In this
short article it is my intention to indicate the beginning of certain themes that will
influence the future development of Franciscan Christology. We find them present,
though in seed form as it were, in the conversion narrative of St. Francis as
given in Bonaventure’s Legenda Major.
To do this I will look at the three
fundamental encounters with Christ that Francis has en route to his full conversion
and embracing of a life of evangelical mendicancy. The first, his dream of a
house filled with arms and knightly apparel while already on the road to battle; the
second, his encounter with Christ under the guise of a leper; and, thirdly, the
encounter with Christ through the crucifix of San Damiano.
In all
three of these events we will see the seminal beginnings of elements and themes
of an implicit Christology which will inform the life of Francis and the
Franciscan movement through the ages. We will see that each of these events is
characterised by an encounter with a hidden Christ who, when manifested or
recognised through contemplative awareness, is then responded to by action and affective movement on the part of
Francis. Thereby situating from the very beginning of the Franciscan vision the understanding that we must discern an apprehension
of who Christ is, and how we are called into the fullness of life by Him, at
the nexus of both contemplation of, and action on behalf of, the same Christ we
encounter.
The first encounter:
The Knightly Dream:
Bonaventure
situates the first of the acts that we will look into at the very outset of
Francis’ conversion. Post a period of illness that could “enlighten spiritual
awareness” (LM 1:2) he tells us that Francis at this time is still in a state
of ignorance as to both his future and the ability to discern God’s plan for
himself. After charitably clothing a poor knight that he meets in the town he
receives the first part of the knightly dream being shown “a large and splendid
palace with military arms emblazoned with the insignia of Christ’s cross.” ( LM
1:3) The figure of Christ is present through the symbol of the cross. He is at
one and the same time both the centre of the dream in its primary symbol and its
hidden heart, just as surely as the meaning of the dream is hidden from
Francis. Upon waking, Francis, whom Bonaventure tells us is not yet skilled in
interpreting the symbolic schema of dreams, attempts to bring about its
fulfilment by taking up arms. This course of action is summarily stopped by the
second dream of the cycle wherein he is asked,
“Who can do
more for you a Lord or a servant, a rich person or one who is poor?” (LM 1:3)
This time
Francis recognises that the dream is inviting him into mystery. He realises
that he has interpreted his future course incorrectly and asks,
“Lord what
do you want me to do?” (LM 1:3)
When the
Lord answers that he is to return to his town and there await a spiritual
outcome he obeys immediately, the fruit of this actioned obedience being a
spirit of care free joy. This care free joy is seen as the fruit of true
obedience throughout the monastic tradition but is especially a fruit of it in
the Franciscan vision of religious life.
Already in
this encounter with the “hidden Christ” of the dream, aspects of just who
Christ is for Francis, (and later the Franciscan movement), can be seen. He is
firstly the one who calls us to joy. Joy that is revealed and accessed through
conformity of our will to His will in obedience. Just as Christ conformed His
will to that of the Father, so the follower of Christ, (and of Francis), will
have to walk that path of obedience. For Francis setting out on the path of
obedience is both a contemplative act, in the surrendering of the will to the
hidden Christ of the dream, (“Lord what do you want me to do?”), and an
affective action of instant obedience that frees him and brings a state of
spiritual joy.
The second encounter:
The Leper on the road.
Setting the
scene of the second encounter Bonaventure tells us that Francis is still
seeking the discernment of God’s will for himself while slowly separating
himself from the “pressure of public business” (LM 1:4) We already see in
Francis the beginnings of an oscillation between contemplative withdrawal and
the call to the market place of action that will only find its balance in the
later Spirit filled discernment of Sylvester and Clare. Francis is described
now as a man in whom the heavenly flame has been kindled through the practice
of fervent prayer, and it is in this spirit that he will meet the leper on the
road. Recalling the earlier images of knightly aspirations Bonaventure begins
the story by seeing Francis as a Knight intent on the conquering of himself for
Christ and the encounter with the leper as one of the trials of chivalry that
the great heroes of the romances would go through. Francis is even pictured on
his horse, like a spiritual Galahad riding into battle. To begin we are told
that even seeing the Leper in the distance struck him with “not a little
horror” (LM 1:5) but that Francis overcame his feelings of repugnance and humbling
himself by descending from the horse he gives the leper both the alms he seeks
and a kiss. On resuming his seat he finds the Leper vanished, (to all of
Bonaventure’s medieval primary audience this would have at once indicated that
the Leper was either an Angel or even Christ Himself), and so Francis
immediately begins to sing the praises of the Lord.
In this
encounter with the Christ who hides beneath the guise of the poor and the
marginalised, (the Christ of Matthew’s judgement scene), we see another seminal
layer of Franciscan Christology laid down, wherein the contemplative withdrawal
of the follower of Francis should go hand in hand with a growing awareness of
the presence of Christ in all people and especially in the poor and particularly
those exiled to the edges of society. Francis finds a silent Leper Christ. One
who always assumes the lowest place and whose taking on of leprosy as His
“disguise” issues a challenge to find the Lord God in the lowest place. Indeed,
as this event happens while Francis is still trying to discern his own vocation,
we can say that it is only in the letting go of our own privilege and ego,
(dismounting from our horse as it were), that we become open enough to the
revelation of the hidden silent Christ so that our purpose may be revealed to
us. Bonaventure expressly demonstrates this movement as being essential in the
following of Christ as in the very next paragraph he links the encounter with
Christ as Leper to the vision Francis has of the crucified Jesus and the
appropriation that Francis makes to himself, (an appropriation that we are all
called to make), of the Gospel text to deny ourselves, take up our Cross and
follow Christ.
This leads
us beautifully to the third and final encounter we will consider.
The third encounter:
The Christ of San Damiano
We find
this encounter at the beginning of the second chapter of the Legenda. Here
Christ is not hidden anymore, though His purpose and command are at first
misunderstood by Francis. In the crucifix of San Damiano Francis continues his
deepening dialogue with the Lord, “who became humbler even to accepting death.”
He is “led by the Spirit” and enters the church to pray, and there beholds the
crucifix. While the Christus figure of the San Damiano Cross is depicted as alive
and triumphant He still bares the bleeding wounds and the loin cloth of the
moment of crucifixion and death. Like the Fisher King of the Arthurian legends
wounded and yet a healer, (a figure that Francis would probably have been
familiar with), Christ is represented on the Cross both in His eternal divinity
as the Lord of History and the impassable Logos, and at one and the same time,
in His humanity as the suffering servant of Isaiah who silently endures. Here
on the Cross of San Damiano Jesus is the Lamb of revelation, dead yet alive upon
the Altar. In the triune perfection of the call that issues from the Cross
telling him to, “go and repair my house, which as you see, is all being
destroyed.” (LM 2:1) Francis once again moves from contemplation of the
Crucified to action. Action which, though at first is misguided in its literal
interpretation of the command, eventually bears fruit in not just rebuilt
churches, but in the service of a universal Church who, in its chief shepherd,
will recognise him as the one who will help in holding up the sinking edifice
of the faith.
So we may
see the unfolding conversion of Francis characterised by a growing realisation
of just who Christ is. We are the witnesses, through Bonaventure, of the
beginnings of a life lived for God alone. A life which, in its distinctive
character and expression, will set the foundations of a Franciscan Christology
that, arising from these charismatic and contemplative insights of Francis,
will centre the movement on relationship with the Christ who is both near in
the poor and the marginalised, and far above us as the hidden Lord of the
castle of our knightly desires. He is revealed as the One whose sacramental
presence will be venerated beneath the veils of leprosy and isolation just as
truly as beneath those of bread and wine. Above all else, He is the crucified
who calls us to share in His mission of reconciliation and peace, eternally
suffering and dying, rising and reigning. It will be on these foundation stones
that the vast work of Franciscan Christology will be built, always calling us
back to the contemplation of our own moments of encounter with Christ, hidden
or revealed, so as to lead us through Him, with Him and in Him to the building
of the Kingdom within us and then within the world.
Br. Richard Hendrick OFM Cap
(Originally written as an essay for the Franciscan Formation Studies Course in Canterbury 2013)
Picture credits: Pics 1 & 3 Piero Cassentini, Pics 2 & 4 uncredited)
