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With this quote we see the defining defence of St. Francis by G.K. in his biography of this great saint.
The common and almost universal impression people seem to have when it comes to St. Francis is that he was a good man who just loved everything in a very general way. He loved animals, he loved people, he loved the poor. And in those generalizations in our minds it seems as if this bland love had no roots or connections to theology or dogma; like so much common new age theories and philosophies that blur religious ideals without regard for concrete objective truth.
St. Francis however, like every other great saint, had a very deeply rooted love and devotion to the Truth. The Truth of Christ and his Church, one that was fully revealed and known to man in a very concrete way. The Truth which dispelled darkness and sought to bring light to all.
I like to think of not only St. Francis in light of this passage, but also in his fan Pope Francis who also is not a fan of blurred lines and muddy theology but a clear one which speaks to all.
Joining Sarah at Amongst Lovely Things for Weekends with Chesterton.
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I really like this, something to think about. As a Catholic convert, I sometimes have problems sharing my faith with my Protestant friends. I think sometimes they take the approach of "well, Catholicism is working for you, but I don't worship that way". This treats Catholicism as just another denomination to choose from, which it is not. I feel like sometimes I tend to water down my theology to keep the peace. I need to work on being more transparent in my faith. Not in a "shove it down their throat" way, but in a real and genuine lifestyle. For example, I came into the Church in 2011 and my in-laws still do not know (or if they do, they haven't spoken to me about it). My MIL is very anti-Catholic, and I never intended for it to go on so long, but there never seemed an appropriate time to talk to her about it. It is probably time, I'll pray about it first and go from there.
ReplyDeleteChristy. You are well-read, smart, and incisive. Love this.
ReplyDeleteReally loved this, Christy.
ReplyDelete