Eucharist

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Eucharist

• Session 7

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• The Eucharistic Writings of Saint Francis
• Churchs reform after the Fourth Lateran Council
  (1215) the Eucharistic letter Sane cum olim of
  Pope Honorius III (22nd November 1219).
• the first Admonition, The Body of Christ
• the 1st 2nd Letters to the Faithful
• the Letter to the Clerics the First Letter to
  the Custodians
• the Letter to the Rulers of the Peoples, 6-7
• the Earlier Rule (RnB), XX,5-6
• the Letter to the Entire Order, 12-37
• The Testament, 6-11 the Prayer Inspired by the
  Our Father, 63.

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• Admonition 1
• Francis learning to recognize the Presence of
  Jesus!
• If you knew me, you would also know my Father
  and from now on, you do know him and have seen
  him.
• Philip, whoever sees me sees my Father as well
  (Jn 146-9).

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• Behold, each day He humbles Himself as when He
  came from the royal throne (Wis 1815 Phil 28)
  into the Virgins womb HOSPITALITY
• each day He Himself comes to us, appearing
  humbly each day He comes down from the bosom of
  the Father (Jn 118) upon the altar in the hands
  of a priest. KENOSIS

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• Goal of Spirituality SEEING w/new eyes
• And as they saw only His flesh, yet believed that
  He was God as they contemplated Him with their
  spiritual eyes,
• let us, as we see bread and wine with our bodily
  eyes, see and firmly believe that they are His
  most holy Body and Blood living and true.

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• Proper inner disposition to receive Christ in the
  Eucharist in a worthy manner,
• the spirit of true conversion in an authentic
  penitential life
• Desire to seek union with God over comfort of
  things

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Earlier Exhortation 1st Version

• 1209-1215 All who love the Lord with their
  whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with
  all their strength (cf. Mk 1230), and love their
  neighbors as themselves (cf. Mt 2239)
• receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus
  Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.

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• Only he must eat and drink worthily because he
  who eats and drinks unworthily, without
  distinguishing the body, eats and drinks judgment
  to himself (1 Cor. 1129)
• that is, if he sees no difference between it and
  other food.
• Produce fruit love of neighbor

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• And they will be the children of the heavenly
  Father, Whose works they do.
• And they are spouses, brothers and mothers of our
  Lord Jesus Christ.

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I P Ethe common bond
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I

• I Incarnation
• Gods free choice before even creation to empty
  Himself and take on the poverty of Humanity, and
  in absolute humility turn completely toward us.
• The single defining act of Gods love

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P

• P Passion
• Francis does not dwell on the pain suffering,
  but on the extreme depth of love displayed by God
• Gods willing-ness to endure even death to show
  his desire to love us
• Love is not loved

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E

• E Eucharist
• For Francis the final act of Gods Jesus
  self-emptying. To be physically present in the
  lowest, poorest, humblest manner of food
• Eucharist and reverence
• This manner of giving on Gods part is our model
  for imitation

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• In this writing, Francis sets forth the essential
  conditions for living a penitential life
• A turning to God with all that one is (Shema).
• Loving one's neighbor as oneself.
• Acknowledging and despising one's personal
  tendency to sin.
• Receiving the Eucharist devoutly.
• Allowing God's Spirit to dwell in us.

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• What is needed for the Journey
• Desire our response to Gods Desire
• Prayer vehicle to spirituality
• Solitude - entering the cave of the Heart leading
  to
• Community living out the Gospel experience

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Practical ? -- Suggestionsadapted from Henri
Nouwen Life of the Beloved

• Taken or chosen we begin recognizing we are
  Gods beloved.
• We are asked to enter into a personal
  relationship with God who asks/desires to be our
  lover

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• Blessed speaking well of the other
• not just asking God to bless us as at Mass or
  through a clerical blessing
• in our chosen-ness God blesses and loves us
• Our actions are to bless and be blessing to each
  other
• To express our understanding of the dignity and
  value of each other

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• Broken unique as is our chosen-ness.
  Spiritual, physical, mental, relational
• calls us to rely on trust others and to be
  compassionate to the brokenness of others.
• God accepts and loves us even if we are still in
  sin His nature
• God constantly chooses to be broken for love of
  us.
• We tend to deny our weaknesses and suffering and
  become unable to hear the gentle voice that
  constantly calls us Beloved

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• Given the meaning of life in Christ is about
  taking up our cross, following, and being there
  for other.
• We are not for our own sake, but we find
  significance in living for others
• Being poor and humble, giving ourselves for
  others but also allowing others to give
  themselves for us
• This is fraternity hospitality - Eucharist
• The adventure is daring to live the Gospel

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• How has or how might
• your life be transformed
• into being eucharist?