PRESENTATION FOUR Opening to the Invasion of the Spirit Slide 1 and 2 – no notes Slide 3 The Experience of the Spirit in the Franciscan Tradition by Dominic Monti, 1998 When we think of Franciscan theology and spirituality, we normally think of The absolute primacy of Christ A radical imitation of Christ that involves – o reproducing an idealized model of Gospel life o Francis as the perfect imitator of Christ o The rule and constitutions as embodying a plan of perfection, and o abdication of all individual personality in order to assume the personality of Christ The role of the HS was minimized and almost completely passed over in post-Tridentine Catholic theology and spirituality in general in favor of God, Christ, The establishment of the Church, & the Church as means of salvation, and Authoritative teaching about sacraments which communicate divine life. Many authors prior to 1960 gave theoretical acknowledgement of the Spirit as the source of sanctifying grace, but little in the truly transforming activity of the Spirit or in creating models of Gospel life appropriate to the needs of our times. This began to change in the late 60s as scholars doing critical research on Francis and Clare came to discover the vital role of the Spirit in their lives. Slide 4 Summary from Nancy Schreck: “To Catch the Stirring of the Spirit”, Franciscan Federation 1998 Briefly, let us remind ourselves of some primary biblical concepts of the Spirit that the scriptures speak about concerning the transcendent presence of God and creative activity in the world. RUAH: the wild wind with the root meaning of air • over time the word acquired other nuances such as “wind in motion, the storm, the raging blast of the desert”, like the one that divided the Red Sea • The word is used when the writer wants to convey something about the power of God’s strength. • A sense of God’s energy let loose • It could also mean tumult or hot air, which seems always ready to enter our reality. NEPHESH: meaning “the holy breath of God” • It’s about the power of life -giving breath hovering over chaos to bring forth life. • God is as near and necessary and as intimate of our breath. The result is life. SHEKINAH: meaning “to dwell” • It’s a feminine symbol, used in rabbinic writings as a synonym for divine presence among the people. • It is manifested in clouds, fire, or radiant light that descends, overshadows, or leads the people. • It gives rise to hope and encouragement in the midst of darkness; a sense of divine fidelity. • Early Christian depictions in found in a hovering mother bird, and eventually the dove. 1
PARACLETE: one who urges and prompts into action, who gives comfort. • This Spirit is first seen in Jesus, then promised by Jesus, and finally in the glorification of Jesus is passed over to the believers who follow after him. • The Spirit’s post -resurrection role is to be the personal presence of Jesus after his historical absence due to death – to abide with the disciples teaching, reminding, maintaining, and completing the work of Jesus; leading the followers to truth The biblical images don’t form a single pattern. They express God’s outward reach and contact with the created world – directing, purposing, bringing into being, sustaining and guiding the cosmos and everything in it. Hildegaard of Bingen: Scivias Chapter 1, No. 12 The Spirit is the life of the life of all creatures, the way in which everything is penetrated with connectedness, a burning fire who sparks, ignites, inflames, kindles hearts; a guide in the fog, a balm for wounds; a shining serenity, an overflowing fountain that spreads to all sides. She is life, movement, color, radiance, restorative stillness in the din. Her power makes all withered sticks and souls green again with the juice of life. She purifies, absolves, strengthens, heals, gathers the perplexed, seeks the lost. She pours the juice of contrition into hardened hearts. She plays music in the soul, being herself the melody of praise and joy. She awakens mighty hope, blowing everywhere the winds of renewal in creation. Slide 5 1960-1998 • We seemed to react against any formalistic approach to the Spirit • Even Joe Chinnici in his 1994 rendition of the “Prophetic Heart” said we preferred a religious eclecticism. • “Spirit” was understood as • a prevailing tendency or • general intent, instead of • an activating essential principle How did we get to that boring place after all that Hildegaard wrote about the Spirit? Slide 6 But gradually things began to move. In 1976 “To Have the Spirit of the Lord” was a letter of 4 General Ministers upon the 150 th anniversary of the death of Francis. It stated: Anyone who reads the writings or lives of St. Francis attentively will easily see that the following elements are of central importance: o to follow in the footsteps of the poor, humble crucified Christ o under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Slide 7 Another letter of the Ministers in 1998 echoed some of the same ideas. Kajetan Esser said: [quoted by Optatus von Asseldonk, in the landmark work, “The Spirit of the Lord and its Holy Activity in the Writings of Francis,” [ Greyfriars Review 5 (1991): 105-158 and its companion, “The Holy Spirit in the Writings and Life of Clare,” Greyfriars Review 1 (1987): 93-104. ] said: 2
With Francis it is not simply a question of an external following of the life of Christ, but rather, first of all, that Spirit of Christ must be alive and active in the followers. Few saints have experienced the invasion of the Spirit in their life as did Francis. Here is where I get the title of this reflection, the invasion of the Spirit. Slide 8 The life of Francis reveals decisive moments when he was led to creative action by the Spirit of God. . . o When he decided to enter a life of penance: The Most High revealed to me that I should live according to the form of the Holy Gospel. o In overcoming his natural repugnance to lepers leading him to work among them o The faith he had in churches in a time when sectarian movements rejected the institutional church and when . . . o Faith in priests who were often ignorant and immoral and corrupt, he could say I discern the Son of God in them. o In going about the world as humble messengers of reconciliation: the Lord revealed to me a greeting : ‘May the Lord give you peace.’ o And he observed that the same Spirit had led others to a transformed life. Slide 9 There were many other indications that highlighted how the same Spirit led others to a transformed life. o in giving the form of life to Clare, he wrote: By divine inspiration you have made yourselves daughters and servants of the most High King. . . and taken the Holy Spirit as your spouse. . . o to those choosing to do penance while remaining in the world How happy and blessed when they do these things and persevere in doing them, since the Spirit of God will rest upon them and will make [her] home and dwelling among them. o to those enter Francis’ form of life : welcome them as this move is of divine inspiration o the brothers who request to live among the infidels: by divine inspiration o All must recognize that any accomplishments within their ministries must be attributed to the Spirit of the Lord who does or says or works these goods in and through them. Slide 10 Le Celle near Cortona, Italy This beautiful icon of the Francis and Clare within the Life of the Trinity is found at Le Celle. I believe it expresses how intimately the life the Trinity was to both Francis and Clare. 3
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