The Harried Mystic

Of the saints who make up the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition, few had as pervasive an influence as that of Bonaventure of Bagnoregio. He is the saint also known as the “theologian of the beautiful,” a lover of words in poetic form and one who, like St. Francis, saw the Presence of God in the human person and in all of the created world.

For Franciscans, the Incarnation, or enfleshment of the Divine, is a central theogical reality. All the world resonates to the Creator’s voice expressed in many voices with Presence and assuming endless forms like the many colors made by prisms of the one true Light. In Bonaventure’s mystical writings, such as the “Tree of Life,” he uses words to stimulate both heart and mind as a means to quicken our adoration and ever-deeper intimacy with God.

The rich tradition of Lectio Divina, (or Divine Reading), is enriched immeasurably by the Franciscan emphasis on using our imagination: a gift from God intended to make possible a bridge to the Infinite! Franciscan “lectio” is distinguished by its emphasis on imagining being with Jesus and talking with Him, listening, learning and allowing our Hearts to be filled in intimate dialogue.

This brings scripture into us, an extension of Eucharistic living. Living scripture seeps into every cell, infusing every aspect of the Person, until we become the Beings of Light we are made to be in truth.

© The Harried Mystic, 2018 and Br. Anton, TSSF. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.