{"id":27459,"date":"2026-08-14T09:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=27459"},"modified":"2026-08-14T09:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:46:14","slug":"the-mysticism-of-frances-and-clare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=27459","title":{"rendered":"The Mysticism of Frances and Clare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nature Boy - Nat King Cole (With Lyrics)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vRPsiXh0uFo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Franciscan-Mysticism-08-09-08-15-2026-Week-32-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The Mysticism of Francis and Clare\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remaining in Love<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Friday, August 14, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Francis\u2019s love for God deepens his love for life. Mirabai Starr illuminates:<\/em><br><br>Now that he has fallen in love with God, Francis recognizes his relatedness to all life. <strong>If the creator is his father, then all living things are his sisters and brothers.<\/strong> This connectedness fills him with wild joy, a joy that spills over every vessel of the human experience and flows back into the earth, giving birth to the endless unfolding of creation. <strong>Francis invites everyone to his table, which is God\u2019s tabl<\/strong>e\u2026.<br>\u00a0<br>The more saintly Saint Francis grows, the more human he becomes. His love of creation keeps him close to the earth, where he rejoices in the simple yet unutterably holy gift of being a man, a man connected to other men and to women, to earth and sky, to forest and village and river and sea, to the tiny ant and the majestic eagle, to winter snowfall and the promise of spring sleeping beneath it. [1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Father Richard considers Franciscan mysticism an invitation to love the divine presence in the world, in ourselves, and in all creation<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All\u00a0<em>being<\/em>\u00a0can correctly and rightly be spoken of with \u201cone voice\u201d (<em>univocity<\/em>), as Franciscan theologian John Duns Scotus (1266\u20131308) would later put it. What I am you also are, and so is the world.\u00a0<em><strong>Creation is one giant symphony of mutual sympathy<\/strong><\/em>, or, as Augustine loved to say, \u201cAnd thus the end will be the one Christ, loving himself.\u201d [2]<br>\u00a0<br>To arrive at this mystical vision,\u00a0<em>I must know that I am, at least in part, the very thing I am seeking. In fact, that is what makes me seek it!\u00a0<\/em><strong>God cannot be found \u201cout there\u201d until God is first found \u201cin here,\u201d within ourselves<\/strong>. Then we can almost naturally see God in others and in all creation too. What we seek is what we are. <strong>The search for God and the search for our true self are finally the same search.<\/strong> Francis\u2019s all-night prayer, <strong>\u201cWho are you, O God, and who am I?\u201d <\/strong>is one the most honest prayers we can offer.<br><br>A heart transformed by this realization of oneness knows that only love \u201cin here\u201d can spot and enjoy love \u201cout there.\u201d Thus, <strong>all mystics are positive people\u2014or they are not mystics<\/strong>. <strong>Their spiritual work is precisely that of recognizing and then handing over\u00a0<em>all\u00a0<\/em>their inner negativity and fear to God. The great paradox here is that such a victory is a total gift from God, and yet we must also want it very much (see Philippians 2:12\u201313).<\/strong><br>\u00a0<br><strong>The central practice in Franciscan mysticism, therefore, is that we\u00a0<em>must remain in love<\/em>, which is why it is a commandment as such (John 15:9) and, in fact,\u00a0<mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">the<\/mark><em>\u00a0<\/em>commandment of Jesus.<\/strong> Only when we are\u00a0<em>eager to love<\/em>\u00a0can we see love and goodness in the world around us. We must ourselves remain in peace and then we will see and find peace over there. Remain in beauty, and we will honor beauty everywhere. [3]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>References:<\/strong><br>[1] Mirabai Starr,&nbsp;<em>Saint Francis of Assisi: Brother of Creation&nbsp;<\/em>(Sounds True, 2013), 39, 41.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[2] Augustine, homily on 1 John 5:1\u20133, in&nbsp;<em>Augustine: Later Works,&nbsp;<\/em>ed. and trans. John Burnaby (Westminster Press, 1955), 341.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[3] Adapted from Richard Rohr,&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/store.cac.org\/products\/eager-to-love-the-alternative-way-of-francis-of-assisi-new-edition-copy\"><strong>Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/em>(Franciscan Media, 2024), 8\u20139.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Image Credit and Inspiration:\u00a0<\/strong>Pouya Hajiebrahimi,\u00a0<em>untitled<\/em>, 2025, photo.\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/a-person-stands-in-a-misty-field-with-bare-trees-j4OKEDZZ5oY\" target=\"_blank\">Unsplash<\/a>.\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/cac.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Franciscan-Mysticism-08-09-08-15-2026-Week-32-1-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to enlarge image<\/a>.\u00a0<em>Alone in the mist, we stand quietly before the mirror Saint Clare speaks of, waiting to be transformed.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>John Chaffee&#8217;s Five on Friday &#8211; 8-14-26<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1.<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cI have a rendezvous beyond my beloved horizon.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8211;&nbsp;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclicks.aweber.com%2Fy%2Fct%2F%3Fl%3DoaMY%26m%3DgINVRcZ8Hr0RJVk%26b%3DsoqOt5ASFbMC.TiD2SiQcQ&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C0987852e00b547a7201d08defa0830b7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639223110248661452%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Mp2O5cGyK0jmAM%2BnQ33Gmsjz4ytOkSPwHQghCzyNn18%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><strong>Capt. Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several years ago, I did a deep dive on the Golden Age of the Pirates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was, of course, inspired by the fact that I love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. &nbsp;I think they are generally good, clean, swashbuckling fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last movie in the series finishes with this quote above, which, to anyone familiar with the Hero&#8217;s Journey, is the first stage of the Journey&#8230; Leaving the known, and crossing the threshold into the unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even after five movies, the series ends with the idea that another threshold of adventure is still beckoning Capt. Jack Sparrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every one of us still has a threshold that we must cross over, from the known world in which we live and into the unknown world which will require courage and a sense of purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every good story is worth telling because it reminds us that there is still more to learn, to experience, to be challenged by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2.<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cA man who has been through bitter experiences and traveled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8211;&nbsp;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FOdyssey-Homer%2Fdp%2F0393356256%2Fref%3Dsr_1_4%3Fcrid%3D2GD4ALFO69ZR5%26dib%3DeyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Ki1xffaARZ4ZjwcRseD924kUuAHA8UrtQX8NL86HlwzKnOLyZWwLCqAP9yJPPJr2SiinObSzj48px7L65TVoM7KLkxoX1BYQ3FAZvaRQabWlq452kXLiiWv4dRuxonEZBrXRhZqh1oQVXsuEQhoB11glwyIq8TH2pVpSZ8kPejKjE1SYCaPk7K1PgsBuSDSBBKP1lOGsjKFrQsuHeH6qx0jPH885BppA-havsL89MjPKB4EmF_JAE2xRjuzXk4XDtVTZ5avherhF8B4EwyuW5jihXE5Fxih9BGpgqLpY0qk.owkTBCDrHnkvX6qNI6gervnHLkBqUM36phx3_5rDorM%26dib_tag%3Dse%26keywords%3Dthe%2Bodyssey%26qid%3D1786657816%26sprefix%3Dthe%2Bodyssey%252Caps%252C171%26sr%3D8-4&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C0987852e00b547a7201d08defa0830b7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639223110248698659%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=75GGUrcickBlF80FdkvMK3rP1vqaoe%2Fouga%2FirQtPMY%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><strong>The Odyssey<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I likely would not have understood this quote in my younger years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, after living enough of life and experiencing disappointment, resentment, pain, loss, rejection, etc., I can look back and say that many of those things ended up being for my benefit. &nbsp;Not only that, but I feel like I can tell the story of those days without getting dragged back into those old feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you know what I mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More and more, I am coming to realize that the price of living is the willingness to experience not just what happened but stay present and open to the fact that future pain and suffering may still come my way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know that this is a misreading of Jesus, but remember that lesson he gave about the wheat and the weeds being allowed to grow together? &nbsp;How might cutting out the weeds now negatively affect the wheat? &nbsp;How will the two be separated later?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It might be that if we try to cut out everything ugly and painful in life,&nbsp;it could also come at the cost of other beautiful and healing things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So yes, like Odysseus, may we come to appreciate and welcome it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3.<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cOne can never satisfy a closed mind.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8211;&nbsp;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclicks.aweber.com%2Fy%2Fct%2F%3Fl%3DoaMY%26m%3DgINVRcZ8Hr0RJVk%26b%3Dr7LBZkfZ_Dm.wgDJfvxRXw&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C0987852e00b547a7201d08defa0830b7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639223110248735677%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=yAcxV5Fe1WI8HmjehWtGxHeNRNYprBQiDoPYVsD2tBc%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><strong>Dr. Craig Keener, New Testament Scholar<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Keener was one of my seminary professors. &nbsp;I fully believe he might be a savant. &nbsp;Never before had I met someone with such an intellect, and yet at the same time maintain such a meek and humble posture toward life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I remember reading somewhere that we can change only 5% of our worldview on a good day, which probably means that on an average day we are closer to 2.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So yes, for someone with a closed mind who deliberately chooses not to take in new information, there is likely a 0% chance that any change of mind will happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem is: Jesus&#8217; first word of public ministry in the Gospels is metanoia, which can be translated as &#8220;reconsider everything.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4.<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cMoreover, when the narcissistic leader is under attack, his response is defensiveness and a victim complex.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8211;&nbsp;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclicks.aweber.com%2Fy%2Fct%2F%3Fl%3DoaMY%26m%3DgINVRcZ8Hr0RJVk%26b%3DBmWiYaFZwelfB4j5wgLOIQ&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C0987852e00b547a7201d08defa0830b7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639223110248779443%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ELj2StGcc3ZqYY2THQBjsI3AZ83CKv0e7M246N9RJ%2Fs%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><strong>Chuck DeGroat, Pastor and Therapist<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is also known as DARVO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>D &#8211; Deny<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A &#8211; Attack<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RVO &#8211; Reverse Victim and Offender<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When someone has a weak ego or sense of self, as soon as they receive a critique or even honest feedback about how others perceive or experience them, they will DARVO rather than admit a mistake and make a commitment to change their behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I am not a jerk.&#8221; (Deny.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You are the jerk.&#8221; (Attack.)<br>&#8220;How dare you say that I hurt you? What about all the other instances when I have felt hurt by you!&#8221; (Reverse Victim and Offender.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This leaves the victim feeling the need to apologize to the victimizer, so nothing changes; no one repents or makes true amends, and the victimizer is free to continue their unhealthy habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5.<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cThere is still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for change.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Have you slipped? Rise up.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Have you sinned? Cease.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do not stand among sinners, but leap aside.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8211;&nbsp;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclicks.aweber.com%2Fy%2Fct%2F%3Fl%3DoaMY%26m%3DgINVRcZ8Hr0RJVk%26b%3DIbm.elw_FhjDLhWs9zcxrA&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C0987852e00b547a7201d08defa0830b7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639223110248819329%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=heO6YeEj4OppBtgDiGq7vVnA%2BOKHo4Rtven50qUfE3k%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><strong>Basil of Caesarea, 4th Century AD<\/strong><\/a>,<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclicks.aweber.com%2Fy%2Fct%2F%3Fl%3DoaMY%26m%3DgINVRcZ8Hr0RJVk%26b%3DIbm.elw_FhjDLhWs9zcxrA&amp;data=05%7C02%7C%7C0987852e00b547a7201d08defa0830b7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639223110248854449%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=5okRSC3VwTuBPsjmRbN3tasQOuFYCfXgap3%2BLidjmbI%3D&amp;reserved=0\"><strong>Cappadocian Monk<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One fascinating thing about the early church, especially before the temptation of empire-building got its long tendrils into the mix, is that they seemed more concerned with behavior than creeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is also true of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about it&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus doesn&#8217;t give long lectures or monologues about doctrine or how one should believe. &nbsp;Jesus does, however, kickstart his ministry in Matthew&#8217;s Gospel with the Sermon on the Mount, which focuses on the ethics of the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For Basil of Caesarea, who was born to an extremely wealthy family, his emphasis was often on how to live a good life. &nbsp;No matter what we have done or where we have been, we can always make a commitment to leave it all behind and return to the places where we ought never have left.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, you might say that it is impossible to &#8220;not stand among sinners&#8221; since we are all sinners, but there is a difference between standing among sinners who are actively choosing to clean up their lives versus those who (like those with closed minds in the third quote) have no real interest in leaving their sins behind. &nbsp;Some people simply haven&#8217;t hit their true rock bottom yet, and it is okay to set firm boundaries with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The emphasis, though, should be on ourselves and asking what things we ought to leave behind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remaining in Love Friday, August 14, 2026 Francis\u2019s love for God deepens his love for life. Mirabai Starr illuminates: Now that he has fallen in love with God, Francis recognizes his relatedness to all life. If the creator is his father, then all living things are his sisters and brothers. This connectedness fills him with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27459"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27459"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27461,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27459\/revisions\/27461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}