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Franciscan
Spirituality
Prayer for Peace
The
Canticle of All Creatures
Pray of Total Offering
Prayer before the Crucifix
Prayer
Inspired by the Our Father
Becoming
a Franciscan Minor or Contemplation in Service
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FRANCISCAN
SPIRITUALITY
The
Primacy of Christ
(Jesus)
is the image of the invisible God,
the first born of all creation;
for in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth,
visible or invisible,…
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
(Col. 1:15-17)
As the Second
Person of the Blessed Trinity within the Godhead, Jesus is God
who existed before all creation. Jesus is the Word of God through
whom all things were made when God “spoke” creation
into being (Gen. 1, John 1:1-5, 10-11, 14). It is “IN”
and “THROUGH” Jesus that all things are created.
Jesus is
“first born of all creation”. He is a creature because
his true human nature was created. But he is the “first”
born of all creation. This “first” position is not a
chronological reference to the Incarnation. The incarnation occurred
after creation. Instead this “firstness” or primacy
is one of excellence. Jesus is the source, justification and final
cause of everything created. In fact he is the unifying force
in all creation (Col. 1:17). He is the primary being willed in
the mind of God before creation.
Jesus is
“the image of the invisible God”. As thus, he is the
primordial model for all creation. Like Christ, all creatures
bear the image of God but to varying lesser degrees according
to their ability to love God.
Humans are
more specifically “created in the image and likeness of God”
(Gen. 1:26-27). They have the greatest capacity of all creatures
for love. Herein consists the “image and likeness”.
Humans share most fully in Christ’s “firstness”
among all creation. In Admonition five, St Francis says: “Consider,
O human being, in what great excellence the Lord God has placed
you, for He created and formed you to the image of His beloved
Son according to the body and to His likeness according to the
Spirit.” According to the capacity to love, humans are first
among all creatures and Christ is the first of all humans and
therefore he is the first of all creation.
Furthermore,
all creation is created “FOR” Christ. All creation is
a gift of the Father to the Son. God created all creation for
Christ. Jesus is the primary recipient for whom all things were
made. This is the primary purpose of all creation – to be
for Christ. Humans and all creation fulfil their purpose most
fully when they most fully are for Christ. “You are Christ’s
and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:23).
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