Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today Happy feast day to all, Seminarians, Deacons, Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, Monks, Nuns, Reverend Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. Happy feast day to all named Bonaventure and Parents of all named Bonaventure Happy feast day to all Franciscans and all devoted to Saint Francis of Assisi Happy feast day to all devoted to Saint Bonaventure Happy feast day to all who, like Saint Bonaventure strive in the uprooting of vice and the implanting of virtue in their lives and in the lives of others Happy feast day to all devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary especially all who recite the Holy Rosary in Her honour with true devotion Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries Today, 15th of July marks the liturgical memorial of Saint Bonaventure Bonaventure was an Italian medieval scholastic theologian and philosopher Catholic History confirms that he was born between (1221-1225) at Bagnoregio in Latium, Tuscany not far from Viterbo. His parents were Giovanni di Fidanza and Maria Ritella He was a frail child at birth He was given the name Giovanni (John) at his baptism. He soon fell so ill that his cure was despaired of, and his sorrowing mother had recourse to Saint Francis of Assisi who was recognized everywhere in Italy as a Saint. Catholic History tells us that Bonaventure’s mother promised God she would endeavor to have the child take the habit of the Franciscan Order, if he were cured. Her prayer was granted, the child was cured, and Saint Francis himself gave him his new name. An attempt has been made to trace the latter name Bonaventure to the exclamation of Saint Francis Catholic History tells us that when the sick child was brought as an infant to Francis to be cured of a dangerous illness In reference to the miraculous cure, Saint Francis prophetically exclaimed of the infant, “O buona ventura!— O good fortune!” Saint Francis died a few months later, not without foreseeing the future of this little one, destined to be a seraph of love like himself. Saint Bonaventure is titled “the Seraphic Doctor,” from the fervor of divine love which breathes in his writings. Saint Bonaventure himself tells us that while yet a child he was preserved from death through the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi Bonaventure entered the Order of Friars Minor in 1238 or 1243 It is certain that he was sent from the Roman Province, to which he belonged, to complete his studies at the University of Paris under Alexander of Hales, the great founder of the Franciscan School. In 1253 he held the Franciscan chair at Paris and was preceded as master of theology. Unfortunately for Saint Bonaventure, a dispute between seculars and mendicants delayed his reception as master until 1257, where his degree was taken in company with Saint Thomas Aquinas. Having successfully defended his order against the reproaches of the anti-mendicant party, though not yet thirty-six years old, Bonaventure, on the 2nd of February, 1257, was elected Minister General of the Friars Minor -- an office of peculiar difficulty. He was the seventh Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor In 1263, Bonaventure fixed the limits of the different provinces of the order and among other ordinances, he prescribed that at nightfall a bell should be rung in honour of the Annunciation, this was a pious practice from which the Angelus seems to have originated. In 1264 Bonaventure founded at Rome the Society of the Gonfalone in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary This society, if not the first confraternity instituted in the Catholic Church, as some have claimed, was certainly one of the earliest. Catholic History tells us that on the 23rd of November, 1265, Bonaventure was nominated to the vacant Archbishopric of York by Pope Clement IV (who was the 183rd Vicar of Christ and Head of the Roman Catholic Church on earth since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle). In keeping with his singular humility Bonaventure, steadfastly refused the honour to become Bishop, the pope yielded to his decision. Saint Bonaventure was instrumental in procuring the election of Pope Blessed Gregory X (who was the 184th Bishop of Rome since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle), On the 23rd of June, 1273, much against his will Bonaventure was created Cardinal-Bishop of Albano, by Pope Blessed Gregory X (who was the 184th Servant of God and Head of the Catholic Church on earth since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) Catholic History tells us that the popes envoys who brought him the cardinals hat found the saint washing dishes outside a convent near Florence and were requested by him to hang it on a tree nearby until his hands were free to take it. Pope Gregory X insisted on Saint Bonaventure’s presence at the great Council of Lyon in 1274. There, after his significant contributions led to a union of the Greek and Latin churches. Bonaventure enjoyed a special veneration even during his lifetime because of his stainless character and of the miracles attributed to him. The only extant relic of the saint is the arm and hand with which he wrote his Commentary on the Sentences, which is now conserved at Bagnoregio, in the parish church of Saint Nicholas. There is a story of Saint Thomas Aquinas visiting Saint Bonaventures cell while Saint Bonaventure was writing the life of Saint Francis and found Bonaventure in an ecstasy. Let us leave a saint to work for a saint, said the Angelic Doctor (Saint Thomas Aquinas) as he withdrew from Saint Bonaventures cell. Saint Bonaventure was chiefly concerned in the perfecting of the soul by the uprooting of vice and the implanting of virtue His treatise on the Holy Sacraments is largely practical and is characterized by a distinctly devotional element. This appears especially in his treatment of the Holy Eucharist. (This is the richness of our Catholic Faith) Saint Bonaventure agreed that there is a degree of prayer in which ecstasy occurs. When it is attained, God is sincerely to be thanked. It must, however, be regarded only as incidental. It is by no means essential to the possession of perfection in the highest degree. Saint Bonaventure was the guest and adviser of Saint Louis (king of France). He was also the director of Saint Isabella, the king’s sister. Saint Bonaventure sat at the right hand of Pope Gregory X and presided all sessions at the Council of Lyons, assembled to provide for the reform of morals and the needs of the Holy Land, and to cement the union of the Greeks with the Roman Catholic Church. The piety and eloquence of Saint Bonaventure won over the Greeks to Catholic union, but his strength failed suddenly, the day after its closure. Catholic History confirms that Bonaventure died on the 15th of July, 1274 He was buried by the assembly of the Council members, still in Lyons; he was mourned by the entire Christian world. On hearing of the death of Bonaventure Pope Blessed Gregory X exclaimed! “Bonaventure was a man of eminent learning , eloquence and of outstanding holiness He was known for being easily approachable. He was also admired for his kindness, gentleness and compassion. -------------------------------------------------------------- When, in 1434, Saint Bonaventures remains were translated to the new church erected at Lyons in honour of Saint Francis, his head was found in a perfect state of preservation and the tongue was as red as in life. This miracle not only moved the people of Lyons to choose Saint Bonaventure as their special patron, but also gave a great impetus to the process of his canonization. Saint Bonaventures feast day was included in the General Roman Calendar immediately upon his canonization in 1482. His feast day was at first celebrated on the second Sunday in July, but was later moved in 1568 to 14 July, since 15th of July which marks the anniversary of his death was at that time taken up with the liturgical memorial of Saint Henry. The feast of Saint Bonaventure remained on that date (14th July), with the rank of double In 1960, the feast of Saint Bonaventure was reclassified as a feast of the third class. In 1969, the liturgical memorial of Saint Bonaventure was classified as an obligatory memorial and was assigned to the date of his death, 15th of July. Saint Bonaventures exegetical works were highly esteemed in the Middle Ages and still remain a treasure house of thoughts and treatises. He neglected no opportunity of preaching whether to the clergy, the people, or his own Friars He preached before popes and kings, in Spain and Germany, as well as in France and Italy. Nearly five hundred authentic sermons of Saint Bonaventure have come down to us; the greater part of them were delivered in Paris before the university while Bonaventure was professor there, or after he had become minister general. Most of them were taken down by some of his auditors and thus preserved to posterity. In his sermons he follows the Scholastic method of putting forth the divisions of his subject and then expounding each division according to the different senses Besides his philosophical and theological writings, Saint Bonaventure left a number of works referring to the religious life, but more especially to the Franciscan Order Sanctity and learning raised Bonaventure to the Church’s highest honors, yet at heart he was ever the poor Franciscan friar, who practiced and taught humility and mortification. Saint Bonaventure was the friend of Saint Thomas Aquinas; they received the Doctor’s cap together in Paris. Saint Thomas asked him one day from what source he drew his great learning; he replied by pointing to his crucifix. Another time Saint Thomas found him in ecstasy while writing the life of Saint Francis. The Angelic Doctor said, while retiring quietly, “Let us leave a Saint in peace, to write of a Saint!” Again, in attempting to make a comparison between Saint Bonaventure and Saint Thomas Aquinas: the two saints were of a different bent of mind; Each had qualities in which he excelled; one was in a sense the complement of the other; one supplied what the other lacked. Where Saint Thomas Aquinas was analytical, Saint Bonaventure was synthetical; Where Saint Thomas Aquinas was the Christian Aristotle, Saint Bonaventure was the true disciple of Saint Augustine; Where Saint Thomas Aquinas was the teacher of the schools, Saint Bonaventure was the teacher of practical life; Where Saint Thomas Aquinas enlightened the mind, Saint Bonaventure inflamed the heart; Where Saint Thomas Aquinas extended the Kingdom of God by the love of theology, Saint Bonaventure extended the Kingdom of God by the theology of love. Even those who hold that Saint Bonaventure does not reach the level of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the sphere of Scholastic speculation, they concede that as a mystic Saint Bonaventure far surpasses the Angelic Doctor (Saint Thomas Aquinas). It is said that Pope Urban IV (who was the 182nd Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle), acted at Saint Bonaventures suggestion in attempting to establish uniformity of observance throughout all the monastenes of Clares. Bonaventure was canonized and given the decree of heroic virtues and pronounced as Saint Bonaventure on the 14th of April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV (who was the 212th Servant of God and Head of the Roman Catholic Church on earth since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) Saint Bonaventure was declared a Doctor of the Church in the year 1588 by Pope Sixtus V (who was the 227th Bishop of Rome since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle). The name “bona venture” means “good fortune” Saint Bonaventure is known as the “Seraphic Doctor of the Church” He was Cardinal-Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church He is also known as one of the 33 Doctors of the Church He is popularly known as the Devout Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church ------------------------------------------------- Quotes of Saint Bonaventure: “Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children.” Saint Bonaventure -------------------------------------------------- When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than that proceeding from the mouth. Saint Bonaventure ------------------------------------------------- Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant, and the mystery hidden from the ages. A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope, and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation. Then such a man will make with Christ a pasch, that is, a passing-over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert. There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulcher, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: Today you will be with me in paradise. -Saint Bonaventure -------------------------------------------------------- Creation is a song that God freely desires to sing into the vast spaces of the universe. -- Saint Bonaventure ---------------------------------------------------------- Books and Works of Saint Bonaventure includes: • The Mind’s Road to God • Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Journey of the Mind into God ------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray (Oremus) Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that, just as we celebrate the heavenly birthday of the Bishop Saint Bonaventure, we may benefit from his great learning and constantly imitate the ardor of his charity. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ------------------------------------------ Saint Bonaventure is the Patron Saint of bowel disorders. He is invoked against intestinal problems In art Saint Bonaventure is represented as: • A man with a cardinals hat; • A man with a ciborium; • A man with a communion; • A cardinal in Franciscan robes, usually reading or writing ------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the works, spiritual direction, spiritual maturity, and intercession of Saint Bonaventure we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the life history of Saint Bonaventure can be viewed by clicking the photo of the saint in our groups photo section Saint of the day, would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Saint Bonaventure and other Saints before and after him and through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we give you our lives and our salvation. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen Saint Bonaventure, pray for us. Amen. Please click the link below: https://youtube/watch?v=6RPrmrIX5No
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 10:27:53 +0000
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