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to God we owe a debt of gratitude to St. Francis for the great Doctor of the
Church and minister general of the Franciscan order.
Bonaventure was born at Bagnorea in the Papal
States in 1221, and was given the name John in baptism. As a child of four
years he became seriously ill and was given up by the physicians. Then his
mother hastened to St. Francis, who was preaching in the vicinity just then,
and begged him to come and heal her child. The saint acceded to her request;
he prayed over the child, and immediately he was cured. St. Francis is said
then to have uttered the prophetic words: "O buona ventura - O blessed things
to come!" For that reason the child was called Bonaventure.
Endowed with most remarkable gifts of nature and
grace and reared in the fear of God, Bonaventure entered the Order of St.
Francis as a young man. Completing his year of probation with honor, he
continued his studies under the great Alexander of Hales. The latter did not
know what he should admire most, the talent or the virtues of the young
religious. He used to say it appeared that Adam had not sinned in this young
man.
During his student years, Bonaventure devoted many
an hour to the contemplation of Christ's suffering and he was a zealous client
of our Blessed Lady. It is reported that once when Bonaventure abstained from
holy Communion for several days from a sense of humility, an angel placed the
consecrated Host on his tongue. After his ordination to the priesthood he
devoted himself with extraordinary zeal to the salvation of souls.
Because of his extensive and profound knowledge, he
was appointed professor of theology at the University of Paris at the early
age of 27. Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas, of the Order of St. Dominic, at
that time shed the greatest luster on that institution. Garson, the great
chancellor, remarked that the University of Paris had perhaps never had a
greater teacher than Bonaventure. He grasped theology with his heart as well
as with his mind, and it shed its radiance on his conduct as well as his
words.
St. Thomas once visited him while he was engaged in
writing the life of St. Francis. He found Bonaventure raised in ecstasy above
the earth. Reverently he withdrew, saying to his companion: "Let us leave a
saint to write about a saint." On another occasion Thomas asked St.
Bonaventure from which books he obtained his unparalleled knowledge.
Bonaventure pointed to the crucifix as his library.
In 1257, when Blessed John of Parma resigned the
office of minister general, Bonaventure was unanimously chosen, at the
recommendation of Blessed John, to fill this position. He governed the order
for 18 years, and regulated everything that pertained to convent life and the
external activity of the friars with such circumspection or prudence that he
has quite generally been considered the second founder of the
order.
Both by word and deed he defended the order against
great and learned opponents. Franciscan convents had already been established
in all parts of the world; Bonaventure divided them now into provinces. He
also composed ordinances for the faithful observance of the rule which formed
the basis for all future constitutions of the order. At the same time he
patiently gave audience to the simplest brother and sometimes performed some
of the lowliest duties in the convent. He prescribed that the Angelus bell be
rung daily in all Franciscan churches. This beautiful custom soon spread
throughout the Catholic world.
In spite of all the duties of this important
position, the saint still found time to preach and to write books of great
learning and holy unction. He had steadfastly declined all ecclesiastical
distinctions. in 1273, however, Pope Gregory X obliged him to accept the
bishopric of Albano and the dignity of the cardinalate. The pope himself
consecrated him bishop and then entrusted him with the direction of the
Council of Lyons. To the great satisfaction of the pope and the fathers of the
Council, the schismatic Greeks also attended this assembly. At their arrival
Bonaventure delivered an address, which he opened with the text: "Arise, O
Jerusalem, and stand oh high: and look about towards the east, and behold thy
children gathered together from the rising to the setting sun." (Bar. 5:5).
Due to his efforts, the Orientals were reunited to the Church of
Rome.
Worn out by the heavy strain, he fell ill after the
third session. The end came very rapidly; the pope himself administered
extreme unction. With his eyes directed toward the crucifix, Bonaventure died
during the night between the 14th and 15th of July, 1274. Seldom if ever was
there a grander funeral. The pope and all the members of the Council
attended.
Sixtus IV canonized him in 1482. Sixtus V gave him
the title of Doctor of the Church in 1587. Because of the ardent love which
marks his writings, he is called the Seraphic Doctor.
ON THE LOVE OF GOD
1. Let us give our thoughts
to what the Seraphic Doctor says on the love of God. He tells us that it
should be the aim of our lives, according to the words of our Lord: "This is
the greatest and the first commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with
your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind" (Matt
22:387-38). Not as though the love of God were the only virtue and that we
need not concern ourselves about any other, but without the love of God the
other virtues are not true virtues and cannot lead to salvation. Moreover, the
other virtues derive their luster and strength from the love of God, as
material things do from the sun. -- Unless your industry, temperance,
charitable activity, and even your piety are enlivened and filled with the
love of God, they are worthless. Have you given this sufficient consideration
in the past?
2. Consider that the love of God is of such inestimable value
because it excludes all sin. "To love God," says the Seraphic Doctor, "means
to wish God well. But every sin is something evil, an offense against God.
Hence, sin cannot co-exist with the true love of God." The more perfect your
love of God is, the more you will abstain from sin. It is, of course, true
that the perfect love of God, which implies that all our acts and desires are
directed towards God alone, is not possible here upon earth; it will
constitute our bliss in eternity. Nevertheless, even here on earth the love of
God must exclude everything that is displeasing to God. -- If you still fall
into many sins, is it due to the fact that you do not love God enough?
3.
Consider whence St. Bonaventure derived his ardent love of God. It was from
keeping his eyes on the crucifix and meditating on the sufferings of Christ.
"The wounds of Jesus," he said, "are arrows that wound the hardest hearts, and
flames that kindle the coldest souls." Whoever truly contemplates our
suffering Savior on the cross can hardly yield to sin. The love of Him who
loved us to such great lengths must of necessity fill us with zeal to avoid
whatever displeases Him and to make our hearts agreeable to Him. May the
powerful intercession of the great Doctor of the Church assist us in following
his words and example.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, who did give the
holy confessor and bishop Bonaventure to the Church as an admirable teacher,
mercifully grant that she may merit at all times to have him for her
intercessor. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book
of Saints, ed. by
Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald
Press
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