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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	St. Benedict Press LLC
Date de parution	21 novembre 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781505128147
Langue	English

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T HE S EVEN L AST W ORDS OF C HRIST
T HE S EVEN L AST W ORDS OF C HRIST
Saint Bonaventure and Arnold of Bonneval
Translated by Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB
TAN Books Gastonia, North Carolina
English translation copyright © 2023 TAN Books
All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in critical review, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Creation, exploitation, and distribution of any unauthorized editions of this work, in any format in existence now or in the future—including but not limited to text, audio, and video—is prohibited without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Translated by Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB
Cover design by Jordan Avery
Cover image and interior image: Christ on the Cross, 1666-70 (oil on canvas), by Bartoleme Esteban Murillo, © Timken Museum of Art, San Diego / Bridgeman Images (pg. 101). Interior images: Jesus is nailed to the cross, by Gustave Dore, provided by Nicku / Shutterstock (pg. 98), The death of Jesus, by Gustave Dore, provided by Nicku / Shutterstock (pg. 99), Our Lady at the Cross / Restored Traditions (pg. 100), “I Thirst” The Vinegar given to Jesus, by James Tissot, public domain / Wikimedia Commons (pg. 102), Christ on the Cross, by D. Velazquez / Restored Traditions (pg. 103), Crucifixion, by C. Bosseron Chambers / Restored Traditions (104).
ISBN: 978-1-5051-2924-3 Kindle ISBN: 978-1-5051-2925-0 ePUB ISBN: 978-1-5051-2926-7
Published in the United States by TAN Books PO Box 269 Gastonia, NC 28053 www.TANBooks.com
“When you shall have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know, that I am he.”
—John 8:28
C ONTENTS
Publisher’s Note
Translator’s Note
A Short Biography of Saint Bonaventure and Arnold of Bonneval
Arnold’s Preface
T HE F IRST W ORD: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
T HE S ECOND W ORD: “Amen, I say to thee: today thou shalt be with Me in paradise.”
T HE T HIRD W ORD: “Woman, behold thy son,” and, “Behold, thy Mother.”
T HE F OURTH W ORD: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
T HE F IFTH W ORD: “I thirst.”
T HE S IXTH W ORD: “It is consummated.”
T HE S EVENTH W ORD: “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.”
P UBLISHER ’ S N OTE
C AN YOU BELIEVE , dear TAN reader, that the first work on the seven last words of Christ has never been put into the English language? On top of that, can you believe the work is by the Seraphic Doctor, Saint Bonaventure? Truly, it is hard for this publisher to imagine that such a work has been out of reach for most of us since the thirteenth century.
Little can be added by me to the extraordinary work of the translator and his note. Father Nixon is more than a translator: he is a herald of the great lost works. Nonetheless, I will add a few minor points of personal interest that I hope will resonate with you.
I remember the day during my undergraduate studies at Franciscan University when my favorite professor told me that while Saint Thomas Aquinas is honored with the title the Angelic Doctor , Saint Bonaventure was honored with the title the Seraphic Doctor . This one simple statement opened the world of Bonaventure to me, and my fascination with him has never waned.
These two titles deserve a short explanation. The distinction is not intended to be a ranking of Doctors according to the choirs of angels, the Seraphim being the first and the Angelic being the ninth. Rather, it is meant to give emphasis to the particular theological traits of the two saints.
Aquinas is the Angelic Doctor because of his near angelic intellect, almost as if he enjoyed a minor beatific vision during this life. Correspondingly, his emphasis on the intellect’s pursuit of God is palpable throughout his writings. In this vein, the Angelic Doctor sees the supreme name of God as existence itself, or “He Who Is.” 1
Bonaventure, on the other hand, is said to have “ done his theology on his knees ” (a phrase worthy of our deepest attention), which reminds one of the Seraphim that are closest to the beatific vision. In other words, he emphasized love for God, intimacy with God, and the clarity of thought resulting therefrom. The Seraphic Doctor taught that it is not primarily the intellect that sought God but the will. And thus, the supreme name for God from this saint’s standpoint was “The Good,” which is the final end to which our wills are drawn. 2
This work on the seven last words of Christ is in perfect keeping with the seraphic nature of Bonaventure’s theology. 3 The simple but penetrating reflections on the words of Our Lord while hanging in agony on the cross are worthy of much contemplation.
Bonaventure’s reflections display both his own dire need for intimacy with Our Lord on the cross and his pastoral encouragement to the reader. Each of his reflections are beautiful and instructive, neither aspect intruding upon the other.
In his mystical eye, Bonaventure sees the seven last words as “seven rich and verdant leaves springing forth upon a mystical vine [the cross].” In regard to the first leaf in which Christ asks His Father to forgive those who have condemned and tortured Him, hear how Bonaventure speaks to you, the reader: “O Reader, treasure this precious leaf zealously within the depths of your heart! Then, whenever you are afflicted by any enemy, you will be able to summon to your mind the memory of the abundant sweetness of the supremely merciful Jesus. You will be able to use this saying as a powerful shield against any insults which may be directed against you, and any aspersions cast upon you. The divine Spouse prayed for those who killed Him: will you not pray for those who insult and criticize you?”
One reason I love Bonaventure is that his humanity shines through his writings. His words are not a distant insight. Rather, he invites us into the simplicity of his own heart.
A notable example of this is in his commentary on Christ’s words “Woman, behold thy son” and “Behold, thy Mother”:
I imagine Mary to have stood with her head covered, on account both of the immensity of her sorrow and her virginal modesty. How often she must have cried out as she wept, “Jesus, my Son! Who will grant me that I may die in place of You, my Son, or that I may now meet my own death with You?” How many times must she have raised her tear-filled eyes to His bleeding wounds, and again turned them away, overcome by sheer horror and grief ? I marvel that she herself did not also succumb to death, so great were the waves of anguish which engulfed her!
Indeed, I can easily see Bonaventure using his imagination to plumb the depths of the Passion; I can easily see him marveling at the image granted him by grace.
Bonaventure was a lover, a poet, and an artist whose imagination brought him to the heights of insight. But more powerful than insight is intimacy. It is surprisingly rare to see a commentary by a Doctor of the Church that is so—I struggle to find the word— personable , and not just with the reader, but with Christ Himself. Just as he did with the Blessed Mother’s position at the foot of the cross, imagining what was occurring in that Immaculate Heart, Bonaventure places himself in Christ’s position on the cross, giving us additional words to accompany the few words that Christ spoke. Something about this seems personable to me—something that only one who is close to Christ dares to do. Here is the example from the sixth leaf, “It is consummated” 4 :
It is as if He [Jesus] declares, “Now the words of Scripture are fulfilled. Now everything that was foreshadowed and prefigured in the ancient sacrifices is brought to perfection. For in My present sacrifice the meekness of the lamb, the strength of the bull, the obedience of the ox, the simplicity of the sheep, and the peace of the dove are all brought to perfection! The love which drew God into union with the human race in the mystery of My incarnation is consummated. The foundations of the Church are now completed. My own bitter sufferings have reached their end. The chalice of pain has been fully drained, and in its place the medicinal potion of eternal life has been prepared to full perfection. From this mystical potion mortal beings may drink deeply of the inebriating nectar of everlasting salvation and never-ending bliss. And my obedience to You, O Father, is likewise now consummated: for I have completely and unreservedly fulfilled all the decrees of Your immutable will!”
Hopefully you can see from these few excerpts what is meant by the Seraphic Doctor doing theology on his knees. Hopefully you can see why the term “Seraphic” was given to this Doctor of the Church, a man whose only desire was to be close to God.
As I write this publisher’s note, I look up above my monitor and see a Latin quote from Saint Bonaventure hanging on my wall. When I first read it years ago, I typed it up, printed it, and hung it right before me to remind myself that the work of a Catholic publisher is not to educate my readers but to help them become saints. The quote perfectly embodies the spirit of Bonaventure, and I pray it will one day embody my own work for the Church. It reads, “Non enim potes noscere verba Pauli, nisi habeas spiritum Pauli” (You cannot know Paul’s words unless you have Paul’s spirit). It would be fitting for me to revise this to say, You cannot know Bonaventure’s words unless you have Bonaventure’s spirit.
The sacred passion of Christ, dear readers, is not a subject to be studied but a mystery to be lived. Invoke the intercession of the Seraphic Doctor, Saint Bonaventure, to help you do so. It is with humility and overwhelming joy that TAN makes this penetrating little work accessible to the world in English.
Conor Gallagher CEO, TAN Books
_______________
1 ST I.13.11.
2 To the philosophical-minded reader, it is worth noting that his emphasis on “The Good” may result in part from Bonaventure’s re