Comparing the Theologies of St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas

I'm in a small discussion group and we are reading Thomas Aquinas - Spiritual Master by Bishop Robert Barron. The book assumes that the reader is very familiar with the best known of St. Thomas' works, his great Summa Theologiae. Since I have not read the Summa, reading Barron's book has been a real challenge, but I am still learning a lot. For example, both St. Thomas  and St. Bonaventure frequently quote Pseudo-Dionysius, the Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century. However, they interpret his writings differently. 

It is easy, frankly, to find out what St. Thomas thought about just about any topic. It is easy to find Thomist scholars who will sing his praises and present views. After all, Thomism is the official orthodox theology of the Catholic Church and he is a Doctor of the Church.

However St. Bonaventure, a 13th century Franciscan, is also a Doctor of the Church and his theology is an accepted orthodoxy. Nevertheless, it is not easy to find what St. Bonaventure thought about any given topic. 

This morning I was looking for a respected Catholic scholar that would help me understand the similarities and differences between St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure. Fortunately, I found what Pope Benedict XVI had to say about both theologians. See Benedict XVI - General Audience - Wednesday, March 17, 2010. It doesn't answer all my questions, but it is helpful. He also gave two other talks on St. Bonaventure.

Franciscan Perspectives on the Eucharist - St. Francis of Assisi

The U.S. Catholic Church's three-year eucharistic revival is underway. This is a good time to explore the Franciscan perspective on the Eucharist. June 19, 2022, the Feast of Corpus Christi marked the beginning of the Eucharistic Revival. Learn more by visiting the website of the National Eucharistic Revival. 

In light of the revival, I thought it would be a good idea to read and reflect on what St. Francis of Assisi and other Franciscan wrote about the Eucharist. Here is the link to the writings of St. Francis on the Eucharist compiled by Deacon Dave and Thérèse Ream, OFS.  

Franciscan Perspectives on the Eucharist - St. Bonaventure - The Tree of Life

Saint Bonaventure (1217 - 1274) was canonized by the Catholic Church on April 14, 1482. He is a doctor of the Church and considered to be the second founder of the Franciscan Movement. Below is text from St. Bonaventure's The Tree of Life

Jesus, Consecrated Bread³⁴

16. Among all the memorable events of Christ’s life, the most worthy of remembrance is that last banquet, the most sacred supper. Here not only the paschal lamb was presented to be eaten but also the immaculate Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Under the appearance of bread having all delight and the pleasantness of every taste (Wisd. 16:20), he was given as food. In this banquet the marvelous sweetness of Christ’s goodness shone forth when he dined at the same table and on the same plates with those poor disciples and the traitor Judas. The marvelous example of his humility shone forth when, girt with a towel, the King of Glory diligently washed the feet of the fishermen and even of his betrayer. The marvelous richness of his generosity was manifest when he gave to those first priests, and as a consequence to the whole Church and the world, his most sacred body and his true blood as food and drink so that what was soon to be a sacrifice pleasing to God and the priceless price of our redemption would be our viaticum and sustenance. Finally, the marvelous outpouring of his love shone forth when, loving his own to the end (John 13:1), he strengthened them in goodness with a gentle exhortation, especially forewarning Peter to be firm in faith and offering to John his breast as a pleasant and sacred place of rest.

O how marvelous are all these things,

how full of sweetness,

only for that soul,

having been called to so distinguished a banquet,

runs

with all the ardor of his spirit

so that he may cry out

with the Prophet:

As the stag longs for the springs of water

so my soul longs for you,

O God³⁵

*34 Cf. Matt. 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–38; John 13–17.

*35 Psalm 41:2

Bonaventure: The Soul’s Journey into God; The Tree of Life; The Life of St. Francis, ed. Richard J. Payne, trans. Ewert Cousins, The Classics of Western Spirituality (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1978), 139

Franciscan Perspectives on the Eucharist - St. Bonaventure - Commentary on the Sentences: Sacraments

St. Bonaventure's image of the Church was closely connected to his understanding of the Eucharist. The text below from Bonaventure's Commentary on the Sentences: Sacraments was recommended to me by Father Joseph Joseph Chinnici, OFM, President Emeritus Professor of History, The Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego.

"Christ our Lord acquired a great number of people by uniting them in his Mystical Body. In this body, which is the Church, there are many and diverse peoples: there are wayfarers and the infirm, and there are those entangled in daily sins. Because they are many in one body, they need to be connected to one another. Because they are wayfarers, they need refreshment. Because they are involved in daily sins, they need an oblation. These things were not to be accomplished only interiorly through the grace of the virtues, but externally through the grace of the sacraments.

It was therefore fitting that they should have one exterior connection just as they had one interiorly. However, that one connection had to be where the members were. Since the members are in many places, it had to be such as would be fitting in many places. But this is not so except for God or what is united to divinity. However while God is within, what is joined to divinity is the body of Christ. Therefore the body of Christ ought to have been given in an external sacrament, which is the one in which all the faithful are united in eating the one and same food.

It was also fitting that they have external refreshment in the sacrament. However, that which refreshes the soul is none other than God or what is united to God. This is the true body of Christ. Thus it was fitting that the true body of Christ be in this sacrament.

It was also fitting that they have an exterior oblation. But the Lord, by offering himself in a unique oblation, rendered naught all other oblation. Therefore, if it ought not revive what he had destroyed, it should give us the very same one that he offered, and none other. Therefore just as the true body of Christ was offered upon the cross, so he is sacrificed upon the altar.

3. From all this it is clear that the objection about fittingness does not stand. To the objection that humanity is not humbled in this sacrament, it must be said that this is by no means true, for the humiliation lies in the external visible sign. Furthermore, in this, above all others, is the human intellect humbled and taken captive. This is because it is forced to believe what it can in no way comprehend. Beyond this also in this sacrament there is the example of utter humility. For the Lord of majesty is clothed in such a mean and poor garment as a further example of humility and poverty."

Hellmann, Wayne; LeCroy, Timothy. Commentary on the Sentences: Sacraments (Works of St. Bonaventure) . Franciscan Inst Pubs. Kindle Edition. 

Franciscan Perspectives on the Eucharist - St. Angela of Foligno

St. Angela of Foligno, a 13th century Secular Franciscan who was canonized on October 9, 2013, had a lot to say about the Eucharist. Way too much to present in total or summarize in this blog post. I couldn't do it justice. 

See Chapter Sixty-Seventh "Of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar" in The Book of Visions and Instructions of Blessed Angela of Foligno. Click on this link to download a PDF of her book.

If you would like to know more about St. Angela of Foligno, then you might enjoy reading what Pope Benedict XVI had to say about her a few days after she was canonized. 

Franciscan Perspectives on the Eucharist - Contemporary Writers

The U.S. Catholic Church's three-year eucharistic revival is underway. This is a good time to explore the Franciscan perspective on the Eucharist. June 19, 2022, the Feast of Corpus Christi marked the beginning of the Eucharistic Revival. Learn more by visiting the website of the National Eucharistic Revival. 

As you would expect, different people who admire Francis have different perspectives. Fr. Pat McCloskey, OFM reminds us that St. Francis' views of the Eucharist were shaped by the Fourth Lateran Council. I liked this one by Fr. George Corrigan, OFM in Francis and the Eucharist. Christopher Heffron in Saint Francis and the Eucharist, notes that for Francis the Eucharist was the foundation on which his faith life was built. Louise Merrie’s St. Francis of Assisi: Lover of the Eucharist has some thought-provoking insights, too.

Laudato Si' Trivia Questions

How many times is Saint Francis of Assisi mentioned in the text of Laudato Si', Pope Francis' encyclical about the environment? How many times is Saint Bonaventure mentioned?

I'm participating in group discussion, via Zoom, about the encyclical and plan to take a close look at each reference to Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Bonaventure. However, to get started, I thought it would be a good idea to list them all. 

Papal encyclicals are available on the Vatican website, so that's where I started. Click on Laudato Si' and your computer's browser will take you right to the document.

Now, here is a great tip that many people aren't aware of.  Use Ctrl F on your keyboard to find the text you are looking for. After the page finished loading, I pressed Ctrl F on my keyboard and searched for "Francis of Assisi" and "Saint Francis of Assisi." There are 7 references. Next, I searched searched for "Bonaventure" and "Saint Bonaventure." There are 4 references to him. Don't forget to spell out "Saint."

It also is good to look at the references at the end of the encyclical. By the way, you can also download the encyclical as PDF to your computer.