Pace e Bene
July 14, 2010, 7:46 pm
Posted by Robert P. Imbelli
Saint Bonaventure, whose feast the Church celebrates on July 15th, begins his famous Mind’s Journey to God, by invoking Blessed Francis, whose vision of the Six-Winged Seraph structures Bonaventure’s reflection. Of Francis he says:
his preaching was the annunciation of peace both in the beginning and in the end, wishing for peace in every greeting, yearning for ecstatic peace in every moment of contemplation.
Here is the great painting of Francis in Ecstasy by Giovanni Bellini: 
J.M.J.
Father, I am wondering if you would agree that this vision, which depicts the ad extra and ad intra acts of The Blessed Trinity, can help us understand the announciation of Peace both in the beginning and in the end:
http://catholicism.org/heavens-icon.html
The Mystery of The Holy Trinity is the central mystery of our Christian Faith. If only we would open our Hearts and our minds to these words we would understand that we are made in The Image of Perfect Love, and called to a communion of authentic Love.
Possible meanings of the Bellini painting are briefly outlined on this page before a fresh interpretation s given:
“The article proposes that the landscape in Giovanni Bellini’s ‘St. Francis in Ecstasy’ in the Frick Collection, New York, shows the Heavenly Jerusalem, a motive which originated in the North, although it is patterned loosely after Assisi. The cave serves to identify the saint with Jerome, so that it acts as the vehicle of salvation well in advance of Bosch and Patinir. While the scene has multiple resonances of meaning, the author further suggests that the likely subject is St. Francis seeking inspiration from the heavens as he is about to compose the “Canticle of the Sun” at San Damiano.”
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1483472
And it’s good to see a painting of St. Bonaventure on the bulletin cover of a very active Franciscan parish: St. Bonaventue and the Tree of Life by Vittorio Crivelli:
http://www.stfrancisnyc.org/07_11_10.pdf
In March of this year Pope Benedict devoted three addresses during his general audiences to the theology and spirituality of Saint Bonaventure. He concludes the final one with these words:
“The whole creation speaks loudly of God, of the good and beautiful God; of his love. Hence for St Bonaventure the whole of our life is a “journey”, a pilgrimage, an ascent to God. But with our own strength alone we are incapable of climbing to the loftiness of God. God himself must help us, must “pull” us up. Thus prayer is necessary. Prayer, says the Saint, is the mother and the origin of the upward movement – “sursum actio”, an action that lifts us up, Bonaventure says. Accordingly I conclude with the prayer with which he begins his “Journey”: “Let us therefore say to the Lord Our God: “Lead me forth, Lord, in thy way, and let me travel in thy truth; let my heart be glad, that it fears thy name’ ” (I, 1).
Bob Imbelli:
Thanks for posting my favorite painting in all of New York City!
I have taught the Itinerarium many times – it is a vademecum of all the learning of the thirteenth century: Richard of Victor is there as is Boethius and Pseudo-Dionysius and, of course, Saint Francis. Besides the six winged serpahim there are the six days of creation, the six steps leading up to the Holy of Holies, the six days prior to the Transfiguration – all anticipating the Sabbath Rest. Great stuff!