Monday, 11 February 2013
St. Bonaventure Part Thirteen of the Doctors of the Church
St. Bonaventure's writings are worth reading if anyone is interested in the development of "Franciscanism". I think it is fair to say that without Bonaventure, there would be no Franciscan Order, which to me, is the meaning of this painting.
As this series is concentrating on spirituality and perfection, I shall choose just a few sections from St. Bonaventure. He is called the Seraphic Doctor and he died in 1274. He wrote quite a bit on the life of prayer and mysticism, so one is "spolied for choice."
The language is that of the Bride and Bridegroom.
Here is one small section and by now, those of you who are following this series, will recognize the movements of purification, illumination and unity. Bonaventure's language is similar to that of St. John of the Cross.
The flesh of Christ, therefore, flowered like the rose through the beauty of brightness (per pulchritudinem claritatis). For as the rose in its beauty is among flowers, so the splendour of light is among colour. "As the refulgent rainbow among the clouds of glory, and as the flower of roses in the days of spring, so did he shine in the temple of God" (Ecclus 50. 8, 7). The "clouds of glory" (or of the heavenly homeland) are those who have the first robe and are looking forward to the second. For a cloud has a relationship to the serenity that follows and the rain that precedes. The saints have a similar relationship to the flesh because of their desire for their bodies. The "refulgent rainbow" (the Son of God) has a stringed instrument, namely the uprightness of the inflexible divinity and the curved wood of the humanity in humility. "The flower of roses in the days of spring" refers to the flesh reddened in blood in springtime and now "shining in the temple of God", that is, the Church tnumphant. That "city has no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God has enlightened it, and the Lamb is its lamp" (Apoc. 21. 23). And in another place, "the Gentiles shall walk in your light" (Is. 60. 7), when he "will conforin our lowly body to his glorious body" (Phil. 3. 21), so that we may shine like the sun, when its light will be sevenfold (cf Is. 30. 26) [44]
