July 15- Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor—Memorial

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July 15: Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor—Memorial

c. 1217–1274
Invoked against intestinal problems
Canonized by Pope Sixtus IV on April 14, 1482
Proclaimed the Seraphic Doctor of the Church by Pope Sixtus V in 1588
Liturgical Color: White

Quote:
Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the “throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant,” and “the mystery hidden from the ages.” A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope, and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation. Then such a man will make with Christ a “pasch,” that is, a passing-over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert. There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulcher, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” ~Journey of the Mind to God, by Saint Bonaventure

Prayer:
Saint Bonaventure, you were called by God to use your mind to guide the profound simplicity and newness of the Franciscan order. Through prayer, faith, and intelligence, you remained true to Saint Francis’ charism of pointing others to Christ. Please pray for me, that I will always seek Christ above all things and serve Him with all my heart. Saint Bonaventure and Saint Franics, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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