Praying the Secular Franciscan Rule
By Luke Amato
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Praying the Secular Franciscan Rule - Luke Amato
PRAYING THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN RULE
APPLYING LECTIO DIVINA
as taught by
SAINT BONAVENTURE, O.F.M.
by
Luke Amato
Title: PRAYING THE
SECULAR FRANCISCAN RULE
Subtitle:Applying Lectio Divina
as taught by St. Bonaventure, O.F.M.
Author:Luke Amato, O.F.S.
LukeAmato@yahoo.com
Copyright:TXu 1 731 479
ISBN:13: 978-1-387-75617-9
Imprimatur:Most Rev. Robert N. Lynch,
Bishop of St. Petersburg, Florida
September 21, 2010
Nihil Obstat:Monsignor Bumpus
Diocesan Censor
September 21, 2010
References to:
Hebrew Bible: Jerusalem Bible
Christian Bible: Revised Standard Version
SFO Rule: From Gospel to Life
IMPRIMATUR
BY
MOST REVEREND
ROBERT N. LYNCH, BISHOP
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
AND
NIHIL OBSTAT
BY
MONSIGNOR BUMPUS,
Diocesan Censor
We
Sisters and Brothers
of
PENANCE
plead:
"LORD,
TEACH
US
TO
PRAY."
Introduction
It is recommended that the Professed, Candidates, Inquirers, Associates and Friends of St. Francis are to prayerfully read a section from Holy Scripture daily, especially from the Gospels, applying the Lectio Divina method of prayer.
In addition, beginning on the first day of each month, we should resume the prayerful reading of our Holy Rule, starting with paragraph one, along with its accompanying prayer or preferably an extemporaneous prayer from your heart.
By taking the paragraphs in order each succeeding day of the month, we will pray each of the 26 short paragraphs of our Rule before the end of each month.
This will leave the 27th through possibly the 31st to consider portions of writings by St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, or other related Franciscan writings.
LECTIO DIVINA:
A TIME-PROVEN WAY
TO PRAY SCRIPTURE AND OUR RULE
This effective method of prayer dates back to the earliest days of Christianity, as extolled and practiced by the Fathers of the Church. St. John Cassian, Origen, St Augustine and St. Benedict were but four of the countless great proponents of this approach to prayer.
Our own Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, in the Synod Constitution, Verbum Dei, strongly urged us to return to this ancient form of prayer. As Franciscans committed to observing the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, must we not heed the call of the Vicars of Christ as well as that of the Fathers of the Church?
The four steps may be described very briefly as follows:
1.Read (Lectio) slowly a passage from Scripture, no matter how short, until you come to words, phrases or sections that strike a chord in you; jot them down.
2. Reflect (Reflectio) on those sections, words or phrases and consider what they say to you in your personal life. What does it mean to you where you’re at?
3.Respond (Oratio) to God in prayer from your heart; just talk to God about it;
4.Receive/Resolve (Contemplatio/Resolutio) gratefully whatever spiritual gifts the Lord may choose to give you. That gift may well lead you to make a specific resolution or resolve to improve in that area of our Holy Rule.
Our own Seraphic Doctor, Saint Bonaventure, O.F.M., has highly developed this approach in his mystical work, The Tree of Life. He says: when you reflect and respond to your scripture passage, consider the different meanings in which it can be interpreted.
First and foremost, reflect on the literal sense of scripture, i.e. the obvious meaning of the facts or incident related. But don’t stop there! Then proceed to consider the three possible spiritual meanings of the passage.
Moral: what is the passage asking me to do or how should I act?
2. Faith: what is this section telling me to trust or who to believe?
3. Eternal: how does this relate to my destiny in the after life?
This faithful son of St. Francis goes deeper in his Triple Way and Itinerarium, by linking the above three Spiritual meanings to our mystical journey to perfection:
1. Purgative Way (Moral): our turning from our sins to God in conversion;
2. Illuminative Way (Faith): enlightened by our loving imitation of Christ;
3. Unitive Way (Eternal): union with God, which He perfects for us in eternity.
A detailed example would help immensely here. Let’s take one we all know, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which may also be described as the Parable of the Two Sons and also The Merciful Father:
A.The