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Five Things you should know about St. Bonaventure

15 July:  The Franciscan Order has a number of Great Saints! Some of them are – ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI HIMSELF, ST. CLARE, ST. ANTHONY and so on. And in the same line we have ST. BONAVENTURE. Though not as well-known as other Franciscan saints, his life and works continue to inspire the wider Franciscan family and the church of all times.

Here are Five Things You Should Know About St. Bonaventure?

Who is St. Bonaventure?

St. Bonaventure was born at BAG-NORE-GIO, IN ITALY, IN 1221. He joined the Franciscan order at the age of 22. He completed his studies in Paris under the celebrated doctor Alexander of Hales, an Englishman and a Franciscan.  He was A GOOD FRIEND OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.

At the age of thirty-five, St. Bonaventure was chosen the MINISTER GENERAL OF THE ORDER and served so for 17 years. Later Pope Gregory the X appointed him as cardinal and bishop of Albano. But a year later when he was attending the Second Council of Lyons, suddenly BREATHED HIS LAST ON JULY 15, 1274. Later he was canonized as saint and doctor of the church.  

St. Bonaventure, FRIAR, PRIEST, SCHOLAR, THEOLOGIAN, MINISTER GENERAL, CARDINAL BISHOP, SAINT, AND SERAPHIC DOCTOR.( Each title can pop up) Above all, he was FRIAR MINOR who lived life centred on Christ, in the footsteps of his seraphic father St. Francis.

What does the Name “Bonaventure’’ Mean?

Bonaventure means “O GOOD FORTUNE.”  There was a legend which says, when St. Bonaventure was 7 years old. He was severely ill. His mother brought him to St. Francis to pray over him. St. Francis foreseeing the future greatness of the little child, cried out in loud voice "O BUONA VENTURA" in Italian. Which means - “O GOOD FORTUNE” Later when he joined the friars, he took the name- Bonaventure. He is really a good fortune and an asset to the order and the church at large.

What did St. Bonaventure do?

Bonaventure was one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages.
He left behind him an immense spiritual heritage: philosophical, theological, exegetical and mystical writings as well as writings that relate to the Franciscan order. Most famous of which are THE SOUL'S JOURNEY TO GOD (Itinerarium mentis in Deum), an outline of his theology (Breviloquium), SOLILOQUY ON THE FOUR SPIRITUAL EXERCISES (Soliloquium de quatuor mentalibus exercitiis), THE TREE OF LIFE (Lignum vitae), and THE TRIPLE WAY (De Triplici via). THE MAJOR AND MINOR LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS.

 

What does St. Bonaventure mean by ‘In Sanctitate et Doctrina”?

 IN SANCTITATE ET DOCTRINA MEANS – HOLINESS THROUGH LEARNING! According to him, acquiring knowledge is a process which should enable us to love God. He turned his LEARNING INTO A FORM OF PRAYER which increased his love for God. Acquiring knowledge and love for God go hand in hand and two sides of a same coin. The more we become learned/knowledgeable the more we should grow in love for God = it's holiness.

KNOWLEDGE + LOVE OF GOD = HOLINESS.

How does St. Bonaventure inspire us today?

According to St. Bonaventure, becoming a Gospel Disciple means becoming gentle and humble of heart. This is in a nut shell what core of the Gospel is and what Franciscan Spirituality is. He says in one of his sermons, “OF COURSE, NOT EVERYBODY CAN BE A FRIAR MINOR BY HABIT AND PROFESSION; BUT ALL WHO WISH TO BE SAVED, SHOULD BE FRIARS MINOR BY DISPOSITION, THAT IS, BE HUMBLE AND GENTLE.” This applies to all Christian disciples.

Happy Feast of St. Bonaventure….

Dear Brothers and Sister, as we celebrate the feast of St. Bonaventure lets pray through the intercession of St. Bonaventure, as we become learned we may also grow in the love of God and become gentile and humble brothers and sisters to our fellow human beings and to the entire creation. LET US BE “BOUNA VENTURAS” / “GOOD FORTUNES/ ASSETS” TO OUR CHURCH AND SOCIETY.

Br. Rajasekhar Gopu OFM

 

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