By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2010-08-22 09:05:26 | Word Count: 561
The Franciscan way of life stems from Catholic teaching and revolves around the spirituality demonstrated in the life of St. Francis and later, St. Clare and others. Franciscans hold particular views regarding the nature of God and Christ, the nature of man, and the way man relates to God. The body of beliefs which shape the human understanding of God is known as Franciscan theology. These beliefs result in Franciscan spirituality, which describes the way people relate to God.
The Nature of God
God exists independently without relying on any other being or force to sustain him. His creative spirit is evidenced through creation and its development over time. Creation relies upon the will and love of God for existence.
God exists in Trinity, enabling him to understand and cooperate in relationship with humans. While God does not need humans, he chooses to enter relationships with them and to demonstrate his love, mercy, and forgiveness independently of human worth. God's nature knows no limits and cannot be restricted by the boundaries of space and time.
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The Nature of Christ
Franciscans place primary importance on the celebration of the Incarnation at Christmas. In the Incarnation, Christ demonstrated God's love for humanity by taking on human form. The decision of Jesus Christ to become human was not a result of mankind's sin; rather, Christ freely chose to become human because of God's love for humanity. Franciscan theology teaches that Christ continues to be present with mankind today through the Eucharist which provides both physical and spiritual nourishment. In Christ, humans see the perfect mirror image of God. Christ provides an example for humanity of what they are intended to be.
Nature of Man
Each human is a uniquely created being gifted in a particular way. Each human life has purpose and meaning lived out through relationships. Mankind's nature is a reflection of the nature of God. All humans can make the choice to participate in the perfection of Christ to the fullest extent of their nature or they can choose not to participate. Every human has the freedom to choose, but God provides the ability for people to do good and gives people the opportunity to cooperate.
Nature of Salvation
The salvation of humans is a result of the action of God. God chooses to offer justification to mankind based on his love and the mercy of his nature, not based on anything humans do. Still, each human must work on his salvation as he cooperates with God.
The mystery of Christ's death on the cross was an act of self-sacrificial love. While God could have simply willed salvation, he chose instead to demonstrate his love and to attract humans to himself through the death of Christ on the cross.
We at the Franciscan Renewal Center invite you to check our website and visit our campus. We offer several hundred programs each year and provide a full service conference center as well as retreats, counseling, spiritual direction and desert walking trails. Our campus is truly unique, peaceful and renewing.
The Franciscan Renewal Center, or locally called The Casa, is home to four Franciscans, 35 staff and over 500 volunteers. Our campus is located at 5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona. WWW.thecasa.org 480-948-7460.
Author Resource:-
The Franciscan Renewal Center is a renewal center which encompasses counseling, various support groups, workshops, retreats for spiritual growth and personal development and Franciscan Way programs.
