Now that we finished going through An Introduction to the Devout Life, we are going to move into Saint Francis’ Treatise on the Love of God. This time around we will have accompanying videos and reflections to give you a new way to embrace his timeless wisdom. We begin with with Francis’s Understanding of Human Nature.
SrSusan (Guest): Do you find Francis’ view of human nature to be a helpful one both personally and pastorally?
4.
Judy (Guest): Hi Everyone!
SrSusan (Guest): Yes and a long haul!
Judy (Guest): Will every week have the same format as this week?
SrSusan (Guest): The first week we used prepared questions from another course on Treatise I think we need to developour own But the Treatise is not an easy work
Judy (Guest): Well,
SrSusan (Guest): Passion-
Judy (Guest): Darn computers!
SrSusan (Guest): another one-
Dawn (Guest): Passion –
Judy (Guest): One might want to instinctively throw the computer out the window when it is not working properly.
SrSusan (Guest): And what St Francis calls affections
Lisa C: I was confused about what chapter(
SrSusan (Guest): Book 1 Chapters 1 to 5 on the video
Dawn (Guest): yes Judy
SrSusan (Guest): The video summarizes a group of chapters The chapters are long I think we need to adjust how the book is done somewhat
Judy (Guest): Affections:
SrSusan (Guest): Good examples
SrSusan (Guest): Prevent an argument by yielding to the other person?
Judy (Guest): Oo,
Amy Cochran: That is difficult for me to do,
SrSusan (Guest): Aha religious life will be tough if that is not developed!
SrSusan (Guest): But we work on it here all the time!
Amy Cochran: I guess it’
SrSusan (Guest): That is it I think you have it-
Lisa C: Imagine how it was with 50 Nuns
Judy (Guest): It is also having self-
SrSusan (Guest): What I found “
Amy Cochran: The Blessed Mother,
Lisa C: And how demons are above humans
SrSusan (Guest): True Lisa but in a large commmunity one can hide better
SrSusan (Guest): Yes that too Lisa because they were angels I imagine
SrSusan (Guest): Yes our Blessed Mother is our model for true humility
Lisa C: So if demons are above humans the levels do not imply worth
SrSusan (Guest): What would our Mother do in any given situation is a good thing to ask oneself
Lisa C: I was also going to say that Blessed Mother had the highest place of all humans who were not God so God did not mean women were low
SrSusan (Guest): Hi Jennifer Are you in the airport now
Ruth (Guest): I had the same observations,
SrSusan (Guest): Hi Ruth Yes you are no doubt right
Jennifer Koo: Yes,
Judy (Guest): Hi Ruth and Jennifer!
Jennifer Koo: Boarding soon
SrSusan (Guest): Many blessings Jennifer and soak up all the grace you can
Judy (Guest): Have a safe flight!
Jennifer Koo: Hi,
SrSusan (Guest): What a special opportunity for you
Jennifer Koo: Yes,
Ruth (Guest): St.
Jennifer Koo: Yes,
Judy (Guest): How’
Amy Cochran: I never heard that before about boy vs girl souls
Ruth (Guest): Jennifer,
Lisa C: He also believed that we were not human from conception
SrSusan (Guest): How did I miss that?
Jennifer Koo: I heard that the only dangerous time would be eve and Christmas at Bethlehem
Ruth (Guest): and the bit about parts of the soul,
SrSusan (Guest): Will you be there then?
Lisa C: I guess they do not teach much about what he got wrong
Amy Cochran: Does anyone know where we were before conception?
SrSusan (Guest): I think its a construct Ruth not the reality
Ruth (Guest): Sounds to me like the Jewish –
Lisa C: Amy I think it is created at conception,
Jennifer Koo: Yes,
SrSusan (Guest): “When St.
SrSusan (Guest): wont to inspire a mother’s affections.
Source:
Ruth (Guest): I think the soul is ONE in each individual –
Amy Cochran: Yesm tje bible states that before your were knitin the womb I knew you.
Lisa C: Interesting,
Amy Cochran: Mymother used to say that when the newborn baby smiled as they do,
Jennifer Koo: Interesting
SrSusan (Guest): because we can “know” what is good,
Judy (Guest): Amy,
Jennifer Koo: Thus he know what is best for us
Judy (Guest): I think that St.
Amy Cochran: when you close your eyes,
SrSusan (Guest): St Francis had a good understanding of human nature for his time
Ruth (Guest): True Jennifer.
SrSusan (Guest): Much of what he writes in other works we can apply immediately
SrSusan (Guest): This work tho needs study
Lisa C: This one is more abstract
Amy Cochran: yesm I have some catching up to do
Lisa C: but it is also very wordy,
SrSusan (Guest): Yes many of us find it difficult but there are extraordinary pats in it esp after the first 4 sections
SrSusan (Guest): parts
SrSusan (Guest): He is very image oriented
Lisa C: Yes,
Ruth (Guest): I am willing to study it;
SrSusan (Guest): You would know better than I what is an ego function
Ruth (Guest): BTW Amy,
SrSusan (Guest): Pastorally I thinkk he was good but today again the approach would be different in some cases
Judy (Guest): I think that his view of the soul as having three parts is an optimistic view of hu,
Amy Cochran: thank you
SrSusan (Guest): St Francis was an optimist and his spirituality is optimistic
Lisa C: Saints would be optimistic,
Judy (Guest): Oops.
Lisa C: Yesterday I watched a movie about J-
SrSusan (Guest): True Lisa but his personality was also moderate say compared to St Louis de Montfort
Ruth (Guest): The documents show that he was a very good preacher/
Lisa C: They have really good movies
SrSusan (Guest): He emulayed St Augustine I know that as St Francis chose him for our Rule-
Amy Cochran: Right on,
SrSusan (Guest): emulated
SrSusan (Guest): And grace is poured out abundantly and we must receive it willingly
Lisa C: That is why he is on the window?
Ruth (Guest): Judy,
Sr Susan (Guest): Yes on the window He is our “
Judy (Guest): Neat interpretation of a “
Sr Susan (Guest): St.
Lisa C: Agustine,
Sr Susan (Guest): He cites him numerous times in the Treatise,
What struck St.
love of God.
of reason in the act of faith.
Sr Susan (Guest): St Joseph
Lisa C: I thought it should be but we could not see those windows
Sr Susan (Guest): We are talking about the windows in our chapel
Lisa C: John is on the window because his gospel is all about love,
Lisa C: Maybe there is another reason
Sr Susan (Guest): Jennifer must be boaerding the plane now to the Holy Land
Sr Susan (Guest): boarding
Sr Susan (Guest): Any other comments for the topic?
Judy (Guest): I think that John’
Judy (Guest): Yes,
Sr Susan (Guest): John’
Dawn (Guest): I am in agreement to continue
Sr Susan (Guest): Do you want to skip Ny eve too or have a chat
Sr Susan (Guest): We have plenty of material to continue!
Ruth (Guest): I’
Dawn (Guest): I will use x time before next chat to study
Judy (Guest): I would open to chatting on NY eve.
Sr Susan (Guest): Yes very logical Ruth!
Amy Cochran: I;
Sr Susan (Guest): Ok we can skip Christmas eve but go for New Year’
Dawn (Guest): Yes to NY eve
Sr Susan (Guest): I can post here earlier the link to the next video before the newslatter goes out so you have more time to watch
Dawn (Guest): thank you
Judy (Guest): Jesus is the gift that never stops giving.
Sr Susan (Guest): A most blessed Christmas to you all.
Lisa C: God bless all of you and your families
Ruth (Guest): Beautiful blessing,
Ruth (Guest): All of you,
Dawn (Guest): Merry joyful Christmas to all of you~
Ruth (Guest): Thank you Dawn,
Dawn (Guest): and prayers ,
Ruth (Guest): Yes,
Dawn (Guest): tramatic.
Ruth (Guest): Prayers for Carol Ann and all those struggling with or even worrying about the fire.
Dawn (Guest): there has been no rain or snow here,
Dawn (Guest): Hi Amy,
Ruth (Guest): And now I have to go out and face the cold again.
Dawn (Guest): I was unaware you were with the flu Ruth.
Ruth (Guest): Good battery,
Dawn (Guest): hope you are feeling better.
Ruth (Guest): And I had to use de-
Ruth (Guest): I wish we could share our precipitation with California.
Amy Cochran: Good night,
Ruth (Guest): Good night Dawn!
Dawn (Guest): Thank you,