Part 1A Relationship with God
Opening Prayer
To the Blessed Trinity
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In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Side 1 -- O infinite Trinity,We sing of your glory in this prayerBecause of Jesus, your beloved Son, you
have raised us to be your own daughters and sons, And in our hearts, you have made your dwelling
All: Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen
Side 2 -- Eternal beyond time,The fountain of life that never dies,All creation comes form you and also
returnsIn a never-ending stream of love.
All: Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen
All -- We give our praise to you,O most sweet and blessed TrinityWho always flows forth and always flows
backIn the calm sea of your own overflowing
and dynamic love.
ALL: Through Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit all glory and honor are yours, Almighty Father. Amen
Wisdom 13:1-3For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by
nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists, nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works;
2 but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water, or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world.
3 If through delight in the beauty of these things men assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord, for the author of beauty created them.
The Revised Standard Version. 1971 (Wis 13:1-3). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Trinitarian prayer Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.
Through Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit all glory and honor are yours, Almighty Father
Starting discussion questions
1. Why did Jesus become human (Incarnate)
2. Would Jesus have come if there were no original sin?
A Relationship with God
• Spirituality– based on one’s unique experience of
God– my particular way of picturing God– fed by intimate and personal contact
with God
Francis – theologian of God’s experience
• Not a trained theologian• Vernacular theologian (in the
common peoples language and range of experience)• A theology based on lived experience
Francis – Trinitarian Man
• Francis yearns for relationship with the Father• Wants to be loved by the Father as
Jesus is loved• Sees Jesus as elder brother who
leads us to the father
• The Father is his goal• Francis understanding of his own
unworthiness causes him to desire the loving Father even more
• Sees God as Trinity and Unity
Theology of Francis
• Trinitarian communion – which will become the model for Francis’ Order - structured as Fraternity – to mirror the love within the Trinity
• Also based on the Primacy of the Father
The Father–supreme goodness –Unbegotten source–Total giving-ness –
generativity/fecundity
–2 modes of emanation• Intellect – Beloved Son•Will – Spirit = freedom’s choice
to Love
• Central place within the Trinity is the Father
• Francis calls himself brother & refuses to be called father
• Place of Father is reserved for God
Christology of Francis
• Based in the mystery of trinity• Jesus is beloved Son• Descends from the bosom of the
Father• Reveals to us the Father and reality
that God is Love
Intellect Beloved SonEternal Word Begotten Perfect
receiver and reflector of God
All God is expressed in the Son
Both receives and produces [spiration]
Exemplar - makes visible the ideas, thoughts, actions [mind] of the Father
“. . if you see me, you see the Father”
our elder brother
• Imitation of the Son comes from the desire to be loved by the Father as Jesus was loved• Jesus becomes our elder brother• Shows us a God of humility and
poverty• A servant God
Names• Jesus reveals to us God’s name
ABBA
• The Father reveals Jesus name
BELOVED SON
Holy Spirit
• Only being filled with the Holy Spirit of God, can we:• Imitate Jesus• And become one with the Father
Will of God – Holy Spirit– Spirated from both Father & Son– Total receptivity–Receptive not productive–Mutual bond between Father
& Son– The expression of God’s will
– LOVE • choice made in absolute freedom