May 7, 2024

Hello John,

Meditation from Head, Heart, and Hands:

Bonaventure believed that, regardless of how much we grow intellectually, our faith is incomplete if we are cut off from the wellsprings of the simple Galilean and his apostles. Theology without experiencing God’s presence is harsh and uninspiring.

Today’s meditation from Bruce Epperly’s Head, Heart, and Handstook me back to a time when I first began to study the Bible as an undergrad at a Christian college. Like many college kids, I suppose, I became convinced that I had things figured out. I even began judging family and friends who did not share my theology and beliefs. Certainty is its own drug.

This meditation is a reminder that our intellectual pursuits ought to open us more to experiencing God’s diverse presence in our lives, not the opposite. Bonaventure himself writes that the theologian should not believe “that reading is sufficient without unction, speculation without devotion, investigation without wonder, observation without joy…”

I hope you enjoy this book, as we remind ourselves today to allow our minds to guide us back to our hearts and humbly experience God’s presence in our lives. 

Blessings, 

Stephen Copeland

Book Editor, Franciscan Media

Saint of the Day for May 7: Rose Venerini

(February 9, 1656 – May 7, 1728)

Saint Rose Venerini’s Story

Rose was born at Viterbo in Italy, the daughter of a doctor. Following the death of her fiancé she entered a convent, but soon returned home to care for her newly widowed mother. Meanwhile, Rose invited the women of the neighborhood to recite the rosary in her home, forming a sort of sodality with them.

As she looked to her future under the spiritual guidance of a Jesuit priest, Rose became convinced that she was called to become a teacher in the world rather than a contemplative nun in a convent. Clearly, she made the right choice: She was a born teacher, and the free school for girls she opened in 1685 was well received.

Soon the cardinal invited her to oversee the training of teachers and the administration of schools in his diocese of Montefiascone. As Rose’s reputation grew, she was called upon to organize schools in many parts of Italy, including Rome. Her disposition was right for the task as well, for Rose often met considerable opposition but was never deterred.

She died in Rome in 1728, where a number of miracles were attributed to her. She was beatified in 1952 and canonized in 2006. The sodality, or group of women she had invited to prayer, was ultimately given the rank of a religious congregation. Today, the so-called Venerini Sisters can be found in the United States and elsewhere, working among Italian immigrants.

Reflection

Whatever state of life God calls us to, we bring with us an assortment of experiences, interests and gifts—however small they seem to us. Rose’s life stands as a reminder that all we are is meant to be put to service wherever we find ourselves.

Don't miss this brand-new book! 

"Bonaventure asserted that the heart of theology is emanation, exemplarity, and consummation. More about these terms later. To put this in everyday language, theology asks, “Where have I come from? What are the origins of the universe and human life? What is the purpose and meaning of our lives, and my life in particular? What is the ultimate goal of the human adventure? What can I hope for in a world in which joy and tragedy are intertwined?” If you’ve ever asked these questions, then you are a theologian."

—from Head, Heart, and Hands: An Introduction to Saint Bonaventure.

Mary’s life, like that of her son, will be a living out of her own canticle. She will enter into the mysteries of Christ’s life. Like the Christian mystics after her, she will participate in a more intense way in the very mystery that she is sharing. As the model of intimacy with God, Mary will enter into the death and resurrection of her son. She will stand beneath the cross of his dying; she will rise with him body and soul in the mystery of her Assumption into heaven.

Franciscans pray a seven-decade rosary, the Franciscan Crown, based on the Seven Joys of Mary, that for me summarizes what it means to enter into the mystery of how we are transformed by and into Christ. The mystic knows in a uniquely graced way these mysteries that we believe and live out as we try to be true to the mystery of our baptism.

—from the book Mystics: Twelve Who Reveal God’s Love
by Murray Bodo, OFM

Embrace the inspiring spiritual life of Saint Bonaventure that still resonates today!

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