The Teacher of His Heart

Cover

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Title Page, Copyright

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Table of Contents

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pp. v-xii

Foreword

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pp. xiii-xiv

Of the many eloquent passages written by Thomas of Celano, his description of a remembrance of those who lived with Francis is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful. In describing his total identification with Christ crucified, they told how his daily and continuous talk was of Jesus. “Indeed,” Thomas tells us, “he was ...

Introduction

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pp. 1-17

In the vast religious literature that deals with Francis of Assisi, the relationship of Francis with Christ occupies a considerable place. Is there any good reason for adding a new study on Christ in the thought of Saint Francis? Is this not a traditional topic and one that is already too ...

Part One. IMAGES of CHRIST

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pp. 18-19

Chapter One. Christ — Lord and Servant

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pp. 19-57

In 1224, two years before his death, Francis received the stigmata or marks of Christ's passion on Mount LaVerna. From then on his body resembled that of his Lord. It was the first time in the history of the Church that such a thing had happened. Thus it is easy to understand the great amazement of Francis’ ...

Chapter Two. Christ — Creator, Redeemer, and Savior

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pp. 58-89

The three terms Creator, Redeemer, and Savior occur frequently in the writings of Francis and are sometimes applied to Christ. On the other hand, these titles often appear together, as if to suggest that the latter two (Redeemer and Savior) are not synonymous. These ...

Chapter Three. Christ — Word of the Father

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pp. 91-110

The expression "Word of the Father" occurs twice in the writings of Francis, at the beginning of the Letter to the Faithful. Unable to visit each and every one of them personally on account of his sickness, Francis writes to the faithful in order to communicate to them "the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Word of the ...

Chapter Four. Christ — Master, Wisdom, and Light

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pp. 111-132

The twelfth century, which saw the birth of Francis of Assisi, was characterized by a great intellectual renewal. The monastic schools were no longer the only centers of culture, for they were gradually losing their importance and being replaced especially by the episcopal schools, which were multiplying and opening ...

Chapter Five. Christ — Beloved Son of the Father and Our Brother

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pp. 133-150

In Francis' vision of Christ, the most important title is undoubtedly that of "beloved Son." Our study of this title will lead us to a deeper understanding of how Francis views the incarnate Word in Himself and in His relationship to God and to us. ...

Part Two. THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST

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pp. 151-152

"In this way the Lord is always with His faithful, as He Himself says: Behold I am with you until the end of the age." In Part I we have tried to discover Francis' image of Christ by examining the expressions and images he used when speaking of Him. But in speaking of Christ, Francis does not become lost in ...

Chapter Six. In His Holy Memory—The Eucharist

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pp. 153-186

In analyzing the various expressions used by Francis in his writings to refer to Christ, we have occasionally touched on his doctrine of the Eucharist, inasmuch as this mystery is central to his faith and his vision of Christ. We are reserving this chapter especially to the Eucharist in order ...

Chapter Seven. The Sacrament of His Holy Words

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pp. 187-215

This chapter will not attempt to show how Francis conformed his life to the Gospel in all things. This has been done by the early biographers and many other authors as well.¹ Our aim is to discover what the Gospel meant for him. It is a given fact that whenever Francis speaks of the Eucharist he also ...

Part Three. Chapter Eight. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

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pp. 217-244

As a conclusion to our study, we will present an overview of Francis's vision of Christ. This will allow us to situate the general thrust of his spirituality within the larger movement of the time known as the "vita apostolica."

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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pp. 245-253