Our special Summer Series is back! This year Br. Aaron, our friar summer intern, will be leading a four-week course on the “Word Made Flesh – The Spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi.” Each week, he’ll take a look at the life of St. Francis and those around him, focusing on short texts and prayers written by St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.
Every session will begin at 7:00 pm in the San Damiano Center. Take a sneak peek at each week’s theme below. We hope to see you there!
Week 1 – Tuesday, July 18th
During the first week of the series, Br. Aaron will focus on the life story of St. Francis, with a special look at two of his prayers. The first prayer came at the beginning of his conversion, and the second which he composed at the end of his life.
Week 2 – Tuesday, July 25th
In week two, we will consider St. Clare of Assisi’s model of prayer and take an in-depth look at the icon of the San Damiano Cross, which spoke to Francis and was instrumental to his conversion. The San Damiano Cross is one of the most prominent Franciscan symbols, and is our processional cross at Sacred Heart.
Week 3 – Tuesday, August 1st
For week three, we will focus on the theme of the Incarnation. We’ll discover St. Francis’ overwhelming devotion to Jesus, who descended from heaven to assume human flesh, and how that translated into Francis’ love for the Eucharist. We’ll also explore Franciscan theologian John Duns Scotus and his thought regarding the reason for the Incarnation and how those thoughts affect Franciscan Spirituality today.
Week 4 – Tuesday, August 8th
In our final session, we’ll discover the source of St. Francis’ true and perfect joy. Br. Aaron will reveal what he believes to be the key to Franciscan spirituality and will open up discussion on how our study of Francis’ spirituality has resonated in our own spiritual lives.
