Nov. 8 BL. John Duns Scotus

Blessed Duns Scotus (1265/66-1308)

November 8

John Duns Scotus was one of the most important and influential philosopher-theologians of the High Middle Ages, within the school of Scholasticism. His brilliantly complex and nuanced thought earned him the nickname “the Subtle Doctor.” Certain saints are given the title of and identified as Doctors of the Church due to their theological contributions. The title "doctor" means "important teacher." “Scotus” identifies John as a Scot, with Scotia being Latin for Scotland. His family name was Duns, which was also the name of the Scottish village in which he was born, just a few miles from the English border. We do not know the precise date of his birth, but we do know that Scotus was ordained to the priesthood in the Order of Friars Minor—the Franciscans—at Saint Andrew’s Priory in Northampton, England, on 17 March 1291.

Scotus studied philosophy and then theology at Oxford & Cambridge beginning sometime in the 1280s. He apparently spent about 13 years there (1288–1301) preparing for inception as master of theology. Scotus left Oxford for Paris, probably in 1302. Scotus became Doctor of Theology in 1305 and was Franciscan regent master at Paris in 1306–07. Scotus's great work is his commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. His other works bear the names of the places he taught: The Works of Oxford (Opus Oxoniense) the Cambridge lectures (Reporatio Cambrigensis), and the Paris lectures (Reportata Parisiens). Thus, in his academic career and as an intellectual, he immediately follows fellow Franciscan Bonaventure and Dominican Thomas Aquinas, who both died in 1274: Thomas at age 48–49 and Bonaventure at age 52-53.

In an age when too many people adopted whole systems of thought without qualification, John pointed out the richness of the Augustinian-Franciscan tradition, appreciated the wisdom of Aquinas, Aristotle, and the Moslem philosophers, while still managing to be an independent thinker.

Duns Scotus was also known as the “Cantor of the Incarnate Word” because of his dedication to the central mystery of the faith. In 1307 he very ably defended the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception in 1854, drawing on the work of John Duns Scotus.

“Dunce” in the early 1500s/16^th century became an epithet for the followers of Scotus. Scotus's opponents criticized his ideas as too confusing and pedantic. During the Protestant Reformation, Catholic teachings were criticized, and followers of Scotus were labeled as intellectually inferior.

John Duns Scotus was not only brilliant, but he was also very humble and prayerful: the exact combination St. Francis wanted in any friar who studied. Ideas are important. Scotus placed his best thinking at the service of the human family and of the Church.

Father Charles Balie, OFM, the foremost 20^th-century authority on Scotus, wrote: “The whole of Scotus’s theology is dominated by the notion of love. The characteristic note of this love is its absolute freedom. As love becomes more perfect and intense, freedom becomes more noble and integral both in God and in people.”

In 1307 Duns Scotus was appointed professor at Cologne. Some have suggested that Scotus was sent to Cologne for his own safety. Scotus died there on Nov. 8, 1308, and his German gravesite is adorned with a poem, in Latin, that reads:

Scotland brought me forth.
England sustained me.
France taught me.
Cologne holds me.

Beatified on March 20, 1993, by Pope John Paul II.

Nov. 4 St. Charles Borromeo -CA Mission

St. Charles Borromeo/San Carlos Borromeo de [Rio] Carmelo (1538-84)

November 4

            Charles was born into a prominent family: his mother was a Medici and Pope Pius IV was his uncle. Destined by his parents to be a cleric, he received clerical tonsure at age twelve! At the same time, he became the pro forma abbot of an abbey whose revenues were at his disposal, which he channeled to the poor.  At twenty-two he became a cardinal, without being a priest or bishop at the time. After getting doctorates in canon and civil law from the University of Pavia, Charles was appointed the Pope’s Secretary of State. In that capacity Charles could have easily turned out to be a self-indulgent officeholder. Instead, he gave his life a religious orientation and became an ordained priest.  He focused his energies on the job and helped complete the Council of Trent in 1563.

            At the age of 25 he was consecrated Archbishop of Milan. His priority was to implement the reforms instituted by the Council. He was especially known for promoting religious education through the establishment of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) throughout the archdiocese, as well as establishing seminaries to provide for the theological education and the religious formation of future priests.

            Thus did St. Charles renew religious life in his diocese, not as a cool administrative manager or as a politician for church renewal, but as a priest and bishop, conscious of having been taken into service by Jesus Christ, and desirous of being a good shepherd for people after the example of Christ.

Not everyone was happy with Bishop Borromeo; he survived an assassination attempt. Charles simplified his life so that he would have the time and energy to care for God’s people as best he could. Very interested in social problems, Charles did not let his position prevent him from ministering to the victims of an epidemic that swept through Milan in 1576. When others fled the city, he stayed to organize the care of the sick and dying. He extended personal ministry and was available as pastor to the seriously ill.

            Charles Borromeo became a Secular Franciscan (or Third Order) early in life and later served as Cardinal Protector of the Franciscans. These factors probably influenced his love for simplicity and his penitential spirit. He is a prominent figure in the era of Catholic Counter-Reformation.  He died at the age of 46 and was canonized in 1610.

St. Charles Borromeo Parish in North Hollywood is the home parish of Roger Cardinal Mahoney and of my grandparents, Clara & Bill Hertan, as well as Delores & Bob Hope, who contributed to the church’s renovation. My parents were married at St. Charles in 1944.

San Carlos was the second California Mission established in Monterey and became the “headquarters” for Padre Serra while President of the Missions. Although named after the Franciscan Saint, it was also named in honor of King Carlos III of Spain, as well as the Viceroy of California, also named Carlos. The nearby river was named El Río Carmelo earlier in 1602 by Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno and his Carmelite friars, who were reminded of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land; thus, the Mission was later situated in the Carmel River Valley.

Nov. 3 BLESSED Solanus Casey

 

Blessed Solanus Casey (1870-1957)

November 3 / July 30

Bernard Francis Casey (nicknamed "Barney") was born on November 25, 1870, on a farm in Oak Grove, Wisconsin. He was the sixth of 16 children of Bernard James Casey and Ellen Elizabeth Murphy, both Irish immigrants. Bernard was baptized on December 18, 1870. The family lived in a three-room log cabin on a farm.

At age 17, he dropped out of school and left home to earn money, working as a logger in a lumberyard, a hospital orderly, and a streetcar operator. While employed as a prison guard in Minnesota, he befriended the Younger brothers, who were former accomplices of the outlaw Jesse James. During this period, he proposed marriage to a young girl, but the relationship ended when her mother suddenly sent her away to a boarding school.

At the age of 21 he entered St. Francis High School Seminary in Milwaukee—where he found studies very difficult. He left there and, while praying before a statue of Our Lady, heard a female voice tell him, “Go to Detroit!” It was on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8^th. So in 1897 he joined the Capuchins in Detroit on Christmas Eve. He took the name Solanus, after Saint Francis Solanus (San Francisco de Solano).

On July 24, 1904, he was ordained as a “simplex” priest. Because he was judged to be weak in the knowledge of theology, Father Solanus was not given permission to hear confessions or to preach.  A Capuchin who knew him well said this annoying restriction “brought forth in him a greatness and a holiness that might never have been realized in any other way.” During his 14 years as porter and sacristan in Yonkers, New York, the people there recognized him as a fine speaker. “For, though he was forbidden to deliver doctrinal sermons,” writes his biographer, James Patrick Derum, “he could give inspirational talks or “feverinos,” as the Capuchins termed them.” (from Porter of St. Bonaventure’s).

Fr. Solanus was also known for quirky habits such as playing his harmonica to the monastery bees; for singing in a loud squeaky voice as he played his violin; and for eating his food all mixed together as a penance. His breakfast might consist of cereal, prune juice, coffee, and milk, all in the same bowl.

Father Solanus served at parishes in Manhattan and Harlem before returning to Detroit, where he was porter and sacristan for 20 years at St. Bonaventure Monastery. Solanus is known for helping to start the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in 1931 during the Great Depression, which to this day cares for Detroit’s poor.  Every Wednesday afternoon he conducted services for the sick, which were very well attended. Many people considered him instrumental in cures and other blessings they received. “Blessed be God in all God’s designs” was one of his favorite expressions.

He soon became renowned as “the doorkeeper” who gave gentle counsel and miraculous intercession. He would listen to anyone at any time, day or night. People would line up for blocks just to have a moment with him. He told them to “thank God ahead of time.” One story of his miraculous intercession is told about a friar who came to see Solanus on his way to have emergency dental work done. Fr. Solanus blessed him and told him to trust God. While the friar was at the dentist, a lady who came to visit the monastery brought Fr. Solanus two ice cream cones. Too busy to eat them, Fr. Solanus shoved the cones into his desk drawer, much to the dismay of his secretary. After more than half an hour, the friar returned from the dentist, his tooth found miraculously healthy. He went to thank Father Solanus, who pulled out perfectly frozen ice cream cones from his drawer on the hot summer day, which he offered to the friar to celebrate.

Due to failing health in 1946, he was transferred to the Capuchin novitiate of St. Felix in Huntington, Indiana, where he lived until 1956. This was supposed to be designed as retirement for him, but Solanus was not the retiring type! He suffered from a skin condition nicknamed St. Anthony’s Fire that left his skin highly irritated and scaly. He returned to Detroit in January 1956 and died on July 31, 1957. An estimated 20,000 people passed by his coffin before burial. 

At the funeral Mass, the Franciscan Provincial Father Gerard said: “His was a life of service and love for people like me and you. When he was not himself sick, he nevertheless suffered with and for you that were sick. When he was not physically hungry, he hungered with people like you. He had a divine love for people. He loved people for what he could do for them—and for God, through them.”

In 1960 a Father Solanus Guild was formed in Detroit to aid Capuchin seminarians. By 1967 it had grown to 5000 members, many of whom were grateful recipients of Solanus’s practical advice and his comforting assurance that God would not abandon them in their trials.

The cause for his sainthood commenced a few years after his death; he was officially recognized as Servant of God in 1982 and was declared Venerable in 1995. In September 2012, Paula Medina Zarate, a Panamanian visiting Detroit, walked into the Solanus Casey Center. Unfamiliar with Casey, she asked why people were gathered around his tomb. Told that he had been a healer, Medina Zarate knelt at the tomb and prayed for the health of the people in her village. She herself was suffering from ichthyosis vulgaris, a severe skin disease that restricted her mobility. She immediately felt a rush of heat, and her skin started clearing up overnight. After this miraculous healing attributed to him was approved by Pope Francis in 2017, he was beatified at Ford Field in Detroit on November 18, 2017.

From a letter that he wrote to his brother, Father Maurice Casey:

“God could have established the Church under supervision of angels that have no faults or weaknesses. But who can doubt that as it stands today, consisting of and under the supervision of poor sinners—successors to the ‘poor sinner fisherman of Galilee’—the Church is a more outstanding miracle than any other way?”

 

 

Prayer for Canonization of Blessed Solanus Casey

O God, I adore you. I give myself to you. May I be the person you want me to be, and may your will be done in my life today.

I thank you for the gifts you gave Father Solanus. If it is your holy will, bless us with the canonization of Father Solanus so that others may imitate and carry on his love for all the poor and suffering of our world.

As he joyfully accepted your divine plans, I ask you, according to your holy will, to hear my prayer for… [your intention] …through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Blessed be God in all God’s Designs!”

 

Imprimatur: The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit, May 2017

Oct. 27 Alexander of Hales

October 27 Servant of God (SoG) Alexander of Hales (c.1185- August 21, 1245)

Alexander, known as Doctor Irrefragibilis, or "Irrefutable Teacher," Doctor Doctorum, or "Doctor of Doctors," and even as Theologorum Monarcha or "King of Theologians"— was a Franciscan friar, theologian, and philosopher instrumental to the development of scholasticism. He introduced the Sentences of Peter Lombard as the basic textbook for the study of theology, which was particularly important because it was the first time that a book other than the Bible was used as a basic text for theological study. Alexander was also significant in bringing Aristotle into the discussion of theology.

In 1236 or 1237, aged about 50, Alexander entered the Franciscan Order after considering both the Cistercians and the Dominicans. He thus became the first Franciscan friar to hold a university chair. His doctrinal positions became the starting point of the Franciscan school of theology. He continued to teach and to represent the university and participated in the First Council of Lyon in the winter of 1245.

Bonaventure, who may not have studied under Alexander directly, nevertheless referred to him as his "father and master" and wished to "follow in his footsteps." Alexander, Bonaventure, and the Franciscan developments within Scholasticism are sometimes overlooked due to the strength of Dominican scholarship, exemplified by Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas.

Alexander was born in Hales Owen, Shropshire, England, and died in Paris. Hales is in the West Midlands of England. The word “hales” means a nook or a remote valley. Franciscans honor him on October 27. So today, let’s remember Alexander of Hales as a great theologian, but also as a person humble enough to desire to live according to the Gospel in the footprints of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Oct. 4 St. Francis of Assisi-800 years Transitus!

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

October 4

Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone to prosperous cloth merchants, Pica and Pietro.  His mother baptized him Giovanni in honor of St. John the Baptist. His father was away in France on business when the boy was born. “Frenchy” was the nickname his father gave him, perhaps because his mother was of French descent or it might reflect his father’s  love for French culture and commercial success in France. Francesco’s youth was filled with some carousing and engagement with troubadour culture. It was a time of chivalry and knighthood. He lived during the rise of city-states in Italy, who frequently clashed for power and prestige. After setting off to war as a knight, Francis endured a year’s imprisonment, followed by a long illness. This led him to reassess his life and ambitions and dedicate himself to God’s service. He would eventually describe himself as “the herald of the great king.”

There was a dilapidated chapel on the hillside near Assisi named for of San Damiano where Francis retreated to find solitude and prayer. One day Christ spoke to him from the crucifix, saying “Rebuild my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis took this quite literally and repaired San Damiano, as well as two other nearby churches. This however took on greater meaning as it applied to Francis’ influence and effect on the larger Catholic Church.

An encounter with a leper left a great impression on Francis. Instead of avoiding the person, Francis embraced and kissed them. He wrote, “What had previously nauseated me became a source of spiritual and physical consolation for me.” (Testament.) Francis overcame his fear, his hesitation, and his own ego on that road and afterwards was ready to care for the poor and suffering. Francis and his followers ministered to people suffering from leprosy.

Some of his friends joined him and he attracted others, so much so that in 1209, twelve of them went to Rome to seek approval from the Pope, Innocent III. They initially called themselves “Penitents from Assisi” but later came to be known as the Friars Minor or Lesser Brothers. They dedicated themselves to prayer, manual labor, and preaching the gospel. Living in poverty and simplicity were actually part of a broader religious movement at this point in history. Francis wanted to be sure and show loyalty and obedience to the Catholic Church and differentiate from other “spirituals.” Francis exhibited classic Catholic devotion to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He showed great respect towards those in authority, especially priests and was concerned for their formation, education, and well-being. He was ordained a deacon in order to proclaim the gospel. He had great respect for the Bible, so much so that he admonished the friars to take care of any scrap of paper they might find, lest it contain the words of Scripture.

In response to Chiara of Assisi’s desire to live out the gospel as Francis and his followers were, Francis helped her organized the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano” as the Second Order of Franciscans or “Poor Clares” is known. There is a great tradition of complementarity between men and women within the Franciscan family, which began with this friendship between Saint Clare and Francis, but can also be found in his relationship with Lady Jacopa and others. Laity also asked Francis to be able to join in his vision and way of following the gospel, and so the Third Order or Secular Franciscans was also formed. Later developed Third Order Religious, as other men and women took up the Franciscan way to live in consecrated life. You might even say there is a “Fourth Order” of those who just love and admire and respect Saint Francis of Assisi, but do not take a vow or join in any official way.

He is credited with establishing the tradition of Christmas crèches and manger scenes in homes and churches. Francis set up a living nativity scene on Christmas Eve in 1223 in the Italian village of Greccio to help people visualize the humble, impoverished reality of Jesus' birth. It included a hay-filled manger, a live ox and a donkey, but no human actors portraying Mary or Joseph initially stood in the scene; it centered on the empty crib, to highlight the poverty of the child born in Bethlehem.

Francis was canonized in 1228, less than two years after his death, by his one-time advisor, the former Cardinal Hugolino, who was then Pope Gregory IX.

About a hundred years later, a wonderful collection of stories about Francis and his followers was written in Latin and then translated into Italian: Fioretti or Little Flowers.  Most famous are how Francis preached to the birds, befriended the wolf of Gubbio, his encounter with the Islamic Sultan, and one whole section devoted to the apparition of the seraph. In September of 1224 while Francis was on retreat praying on Mount La Verna, he received the marks of Christ’s passion in his hands, feet and side, known as the stigmata. This is celebrated on the Franciscan calendar on September 17^th.  Much of the Fioretti however, tells of the actions of the other friars, such as Brother Juniper and Brother Giles, and the growth of the movement.  The earliest definitive or authoritative biographies of Francis were written by Thomas Celano and Saint Bonaventure.

In California, the sixth mission and the city on the bay that grew up around it were dedicated to San Francisco de Asis in 1776.

Sept. 18 St. Joseph of Cupertino

 

St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)

September 18

Was chosen as the patron of aeronautics, astronauts, pilots, and flying because he levitated when at prayer!

QUOTE: “Clearly, what God wants about all is our will, which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a person trains themselves to acts of virtue, they do this with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come. The will is what a person has as their unique possession.” (St. Joseph of Cupertino)

            Levitating and ecstatic visions may be extraordinary signs of holiness, but Joseph is also remembered for the ordinary things he did: He prayed even in times of inner darkness. He lived out the Sermon on the Mount. He used his free will as a “unique possession” to praise Divinity. For 35 years of his adult life as a priest, he practiced severe asceticism, usually eating solid food only twice a week. He was humble, patient, and obedient, even though at times he was tempted greatly and felt forsaken by God.

            He began his Franciscan life as a Capuchin, but then joined the Conventuals. Following a brief assignment caring for the friary mule, Joseph then began his studies for the priesthood. He was a terrible student. He struggled immensely with the required academic studies. Joseph’s strength was in a prayerful spiritual life. He was ordained a priest in 1628.

            70 incidents of levitation are documented in the official records leading to his canonization. Joseph’s tendency to levitate during prayer, which could occur during Mass or the praying of the Divine Office, gained him a reputation for holiness but also piqued people’s curiosity and amusement. Due to the disruption the levitation caused, he was sometimes confined to a small cell and forbidden to join in any public gathering of the community. Because the phenomenon of flying or levitation was widely believed to be connected with witchcraft, Joseph was denounced to the Inquisition. He was exonerated, but this led to his being transferred several times.

His final years were spent at a Conventual community in Osimo, where he died on the 18^th of September 1663, at age 60. Joseph was beatified in 1753. On July 16, 1767, he was canonized by Pope Clement XIII. The Reluctant Saint, a 1962 movie, is based on the story of Joseph of Cupertino. Although he’s a native of Cupertino, Italy, many people recognize “Cupertino” because Apple, Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California, a city near San Jose and Santa Clara that is indeed named for this St. Joseph. The geography also demonstrates the relationship between missions and towns.

Keeping the differences between the two Josephs in mind, I also use this occasion to post about Mission San Jose, named after the "foster" father of Jesus.

Sept. 17 Stigmata of Francis

STIGMATA: On September 17, Franciscans celebrate the Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi, to recall Francis's body being wondrously marked with the wounds of Christ. The Chapel of the Stigmata at the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna in Tuscany, Italy, is perched on the edge of the same sheer precipice where St. Francis stood two years before his death and was swept up into the mystery of God’s overwhelming love for him and for humanity. He had made the journey in the summer of 1224 to a favorite hermitage on Mount Alverna in preparation for the feast day of St. Michael. His purpose was to go apart at this critical stage in his life with a few companions to observe the "Lent of St. Michael" — a forty-day retreat devoted to prayer and fasting from the Assumption to the feast of the Archangel. On one particular day, Francis had gone apart from the others to meditate more intently on the Passion of Christ when something happened.

St. Bonaventure, in his Life of St. Francis, describes Francis as being more inflamed than usual with the love of God as he began a special time of prayer: “His unquenchable fire of love for the good Jesus,” Bonaventure writes, “was fanned into such a blaze of flames that so many waters could not quench so powerful a love” (see Song of Songs 8:6–7).

Vision of a Seraph

Bonaventure goes on: “While Francis was praying on the mountainside, he saw a Seraph with six fiery and shining wings descend from the height of heaven. And when in swift flight the Seraph had reached a spot in the air near the man of God, there appeared between the wings the figure of a man crucified, with his hands and feet extended in the form of a cross and fastened to a cross. Two of the wings were lifted above his head, two were extended for flight, and two covered his whole body.”

“When Francis saw this, he was overwhelmed, and his heart was flooded with a mixture of joy and sorrow. He rejoiced because of the gracious way Christ looked upon him under the form of a Seraph, but the fact that he was fastened to a cross pierced his soul with a sword of compassionate sorrow.”

When the vision disappeared, writes Bonaventure, Francis was left with a “marvelous ardor” in his heart. At the same time, there “was imprinted on his body markings that were no less marvelous.”  These markings were the stigmata, the wounds of Christ crucified.

More about the Seraph

There are two things to dwell on here. First is the Seraph. Seraphs are angels closest to God, burning with love as they bow before God, shouting, “Holy, holy, holy!” Their fiery wings suggest the flaming intensity of God’s love that Christ communicated to Francis, which, in turn, set Francis’ heart afire. The word seraphic is often used to describe Francis’ passionate style of relating to God and is often applied to the Franciscan Order, which is sometimes called the Seraphic Order.

Second, we focus on “the gracious way that Christ looked upon him.” This is something of a repeat of the vision Francis had in the beginning of his spiritual life in which “Jesus appeared to him fastened on a cross. Francis’ soul melted at the sight, and the memory of Christ’s passion was so impressed on the innermost recesses of his heart that from that hour whenever Christ’s crucifixion came to mind, Francis could scarcely contain his sighs…” (Bonaventure’s Life of St. Francis).

Suffering for Christ

In themselves, sickness and suffering are tragic and senseless. But Christ has sanctified even the wounds of human nature. This terrible scourge can be changed into a blessing by being united to the sufferings of Christ. Many people feel that this sublime privilege does not count for them. They are not good enough. Their sickness is not that important. They believe it is a punishment. But Christ wants to take your individual suffering and unite it to his.

Of all the statements about our continuing Christ’s life, none is more astounding that this: “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24). Francis received the highest proof of Christ’s love and need of him when his body was literally put on a cross with Christ by the reality of the five wounds of the stigmata.

The stigmata of St. Francis stands as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of the Cross. It is a call to each of us to embrace the suffering in our lives as a means of growing closer to Christ and to bear witness to God’s love in the world. The wounds that Francis bore on his body were not signs of defeat but of victory—victory through suffering, victory through love.

 As we reflect on this profound event in the life of St. Francis, let us ask for his intercession, that we might learn to embrace the Cross in our own lives with the same spirit of humility, joy, and love. May we, too, become living witnesses of Christ crucified, bringing the light of Christ to a world in need of healing and hope. Through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, may we be granted the grace to live more fully in the spirit of the Cross, finding in it not only the source of our redemption but the path to eternal glory. Amen.

Mostly by Leonard Foley, OFM. Retrieved from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-tradition-and-resources/the-stigmata-of-st-francis/

Also on 9/17 Doctor of the Church and mystic: Saint Hildegard of Bingen

August 27 The Seven Joys of Mary-The Franciscan Crown

 

One unique devotion of the Franciscans is a seven-decade rosary known as the Franciscan Crown. While the traditional rosary consists of 5 decades that meditate on 15 mysteries (or 20 if you pray the Luminous mysteries), the 7-decade Franciscan “Rosary” is a chaplet consisting of seven decades, with each decade describing a particular joy from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The story of the Rosary of the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin dates back to the early 15th century. A pious young man named James had been accustomed to adorning a beautiful statue of Mary with a crown of flowers, which he had picked and woven himself. He later entered the Franciscan Order, but either because of a lack of time or permission, he was no longer able to continue this devotion. Distraught because of this, he decided to abandon the religious life and return to the world.

Our Lady then appeared to him in 1422 and convinced him not to leave the Order. She told him that he should not be downcast because he was no longer permitted to adorn her statue, for she would teach him a way to give her honor which was much more pleasing and meritorious. Instead of a crown of flowers which quickly wither, he was to weave a crown of prayers, and these prayers could be offered at any moment. She then taught him the Rosary of the Seven Joys, adding that these prayers would not only form a more acceptable crown, but they would also yield innumerable graces for himself and others.

Among the Friars Minor, the promotion of this devotion is attributed to St. Bonaventure, BL. Cherubin of Spoleto, St. John Capistrano, and St. Bernadine of Siena, to mention a few. St. Bernadine is said to have had a vision of the Virgin Mary when he was meditating on the seven joys of Mary. It is especially appropriate to pray the Franciscan Crown in community every Saturday. 

The Seven Joys are:

1) The Annunciation, in which the Immaculate Virgin Mary conceives of Jesus by the Holy Spirit

2) The Visitation with Elizabeth

3) The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ into the World

4) The Adoration of the Magi

5) The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

6) The Appearance of Christ to His Mother Mary after the Resurrection

7) The Assumption and Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

It would seem that Our Lady had more than seven joys in her life, with differing lists that can be found. Note the uniqueness of the Adoration of the Magi and the legendary Appearance of Christ to His Mother Mary after the Resurrection. Another approach is to combine the Nativity with the Adoration of the Magi (#3) in order to make room for (#4) Presentation & Purification in the Temple (as a joyful event rather than a sorrow). 

An illustration by Lucas Cranach the Elder from 1505-20 is very similar but switches out the Visitation in favor of the Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost:

1. Annunciation

2. Birth of Jesus

3. Visit from the Magi

4. Finding in the Temple

5. Resurrection appearance to his mother Mary

6. Pentecost Descent of the Holy Spirit

7. Coronation in Heaven 

Despite this abundance of joyfulness, devotion to the Mother of Sorrows and her seven sorrowful events would seem to be more popular nowadays. BTW: The official Servite chaplet of seven sorrows is technically seven groups of seven Hail Mary’s each, with no Pater Nosters included. Because of the same basis of seven, the Franciscan Crown can be used to pray the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary during Lent.

The Seven Sorrows are:  

1.    The prophecy of Simeon

2.    The flight to Egypt

3.    The loss of the Child Jesus for three days

4.    Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross

5.    The Crucifixion of Jesus

6.    The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross and placed in his mother’s arms.

7.    The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb

How to Pray the Crown Rosary

The Franciscan Crown Rosary begins quite simply by stating the first joy and then praying one Our Father and ten Hail Mary’s while meditating upon it. This same procedure is then followed for the other six joys. Even though it is common practice nowadays to add the Glory Be at the end of each decade, and even the Fatima Prayer, these are not required. It is customary to finish by adding two Hail Mary’s in honor of the 72 years that Our Lady is said to have lived on earth. Conclude with one Our Father and one Hail Mary for the intentions of the Pope, proper to an indulgence.

Finding the Franciscan Crown where you might least expect it!

For all the uproar over the presence of a cross on the seal of the County of Los Angeles, and the numerous revisions it went through, the seal of the City of Los Angeles contains religious imagery as well. It contains the Franciscan Crown in the inner set of beads: Seven decades with seven larger beads to indicate the mysteries. A subtle acknowledgment of the Franciscan missionaries and the Catholic roots of the “City of the Angels”!!!

August 25 St. Louis IX-CA Mission

St. Louis, King of France/San Luis Rey (1214-1270)

Patron of the Secular Franciscans or the Third Order

August 25

            Louis’s mother was “Blessed” Blanche of Castile, who is honored on August 23^rd. Blanche served as his regent for several years after he was crowned king of France at the age of twelve. He received instruction in the faith from both his saintly mother and from Franciscan friars, eventually joining the Third Order. Blanche reportedly told her son, “I would rather see you dead at my feet than stained with mortal sin!”

            As a monarch, Louis generously built churches, the most famous being the Sainte-Chapelle, which was erected as a shrine for the crown of thorns and a fragment of the True Cross, precious relics of the Passion of Christ. He was also fond of the Trinitarian Order and chose from among them to serve as his personal chaplains and spiritual directors. He also founded hospitals, promoted education, and took care to feed the poor and hungry.

            In the 1250’s there was a dispute within the University of Paris concerning the Dominicans and Franciscans. Faculty resented the independent but very popular schools of the mendicants. Louis openly supported the friars, led by the eminent Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure.

             Louis headed a crusade to the Holy Land but was taken prisoner in Egypt in 1250. He was pressured to deny his faith but did not relent. This was part of the Seventh Crusade, formally inaugurated by Pope Innocent IV. After his release, Louis spent almost four years in the Kingdom of Jerusalem before returning to France in 1254.

            The king’s greatest achievement was to rule in the light of the Gospel of Jesus. He maintained that God’s law was always superior to any of his own human laws. He placed a high value on justice. Perhaps most emblematic of Louis's commitment to justice was his personal involvement in judicial proceedings. According to many local legends and contemporary accounts, the king frequently sat under a great oak tree in the forest of Vincennes near Paris, where he would personally hear cases and render judgments.

            One Franciscan source notes that “we rarely associate kings with the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, but Louis IX shows us that the Poverello’s ideals can work there also, [among royalty].”  Louis was a good diplomat and maintained excellent relations with other Christian monarchs of his day. Many times he was called upon to mediate peace between opposing European rulers.

Louis was also a father; he and Queen Margaret had eleven children. He was succeeded by their son Philip. He died in North Africa while on his second crusade (1267-70) and was canonized fairly quickly in 1297. Many now call upon his patronage and intercession. 

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August 19 St. Louis of Toulouse/San Luis Obispo-CA Mission

St. Louis of Toulouse/San Luis Obispo (1274-1297)

August 19

            Louis’s parents were royalty: Charles II of Naples & Sicily and Mary, daughter of the king of Hungary. Louis was related as a cousin to the King of France, Louis IX (Saint on August 25) on his father’s side. On his mother’s side, he was related to Elizabeth of Hungary (Saint on November 17)!

            As a young child Louis showed an attachment to prayer and especially to the corporal works of mercy. He used to take castle food from the royal table to feed the poor. When he was fourteen, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as hostages by the king of Aragon. At the Aragon court, Louis was taught by Franciscan friars and thus made tremendous progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like St. Francis of Assisi he developed a special affinity for those suffering from leprosy.

            While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to become a priest. He left the court of the king of Aragon when he turned 20 and renounced his royal title in favor of his brother Robert. He was then ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed Bishop of Toulouse, but was also able to become a Franciscan friar. Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. A favorite prayer or saying of Louis was: “Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me.” 

            As a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. Louis’s service as bishop to the diocese of Toulouse was productive and blessed. In no time he was considered a living saint. Louis set aside a large percentage of his episcopal income to feed the poor and maintain churches.  He died at age 23! Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former teachers.

From a contemporary biography: “All the faithful were edified by the fervor of his devout celebration of Mass, the efficacy of his deep humility, his tender compassion, his upright life, the harmonious congruity in all his actions, words and bearing. Who without wonderment could look upon a most charming young man, the son of a mighty king, outstanding for his generosity, raised to such dignity, renowned for his influence, preeminent for humility, living a life of such mortification, endowed with such wisdom, clothed in so poor a habit yet renowned for the charm of his discourse and a shining example of upright life?!” 

August 11 St. Clare of Assisi -CA Mission

 

St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253)

August 11

             The Foundress of the Franciscan Second Order was born into nobility.  Clare’s parents, Favarone and Ortolana, were part of Assisi’s "upper class." They and their three daughters once had to flee to nearby Perugia when the merchants & artisans of Assisi expelled the nobles and destroyed their homes. They remained there between 1198 and 1202.

            Even as a young girl, Clare showed a love of prayer and of the poor. She was also fascinated by Francis Bernardone, who by 1209 already had eleven followers. She felt called to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a nun. On the evening of March 18, 1212, she stole away to the Portiuncula, the church of the "Little Portion" which had become the headquarters for the Franciscan friars. There she exchanged her beautiful golden hair for a nun’s veil.  Her noble gown was set aside for a common dress and cord belt. She was soon joined by her sister Agnes, who is also a saint honored on November 19th. They lived temporarily with the Benedictine sisters.

            In May of that same year, Clare and Agnes moved to San Damiano, which soon became the birthplace of the Poor Clare movement. They were known as the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano.” The work of their hands and the begging of the friars supplied their very modest needs.

            In 1216, Clare reluctantly accepted the title of abbess in accord with the Fourth Lateran Council. However, she was always ready to perform the humblest duties at San Damiano. After 1225 she was almost constantly sick and confined to bed. As an excellent seamstress and embroiderer and with great devotion, she made corporals, altar linens, and albs for nearby churches. Although Clare considered herself the “little plant” of St. Francis and was always grateful for whatever direction he could give the San Damiano nuns, it would be a mistake to think of Clare as a pale reflection of Francis or to underestimate her uniqueness and her determination to live the gospel simply and courageously within a cloistered setting. Popes, cardinals, and bishops sought her advice.

            In the thirteenth century, contemplative life was the only form of religious life for women that was officially recognized by the Church. Women religious would not run schools and hospitals until the 14^th and 15^th centuries. Even though Clare established a contemplative group, she did break with tradition—not without a fight—by rejecting a fixed income for its support. Contemplative nuns like the Benedictines had always been supported by revenues from lands owned by their communities and dowries they brought with them. This “privilege of poverty,” as Clare called it, was not easy to secure in writing. Several popes worried that such a life would be too difficult for women. Two days before she died, Clare at last gained this “privilege” from the Pope at that time, Innocent IV. Her exemplary life and the witness of the other Franciscan women prompted rich and poor women throughout Europe to join Poor Clare monasteries, wanting to also be brides of Jesus. 

            As Clare lay dying, her confessor urged her to be patient amid her sufferings. Clare answered, “Dearest brother, ever since I have known the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ through his servant Francis, no suffering has troubled me, no penance has been hard, no sickness too arduous” (Legend and Writings of St. Clare of Assisi, p. 49). She was canonized by Pope Alexander IV in 1255, two years after her death. She is the patron of goldsmiths, laundry, television, and against eye disease.

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Fray Luis Jaime, OFM, California protomartyr

 

“Jaime/Jayme/Jaume” translates as JAMES in Spanish, thus I am posting about this martyr of the Solemn Feast of James: Santiago de Compostela!

Father Luis Jayme OFM (1740-1775)

"Melchor Jayme was born in the farming village of San Juan, Majorca on October 18, 1740. When he was 15, he enrolled in the St. Bernadine School where Father Serra had studied as a youth.  He became a Franciscan five years later.  Father Jayme was ordained to the priesthood and taught philosophy for five years at the Convento de Francisco, which was the motherhouse for all the Franciscans in Majorca.

Like Fr. Serra, Fr. Jayme dreamed of becoming a missionary in the New World.  In 1770, he arrived in New Spain after a long and difficult journey.  He attended a special training course that taught survival on the frontier and conditioned them for living a life of hardship and deprivation. In October of 1770, Fr. Jayme set out for Alta California to begin his ten-year commitment to the California Missions. He assumed his post as pastor of the Mission San Diego de Alcalá and eagerly looked forward to working with the Native Americans.

The priests and neophytes on Presidio Hill (the first location of Mission San Diego) tried to establish a successful mission at that site, but in 1774, Fr. Jayme recommended that the Mission site be moved inland.  The crops were failing, the water was scarce and hard to get, and the soldiers were a bad influence on the Native Americans.  Fr. Serra approved the move.  The padres and neophytes moved to the present site in August of 1774 and built temporary huts out of wood, tule, manure, and thatch.  Eleven adobe structures were built during the first year. Crops were planted, Native Americans from the Nipaguay village were being baptized, and everything was going well – until November 5, 1775.  In the early morning hours of that day, Fr. Jayme was awakened from his sleep and heard a commotion outside his quarters. Indians were raiding the mission.  Approximately 800 Native Americans from the Yuma area, together with several neophytes, looted the church. As an open fire erupted, the Kumeyaay natives shot flaming arrows into the buildings, burning the huts down.  Instead of running or hiding, Fr. Jayme went out to greet them and, with his arms outstretched, said, “Love God, my children.”  He was subsequently dragged down to the river and murdered.  Because of Fr. Jayme’s self-sacrifice, dedication, faith, and love, he became California’s first Christian martyr.  The large white cross out front of the Mission on the east side is dedicated to his memory and is located near the spot where he was martyred.  His remains are buried in the sanctuary of the church. Surviving residents of the mission went to the Presidio to live until things settled down and it was safe to return to the Mission."

Written by Msgr. I.B. Eagen, former pastor of Mission San Diego  

https://www.missionsandiegohistory.org/father-luis-jayme

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July 15 St. Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church -CA Mission

St. Bonaventure (1218-1274)

July 15

            Bonaventure was born at Bagnorea, Tuscany and was baptized "John/Giovanni." As a child he was cured at the intervention of St. Francis. Bonaventure studied at the University of Paris and became a Franciscan there. Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure were both distinguished scholars there in Paris at the same time. His academic career was cut short in 1257 by his election as Minister General of the Order. Bonaventure immediately dedicated his energies to restoring harmony among the friars, who were plagued by various factions.

As one Franciscan source puts it: "The Church in the 1260’s closely linked ordination and the permission to preach. This presented a problem for the friars whose style, since Francis’ time, had been that of itinerant preachers—few of whom were ordained. Bonaventure, wanting to ensure the friars’ preaching vocation, moved them in a clerical direction. And accepting ordination meant establishing large houses of study near universities like Paris and Oxford. Though some people have criticized Bonaventure for this redirection of the friars, others have argued convincingly that he was simply following the mind of the Church—which, they say, is what Francis would have wanted. Bonaventure ably defended the friars against those who said that the friars’ form of life, with its provisions for begging, was condemned by the gospel."

Among Bonaventure’s most famous writings are his life of St. Francis called the Legenda Major and the equally brilliant Journey of the Soul to God.  Bonaventure attributed his knowledge to meditation on the cross of Jesus Christ, something he wrote of in The Tree of Life.

Bonaventure writes in Journey of the Soul to God, Chapter 7: “For this passover (to God) to be perfect, we must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone. This is a sacred mystical experience. It cannot be comprehended by anyone unless they surrender themselves to it; nor can they surrender themselves to it unless they long for it; nor can they long for it unless the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent into the world, should come and inflame their inmost soul.  Hence the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit.” 

Bonaventure worked hard not to be named a bishop but was finally made Bishop of Albano and then cardinal. At the Second Council of Lyons (1274), he worked for the reunion with the Eastern Greek Church. He died before the Council ended. Bonaventure was canonized in 1482.

July 14 St. Francis Solano-CA Mission

St. Francis Solano/San Francisco de Solano (1549-1610)

July 14        

            Francis came from a leading family in Andalusia, Spain. One momentous incident in his life occurred during his teenage years, when he was able to stop two duelists from fighting. He was socially popular and a good student.  He entered the Friars Minor in 1570 and after ordination enthusiastically sacrificed himself for others. His care for the sick during an epidemic drew so much admiration that he became embarrassed and asked to be sent to the African missions. Instead, he was sent to South America in 1589. While working in what is now modern-day Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, Francis quickly learned the native languages and was well received by the Indians. His visits to the sick often included playing a song on his violin.

            Around 1601 he was called to Lima, Peru, where he tried to recall the Spanish colonists to their baptismal integrity. Francis also worked to defend the Indians from oppression. He died in Lima and was canonized in 1726. From a contemporary biography of Solano: “When Francis Solano was about to die, one of the friars asked him, ‘Father, when God takes you to heaven remember me when you enter the everlasting kingdom.’ With joy Francis answered, ‘It is true, I am going to heaven but this is so because of the merits of the passion and death of Christ; I am the greatest of sinners. When I reach our homeland, I will be your good friend.”