Wednesday of Week 15: Knowledge of God is one thing. Knowing Him is another!
Good morning.
Today is the memorial of St Bonaventure, who lived during the 13th century. He was a great philosopher and theologian, and a friend and colleague of St Thomas Aquinas. As a member of the Franciscan order, he embraced poverty and the rejection of institutional structures. He had many wise and uncompromising views, which he committed to writing, and consequently was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588. Interestingly, in spite of his intellectual genius, he always insisted that the simple and uneducated could have a clearer knowledge of God than the wise.
As a Franciscan, St Bonaventure followed the principles of St Francis, who gave up great wealth and luxury to live a life of simple poverty. In so doing, St Francis encountered God in the beauty of God’s creation, calling the sun his brother and the moon his sister. It is interesting that many of the apparitions of Our Lady have been to simple people – often children.
We cannot force or coerce God into our lives. We simply have to be open to His great love which is beyond our understanding. In fact, over-analysis can result in us experiencing a sense of dissatisfaction which comes from our own human limitations. Intimate, sincere prayer is a direct connection to our Saviour. What a blessing!
So, let us be encouraged to make time for God in our daily lives. Jesus, the Son, knows of our human challenges and will walk with us – even if the journey is hard. Keep prayer ever on your lips.
God bless and stay safe. Dc Mike & the team.
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