Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! - Celebrating and Honoring the Life of St. Ignatius of Loyola

July 31 is the memorial feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG)! For the greater glory of God!

This phrase is the motto of the Jesuits and captures the zestful nature of the heart of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who was filled with the Holy Spirit and founded the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits.  The motto, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, means that all of being and all actions are solely for the greater glory of God.

The spirit of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” is reflected in the passage, 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, read for Ignatius’ memorial feast Mass as the First Reading or the Second Reading in the Jesuits supplement form of Lectionary, to reflect Ignatius’ passionate devotion to the greater glory of God:

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

This means, Ignatius lived and acted solely for God’s greater glory with unceasing passion.

Living and acting for God’s greater glory means seeking nothing for himself. This is reflected in these words of St. Paul:

Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks for the Church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,  that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 10:32-33).

Ignatius came to realize that seeking nothing for himself but being and acting for the greater glory of God means to pour out his entire being and to put all of his actions for the salvific benefits of many. In other words, to live a life according to the Ignatian motto of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” means to dedicate a life for the salvation of many people. This is also echoed in these words of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the 28^th Superior General of the Jesuits:

Hombres para los demás  - People for others.

And living in the Ignatian spirit of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”, as exemplified by St. Ignatius of Loyola, means, as reflected in 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, to live and act for the benefits of others, for the salvation of their souls, by being persons for others. After all, this means to be like Christ by imitating him (1 Corinthians 11:1), who gave himself for our salvation (Titus 2:13-14), holding nothing for himself. This is know as Christ’s kenosis. So, we should also dedicate our total being and all our actions, like Christ, for the salvific benefits of others, even giving up our own lives, as the living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), to live and act in the Ignatian spirit of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”.

But in order to live and act for selfless service for others, imitating Christ, in the Ignatian spirit of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”, we first must empty ourselves and let us be filled with nothing but God’s grace. For this, Ignatius wrote this prayer in his Spiritual Exercises, #234:

Scipe, Domine, universam meam libertatem. Accipe memoriam, intellectum, atque voluntatem omnem. Quidquid habeo vel possideo mihi largitus es; id tibi totum restituo, ac tuae prorsus voluntati trado gubernandum. Amorem tui solum cum gratia tua mihi dones, et dives sum satis, hec aliud quidquam ultra posco.

Receive, O Lord, all my liberty. Take my memory, my understanding, and my entire will. Whatsoever I have or possess Thou hast bestowed upon me; I give it all back to Thee and surrender it wholly to be governed by Thy Will. Give me love for Thee alone along with Thy grace, and I am rich enough and ask for nothing more.

This Ignatian prayer to be selfless in order to serve others in the spirit of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” is also reflected in this passage of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):

By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. With his whole being man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, the obedience of faith. CCC 143. cf. Romans1:5; 16:26.

But Ignatius did not start his life this way of obedience to God and to put his life solely in the spirit of “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” by way of selfless service for others. Rather, it was quite opposite. All he did was for his own ego and geared to his self-edification when he was growing up and as a young Spanish soldier.  As a Jesuit psychoanalyst, Fr. William Meissner puts it, Ignatius was rather narcissistic. At the same time, he was known for his extraordinary valor.

But, at the Battle of Pamplona, May 20, 1521, defending the city of Pamplona against French army, Ignatius was hit by a cannon ball shot by the French, smashing his right leg, also damaging his right leg. It was near-fatal. But what the cannon ball really shattered was his narcissistic ego.

Ignatius sustained his war injuries and began a long recouping process.  It was when Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him with baby Jesus and prompted his conversion, from his lustful and narcissistic heart to the new heart of eros and agape to equip himself with passion and self-giving love.

But the journey of Ignatius’ conversion was extremely difficult, with many twists and turns.

Even though he was forced to fold his original aspiration to become a heroic figure in the military forces of the greatest empire on earth at that time, the Castilian Spanish empire, Ignatius could still enjoy his family fame and wealth. With these, Ignatius could have invested his family wealth in a trading business to earn a lot for himself, because Spain was rapidly expanding its colonial territories in Americas, as well as, in the Philippines. But Ignatius abandoned all of these options and made himself a penniless beggar-wonder, his family castile in Loyola of the Basque region, northern Spain. The only possession he took with him in leaving his family castle was his prized sword, which symbolized his past life as a proud soldier.

With his sword, he set himself to Jerusalem in order to dedicate himself for the greater glory of God, as prompted by Blessed Virgin. His plan was to sail to the Holy Land from Barcelona.

On his way to Barcelona, Ignatius surrendered his last possession, his prized sword, in front of the Black Madonna at Montserrat. And this is reflected in the Gospel Reading of his memorial feast Mass, Luke 14:25-33.

By leaving his family in Loyola, Ignatius showed that his love for Christ is far greater than his love for his family (Luke 14:26). He no longer carried his sword. He began to carry his cross, instead, resolved to offer his whole life for the greater glory of Go(d (Luke 14:27). Because he began to carry his cross, his journey of conversion began to turn increasing difficult. He faced series of challenges and obstacles. Then, he retreated himself to a save in Manresa and stayed there for 11 months, living an extremely ascetic life. Ignatius must felt that he just could not move forward any more. Being exhausted and withdrawn, he was in darkness, which can be compatible to what St. John of the Cross describes as La noche oscura del alma (the dark night of the soul). But for Ignatius, it only became darker and darker, putting himself in despair. In this spiritual pit, Ignatius must have cried out to God, for whom he resolved himself to serve, for His greater glory. Perhaps, his cry in the Manresa cave, was like the cry of Prophet Jeremiah during his interior crisis, as reflected in Jeremiah 20:7-9, which is read as the First Reading in the Jesuits supplement of Lectionary for Ignatius’ feast.

But this crisis of Ignatius did not mean God had abandoned him on his journey to Jerusalem and on his conversion journey, which began at the moment of the cannon ball smashing his leg. God was with Ignatius during his interior crisis, And this was evident from his Spiritual Exercises, which he composed its draft during that time of soul crushing difficulties.

As we can see in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, during his “dark night of the soul”, God aided him to grow in the spiritual strengths and in necessary wisdom to open his eyes and heart to the truth. And the truth is that enduring such trials sure made him drawn closer to God, aligning the desire of his heart to God’s desire on him.

Coming to realize this truth, Ignatius came out of the cave, being further grown on his conversion journey, as he came much closer to God. So he finally reached Jerusalem. However, this turned out to be the beginning of another set of trials for him. Having no credential to live a religious life, Ignatius was not welcomed in a religious community there. In dismay, he returned to Spain and tried another way to live a religious life, as he began preaching. But, because of having no credential, he was put in inquisition.

Ignatius really had to pause for a while and examine himself to find out why he always faced obstacles in every way he tried to go. It was a time for him to grow further on his continuing journey of conversion.

Through more thoughtful discernment, Ignatius decided to seek necessary education to earn the credential to serve God through a religious life. So, further humbling himself, he enrolled himself to a basic Latin class with a bunch of students who were about half of his age. At that time, Ignatius was already past 30. Then, after several universities in Spain, Ignatius studied at the University of Paris, earning masters degree. It was also where he met St. Peter Faber and St. Francis Xavier. And with them, Ignatius formed the Society of Jesus in 1534, and this religious society was approved by Pope Paul III on September 27, 1540. For this nascent religious society, dedicated for the greater glory of God, Ignatius drafted its constitution in 1530, necessary for Papal approval.

Ignatius had to learn as he had faces obstacles after obstacles, even coming out of despair in the cave of Manresa, that he had to have a solid strategy to pursue his goals for the greater glory of God. Passion and detachment per se did not work without careful strategic planning, upon discernment. And this aspect of Ignatius’ conversion journey for his further growth is reflected in Luke 14:28-33.

In founding the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola became the first Superior General to lead this nascent religious society like a well-organized and well-disciplined army. But he was no longer a soldier for Spain. Rather, he became a skilled and valorous general of the Ignatian army for the sole purpose of “Ad Majorem Gloriam”, denouncing all earthly things and letting God empty themselves and fill them only with His grace through the Holy Spirit.

AMDG!

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure, of the Pearl of Great Value, of the Fishing Net, and of the Scribes Instructed in the Kingdom: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

If you find a hidden treasure in the field, what would you do?

Would you sell all your possessions and drain all your life’s savings to get enough money to purchase the whole field in order to legally make the treasure yours?

Or, would you look around to make sure nobody is watching, and then, take unearth the treasure from the field and take it away with you?

In Jesus’ parable of the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44), a person who finds the treasure hidden in the field sold all his possessions and purchased the entire field, after burying the treasure again, rather than taking it away to make it his possessions.

What is a lesson here?

Along with another parable, the parable of the pearl of great value (Matthew 13:45-46), the parable of the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44) is to teach us that the Kingdom of heaven is worth selling all our earthly possessions to attain it. In fact, this teaching is found in the lesson from the rich young man, who forfeited his chance to inherit eternal life because he could not sell all his possessions to follow Jesus for eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22).

Another lesson from the parable of the hidden treasure is that the Kingdom of heaven is not something we can attain by our shrewdness. The point of the person in this parable purchasing not only the hidden treasure but the entire field means that this person understands that the treasure cannot be taken away from the field. Then, in order to attain the treasure hidden in the field legitimately, he needs to legally purchase and own the whole field.

As the treasure hidden in the field cannot be taken away by the person who finds it, the Kingdom is not something we could steal it.

The status of the Kingdom now is like the hidden treasure on earth until it is established on earth as it is in heaven. While we are on earth, the Kingdom is not fully revealed and established yet. We need to work on the establishment and full revelation of the Kingdom on earth. And there is no short cut like unearthing the hidden treasure from the field and taking it away with you.

When the Kingdom is established and revealed completely on earth, it will be also when Christ returns and execute the final judgement, which is addressed in the parable of the fishing net (Matthew 13:47-50).

In this parable of the fishing net, both good fish and bad fish co-exist in the net until it is completely hauled to the shore to be sorted by the angels. This corresponds to the teaching of the parable of the tares in the wheat field (Matthew 13:24-30). In this parable, both the tares and the wheat grew together until harvest time.

So, what is a point of all these parables?

It is that only saints, being pure, totally free of sins, can enter the Kingdom. And those who are entering the Kingdom let go of all their earthly possessions. Some even sacrificed their earthly lives, earning the status of martyr. It is because, to them, the Kingdom is far more worth than all they have had on earth. Only they inherit eternal life that Jesus has promised to give.

In light of the First Reading (1 Kings:5, 7-12), as Solomon asked God to grant him wisdom rather than earthly power and riches, we shall ask God necessary grace to detach ourselves from all earthly possessions as we seek the Kingdom first, striving to attain the heavenly treasure rather than earthly ones (Matthew 6:19-21).

Paul in the Second Reading (Romans 8:28-30) addresses our purpose. It is to attain the Kingdom, according to Jesus, through these parables. So, we need to be justified by God’s grace to be the children of the Kingdom, being like the wheat grew out of the good seeds, being like good fish. And it is also our purpose to work on attaining the Kingdom as the man in the parable of the hidden treasure purchased not just the treasure but the entire field where the treasure is hidden and as the merchant in the parable of the pearl of great value bought this pearl by selling all of his possessions.

There is another small parable, the parable of the scribes instructed in the Kingdom (Matthew 13:52). This is specially for his twelve disciples. It means in today’s context, this parable is applied to clergies and others in pastoral leadership within the Church. And the parable speaks about their responsibility to bring forth the wisdom from both the Old Testament and the New Testament in the pastoral ministries, as instructed by Christ, in order to bring those whom they serve are like the wheat to be harvested or the good fish to be collected. And they will not cheat to privatize the Kingdom but do necessary works to attain the Kingdom and to let the hidden Kingdom revealed by the time of the final judgement. For this purpose, they willingly let go of all of their earthly possessions. As Solomon saw, wisdom is the greatest treasure, if it comes given by God, whether it is of the Old or it is of the New, and no earthly treasures can be compared to this.

Thinking of My Friend, Martha, the Nurse, on the Memorial Feast of St. Martha, St. Mary, and St. Lazarus of Bethany

July 29 is the memorial feast of St. Martha, St. Mary, and St. Lazarus of Bethany. They are three siblings, who enjoyed sharing a fellowship with Jesus.

On this feast, I think of my friend, Martha, in reflecting on the Scripture Readings (First Reading: 1 John 4:7-16; Gospel Reading: John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38:42).

I worked with her when she was a social worker, and I was a psychotherapist, caring for abused and neglected children. Afterward, both she and I took up new challenges respectively, as she studied nursing and I studied pastoral theology.

Martha is an RN, working fulltime in a hospital now. She works long hours, caring for many patients with various health issues.  For her, as a nurse, the hospital where she works is like a guest house. So before taking care of patients with her clinical skills, she first provides best possible hospitality for each patient. In fact, the world, “hospital”, etymologically means “a place of hospitality”, more like a shelter with hospitality. Therefore, in a hospital, patients enjoy the care of the host, a group of dedicated nurses, like my friend, Martha.

Making sure that all patients’ needs are met, my friend, Martha, works tirelessly for many hours out of compassion. And this really makes her, Martha, as St. Martha of Bethany is the one who shows hospitality to her family friend, Jesus, and worked hard in waiting on tables, going in and out of the kitchen, when he visits her place. And St. Martha is a firm believer that Jesus is the Messiah, who can raise the dead to life (John 11:23-27). But St. Martha has one problem, and it is the fact that she let her busy work rob herself of an opportunity to sit down in front of Jesus and listen to him. On the other hand, her sister, St. Mary of Bethany, does not seem to show hospitality as St. Martha does, but she keeps a good company for the friend, Jesus, while St. Martha is running around between the kitchen and the tables. Then, St. Martha felt that her sister, St. Mary, should come and help her. So. St. Martha interrupted Jesus, who was speaking to St. Mary, and asked him to tell her sister, St. Mary, to help her. In response, Jesus said:

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her (Luke 10:41-42).

Jesus gently reminds her that it is better to listen first to him as her sister is doing. He is telling that serving a guest with hospitality is not all about serving food on the tables. So Jesus rather wants St. Martha to join her sister, St. Mary, to listen to him.

This is a reminder to us of what is now known as a lost art of listening. It is called “lost” today because we are too busy to listen to each other. And this is to call us to be genuinely present to another person, because we are busy acting with and for other people but hardly spending enough time to be present to another person. This is what all clinical professionals, including nurses and physicians, need to take it to heart. Patient care is not all about taking vitals and administering drugs and performing other clinical procedures. First and foremost, clinicians must be genuinely present with their beings. And good listening is practiced in this context of being present to a patient.

In hospitals, physicians and nurses are too overwhelmed with the huge volume of patient loads. Their dense schedules do not allow them to sit down with each patient and listen to him or her as they want. But I know my friend Martha manages to listen to each patient she comes to contact with. She has cultivated and demonstrated sound listening skills as a social worker before she became a nurse. This I know, because I worked as a psychotherapist for the cases that Martha referred to. And my clients always told me that they really like Martha as their social worker because she really listens to them in a way that nobody else does.

Whether it is social work or psychology or nursing, what is most important in clinical service is rapport. There is nothing more important than this in any type of therapeutic relationship. All the sophisticated clinical skills and credentials are secondary to this. So, I know that my friend Martha remains to be a good listener to each patient she cares no matter how overwhelming her patient load may get.

My friend Martha, therefore, is more than Martha, because, in fact, she is combination of St. Martha and St. Mary.

St. Martha is also a vocal advocate of her brother, St. Lazarus.

When St. Lazarus’ life was in danger, it was St. Martha, who sent a messenger to Jesus, asking him to rush to her house to take care of her brother, St. Lazarus.

Jesus could have rushed but he waited to visit her house until St. Lazarus dies. It was not that he did not care about his friend, St. Lazarus, as much as his sister, St. Martha does. But it was to let the power of God’s love manifest in raising St. Lazarus from the dead.

When Jesus finally went to the house of St. Martha, St. Mary, and St. Lazarus, he was already dead for four days. Both St. Martha and St. Mary were rather upset with Jesus for his delay. But, as always, it was St. Martha who came out of the house to meet Jesus to show her trade-mark hospitality.

This is St. Martha at her best, being hospitable, skilled in practical services, and a passionate advocate for a person she loves.

My friend Martha has all of these best qualities of both St. Martha and St. Mary, as she is not only a hospitable and skilled hard-working nurse but also a naturally a good listener and a compassionate advocate for patients. I know Martha’s effective advocacy skills from the time when she worked as a social worker. She was a trusted advocate of her clients. And I am sure that she is a compassionate advocate for her patients to ensure that all their needs are met not only during their stay in the hospital but even after discharge.

What about you?

Do you also possess the best of St. Martha and the best of St. Mary?

If Martha and I are to work together on the same clinical team, not as a social worker and a psychotherapist, as in the past but as a nurse and as a chaplain at the same hospital ward, she and I will make sure that we have firm rapport with each guest (patient) under our care through our genuine hospitality. As we are Roman Catholic, our hospitality is enriched in the context of the fellowship of Christ’s love.

Pope Francis sees the Church as a field hospital.

With this Pope’s ecclesiological vision, we can view a Catholic hospital as a place of Christ’s fellowship, which is about love, because God is love. And through love, we know God, Christ, the greatest physician. And, as the faithful followers and co-workers of Christ, we serve as nurses under this greatest physician’s direction for our guests, called, patients.  Like my friend, Martha, the nurse, this means that we need to be the best of both St. Martha and St. Mary of Bethany.

God’s Covenant Blessing to St. Joachim and St. Anna: Mary, the Blessed Virgin, the Immaculate Conception

July 26 is the Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and maternal grandparents of Jesus.

Though Joachim and Anna were exemplary in faith and righteous in the eyes of God, they could not have a child for years. Because of their childlessness, this righteous couple struggled with the shame that the society imposed, though it was not God to stigmatize Joachim and Anna in shame.

According to the Protoevangelium of James (PJ), a priest, Rubim, rejected Joachim’s offering to God in the Temple for being childless, saying:

It is not meet for you first to bring your offerings, because you have not made seed in Israel (PJ,1).

This rejection extremely grieved Joachim and prompted him to retreated in desert and fasted for 40 days and nights and prayed intensely, saying to himself:

I will not go down either for food or for drink until the Lord my God shall look upon me, and prayer shall be my food and drink (ibid.).

In the meantime, Anna mourned not only that she had been childless but also her husband, Joachim, was absent from her. Because of her grief, Anna refused to be comforted by her maidservant, Judith. Then, out of anguish, Anna prayed:

O God of our fathers, bless me and hear my prayer, as You blessed the womb of Sarah, and gave her a son Isaac (PJ, 2).

And Anna lamented:

Alas! Who begot me? And what womb produced me? Because I have become a curse in the presence of the sons of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have driven me in derision out of the temple of the Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the fowls of the heaven, because even the fowls of the heaven are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the beasts of the earth, because even the beasts of the earth are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like these waters, because even these waters are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like this earth, because even the earth brings forth its fruits in season, and blesses You, O Lord (PJ, 3).

God indeed heard the cries of Joachim and Anna in their prayers. And an angel of the Lord was sent to her and said:

Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world (PJ, 4).

In response, Anna said:

As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life (ibid.).

Then, two angels came and said to Anna:

Behold, Joachim your husband is coming with his flocks (ibid.).

Also to Joachim in the desert, an angel of the Lord brought good news, saying:

Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go down hence; for, behold, your wife Anna shall conceive (ibid.)

Then, Joachim called his shepherds and instructed them to bring him offering for the Lord and came back to Jerusalem. Expecting his return, Anna came to the city gate. There, Joachim and Anna were reunited in joy, and Anna said:

Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me exceedingly; for, behold the widow no longer a widow, and I the childless shall conceive (ibid.).

On the next day, Joachim brought the offering and it was accepted as perfect.

And Joachim said:

Now I know that the Lord has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all my sins. (PJ, 5).

Anna conceived and gave birth to Mary.      

Because Anna was determined to bring her child to God, Mary was brought to the Temple when she was three and raised by temple priests (PJ, 7).

A story of St. Joachim and St. Anna is about how God responded to the prayers of St. Joachim and St. Anna, as this faithful and chaste couple resorted to prayers in keeping their faith during the time of hardship. Their hardship is stigma and shame for being childless as Israelites, for all righteous Israelites were expected to procreate, because God made a series of covenants to bless Abraham with many progenies for generations to come (Genesis 12:2-3; 17:4-8). Remember, how frustrated Sarah was for not being able to bear a child of her husband, Abraham (e.g. Genesis 16:2-6) and how Rachel agonized for not bearing a child of her husband, Jacob (e.g. Genesis 30:1). And being barren meant public disgrace (i.e. Luke 1:25).

God sure heard the prayers of St. Joachim and St. Anna respectively and responded with good news of Anna to conceive a child. And this child is Mary, who was conceived in Anna’s womb without any trace of the Original Sin. Thus, Mary is the Immaculate Conception, as she was predestined to be the mother of the incarnated Christ, Jesus, as Pope Pius IX put in Ineffabilis Deus (cf. Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum by Pius X and Munificentissimus Deus by Pius XII), based on John Duns Scotus’ Lectura in Librum Tertium Sententiarum, vol. XX.

The First Reading of the Memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anna, Ben Sira 44:1, 10-15, reflects that God’s covenant providence for righteous people covers their progenies for generations. God’s response to the prayers of St. Joachim and St. Anna, by giving them a daughter, Mary, is a part of ongoing fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham for his offspring. In fact, St. Anna conceived Mary so that God’s promise in Eden that her offspring will crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15) will be fulfilled. This is why an angel of the Lord said to Anna:

Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world (PJ, 4).

It was not just to say that St. Anna would conceive a child. Her child is not just a child to add to Abraham’s progenies as an Israelite. The child whom St. Anna conceived, as God responded to her and her husband’s prayers. Rather, her child would be spoken in all the world. This foresaw that the child of St. Joachim and St. Anna was predetermined to be the handmaid of God (Luke 1:38) as the Theotokos.

Mary shall be spoken of in all the world (PJ, 4) because, as Simeon prophesized of the impact of Mary’s Son, Jesus, in these words:

Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (Luke 2:34)

And, Simeon also spoke of Mary in these prophetic words:

You yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:35).

The Gospel Reading (Matthew 13:16-17) reflects that the child conceived in St. Anna’s womb by a seed of St. Joachim leads to Isaiah’s prophesy of a virgin to conceive a son, named, “Immanuel”(Isaiah 7:14). And the angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph that the Son in Mary’s womb was to fulfil this prophesy of Isaiah (Matthew 1:23).

Indeed, St. Joachim and St. Anna were blessed to see their special child, whom God destined to be spoken in all the world (PJ, 4) as the Mother of God, the incarnated Christ, though prophets, who had prophesized did not see.

God’s covenant blessing to St. Joachim and St. Anna is their child, Mary. And she was born to this righteous and chaste couple, among Abraham’s offspring, destined to be the Immaculate Conception to be God’s handmaid, as the Mother of the Son of God, the incarnated Christ, Jesus, to fulfil the Messianic prophecy, which the prophets under the old covenant, except for John the Baptist, did not see its fulfillment. But St. Joachim and St. Anna was blessed to see as it began to be fulfilled, first, through their daughter, Mary.

St. James the Greater: The First Apostle to Drink Christ’s Chalice of Martydom

 On July 25, we honor the life of St. James the greater. He is called “greater” because he is older than the other St. James, called “St. James the lesser”.

St. James the greater is the brother of St. John, and they were fishermen in Galilee, recruited by Jesus together, following Peter (Simon) and his brother, Andrew, as the first batch of his disciples (Matthew 4:18-22). Upon Jesus’ call, James and John immediately left their fishing net and followed Jesus, as Peter and Andrew did.

Both James and John were zealous disciples, whom Jesus called, “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). In fact, they were rather hot-tempered, as they said to Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” (Luke 9:54) in response to Samaritans’ inhospitality as Jesus and the disciples were heading to Jerusalem and trying to go through Samaria (Luke 9:51-56).

Together with his brother, John, and another fellow first-batch recruit, Peter, James was one of the three-membered core of Jesus’ twelve disciples. They had the privilege to witness Jesus’ first act of healing (Mark 1:29-31), the transfiguration of Jesus (Matt 17:1//Mark 9:2//Luke 9:28), raising of Jairus’ dead daughter by Jesus (Mark 5:37-42//Luke 8:51-56), and Jesus’ intense prayer in agony after the Lord’s Supper (Mathew 26:36-46//Mark 14:32-42).

One possible reason for James is one of the three core disciples among the twelve is that he was destined to be the first to taste the martyrdom among the twelve disciples. Indeed, he is the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2), while St. Stephen was the first deacon to be martyred (Acts 7:54-8:2).

In the Gospel Reading of the feast of St. James the greater (Matthew 20:20-28), Jesus asked both James and John, in response to their mother asking him to give them a special place in his Kingdom, letting them sit at his right and left (Matthew 20:20-21):

Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink? (Matthew 20:22a).

And they said, “We can” (Matthew 20:22b).

Knowing that they did not know what they were saying in saying, “we can”, Jesus said to them:

My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father (Matthew 20:23).

The cup that Jesus drinks is the cup of martyrdom (e.g. Matthew 26:39).

James and John obviously did not understand what it means to drink the cup that Jesus drinks when they said that they could drink. They and their mother seemed to be more interested in a special privilege of the discipleship. But they were not aware that such a privilege as sitting on the right or left side of Jesus in his Kingdom is up to the Father. It was also obvious that they were not thinking of the cost of the discipleship (e.g. Matthew 16:24-26). That is why Jesus pressed them with the question if they would drink the cup that he drinks, the cup of martyrdom.

Though James and his brother, John, did not understand this, James became the first apostle to drink the cup of martyrdom, as Jesus said, “My cup you will indeed drink”(Matthew 20:23a).

A legend says that James brought Christ and his Good News to Spain. But, he struggled in making disciples there. Being discouraged and tired, James was thinking to give up on his mission in Spain. As he was praying, Mary, though she was still living in Jerusalem together with other apostles, appeared to him, standing on a pillar, and asked him to build a church there. And she promised that the Spaniards would come to believe in Christ. So he did before returning to Jerusalem. It was shortly after coming back to Jerusalem that James was captured and executed by Herod Agrippa in 44 AD.

The First Reading (2 Corinthians 4:7-15) reflects James’ struggles during his mission in Spain. The churches he was trying to build there were the earthly vessels that he was holding in need of God’s surpassing power (2 Corinthians 4:7). His hardship on mission in Spain is reflected in these words: afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

He had to face inhospitality there to the point of thinking to give up preaching there. This time, he was not thinking to call down fire from heaven to burn the Spaniards for giving him a hard time and not being receptive to believe in Christ. James was more humble and prayed for a solution. So Mary appeared to ail him. This is why Mary is known, in Spain, as Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of Pillar), standing on a pillar when appearing to James.

James’ mission time in Spain also means being constantly giving himself up to death for the sake of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:11-12). But, his death did not come until he accomplished his mission in Spain.

Apparently, James’ mission became successful, the earthly vessels he was holding in Spain, received God’s surpassing power, thanks to Mary’s intercession. If not, why would Spaniards would become believers, zealous enough to bring the body of James from Jerusalem to Spain, upon his execution by Herod Agrippa?

Those who came to know and believe in Christ through him, brought the body of St. James the greater to Spain and buried at Compostela in Galicia. Ever since, Spaniards have been keeping him as their beloved patron Saint, calling him as “Santiago de Compostela”(St. James of Compostela).

 

God's Forbearance and Judgement in the Parable of the Tares on the Kingdom of Heavens: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

On Cycle A, for three consecutive Sundays, 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th Sundays in Ordinary Tim, we read Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom from Matthew 13. Through these parables, Jesus gives different ways to come to terms with the Kingdom of heavens.

For the 15^th Sunday, we read and reflect on the Parable of the Sower and Jesus’ explanation of it (Matthew 13:1-23). Through this parable, Jesus reminds that only those who can understand the Word of God and it grow into abundant fruition are entitled to the Kingdom. Such persons are like the fertile soil where seeds grow and yield manifold fruition for a great harvest. And Jesus speaks in parables so that only those who can understand will know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heavens (Matthew 13:11-17).

In the Gospel Reading of the 16^th Sunday (Matthew 13:24-43), Jesus speaks to the crowd the parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) and the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) and the parable of the yeast (Matthew 13:33) to address the Kingdom. Then, he explains what the parable of the tares means to his disciples after the crowd left (Matthew 13:36-43). And Matthew gives his account on why Jesus explains the parable only to his disciples but not to the crowd (Matthew 13:34-35), as to reiterate Jesus’ explanation for this (Matthew 13:11-17).

According to Matthew, Jesus uses a parable to reveal what has been hidden (apocryphal) since the foundation of the world to those who deserve to know (Matthew 13:34-35), in opposition to those who do not believe his teaching, in light of  Psalm 78:2 (cf. Matthew 11:25). And this echoes Jesus’ explanation on why he speaks in a parable (Matthew 13:11-17), citing Deuteronomy 29:4 (cf. Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2; cf. Psalm 19:1-4) and Isaiah 6:9.

The parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) is about how God executes the judgement at the eschatos (Revelation 20:11-15; CCC 1038-1041). It draws a contrast between the way God judges and how we judge. God’s way of judgement is prudent, reflecting His wisdom and forbearance, rooted in His mercy, while our way is more like a knee-jerk reaction to a problem. This contrast is illustrated in this exchange between the servants and the master in the parable (Matthew 13:27-30):

Servants: Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?

Master: An enemy has done this.

Servants: Do you want us to go and pull them up?

Master: No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, ‘First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.’

We tend to assume that tares are to be pulled out immediately. But, according to Jesus, that is not always the case, because tares not only resemble wheat but they often entangle their roots to these of wheat. Therefore, through the voice of the master in the parable, Jesus tells that it is better to let both tares and wheat grow together until harvest time, because pulling grown tares out of wheat might inadvertently uproot wheat. This is not what the servants thought when they were intending to pull tares right away.

At least the servants in the parable seem to be able to distinguish tares from wheat, though these look alike. Even this is the case, however, there is a significant possibility that they might accidently pull out some wheat unless they examine whether it is tare or wheat thoroughly each time before pulling. Because human perception cannot render a perfectly objective recognition of an object, our evaluation and description of observed object cannot be free of error. Otherwise, there would be 100% confidence level, as well as, 0 p-value, in statistical analysis. But anyone in science knows that there is no such a thing as 100% assurance and 0% probability of making an error no matter how carefully we design research study and analyze its data, because of the limitation of human mind. Therefore, it is impossible for human mind to generate a perfectly right and just judgement.

In contrast human imperfection, God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Only God can make a perfect judgement, because His judgement is true and just (Revelation 16:7). We must humbly remember that God’s way of thinking is higher than ours because these are like the heavens and the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Chances are, we would make unjust judgements, because we cannot make a perfectly objective and accurate assessment. Consequently, our judgement is not free of error. Countless miscarriages of justice in the name of “justice” in our judicial system prove this fact.

Then, what are we to do?

Just as the servants in the parable consulted their master as to what they should do with the tares (Matthew 13:27-30), we should seek God’s advice when we have to make decisions that affect other persons. Then, the Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness in response to our inexpressible groanings (Romans 8:26). God will give us His prudent instruction in response to a situation like the tares in the wheat field through the Holy Spirit.

This parable is also about how God patiently works with sinners while taking care of those who are righteous in His eyes in this world until He executes the judgement. This is why the master in the parable did not order his servants to pull the tares right away but let them grow together with the wheat until harvest (Matthew 13:29-30). And God’s forbearance in executing judgement, addressed in  the master in the parable waits to destroy the tares until harvest (Matthew 13:29-30), is reflected in the First Reading (Wisdom 12:13, 16-19).

Jesus explains that the tares grown out of the evil seeds are the children of the evil one, while the wheat grown out of the good seeds sown by Christ are the children of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:38). The fact that the master lets both to grow together in his field until the harvest time (Matthew 13:30) suggests that God gives sinners, the children of evil ones, ample opportunities to repent and convert and reconcile (Wisdom 12:3-22) so that they might not be condemned at the harvest time, at the time of the final judgemen.

In reality, tares will be tares. They will not transform themselves to be wheat. However, Jesus is not speaking of tares and wheat in a scientific term. Rather, these are metaphors.  So, we can imagine the conversion of the wicked among those who are righteous in God’s eyes by the grace of God – through the work of the Holy Spirit –  is like tare is being redeemed as wheat by the power of merciful God, before the final judgement.

The parable of the tares speaks that God is right and just because He is patient and merciful, giving enough opportunities for the tares to be redeemed as wheat by the time of harvest. This reflects a good criminal justice system, in which those who are sentenced to serve their prison times go through genuine conversion and transformation so that they can be redeemed as good citizen, overcoming the evil effects on them, by the powerful grace of God. Good judges, prosecutors, and police officers, all work for this purpose, rather than mechanically condemning those who are alleged with crimes.

In the Gospel Reading of the Sixteenth Sunday (Matthew 13:24-43), between the parable of the tares (Matthew 12:24-30) and Jesus’ explanation of it to the disciples (Matthew 13:36-43), two small parables, the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) and the parable of the yeast (Matthew 13:33) are inserted. These little parables address that the Kingdom grows out of small things, like a mustard seed and a yeast. The growth of the Kingdom out of such small things is like how a tiny mustard seed grows into a large tree to provide nestling places for birds. It is also like how yeasts leaven the dough for a loaf of bread. 

Both the mustard seed and the yeast are very small yet these are potent, capable of growth and transformation. So these parables reminds us that nobody is insignificant, no matter how small one’s physical size is, if one is a child of the Kingdom. Not only that, every child of the Kingdom is a manifestation of the Kingdom’s growth on earth.

For every child of the Kingdom, God has bestowed grace (1 Corinthians 15:10). This is why children of God are capable to have the Kingdom grow as it manifests in and through them, regardless of their physical sizes. And God let them grow with the children of the evil one in the hope that these evil children might repent and convert to be redeemed as children of the Kingdom by the time of the final judgement. The children of the Kingdom can help these evil ones to seek God for their redemption.

On the Seventeenth Sunday, the Gospel Reading (Matthew13:44-52), three more parables on the Kingdom: the parable of the hidden treasure (v.44), the parable of the precious pearl (vv.45-46), and the parable of the fishing net (vv.47-50). The first two parables teach us that we pour all we have, even our earthly lives, for the Kingdom. And the last parable is about the redemption into the Kingdom through the final judgement, which the parable of the tares also touches on.

St. Mary Magdalene: The Apostle of the Apostles, Compelled by Love of Christ

In the optional First Reading of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene (2 Corinthians 5:14-17), Paul writes, “love of Christ compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). It is to believe that we live no longer for ourselves but for Christ, who died for us all and was raised from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:15-16). This means that those who are convicted of the incarnated Christ’s death and resurrection, as compelled by his love, are living in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Now what does love of Christ compel you to do? How does it affect your life, the way you live?

If you are truly touched by love of Christ and compelled by it, then, you are no longer living for yourself but live in Christ, living a Christ-centered life. And this is what Jesus demands us to be his disciples (i.e. Matthew 10:37; 16:24; cf. Romans 12:1).

St. Mary Magdalene is a great example of what it means to be compelled by love of Christ, as she was one of the female disciples, who provided necessary material support for Christ and the twelve disciples out of their own means (Luke 8:1-3). Had love of Christ not touched her life, Mary Magdalene would not have been freed from seven demons (Luke 8:2) and could have not followed him.

At that point in her life, Mary Magdalene no longer lived for herself, as she decided to spend all she had for herself for Christ and his mission, comparable to a poor widow’s offering (Mark 12:41-44//Luke 21:1-4). And this reflects what Jesus meant by the parable of the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44) and the parable of the precious pearl (Matthew 13:45-46), as these teach us to pour all we have, including our earthly lives, for the Kingdom. Certainly, Mary Magdalene was fitting to be Christ’s disciple. So her life had been in him ever since love of Christ touched her. Thus, love of Christ compelled her to follow him from Galilee all the way to the foot of his Cross in Jerusalem. So it means that Mary Magdalene was set to the Kingdom when she began to pour all she had for Christ and his mission as she started to follow him. Indeed, love of Christ compelled Mary Magdalene to love him, as commanded by Deuteronomy 6:5, which says, “you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength”.

This is why Mary Magdalene was the leading female disciple to be with Christ faithfully to the foot of his Cross, along with Mary the mother of Christ (Matthew 27:55-56//Mark 15:40-41; John 19:25), though all male disciples, except for John (John 19:26-27), ran away from him (Mark 14:50-51) for fear of losing their lives. Furthermore, she was present when his body was buried in the tomb upon his death (Matthew 27:61//Mark 15:47) and came to his tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, after the sabbath, risking her life.  She could have been arrested and put to death if she were caught to be at his tomb, which was guarded, as Matthew writes (Matthew 27:62-66).

As described in the Gospel Reading of her feast (John 20:1-2, 11-18), love of Christ compelled Mary Magdalene to come to the tomb where Christ’s body was laid, after the sabbath, early in the morning, while it was still dark. This indicates that she was firmly resolved to go wherever Christ was and went, alive or dead. And her determination to seek him is like spousal love, as reflected in the First Reading (Song of Songs 3:1-4b) and the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9), though there was no physical relation between Christ and Mary Magdalene. Nothing kept her from seeking Christ even after his burial, except for the observance of the sabbath.

It was, indeed, Mary Magdalene, who first proclaimed the good news of the resurrection of the incarnated Christ, saying, “I have seen the Lord!”(John 20:18). It was because she did not leave the tomb, though Peter and John left upon inspecting it, she encountered the risen Christ first among all the disciples (John 20:1-17). This is why St. Thomas Aquinas called her as the apostle of the apostles, for proclaiming the resurrection of the Lord, as done by Mary Magdalene, is essential to the apostolic mission (i.e. 1 Corinthians 15:14-19).

Before the risen Christ promised the disciples to be sent on mission upon receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22), Mary Magdalene was sent to the rest of the disciples and proclaimed the resurrection of Christ (John 20:18). And it was because nothing stopped and compromised her search of Christ, upon denouncing to live for herself but for him, as his love compelled her, and following him faithfully from Galilee all the way to the foot of his Cross.

Has love of Christ compelled you to live like St. Mary Magdalene, the apostle of the apostles?

Generative and Transformative Word of God Sown in Our Hearts for Redemption of the World: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

The Scripture Readings of the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23, are about the procreative nature of the Word of God and how it can transform us into the fullness of being through its growth to bring abundant offspring. Through the generative power of the Word in His commands, God created the universe (Genesis 1:1-31; cf. John 1:2). And the Word existed before the Creation (John 1:1).

In the First Reading (Isaiah 55:10-11), the Word of God is described in a metaphor of rain and snow that quench and nourish the earth so that it can be fertile.  In fact, as rain and snow ensure seeds sown on earth to grow to sustain life, the Word of God, as spoken by Christ, gives life, because it is the life-giving Spirit (John 6:63). This reading from Isaiah 55 also reminds us that we do not passively receive the Word but rather actively engage with it so that we can let the Word grow into manifold forms of new lives. This way, the Word spoken out of God’s mouth will not be returned to Him in vain.

Echoing the First Reading, in the Gospel Reading (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus speaks the parable of the sower (vv. 3-9), with his reason to speak in parables (vv. 10-17) and his explanation of the parable (vv. 18-23).

In this parable, Jesus describes four types of situations of the seeds sown by the sower.

Situation 1.

Seeds fell on the path, where birds ate them up (vv.3-4).

Jesus explains that this situation describes those who hear the Word without understanding. So, they allow the evil one to snatch the Word away from their hearts (v.19). 

They do not pay attention to the Word. They make no efforts to listen. They simply let the Word pass from one ear to the other. And they do not even care whether they remember anything about the Word, as they are not interested.

Situation 2.

Seeds fell on rocky ground where they sprouted at once but they were prevented from spreading their roots due to little soil.  Because of this, they soon withered (vv.5-6).

Jesus explains that this situation means those who hear the Word at once with joy but failed to let the Word take its roots in them. Because of this, they easily fell away upon tribulation or persecution (vv. 20-21).

They may at first show some enthusiastic interest in the Word. But it is rather superficial, as they cannot sustain their interest. They can be compared to seminarians, who had high hope for becoming priests, but leave seminaries without completing their formation. 

 Situation 3.

 Seeds fell on thorny ground where the growths of the sprouted seeds were choked (v. 7).

Jesus explains that this situation corresponds to those who hear the Word but let worldly concerns or the lure of the material world preoccupy themselves. And their such preoccupations choke the growth of the Word in them (v. 22).

Compared to those in Situation 2, they may retain their interest in the Word longer. But their interest fizzles when challenges arise. It means that their interest in the Word is too weak to overcome anxiety and endure tribulation. 

They can be compared to so-called "ex-priests", men who left priesthood because they fell to worldly temptations, contrary to their vow. 

Situation 4.

Seeds fell on fertile soil where they grow to bear abundant fruit for manifold harvest (v. 8).

Jesus explains that this situation describes those who hear the Word and actually understand it, so that they let the Word grow in them into abundant fruition for manifold harvest (v.23).

They are the ones who continue to receive the Word with sustained interest and make most out of it as they understand it. At the same time, they grow and are transformed through the growth of the Word in them. 

In all situations, the Word is received as the all the recipients actually hear the Word. But none, except for those who are like the fertile soil, really understand it. Because they hear but do not understand yet do not do anything about it, they let the Word be taken away or do not let the Word grow. Therefore, a key in receiving the Word as a seed to grow is our understanding.

As we understand the Word when we listen or when we read, we are receiving it as the fertile soil.

To highlight the importance of understanding, Jesus explains why he speaks in parables but explains only to his disciples, to whom knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted (Matthew 13:11), by citing Isaiah 6:9-10.

You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see.Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them (Matthew 13:14-15).

It seems that Jesus explains his parables only to those whose hearts are like the fertile soil, fitting to understand the Word sown to them. He certainly wants his disciples to be like the fertile soil for they are required to understand the Word through his teaching. This is why knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to them. Otherwise, they would not be fit to be sent on mission. And God certainly does not desire His Word to be wasted by those who do not understand. This is why He takes away everything from those who waste His Word for they fail to understand (Matthew 13:12).

Sadly many people are more like these first three cases, in which the Word of God is wasted (Matthew 13:3-7). So even they attend Mass and hear the Word during the Liturgy of the Word, through the Scripture readings, Responsorial Psalms, and homily, they make no or little efforts to retain the Word by understanding it to let it take its roots and grow in them toward abundant fruition. They are also like those who boast how many times they have read the Bible from cover to cover yet fail to demonstrate their faulty of exegesis or hermeneutics.

Though they are not many, those who listen to the Word and understand it or at least make serious efforts to understand it, are like the fertile soil. They are fit to be disciples of Christ and worthy to be send on apostolic mission, because they let the Word grow into manifold harvest. And their mission is to help those who do not understand the Word understand it.

Because the creation has been corrupted with evil since the fall of Adam and Eve, it needs redemption by God, as reflected in the Second Reading (Romans 8:18-23). For the hope of this redemption, the Word must grow in the world through those who are like the fertile soil, those who understand the Word and let it grow into manifold fruition. Besides the generative nature, the Word also has the cleansing power (i.e. Ephesians 5:26). Because of the procreative nature of the Word, we can fight the corrupted world with the Word and our understanding of it, to bring a hope like that of labore before giving birth to a new life (Romans 8:22-23).

The Word of God has the generative and procreative power to bring many offspring. This has been evidenced how God’s Creation has evolved. This also has been fulfilled through His covenants with Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3; 15:1, 4-5; 17:4-7) as his offspring have multiplied manifold. But the seeds of the Word have been sown to the corrupted words, in which many waste the Word as they do not understand it. In order to redeem the world, the Father sent the Word incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus (i.e. John 1:1, 14, 3:16; Luke 1:35; cf. Romans 8:18-23). For this, not only that the Son is the sower of the Word but also the redemptive seed that fell the soil in order to bring manifold of fruition for great salvific harvest (John 12:24).

The Word of God is sown to us with the hope that we let it grow in us into abundant fruition, while its growth in us prompts our growth and transformation into the fullness of being. And we shall receive more as we continue to grow and be transformed through the Word growing in us. This is, indeed, to redeem the corrupted world. This way, the Word will not be returned to God in vain.

Questions to ponder:

How do you understand the Word of God? Then, how does the Word of God affect you? What do you do in response to being affected by the Word of God?

St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio: Holding Intellect and Humility Together to Hold Fraternal Communion of the Faithful

The life of St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1217-1274) is a great inspiring example as to be an intellectual Catholic without becoming what Jesus calls “the wise and the learned” but remaining to be “childlike” so that the Father does not withhold “these things” committed to His Son, Christ (i.e. Matthew 11:25-27).

One episode of keeping childlike humility of St. Bonaventure is when he was selected to Cardinal of Albano. For this new leadership, papal envoys brought him Cardinal’s hat. But when they brought this, Bonaventure was busy doing house chore with his fellow friars. Instead of pulling himself from the house work with other friars to try out his Cardinal hat, Bonaventure chose to continue on his chore and told the envoys to just to hang the hat on the tree outside. Bonaventure never let his commitment to the service leadership in the fraternal and communal context fall compromised for the sake of ecclesiastical authority. Whether he was a great theological to be recognized as Doctor of the Church, Minister General of the Franciscans, or Cardinal of Albano, Bonaventure remained to be a humble brother Franciscan friar. And this is not so easy to those who climb up on the ecclesiastical hierarchy ladder as many of them tend to fall into the blindness of clericalism.

Since he is one of the Doctors of the Church, Bonaventure’s contribution to the intellectual heritage of the Catholic Church is enormous, especially, his commentary of Peter Lombard’s “Libri Quattuor Sententiarum”( The Four Books of Sentences), titled, “Commentaria in quartum librum Sententiarum Petri Lombardi”. Through this, Bonaventure made Lombard’s essential teaching more systematic to understand. Through his theological works, he also devoted himself to bring all believers as brothers and sisters under one Master, Christ. And this is reflected in the Gospel Reading of his memorial feast (July 15): Matthew 23:8-12.  As Doctor of the Church, as a bishop, and, as Minister General of the Franciscans (Order of Friar Minor), Bonaventure, remaining humble, committed himself to the fraternal unity of the Franciscans, his diocese, and all the faithful in the Church, held together by the indwelling Christ the Master, strengthened and nourished by the Holy Spirit, under the Father’s beatifying providence, as reflected in the First Reading (Ephesians 3:14-19).

By following St. Bonaventure’s great examples of holding intellect and humility together, integrating faith and reason in a dialectic way, and striving for fraternal unity of all Christians, we can enjoy studying theology and philosophy without slipping into the paralysis of analysis as a result of “theologizing” and “philosophyzing”, without becoming a sophist.  Though being a great theologian, the way St. Bonaventure taught always steered his students on the middle course to prevent them from getting lost in details.  It was not because of his intellect but because his humility, for which the Father revealed things about Christogical and soteriolgical truth in the Trinitarian context through His Son and the Holy Spirit.

It is truly a good fortune (bonus venture) that we have St. Bonaventure as our inspiration!