Meditation-Jesus-Christ-1-269.html

Meditation of Jesus - Christ

Fr. Valentin-M. O.f.m concrete. -1-

Mediation of Jesus - Christ

Meditations

The Christ's place in the Franciscan piety

By the Father Valentin o.f.m. - Mr. Breton o.f.m.

Franciscan editions 9, Rue Marie - Rose - Paris (14th)

NIHIL OBSTAT

Montis Barolensis die 23 has maii 1936
in festo beati Rostagni T.O. census. Dep.

IMPRIMI PALS

Parislis die 24a maii 1936
In Premoria, Bonaventurae Ambianensis,
Fr. Leo-Paschalis LEVEUGLE
Vic. Prov. Franciae

IMPRIMATUR

Luteliae Parisiorum die 27 has maii 1936
In festo beati Roberti Stuardi
V.DUPIN
Vic.Gen.

Table of contents

Preface
Introduction
1-L'unique Mediator
2 God's Intention
3 - Christ's Predestination
4 the Answer deJésus to the father's advances (tie 280)
5 - the mediating work (tie280)
Condlusion and Convenient (tie 280)
Preface

While giving like subtitle to this small book the word" Meditations ", we wanted:
1 - to indicate the thought that inspired it
2 - to fix the method of reading that will make it profitable

1 - meditations, the knowledge scripturaire and theological of which can be them to us provided there is not one end, but a means. Our goal is less to instruct the minds of the opinions accepted by our Franciscan School, that to feed the souls of the truths of the Faith.

We want to make, to our readers, to suspect, to conceive, to taste wealth and the depth of Christianity, presented too often like a tremble preparation to the death while he/it is a doctrine of life and the only one that satisfy intelligence at the same time as the heart.

He/it is not anymore of saints, said the Psalmist, XI, 2, because the truths are lessened among the sons of the men, The holiness is eminently a work of light, one can boldly affirm it, under the condition to hear that light is only the visible aspect of an energy that coins his/her/its other aspects are called as heat and strength; because what is true of the solar energy the East to better title of the grace of the Verb, sun of the minds, of which our brother messire the material sun carries significance with big splendor.

Value the Christ at the cost of the man's sin, no one will worry about him that according to his/her/its own evaluation of the sin. Present it in the majesty, the necessity, the universality of his/her/its sevenfold mediating function (S. Bonaventure), the souls will devote themselves to him, to adore it, to like it, to imitate it, to serve it,. They won't put any boundary-marks to their generosity, while not seeing to their progress.

2 - meditations, taking the word in his/her/its full sense that passes the one of the method, we don't propose you to deliver it in topics of mental dissertation, more or less long and comfortable, to pull a resolution of it to execute abuse of power hardly until the following exercise.

Faithful to the Franciscan thought, that is the one of Augustin saint, and to all to take the one of the total Christianity, we order the spiritual life, according to God, the love and God's honor, let's say the CHARITY, rather than according to the man, of his/her/its immediate and personal utility. As want to make us conceive to the reader of the feelings of worship, admiration, gratitude, and humility, of generosity, that, if he/it is sincere and docile to the grace, will carry it sweetly and strongly to live his/her/its conviction. To create to take our comparison - to create to the soul what one calls today a spiritual climate, or Christ, sun of the minds, will penetrate it of his/her/its influence and his/her/its life.

Besides the convenient resolution, immediately, urgently and universally feasible, is indicated in collusion:

To give up one, to let in itself LIVE THE CHRIST,

However, it is there the all of the man, to all stages of his/her/its ways, to all ages of his/her/its life, since his/her/its exit of the sin included, until the consumption of his/her/its grace.

3 - meditations, an attentive fast and same reading would not operate some, let's believe ourselves, the result that we foresee some. Of these pages, whose substance is borrowed from the Books Saints, it would deliver the literal content, such a reading would not permit to assimilate the mind of it.

The manner to meditate them however is not unique,

To the soul accustomed to the life of prayer a slow reading can be sufficient, that lets place and leisure to the affections;qui, having first inquired about the whole and the term of his/her/its object, comes back on every point, stay late to savor that that she/it discovers there; without many to stop to verbal developments, to considerations that will be useful, necessary to another, less familiarized with this kind of emotional and nearly silent prayer. This one will have need to explain itself/themselves to herself, as she/it would make to others, the value of the words, the senses his/her/its assertions; to retell itself/themselves what she/it understood, to deduct some of the formal acts of faith, of worship, of love; of the resolutions to act…

To one as to the other, we will counsel to be going to read in their text the passages that we detached some, and to increase thus in them this knowledge that is the eternal life, to know God and his/her/its Christ.

And if the use of this small book is beneficial and consoling to them, we ask them in Mayor's name to condescend to recommend the author of it to our common Mr., Christ Our - Lord.

Introduction 1-11-111

The importance of the topic that present to the meditations of his/her/its readers this small volume is manifest; since the title; she/it will prove to be more and more big as we will advance bus there under this synthetic title, we tempt to study the Place that Our Lord Jesus holds in the Franciscan piety-Christ.

To seen first, this place is considerable. But, one will say, she/it is also major in the piety of the other spiritual families! Graces to God! Let's specify therefore that, for us, this place is fundamental and let's enter without delay in our topic while solving, in manner of introduction, three interlocutory questions,:

1 - that it is necessary to hear by piety?
2 - what place, in the Christian piety, can and must hold Christ Our - Lord?
3 - what piety can FRANCISCAN be said?

1 - WHAT IS THE PIETY

1- one often takes today for equivalents, the words piety, spirituality, mystical. We are going to distinguish between piety and spirituality, we separate mystical of which feels it is discredited at a time and ambiguous. One don't speak of a mystic of fascism or Communism, whose principles are decriers of the supremacy of the spiritual; of a mystic of the sports or the industry do who cultivate the muscles or money only; and even one doesn't oppose mystical to asceticism, whereas one is only the interior and passive aspect, the other the outside and active aspect, of me same reality that we name here piety?

Let's hear by piety the attitude towards God of a man who understood his/her/its duties and endeavor better of his/her/its to accomplish them.

The man, all man, has multiple duties towards God. He/it recognizes in Him his/her/its Principle and his/her/its End, his/her/its Creator, his/her/its Benefactor, his/her/its Lord. Him yours of him the to be, the activity and the laws of this activity, life and the food of this life that are bodily, morals, intellectual. He/it must him in return the worship, the praise, and the love; the obedience; the gratitude, the oblation, the prayer, the expiration… to fulfill these duties, to acquit itself/themselves of it with the worry of their perfection, constitute God's service, in other words the piety.

However, as the piety is a life according to The mind, a spiritual life, one can also call it spirituality. But probably it will be more exact to reserve this word to designate the theoretical and convenient method of God's service. A spirituality is a science of the piety. She/it presents herself/itself indeed like a system, methodical, organized, of convictions and principles and also of practices that put the principles again, and whose goal is p to promote the piety, God's service, with perfection, conscience, generous will,.

In short, he/it imports little; and this precision brought here for the accurateness, we won't make case of conscience of the indistinct employment of these words.

2 - the piety is "natural" to the man; the fact is established by history and psychology; we suppose it known and allowed. As one with ancient piety exactness, Jewish piety, speaks Moslem piety… and of corresponding spiritualities. The profanity, the oblivion of duties towards God, or their contempt, and on the contrary a "manufactured article" by Satan's homicidal hate, the ignorance, the ingratitude of the men.

The Christian piety is a service, of neat God according to the Christ's revelation,; she/it acted as basis to various spiritualities. One mentions the spirituality of Saint's order - Benoît; the one of Saint-Bernard the one of the Dominicans and Carmelites; the one of the Jesuits, with the Salésienne and the Liguorienne that connect themselves of it,; the Oratorienne, related to the Franciscan,; of others again. This diversity depends on the theological and especially philosophical systems adopted by these religious families, their God's conceptions, the Christ, the grace, the human nature (1), etc… Because the divine Revelation is of an inexhaustible suppleness and fertility and be suitable humbly to the speculations of the men. The tyranny imposed to intelligence by the dogma is a blue tale.

(1) J.Heerinckx,o.f.m., Introduction intheol, spirit., n ' ' 103,n.2. Mentioning F. - X. Maquart, to which we give reason against author.

II THE PLACE OF THE LORD JESUS IN THE CHRISTIAN PIETY

3 - in all these spiritualities, let's recognize without hesitating that Our Lord Jesus - Christ possesses an eminent place, they would not be Christian without it.

Nevertheless one agrees to admit that the role given to the Christ-Jesus in the Franciscan piety is visibly bigger than in the other spiritualized. One thinks that it is especially about demonstrations of a sensitive devotion, or even sentimental, towards the holy humanity; Jesus child, Jesus in cross… We will see that he/it is true, but for a deeper reason than the obvious.

The place occupied by Notre-Seigneur in this method to serve god who is a spirituality can differ indeed. Let's suppose a so very established system on rational notions that he/it can, without ruining it entirely, without causing him an irretrievable damage, to withdraw at least of his/her/its exhibition literal Christ, his/her/its person, his/her/its teaching,. The men will be able to continue to use this system to serve God, to make their salute, to avoid the sin, to practice the virtue. The thought of their last End can be sufficient to decide the men to conform indeed their die to their destiny (1). Suppose a system that collapses entirely on the other hand if one withdraws the Christ of it; as well as a basilica collapses due to the settling of his/her/its basement. She/it is only a piece of unusable ruins; whereas in the face the temple remained standing, or one can continue the divine service, although a near or the apse is out of use.

The role given to the Christ, is not equal in the two spiritualities; there he/it is only complementary; here he/it is fundamental.

In the Franciscan spirituality, besides the aspect dévotionnel that is visible, a dogmatic aspect, imposes itself: The Christ holds the place capital there; it is by Him, overtly, that one serves God; and one professes that one cannot serve God and that for Him; that he/it is right to grant Him in the exposition of the doctrine, in the mobile of the piety, the place therefore that he/it occupies of by God dan the concrete reality.

There we are to the heart of our topic.

Let's add a third consideration however.

(1) of fact the piety remains possible to the souls that don't reach the Christian revelation. Saint Paul blames the" pagans" (Rom., 1, 18-32,; 2-9-16) not to see cultivated, whereas they owed it and were able to it. We know by the divine teaching that in the concrete reality the Christ, absent literally of this piety is the secret and necessary foundation of it, because no one reached God that by Him, that is the unique Mediator of the salute. But on the outside he/it doesn't appear there.

111- THE FRANCISCAN PIETY

4 - we call Franciscan our domestic piety, because historically and psychologically, her st the one even of François saint of foundation, Father of our souls.

We must be brief in the proof of this assertion, his/her/its development would provide the matter of a volume (that has been written besides already often (1)). We will yet distinguish two parts in our proof, depending on whether we already insinuated that our mercy present a double aspect: the aspect dévotionnel and the doctrinal aspect is.

A. places it of the holy humanity in the devotion;
B. places it of the Christ God total__ and Man __dans the doctrine.

(1) the last in date is the admirable, and inexhaustible book of the P. Gemelli: The message of François saint.
To see the third part especially.

To 5th Saint François brought back the Christian piety to take for his/her/its Jesus object-Christ considered in the mystery of his/her/its human life (2)

To - BEFORE HIM, the holy humanity was offended, if one can say, by the attention put nearly exclusively on the divinity. The historic reasons are known some:

oh 1 the struggle against the heresies christologiques had forced the theologians to enhance the Christ's equality with the Father, his/her/its consubstantialité,; besides Jesus' terrestrial life was then too recent to be denied and unrecognized. Also the mistake was himself it attacked little to his/her/its humanity; it is the divinity that to affirm, to explain, was necessary to defend. (1)

oh 2 consequently, the pictures of the Christ offered in the basilicas to the reverence of the Christian people were them of a triumphant, sitting, impassive in the middle of impassive elected, very distant therefore of his/her/its people's miseries. Even on the cross, the Savior appeared glorious: he/it didn't inspire compassion, but the fear (2)

oh 3-Aux rough mœurs of the even barbaric populations, the goodwill of the preachers instilled the terror of the judgments of the avenging God more that the leniency of the divine Pasteur…

Probably one would find in knows Jean Chrysostome, in Augustin saint, again of others, of touching considerations on the man's sufferings - God. But it was not a theme plain of the popular predication and the goal was not to soften but to convert. Closer to François saint, holy Bernard had invited his monastic audiences to sympathize to Jesus and Marie in the episodes of their terrestrial existence, his/her/its speech had not had, beyond the Cistercian cloisters, that of rare and weak echoes in the church.

oh 4 François Saint is going to popularize the devotion to the life human of the Savior, to his/her/its childhood, to his/her/its passion. He/it will dramatize the narration of it, the knowledge, the involvements, the ' imitation he/it could inquire about the doctrine of Bernard saint; their meeting on this land can also come from a similar inspiration: The same Mind enlivening them to satisfy to the needs of the souls.

B 5- AFTER SANT FRANÇOIS. "During the whole means age, the church, one has can write, absorbed itself in the contemplation of Crucified it". The Franciscan influence appears indubitable. The emotion produced a long time by the saint's condemnation, the examples of his/her/its mates, Claire saint and his/her/its daughters, the writings of Bonaventure saint and the Meditations of Giovanni fra Calvoli di defined in the seraphic Doctor, the visions of the Blissful Angèles of Foligno and Battista Varanis, etc., have feed and aflame this mystical flame of compassion (1) But it is not all.

(2) we cannot wonder, one understands it, to treat here this topic in his/her/its size. We indicate in note of the books or those of our readers that would like it will find the development of it.
Cf. the Christ (Bloud and Gay), XXI, Limitation of the Christ,; 1ière part, History, II, &" (V.M.breton)

(1)Karl, Adam,: The Christ our Brother (Grasset),III,pp.51 sq.
(2) A.Dufourcq: History… of the church, téV,p.139,

(1) L.Bello, o.f.m. The pre-eminence and royalty of Our Lord Jesus-Chrsit,pp 6 sq. and the notes.

B.6 - ONE generally thinks and even with a disdain hardly hidden that this devotion to Jesus is had sentimental", sensitive, to the man (in the man - God); while it is about, one says, to serve God (2). We will say, if we didn't fear to force the note, that he/it is not anything of it: because it is well God who looks for and reaches the Franciscan piety. She/it takes the entire man, but as entire the Christ.

She/it takes the entire man: mind, soul and flesh; she/it doesn't address that to the speculative intelligence, to a disembodied reason that doesn't have a real existence,; she/it speaks at the heart; she/it moves the sensitivity (what as holy Ignace makes in his/her/its" applications of the senses", and it is greatly rented some!).

But, besides, she/it is deeply dogmatic.

It is to serve God, to reach it like very God wants to be reached and served, that she/it passes by the Christ, God and Man, unique mediator between God and the men; the set of the present meditations me I hope, will convince of it to us.

C.7. And that this doctrine is well the one of the P`re holy François, it is sufficient to convince itself/themselves of it, while waiting for the other texts that will come in their place, to read the first of his/her/its Admonitions,: of the Christ's Body.

The Lord Jesus told his disciples: I am the way, the truth and life. No one comes to my Father if it is not by me. If you knew me, you will know and you will see it.

Philippe says: Lord, show us the Father and it will be sufficient us. Jesus answered to him: Since so long that I am with you, you don't know me again? Philippe, the one that sees me, also sees my Father (Joan., 14, 6-9).

The Father lives in an inaccessible light; and God is mind, No one ever saw god (I Tim. ,6,16; Joan., 4,24;Jo.,1,18).

Because God is mind; the only mind can see God; because it is the mind that vivifies, while the flesh etch of nothing (Joan., 6, 64). And even the Son, as him was equal to the Father, cannot be seen per person, no more no less that the Father, no more no less that the Holy spirit. It is why those same that saw the Lord Jesus Christ in his/her/its Humanity, if they didn't see and raw according to the mind, and his/her/its Divinity, to know that he/it was God's true Son, those are lost.

When to us, that don't see his/her/its Humanity here below, we have the Very Saint Sacrament of his/her/its body and his/her/its blood, and we must there by the mind to recognize his/her/its Divinity.

Because as well as to the saint apostles he/it appeared in his/its life flesh (his/her/its Humanity), so to us he/it appears now in the sacred Bread; and as the Apostles, by the eyes of their body saw his/her/its flesh only, but what contemplating it by their spiritual eyes, they believed that he/it was very God; similarly us, seeing Bread and the wine of our bodily eyes, we must see and must believe firmly that his/her/its very holy body and his/her/its Saint (is there) living and true.

Thus, the mind of the Lord that lives in are faithful, this and him that receive in them the Body and the Blood of the Lord; those that, not having in them this Mind, would presume to eat the Body of the Lord, would eat their own condemnation (1 Horn., 11,29).

Why, son of the men, do you burden your heart? (Ps.4,3) Why don't know yourselves the truth, don't you believe in God's Son? (Joan, 9,35.) Because it is of this manner that this Lord is with his/her/its supporters according to his/her/its promise: Here it is that me sui with you until the consumption of the centuries" (Mt., 28,20) (1).

(1) on Admonitions, their history, their text, their sense, to see the beautiful book of abbot P. Bayart,: Saint Fançois writes you (Franciscan Editions). We refer there often.

(2) Christuus, Beauchsene,1916,p. 1137. Cf.Gemellli, Cit op.., p.337

8 - one sees in this substantial exhortation that, according to François saint

1 Jesus being all, Way, Truth, and Life;
2 person cannot serve God that by Him;
3 - because God only appears in Him and by Him;
4 - being of invisible, unknowable, inaccessible silk, to the creature,;
5 the one has need here therefore to know, to like and to serve god of a mediator, stall to God and to the men, who are Christ;
6 - it is not sufficient to become attached to his/her/its humanity, but it is necessary to pass this humanity to reach by the mind to his/her/its divinity;
7 this law imposed itself to the Apostles, it imposes herself/itself to us;
8-d'ou pull themselves the principles of the Franciscan piety: aspect dévotionnel, aspect doctrinal;rôle of Christ,; roles of the mind - Saint, of The church, of the disciple's faith.

Prepared us thus can approach the topic of these interviews: the place of the Christ-Jesus in the Franciscan piety.

Let's be saintly proud of our Father holy François! Poor small man without literature, despised incurs today of the university scientists, he/it even let us some writings; but especially a living, and deep, and theological tradition of piety, that the doctors of the aligned made expose only in their commentaries. Let's put ourselves to his/her/its school; let's learn him; to serve God in Christ Our Lord.

1- THE UNIQUE MEDIATOR

Us first meditation had to act as introduction to the proposed topic. 1 - we defined the piety there first as the attitude towards God of a soul that having consisted of his/her/its duties endeavors to acquit itself/themselves of it with perfection; she/it submits to arrive there to a theoretical and convenient method forming a spirituality.

2 - we recognized then that the Franciscan piety was characterized:

a) spoke place given to Christ's humanity Saint Our visibly-Lord in the devotion; and
b) more deeply, essentially, by the place given to the Christ-total, God and man, in the doctrine.
3 - briefly finally we recognized that this piety or spirituality was connected truly, according to history and psychology, in N.P.S. François;

By this triple canvasses us entered to the heart of our topic

1- The ASSERTION FUNDAMENTAL

1 - The ASSERTION FUNDAMENTAL of the Franciscan piety is this one;

The place of the Christ-Jesus must be in the human life, in the thought and the activity humanes, the same that it holds in the thought and in God's work.

However, God doesn't want and cannot be served that by the Christ and in the Christ: because the Christ-Jesus is the Principle of all his/her/its works, God first wanted the Christ and then, in Him, by Him, with Him, because of Him, for Him, everything that he has to want and to operate (1)

(1) the proof of all these assertions will be brought in due course.

It is necessary to notice the EXCLUSIVE shape of this assertion:

God doesn't want, God is not able to, to be served that in Christo Jesu (1)

(1) we take this formula of Paul saint, that filled it 164 times; this meaning of the preposition in in the complex sense of place, means and goal: in the Christ by the Christ, in view of the Christ, is a hébraïsme.

2 - explain our EXCLUSIVISME:

Does an order of things exist or does God want, or can god be served otherwise that in the Christ? No; of the confession of all; nor today after Jesus' arrival, nor before this arrival. But an order could have existed, or would god have accepted the cult, the service of the creatures, without the Christ?

The Franciscan thought answers: We are not able to the knowledge: The Revelation doesn't teach it to us; and only she/it has expertise and authority to affirm or to deny.

We don't put any limit to God's power; however
1 - seer what he/it made. and
2 - listening to what he/it said;

US ÉRPONDNS:
1 - he/it didn't make it
2 - he/it didn't tell it; but
3 - that that him adit provokes us to think: NO, An order of things doesn't exist or god is known, beloved, served, regardless of the Mediator that we name, of his/her/its man's name, Christ, Notre-Seigneur.

This negation is particular to the Franciscan doctrine. We must recognize it and must recognize it without difficulty.

Of other Catholic doctrines, indeed, affirm on the contrary that has happen little to the less innocent Adam and are angels can happen more mediation of the Christ to serve God and to please to him.

To suit some with them, we will wait that they prove it while bringing the divine testimony of the writing or the receivable only Tradition; and they didn't make it since centuries that the question is debated. Of as much as he doesn't import to our present intention. Studying, the place given to Christ by the Franciscan piety, he/it is sufficient us at present to know that this place is determined by the Exclusivisme of this assertion:
God doesn't want and God cannot be served that by the Christ and in the Christ, in Christo Jesu.

God doesn't want, it is-to - to say, of his/her/its part,: he/it doesn't accept to be served; God is not able to. It is-to say, on behalf of the beings that, don't have a possibility to serve it, of access to his/her/its service, that in the Christ and by the Christ.

In other words:

The Christ-Jesus is the object, the unique object of the divine complaisances,; anyone wants, want, pretends bets to God, he/it is not admitted to please to him, and allowed of by the order, the acceptance, the decision divine; he/it is not capable, and of divinely conceded capacity; that by the meditation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

3 - such is the place recognized by the Franciscan piety to the Christ Jésus. He/it is mediating and unique mediator in God and the men. This affirmation of Saint Paul, 1Tim.,2,5, is accepted by us dan his/her/its absolute sense.

We pushed the teaching of the previous interview on the fundamental admonition 1, or holy François exposes his thought to his/her/its sons. We will mention here a prayer that expresses all our doctrine been able to some of words and give the deep reason of it. She/it reads herself/itself to the XXIII chap. of the Rule of 1221 (11) that is a prayer, praise and action of graces:

But (oh God all powerful, holy and just Father, Lord of the sky and the earth…, one and slave away) because us all, miserable and sinners, we are not worthy to name you (1)., we implore you urgently so that Note Lord Jesus Christ, your very beloved Son, some that you take pleasure solely, returns you graces in all thing, with the Saint consolatory Mind, depending on whether he is pleasing to you and to them: because it is this son who is always sufficient you and for all, and it is by him that you granted us all your grace. Hallelujah.

(1) to name God, mean to return him the whole cult that is him: that your name is sanctified, biblical Meaning. In his/her/its Hymn of the Creatures, holy François says of ^ me: hopeless man is not worthy to name You.

God took pleasure solely in his/her/its Christ; it is by him that he/it has us, to all, given the to be, the grace, life, the sky,. So God condescends to accept the cult of the creatures, it is an addition that he accepts by the unique object of his/her/its complaisances: because his/her/its Christ is always sufficient to him.

4 - exposed by François the whole spiritual doctrine of his/her/its posterity: but it is also the contribution of the Franciscan thought to the Catholic theology, we will mention here a historian foreign to the order, non suspected of partiality, Albert Dufourcq (1). He/it concludes his/its exposition of the Franciscan doctrine by this assertion that, he/it says, summarize it:

"The Christ must be conceived in relation to God, before being conceived in relation to the world,; and it is why, if he/it is very certainly the Redeemer of the humanity by (his/her/its) Passion…, he/it is also, he/it is first, he/it is essentially the glorificateur of the Trinidad by the love that he/it offers him in his/her/its Cœur.

(1) A.DUFOURCQ - History modern delÉglsie, VI, 1924, pp 372 sq.

That one allows us, in spite of his/her/its length, to dictate the exposition of or take these findings, the interest is fundamental of it:

"The complete theology and prolong the humble findings of the rational science…, his/her/its most radiant triumph, she/it takes back it when she/it unveils us and the real function and Christ's exact nature: brother Thomas (of Aquin) and S, Anselmes and how many others didn't know them how to discover! The theory that they follow to the envi to show in his/her/its creation of the world, consistent of the mistake of Adam and the Christ's mission, a defeat of the almighty God, consistent of a revenge effort! This theory awakens the distrusts of the beaming faith and the shy reason of Duns Scot: No, Jesus didn't make himself/itself man to erase God's defeat! The Christ must be conceived in relation to God before being conceived in relation to the world (underlined by the author),…

God (deciding to create the world), he/it wanted Christ so that Christ liked it in the name of the world and dragged the world to like it."

The Franciscan of which present A.DUFOURCQ in this place of the conclusion is the Blissful Jean Duns Scot, doctor of the immaculate Conception and the universal Capitation of the Christ-Jesus,; in him is embodied the beaming faith, the intelligence jealous of God's size, that shines in his/her/its Order,; it is he that declared the exact function and the Christ's truths nature, elsewhere obliterated. But he/it doesn't have anything so to speak makes that to put in language of school, and to push of his/her/its proofs scripturaires and patristiques, the splendid, affirmation of his/her/its Father S. François, inspired in the Rule of 1221, François had learned it intuitively in the prayer or the divine light gave all their relief to words of the writing, confided to his/her/its invoice,: "The Christ is sufficient to God fully and always; as God is himself - he pleased solely in him; it is by him that he/it wanted and operated all things; it is in him and by him that he/it wants to be known, beloved and served."

III

Let's listen to ourselves-same the inspired words; but listen to them as made our Father, in the same mind of lover attention and humble docility. "This one is my beloved Son, some that I took pleasure solely (some that I put toues my complaisances): Listen to it."

This affirmation is seven times in the New Will, with variants that only make to accentuate their sense. She/it is returned on the occasion of Christ's baptism and to the one of Transfiguration. To the baptism, according to S.Marc and S. Luc, the divine speech of investiture is addressed to Jesus himself: You are my beloved son; in you I took pleasure. For Transfiguration, S.Pierre brings its testimony. S. Mathieu that relates it to the two episodes, mention the passage or the Isaïe prophet elsewhere, announce the Christ's investiture (1).

God-Trinidad says Christ: Ipsum Audite (1) Christ claimed highly, fully, consciously, his/her/its function.

Let's raise his/her/its words, without commentaries,: - All something me one been given by my Father, No one knows the Son, if it is not the Father; and no one knows the Father otherwise the Son, and the one to that the Son wanted to reveal it (S, Mathieu, 11.27-to Bring closer Joan, 6,46; 7,28;8,19;10,15;17,2).
- I am the way, the truth, life, no one comes to the P`re that per month (Joan, m 14, 7). That sees me, sees my Father (id. ,9).

- I am the door, That enters by me will be saved (Joan, 10,9)(2).
6 - it is sufficient. Besides ghost on this point, of another slant, we will recover these texts later and in complèterons by others the teaching. Collect - in the doctrine in an unique text, capital, that is to him only the most explicit affirmation of our faith, and the most complete explanation of the fact:

He/it is only one God, and also only one mediator between God and the men, the man Jésus0-Christ, who is given itself in ransom for all (I Tim., 2,5).

(1)Nos readers will like to refer to the evangelical text, to raise the variants, to meditate it, Baptism, of it,: Mt., 3, 17,; Mc. ,1,111; Lc., 3,22. Transfiguration:

Mt. ,17,5;Mc., 9,6;Lc.,935; 2 Petri, 1,17. The passage of Isaïe, mentioned by Mathieu saint, 12, 18-20, himself litany: 42,1: Here is my child, that I chose; my good-beloved some that has his/her/its soul takes pleasure; I have ms my mind on him; he/it will spill the justice among the nations.

Notice that God doesn't say: Here is your Savior, nor nothing that absolutely indicates Christ's dependence to the hommes`mais: Here is my Son, my beloved, the object of my complaisances.

1. (Illum, according to Marc saint, 9,6). Listen don't return it the insistence, the solemnity of the divine speech,: It is himself; it is This one; that it is necessary, that you must, to listen; that I order you of écouter`à the imperative.

2. Dams the same sense, Saint Jean writes in the prologue of his/her/its Gospel (Ch,I,16,18):

3. it is of his/her/its fullness that we have all received, and grace on grace; because the Law has been given by Moise, but the grace and the truth came by Christ, God, no one lives it ever. A); the Only son b) that is in the heart of the Father, it is he that makes it know (to Bring closer has) 1 Joan, m 4, 12,; I Tim., 6,16;b) Joan, 3.13).

So the Franciscan spirituality pushes it on the Revelation his/her/its shy exclusivisme: God doesn't want, god cannot be served that in the Christ: because the Christ is sufficient to God and God takes some him, solely, his/her/its complaisances.

Unique mediator between God and the hommes__ We will say later, having established it: the minds - Jesus is the MIDDLE, the way, the passage, the bridge, and also the PLACE of meeting, or God - Trinidad and the creation, summarized in the Christ man, flesh and mind, unite in the Son's Person, who is himself, said S, Bonaventure (1), the middle of the Trinidad, Medium Trinitaris, the beloved between the magnet and the friend.

7 the attitude of the Franciscan soul, considering this necessity of the Christ's mediation, is not the one of a suspicious and jealous slave, but of the child who makes credit to his/her/its Father's charity (2); because the role assumed by Jesus, it is in our favor, that he/it solicited it and accepted; we will meditate when and how. Let's say merely today:

We have need of God, waiting for All of him. We cannot reach it: we are of returned of it unworthy by our sins. Need, impotence, indignity, that he remains us? The despair.

Jesus comes to us: he/it is pleasant and accredited; he/it knows and he/it is known; he/it supplies us, accredit us, teach us; in him, by him, we have access by the Father; his/her/its credit covers our impotence, his/her/its merits our indignity.

Constituted supreme worshipper, supreme magnet, supreme servant,; so beautiful, so perfect, that hopeless more perfect could not be created, he/it gives to God, as much as God deserves it, it is - to say, all worship, all love, all service, infinitely: He/it is sufficient to God and God puts in him all complaisances.

However, this Christ, of the same heart that he gives himself/itself at God-Trinidad, gives himself/itself to us, men, as our respondent, our guaranty, our ransom. Note elder brother, he/it makes himself/itself our Savior. His/her/its worships are ours, as well as his/her/its loves, his/her/its services and his/her/its merits. In us, for us, with us and by us, he/it adores, he/it likes, he/it rents, blessed and thank; he/it serves, he/it repairs, he/it implores, he/it asks and gets; he/it offers and he/it pleases, He/it is pleasing to God and we please some him.

We don't have anymore to fear, to doubt because of our impotence, and of our indignity. We are accepted, beloved, cherish, carrissimi,

However of all this marvelous elevation and acceptance, we have a pledge, a proof, an immediate realization,; THE EUCHARIST

8th Such is the fact proposed to the Franciscan soul as basis and foundation of his/her/its piety. A fact, sure since he/it is revealed. and no a theory, even founded in well deducted reasons! We will look for the explanation of it, we will meditate the consequences of it; but conclude our present considerations by a prayer that immediately to set them in motion. :

Very holy Lord Jesus Christ, Son very beloved of God our Father, by Marie's hands, your mother and ours, of body, soul and mind I deliver myself all to you that are the supreme worshipper, amateur and servant of the Trinidad Saint, infinitely worthy and of worship and love and service; because I want worthily with you, only being able to it in you, to adore it, worthily to like it, worthily to serve it. Amen.

(1) Coll.in Hexaem. 1.&&1.12
(2) 1 Joan., 4, 16,; Rom., 5,8.

II
GOD'S DRAWING

1 - the Franciscan piety founds on this axiom that, to be at the height of the teachings revealed, the idea that our conceive Christ must take in relation to God, before taking itself/themselves in relation to the man; it is necessary to consider what is Christ in God's esteem, rather than in the man's utility.

However, tells us holy François, God took pleasure solely in his/her/its Christ, because this christ is sufficient to him in all and always, and it is by It that God gave to all being everything that it can have to be.

The Christ's absolute pre-eminence in God's esteem is a fact taught by the Revelation: The Father declared solemnly that Christ was the unique object of his/her/its complaisances; Christ claimed the privilege to be the unique way to reach the Father; the mind - Saint; by the mouth of Jean saint, proclaimed Christ, the unique revealing of the Father and, by the one of Paul saint, the unique mediator between Die and the men.

2 - us, is he/it allowed to know the REASON of the fact, in other words the divine motive who dons Christ of this function?…

Not only he/it is permitted, but necessary, asked in enjoins. The measure of the knowledge is the one of the love; and this one the measures the grace and the glory. The eternal life, says Jesus (Joan., 17,3), is to know you, only true God and your messenger the Christ.

Because this knowledge is not a simple notion in the mind; it is a knowledge of love, a wisdom that carries to serve,; she/it gets herself/itself by the prayer, the purity, of the heart, docility to teach it of the Mr. Intérieur (1), This grace to know to like better and better to serve that is offered us, let's accept it, even though she/it requires us an effort of attention and reflection. Mayor we will help there as well as François, father of our souls.

(1) insist a little on these conditions of the offered grant, while meditating words of the promise: jean. ,6,44 sq. Jesus speaks of his/her/its mission of developer of the Father, and he reminds to the Jews that he is written in the Prophets that (God's children) will be all taught by God, Dei docibiles. These prophets are in particular Ps.36.31s; Isaïe 54, 134,; Jérémie 31,33

I will put my law in to the of them and I will write it on their Joan heart., 14,26:
The Comforter, The mind Saint… will teach you all things and will recall you everything that I told you (Cfr, Joan., 16, 13). what means that one interior grace of the mind Saint makes believable to the supporter the outside teaching given by the church to the no of the Christ. Let's add these words again of S.Jean, in his/her/its first epistle 2,7,:
For you (faithful of the Christ), the unction (of the mind) that you received him stays you and you of it don't have need that no one teaches you, but as his/her/its unction teaches you on all thing, this teaching is véritable…Selon, that (the unction) taught you, stay in (The Christ). S.Paul repeats the same promises, for example Éphés., 3,16 sq. (epistle of the feast of the Sacred - Cœur).

(3. God is love. It is his/her/its definition, according to Jean saint (1) The love, it is the goodness that gives and that gives itself. To like, it give itself/themselves; if he/it is, as Jesus says it, more beatific to give than to receive (2), it is because the Don is the act of the love.

Saint Bonaventure meditates on this thought; he/it pulls his/her/its original conception of the Trinidad of People of it in the unit of the divine nature: being Love, the divine gas blooms eternally in a Magnet that is the Father, a Beloved that is the Son, a Friend, a confide, a tie of the love of the Son's Father, that is the mind Saint, Mind of love, and Don essential of God. to God…

From then on the love is satisfied. God is fully happy in the society, the community,
(1 Joan., 1,1) of his/her/its Three People. But he/it can more: he/it can communicate himself/itself, it is-to tell to spill the love that he/it is, to give itself/themselves, to beings that he/it will create for this end.

4 - and, according to our human manner to conceive these sublime things, - it would be necessary to apologize continually of his/her/its impotent foolhardiness! - god's communication can don one or the other of these two fashions: one initialed, the other imperfect.

A) God can give himself/itself completely, to be received completely, and to receive in return of his/her/its love a love equal to the one that he gives, by a created imitation (and therefore finished) of the Trinidad incréée.

In the Trinidad, indeed, God gives himself/itself completely, and he is Father; he/it is received completely and he/it is Son; and he/it makes completely same, to himself, and he/it is Mind-Saint. Here, it is not anymore about the emanation of People, of the Process Trinitaire, that is intimate to God,; but of God's demonstration to the outside, that will be an imitation created of the Don infinite (3)

This first mode is excellent, unsurpassable, total and worthy; consequently unique, non renewable.

B) A second mode is conceivable; one says second, because being incomplete, imperfect, unequal, he/it could be renewed, multiplied, as much as he would be pleasing to God.

The Don God lessened there: no because god doesn't give himself/itself completely, to refuse to give everything that he is; but because his/her/its Don is not understood, nor received, nor returned, as well as he/it deserves it. Being, indeed, or the beings, to that God communicates himself/itself, are impotent to equal itself/themselves to the Don, to equal the Don by a worthy return. In sort qu The Don God is humiliated and precisely by the act that should glorify it: because God's glory, of God who is love, it is first to give itself/themselves (1); but then to be received, included, thanked, tied, blessed, in sound Don and by sound Don. However, here, not receiving, not capable to receive, a glory equal to the one to which he/it has right, God is humiliated and non glorified.

5. therefore, two ways for God to give itself/themselves. One, worthy, equal and glorious, the other unequal and humiliated (we don't say humiliating, God would not know how to be humiliated by nothing; but him little to humiliate itself/themselves and to remain humiliated).

So God made us honor to ask us for opinion; if he/it told us: Do here be two manners to act that me then to take, which choissez you for me?…" would not answer us:

"Oh our God, big, wise and powerful! Our Lord and our unique love, allow us to choose for you, without locker what you choose yourself: what is you most glorious!" We like you more than us-even; we don't fly that your love for us turns to your disadvantage. If you can make that while lowering it until us, your Don remains however equal to oneself, ha! Make it…"

Would we that only add of the poor beings, impotent, imperfect vile e, us accept, if we were able to be main of it, or that we were unworthy of our love, or that your love was unworthy of us?… And that one debased itself while liking us, or that our love lessened us?… Certainly no! And this point is not besides by there that crumble our human loves by this unbalance between them and their objects?…

God, all powerful and perfect who is, who likes itself of an equal love, won't he/it put his/her/its power to the service of his/her/its love? And capable to choose, and the object of his/her/its love, and the more to perfect manner to like it, does that mean to give itself/themselves, to be received and payed back, he/it won't make it?…

6. yes, he/it made it: it is the whole Franciscan thought on the motive of the incarnation.

(1) speech recalled by S.Paul, Acts, 20,35, and that is not consigned in a gospel
(Joan., 20,30,21.

(2) our readers don't ignore the impropriety of the expressions in to the and to the outside, ad intrà and year extrà, in relation to God. Some that all creature has be he, the movement and life. These are nevertheless minus the unfit, and clearest if one takes them in their intention, to discern what belongs to life (summons) of God-Trinidad, of what depends on the action (external) of God-Creator.

(3) when one says: God makes all for his/her/its glory, it is necessary to hear what is this intention in God rightly: God makes all by love, to show his/her/its love, to attract his/her/its creatures to like it, and to find in this love their beatitude, Because nor l ' love, nor the glory that he cannot return the creatures brings him ANYTHING of which it wants or. HE/IT is sufficient himself/itself; but knowing that he/it can also be sufficient to others, he/it offers himself/itself to these other for their own profit, to See lower in the text the conclusion of the B. Duns Scot & 7

1. Joan 4,16; We knew the love that God has for us and we believed some Him, God, is love, the one that stays in the love stays in God and God in him.

The Franciscan, shy thought when it is about God's rights, God's glory, of the love that is God, cannot accept the idea that the Don of God humiliates God, that the supreme work of his/her/its love lowers it, Since god wants to give itself, since he can give himself/itself to legality, he makes it. Voluit, potuit, fecit. We must suppose it, unless the Revelation tells us positively the opposite.

What is therefore necessary, so that God is not lessened by the Don that he projects one, nor his/her/its Don humiliated?…

That the to be chosen, privileged, ` has that God will give his love and that will receive this love suited equal to God and capable to return him an equal love.

Equal to God?… Therefore God himself? Yes. God's Son, being embodied, assuming in unit of No one a to be created, a real man, of which the heart, become his/her/its heart, a God's heart, will like God depending on whether God wants and merit to be liked…

The Son, that already in God, ad intra, is God's demonstration, the splendor of his/her/its glory, the face of his/her/its substance (and his/her/its Being's print, Hebrews, 1,3), this incarnate Son will be ad extra the solely expensive object of his/her/its complaisances.

Here is my servant that I chose, my Beloved some that I put all my affection, said holy Matthieu, 12, 18, mentioning Isaïe, 42, 1. My servant, it is - to say my child, that I sustained, assumed, susceptus; my elected; in him took pleasure my love. I would make on to rest him my Mind; it is he that will announce the salute to the nations, that will pronounce the judgment on them."

7. far be it from the Revelation counter says to this intuition of the Franciscan thought that she/it finds in her his/her/its perfect intelligence and his/her/its adequate expression.

The incarnation wanted for herself: the whole remains wanted for the incarnation. God glorifying God: the love that is God giving itself/themselves in fullness, received to equality, returned in condignité. Imitation created - and therefore finished of Don infinite that constitutes the divine People ad intra; imitation created, and therefore finished, but so approaching the infinite God qu in his/her/its omnipotence could not have created a being who liked it more and better than his/her/its Son's heart, Such is the teaching of the big doctor of thought it Franciscan, the Blissful Jean Duns Scot,:
"So therefore, he/it says, me finished:
"God first himself aime`et himself magnet, God being known infinitely worthy of love, wants to spill on others his/her/its love; no by an unworthy jealousy, but by love ordinate: so he wants to be liked of an another one that likes it of the highest love, gets along of an another one that is outside to him but with that he/it is united intimately.
"Dico autem sic: Deus firstly diligit himself; secundly diligit / prae aliis potentibus diligere ipsum porpter himself; iste amor custus, non zelus,; thirdly diligit himself diligi / ab alio that potest eum summe diligere, loquendo of amore aqlicujus exprinseci / ab eo that immediate adharet dilectioni; / paervidit unionem illius naturae that debet eum summe diligere" (1)

(1) Paris, 3 d 7, qu.4,n.5. ibid., report,Ripol., Scotus Docens, XCIII, texts 156,157,

III

8. to understand beauty better again, the size, the purity of this conception that puts the Christ according to God, of God's love, of God's glory, let's see to what consequences drags the other conception, the second world of the Don divine.

We noted that this grant is lessened there, no that on behalf of God it is least; but because he/it cannot be by the donees, nor included, nor received, nor returned as well as he/it deserves it.

To what happens, indeed? Or better than he did arrive? Because we are not here in hypothetical land; but in full and truthful history.

God communicates his love to the angels. So big that one imagines them, the angels, simple creatures, are incapable to equal itself/themselves to the Don of God. Besides, a part of the angels, a third, one thinks, reject God's grant, holds God's love in failure, and this failure will be definitive…

To repair the defection of the angels, tells us one, God creates the men and their communicates his/her/its love. Love certainly lessened, because month that the angels again the men are capable to equal to the Don of God. Besides, the chief of the men evades the love and drag his/her/its posterity in his/her/its revolt.

It is then God qu, humiliated by this double failure that he/it seems not to have foreseen can prevent nor, would imagine, for himself in revancher, his/her/its Son's incarnation, in front of the belated repair of an unsuccessful stroke, that one would like to make us admire like a marvelous invention, how much the first conception decorated worthier of God, of his/her/its wisdom, of his/her/its power, of his/her/its love infinities!

His/her/its Christ is sufficient to him in all and forever; God takes pleasure infinitely in the return of love that this read Christ returns, equal to his/her/its advance,; and the denial of the other creatures doesn't foil its intention.

9 - but this comparison of the elegance of the two hypotheses is only of little weight, by the consideration of the four following points,:
a) to Make depend the incarnation of Adam's sin, and the sin of Adam of the one of the angels, is not this to insinuate that Christ, Son of God, must be delighted with God's offense, bus without this offense to repair he would not have existed!

He that is the highest, the purest demonstration of the glory, that wants to say, of God's love, him whose whole function is of glory, to like and to make like God, it would have to, ` has God's humiliation, and to be, and to be that that it is, the most sublime work of God, the climax Dei opus!… And Marie, his/her/its worthy Mother, would have to with to be delighted him with what God was offended! And maybe the a lot of Saint Trinidad, of have been offended by the contempt of his/her/its love!..

The sin is also the perdition and the misfortune eternal of the damned, angels and men! Christ, his/her/its Mother, his/her/its purchased would benefit to this odium therefore! It is odious to think; and nevertheless the damnation of the creatures is less odious to admit than the offense of the God Saint.

No, protest our theologian: the predestination of no being cannot take opportunity of a sin of others (1) just of the former Will, and even of the Virgin Marie, were not worthy to get that a man was assumed thus in personal unit by God's Son, because, says holy Augustin (Of Trinitate, XIII, cap.19) the incarnation is the most sublime grace than can grant God according to the present order. This grace is free, absolutely and necessarily free, the only one truly free, since touts the other, of which derive the merits of the creatures, have been deserved by Christ Notre-Seigneur! How could she/it depend therefore on Adam's demerit (4)?

C) Other consideration. According to a very neat will as is the divine will, the desire of a least cannot really suppress the possibility of a very immense: in other words, it is unreasonable to go without from a gain of several millions for loincloth a few coins. However it is the calculation that one lends to God when one makes depend the incarnation not even of Adam's sin, but also of his/her/its fidelity.

Everybody is okay to say that the Christ's merits, to know the glory and the love by returned him to God, pass the infinity to them only all merits of all men.

Inferred that to the place to sin Adam had remained faithful and his/her/its posterity with him, the necessity to repair the mistake not existing, the incarnation didn't take place anymore, God was deprived therefore of the whole glory and all the love that he returned his/her/its incarnate Son but, in compensation, he received the homages of the men: the value of a few thousands of cents compared to the one of incalculable billions of francs.

No, indeed, says our theologian, he/it decorated very unreasonable to subordinate a very immense thus, nearly infinite, to an others, minuscule, minute.

10) but the quatrirème consideration prevails of many over the previous. Here it is not more about human reasonings, of an impressive logic but that would be inefficient if he/it had more to God to want otherwise

d) The big argument and to say the only truly decisive argument, this and the teaching of the Revelation truly.

(1) Oxon., 3 d.7,qu.3.n.4; Paris., Ibid, Scotus docens, LXXXVI.texte 136,
(4) Paris., 3d.7, qu.4,n. Rep.Paris. Rpol., ibid Scotus Docens LXXXVII, text 138,

What God could have made, that that he accomplished fact, we cannot know it, to less q'un declared it to us. Because his/her/its thoughts are not our thoughts, nor his/her/its ways our ways (Isaïe, 55,8). For what depends on his/her/its free will it is necessary to hold of it to us to his/her/its speech.

It is precisely that that convenient and for what the Franciscan theology asks:

"You pretend, she/it tells those that restrict the Christ's role to the man's Redemption, to those that conceive the Christ according to the man before conceiving it in function d God, you pretend that God's Son was only embodied for the man's acquisition. Show us first in the writing, and then in an indisputable way when the Tradition, show us only one speech or is expressed this exclusion of ALL OTHER MOTIVE: God's Son was embodied SOLELY for the man's acquisition; and we will make ourselves fall our theological synthesis like one castle of cards, because we prefer anything of it to the truth, to the divine honor.

As for the texts or he/it is said that the Christ came to save the sinners, graces to God! Us the connassons, us the méditons`et one ridicules us amiably of our invading devotion to Jesus crucified, of the pretension that our Order claims to know Jesus only crucified, of the glory for that it asks in his/its motto: Absit mihi gloriari nisi in cruce Dominates Nostri Jesu Christi!

That for that we ask, it is a revealed formula that affirms: The Christ only came to save the sinners.

11. Until one finds it, and so much that one won't have found it, we will adore with respect and gratitude toues those or Jesus is declared our Savior; but we won't reject, we won't minimize by mind of system, we won't empty their clear sense by a tendentious exegesis the other texts, or he/it is said, for example:

Proverbs, 8,22,: The Lord, possessed m,a to the beginning of his/her/its ways, before his/her/its oldest œuvres,; to what answers Colossiens,1,15: (The Christ) is the picture of the invisible God, born before all creature,; because it is in him that all have been created… all has been created by him and for him he/it is he, before all things, and touts things subsist in him. He/it is the head of the body of the church, him that is the principle, the firstborn among the deaths, so that in all thing, he/it holds, him, the first place. And again:

Hebrews, 1,2,: The Son that (God) established heir of all things, and what he/it created the monde…,3 that sustains toues thing by his/her/its powerful speech also by the, and sat down, after having purified us of our sin, on the right of the majesty divine…10. It is you, Lord, that to the beginning founded the earth, and the heaven is the work of your hands.

If we have some pain to reconcile these texts and these things, - because we don't ignore that the incarnation is a mystery! - if it is difficult to us of RECONAÎTRE in the man of
pains without shape nor beauty, the Principle of God's œuvres, this Mediator of the predestination, of the adoption of the Sons, we will avoid however to underestimate it as made the Jews.

But these teachings so clear will never allow us to think that the Christ can be dependent on Adam sinner, nor even just: we don't conceive the Christ according to the man, but first according to God.

12. That this meditation on God's intention consolidated in us the strong foundation of the Franciscan piety: Die doesn't want and cannot be served that in the Christ. It is the sense of his/her/its Speech: This one is the Son of my complaisances. Listen to it

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