At the beginning of this week, 4-5 December 2006, three Franciscan Covenant members from Old Mission Santa Barbara through God's grace were able to visit St. Elizabeth's Friary in Oakland, CA, and attend the Provincial Day of Recollection on 4 December held at Mercy Care and Retirement Center which is located near St. Elizabeth's and where several retired Franciscans who until recently were resident at The Serra Wing at Old Mission Santa Barbara currently dwell. Although it was a blessing to visit these friars, I wish to focus on the topic of that Day of Recollection.

The speaker that day was Fr. Joseph Chinnici OFM of the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. His meditation, "Celebrating the Five Feasts of the Child Jesus," was based on St. Bonaventure's "The Five Feasts of the Child Jesus." My impression is that meditations of this type are common enough among Franciscans during the Advent and Christmas seasons. But they are new to me and may well be novel to many other Secular Franciscans as well. Therefore, I will briefly summarize part of what said that day, omitting Fr. Chinnici's discussion of the historical backgorund and the questions that led St. Bonaventure to write his meditation.


The five feasts that concern us are incarnational. They are: The Annunciation, which celebrates the conception of Jesus; The Nativity, which celebrates the birth of Jesus, The Holy Name of Jesus, which celebrates the naming of Jesus; The Epiphany, which celebrates the Magi's search for Jesus; and The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, which celebrates Jesus' being offered in the Temple and dedicated to the Lord God. St. Bonaventure sought to "obtain spiritual consolation" from the "divine sweetness" of these feasts and in this way keep himself from more illusory, worldly consolations. While doing this, St. Bonaventure came to understand how a devout soul could "spiritually conceive the holy Word of God and only-begotten Son of the Father, give birth to him, name him, seek and adore him with the Magi, and . . . according to the law of Moses, joyfully present him in the Temple to God the Father." By doing this a devout soul--and any Secular Franciscan--could celebrate the five feasts of the Child Jesus instituted by the Church. In what follows, I will summarize St. Bonaventure's ideas, with the assistance of Fr. Chinnici's discussion.


The First Feast: "The Annunciation"

Here, a devout soul, St. Bonaventure states, once "the heart has been raised on high by the fire of love," conceives Jesus Christ spiritually by a gift of grace, after having first rejected former desires for worldly things. The " . . . Father by a divine seed" "overshadows" the soul with a "heavenly coolness which tempers the desires of the flesh and gives help and strength to the eyes of the spirit." The soul loses its taste for the things of this world and instead develops a longing for the things of God.

In imitation of Mary, the soul sets out to climb the hill country, seeking the company of Elizabeth, one who is also enlightened by wisdom and inflamed by divine love. Fr. Chinnici said that we "seek and create a Society of Friends" who also are seekers after divine wisdom and love. These include the angels and saints, of course. But St. Bonaventure also noted the words of St. Isidore, "Seek the company of good people If you share their company, you will also share their virtues." Secular Franciscans, of course, do just that in their Fraternities, where they "inspire one another by word and example toward greater virtue."

St. Bonaventure also advises us to avoid the counsel of the wicked, but goes further and counsels against those who " . . . under the guise of holiness . . . infect the soul . . . with an insidious cowardice . . ." by saying, "What you have begun is beyond you; what you are taking on is far too difficult; what you are doing is too much of a burden. Your strength is not up to it, you do not have the ability to do it. Your mind will get confused, your eyesight will be destroyed, you will develop all kinds of illnesses: consumption, paralysis, . . . stones in the kidneys . . . loss of faculties. All these terrible things will happen . . . if you do not abandon what you have started and take better care of your health." St. Bonanventure notes that such "cursed advice of the worldly-minded has killed the Son of God conceived by the Holy Spirit" in many people. He calls it "damnable and deadly medicine, the devil's counsel." He also cautions us against the advice of those who may be holy but are "too timid" and so discourage other from seeking perfection and those who say that such practices are only for those who have not sinned greatly, noting that "God shows no partiality." Indeed, St. Bonaventure advises that "if . . . you cannot be saved through innocence, strive for salvation by penance" in imitation of that other Mary, Mary Magdalene. Here we should note that the Secular Franciscans began as the Order of Penitents.

Here, Fr. Chinnici suggests that we ask ourselves what our struggles are in this area and how divine inspiration comes to us. He spoke also of "seeking and creating a Society of Friends. The Secular Franciscans can play just this role. Again, he suggests that we examine the characteristics of our "society of friends."

The Second Feast: The Nativity

For us, and for St. Bonaventure, the concern is how Jesus, already conceived, is born in the devout soul. This occurs when, "after good advice, due thought, and prayer for God's protection . . ." we begin to live a more perfect life, as we had resolved but had feared to do because of our weakness. The soul now knows "inner joy and peace" because it is no longer at war with the flesh (Gal. 5:17) and indeed comes to understand the words of the Gospel, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:30).

Again, St. Bonaventure asks us to imitate both Mary Magdalen, who wept over the sins that she had committed, and also Mary, the Mother of God, who " . . . shines resplendently with virtue and had complete mastery over her carnal desires." After such a birth, the devout soul will taste and know "how good the Lord" Jesus is. (Ps. 34:9)

After the birth of Jesus within us, the angels and saints (part of the Communion of Saints along with us) rejoice, as they did at the first Christmas!

The Third Feast: The Naming of the Infant Jesus

St. Bonaventure notes that no name is more fitting for the new-born infant than Jesus, a name he calls powerful, "beause it brings down our enemies, restores our strength and renews our mind." Further, he says it is grace-filled, for "in it is contained "the foundation of faith, the ground of hope and the fulfillment of holiness." Moreover, he calls it joyous, because "it is gladness to the heart, music to the ear, honey to the tongue and splendour to the mind." Also, it is delightful, because "it nourishes when . . . recalled, soothes when . . . uttered, refreshes when . . . written, and instructs when . . . read." Finally, it is glorious "because it gives sight to the blind, makes the lame walk, brings hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb and life to the dead."

Do we see the works of the name of Jesus in ourselves and in others?

The Fourth Feast: The Adoration of the Magi

The feast that our calendar names "The Epiphany" (the showing forth). St Bonaventure characterises as the "seeking and adoration" of the Christ Child by the Magi and truly, by any devout soul.

St. Bonaventure refers to the Magi as "Kings", for they are really the powers of our souls which "now rule the flesh, have dominion over the senses and are taken up, as is fitting, with the pursuit of divine things. These powers "seek the Child through meditation, go in search of him in heartfelt longings and inquire about him in prayerful reflections." And indeed we find the Child Jesus with Mary his mother "when we have confessed out sins and listened . . . to the teachings of the gospel, the bread of everlasting life, meditated upon it and rotted it . . . in our hearts, so thatwe may fulfil it by good works and proclaim it to others." We too may offer spiritual gifts: "the gold of ardent love, the frankincense of devout contemplation, the myrrh of bitter sorrow . . . the gold of love for the graces he has bestowed . . . the frankincense of devotion for the joys he has prepared for you and the myrrh of sorrow for the sins you have committed . . . gold in honor of Christ's eternal godhead, frankincense in honor of the holiness of his soul andmyrrh in honour of his bodily sufferings." In all this we as Secular Franciscans (not to mention as church) are united in our quest for transformation and conversion in our search for the God who made us, leads us and will reward us.

The Fifth Feast: The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

St. Bonaventure now asks that the devout soul, a "spiritual Mary" carry the Child Jesus, "the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary," not now into the hill country, but "to the heavenly Jerusalem and into the the Temple of the godhead and there present him to the Father." Indeed, we are to "kneel before the throne of the Trinity and present [our] Son to God the Father, as [we] praise, glorify and bless the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." We utter these words with fervent intention:

O Lord, you have wrought for me all my works. (Is. 26.12)
In your sight I am nothing and I can do nothing.
By your gift I continue to exist
and without you I am good for nothing.

To you, most compassionate Father of mercies (2 Cor. 1.3),
I offer what is yours.
I commend all and commit my unworthy self to you.
I humbly acknowledge my ingratitude
for all the gifts you have showered upon me.

To you, most blessed Father, eternal Majesty,
be praise, glory and thannksgiving.
By your infinite power you created me out of nothing.

I praise, glorify, and give you thanks,
most blessed Son, radiance of the Father's glory (Heb. 1.3).
By your eternal wisdom you saved me from death.

I bless, sanctify and adore you, most holy, life-giving Spirit.
In your love and mercy you called me

from sin to grace,
from the world to a life of holiness,
from exile to the fatherland,
from labor to rest, and
from grief to the joys

of heavenly and sublime happiness.

May this be granted to us all by Jesus Christ, the Son of the Virgin Mary, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

Amen.

The San Damiano Crucifix:

An Aid in Prayer and Devotion for St. Francis--and for Us.

The following was originally presented at a Formation Meeting of the St. Louis the King Fraternity of the Secular Franciscans held at Old Mission Santa Barbara on September 13, 2004. A few weeks later, on October 4, the day of St. Francis' birth into eternal life, I posted it online on the now defunct site <inspiritandtruth.blogspot.com>. So that it can continue to be available to any who might be interested, I am posting this revised version on my own web site, <stevecogitates.blogspot.com>, once again in October, two years later.

The San Damiano Crucifix does not particularly resemble the crucifixes usually found in our churches. Ordinarily, a crucifix is a realistic representation of Jesus, dead or dying on the cross. In contrast, the San Damiano Crucifix shows Jesus on the cross, wounded, but nonetheless alive and alert, even serene and transfigured. The difference arises from the San Damiano Crucifix being an icon, as are found in Eastern Christianity. Icons are not simply pieces of exotic decorative art, although they are stylized works which are produced in agreement with certain norms and principles so that they can have a sacramental function [1] and aid us in devotion and prayer, the main focus here. Indeed, St. Francis was praying before this crucifix when he received his call.[2]

To summarize its history briefly, the crucifix was painted in Umbria in the 12^th century by an unknown artist. However, the icon shows Syrian and Byzantine influences. This is not as surprising as it might appear to us today because Syrian monasteries were located in the Umbrian valley before the time of St. Francis while Byzantine models had been known in Italy since about 550 A.D., when the Byzantine Empire incorporated Ravenna. The San Damiano Chapel was not a parish church, so the Blessed Sacrament was not reserved there. For this reason, perhaps, the crucifix was painted for the chapel as an object of devotion. But because the chapel was not a parish church, it was also neglected and subsequently abandoned, leading to St. Francis' first call and his work to restore it and similar structures.

Later, St. Clare and the first Poor Clares lived at the San Damiano Chapel and used the crucifix for prayer and devotion just as St. Francis had. When St. Clare's body was transferred from the chapel to the old Church of San Giorgio in 1257, the crucifix was also moved. It remains there today: the Poor Clares preserved this cross for 700 years. In 1938, it was restored; this restoration aids us in interpreting the crucifix, which in turn aids our understanding and use of the crucifix in prayer. Still more recently, during holy Week in 1957, the crucifix was placed on public view for the first time over the new altar in what is now San Giorgio Chapel in the basilica of St. Clare of Assisi.

However, my main concern is to discuss the San Damiano Crucifix as an icon which can enrich our prayer life. Icons, as stated already, have a sacramental, devotional function: they serve as windows into a different, sacred, space and time, that is, the Kingdom of God, “ . . . a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1). An icon of Jesus Christ allows us to experience the living God-become-human not only as love and truth, but as beauty as well. Further, icons present, or narrate, an encapsulated, condensed theology, every detail of which can and should be used in meditation. [3] Because of this combination of theological idea and image, icons can be used not only in instruction but also in cataphatic prayer, that is, prayer in which visual images as well as our other senses, our feelings, and in fact, the whole imagination are used. [4] Since both images and ideas are involved, it is best for us to be acquainted with both the theology and the stylistic and artistic methods used in icons. [5]

The style used by iconographers differs from that found in Western Art, in which realism predominates. Rather than represent reality as our senses perceive it, icons sek to encode certain concepts and ideas. For example, perspective is used differently. In realistic representations, two lines portraying, say, the sides of a road become closer as their distance from the viewer increases, until they finally meet in the distance. In icons, perspective is reversed and the lines grow closer and meet, coming to a point on the viewer. If you like, they focus God's grace on us. Similarly, in realistic perspective the figures closest to the viewer are largest, with size decreasing the more the distance from the viewer increases. In icons, in contrast, the largest figures are the most important ones, while less important ones are smaller; size has nothing to do with distance from the viewer.

The largest figure in the San Damiano Crucifix is that of the crucified and transfigured Jesus Christ. His size asserts his prominance. Not only is Christ the largest figure, but He is a light dominating the whole scene: “Christ is the Light of the World.” (John 8:12) In addition, Jesus is standing upright; He is not nailed to the cross. Nor is His head bowed in suffering and death. Rather, his head looks down slightly and His eyes are open. They look out, not down. If we take this to mean that Jesus is looking at us as we pray to Him, we can understand this to show that Jesus is a good listener who sees, hears and listems to us. His appearance is serene and peaceful; He is not suffering. Nor does He wear a crown of thorns; instead, he has a halo. the light and the halo show that Jesus is the “Glory of God”: “The Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen His glory. (John 1:14) For Jesus' death on the cross is also His time of glorification. As St. Thomas Aquinas wrote:

At his Transfiguration Christ showed his disciples the splendor of his beauty, to which he will shape and color those who are his: “He will reform our lowliness configured to the body of his glory.” (Philippians 3:21)

St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae.

Jesus is not wearing an ordinary loincloth, but an ephod, a vestment worn by priests; Christ is not simply serving as a sacrifice here, but also playing a priestly role. Note also that he is not shown as pantocrator “ruler of the universe” and dressed in royal garb, as he would be in a more strictly Byzantine icon; this priestly attire points more to a Syrian influence, as does his hair. Jesus' hands, feet, and sides are all pierced, with blood flowing from each wound. From His feet and side it flows straight down, as gravity would require, but it flows from His hands down His arms to His elbows before it falls from this body. I will say more about this below. The inscription above Jesus head is, IHS NAZARE REX IUDAEORUM,short for, Jesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (“Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews”), from which came the usual inscription seenon our crucifixes, INRI. This particular inscription is found only in John's gospel (John 19:20-22. [6]

The largest of the smaller figures are the community under Jesus' arms. There are five main figures (the artist had identified them by giving their names), and four lesser ones. The main figures are:

1. Mary (Sancta Maria)
2. John (S. Johannes)
3. Mary Magdalene (Maria Magdalena)
4. Mary, mother of James (Mary of Cleopas) (Maria Jacobi)
5. The Centurion

Only John's gospel mentions Mary and John as being at the cross, although it does not name them explicitly. Rather, this gospel calls Mary “His mother” while it calls John “the disciple whom He loved.” Many references to this disciple can be found in John's gospel. None of them identify this disciple as St. John, although this is the traditional interpretation.

The colors used in icons usually have significance, as do bodily gestures and the use of the eyes. This holds true with the San Damiano Crucifix as well. Thus, Mary's outer mantle is white, to signify victory, purification and good deeds, while the gems represent the graces of the Holy Spirit. the dark red of the garment under her mantle symbolizes intense love. The purple inner garment proclaims that Mary, as the Mother of Jesus, is the Ark of the Covenant. Likewise, the position of Mary's hands is also meaningful: her left hand is raised to her cheek to express her acceptance and love for John, while her right hand points to John. Mary's eyes express acceptance to Jesus' stated wish, “Woman, behold your son.” (John19:26)

The color of John's mantle and tunic, his posture and position, and his expression are just as meaningful. John's mantle is rose, to express eternal wisdom while his tunic is white, to show purity. He stands between Mary and Jesus, as he is loved by both. In addition, as he looks at Mary, John points to Jesus, accepting Jesus' command, “Son,behold thy mother.” (John 19:27)

Similarly, Mary Magdalen wears scarlet to symbolize love; this is deepened by the blue of her mantle. She stands in a special place, next to Jesus. Her hand is on her chin, showing her confident belief in a secret: “He is risen!” Mary, Mary Magdalen, and John, together with Mary Cleopas, mother of James, all stand together near the cross, not at a distance (again this is stated only in John's gospel.)

The last of the five main figures is the centurion. He is probably the centurion mentioned in the other gospels, ie.e, the centurion whose son was healed (Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10; note here that he holds wood in his left hand, indicating his building of a synagogue; note also John 4:46-54: The Second Sign at Cana in Galilee). This interpretation is made probable because his son can be seen behind his shoulders along with the tops of three heads behind him (this is true in the original, but not in all reproductions) [7] “So he himself believed along with his whole household.” (John 4:53) If we suppose that all or some of these people are gentiles, then note also: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also and they must listen to my voice.” (John 10:16) Finally, the centurion has extended his thumb and two fingers to express his belief in The Trinity. His two closed fingers express the hidden mystery of the two-fold nature of Jesus Christ, human and divine: “Truly, He is the Son of God.” (Mark 15:39)

The group as a whole denotes the entire community of faith, Jew and Gentile; “There is neither Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male or female, for all of you are one in Christ.” (Gal. 3:28, also 1 Cor. 12:13 and Col. 3:11) All the faces in this group are calm and peaceful, like that of Jesus. None of them display any sorrow or horror. A light is visible behind the group: again, “Jesus is the Light of the World.” (John 8:12; also, John 1:4-5, 9) As noted above the blood of Jesus drips from His elbows; it falls onto the community standing below, including John. As Fr. Raymond Brown stated, they are all one family in discipleship.

The lesser sized figures stand outside of this community, below it and to its side. They are first, Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a lance. The name written under him (not visible in all reproductions) [8] is derived from Greek and means “Spear Man.” His real name, of course, is unknown. The artist has given him a rather long lance. The second is thought to be named Stephaton (some have said Stephen), possibly the soldier who gave Jesus a sponge dipped in sour wine (John 19:28-30). But this is uncertain, since no name is written to identify him. Also, he is not dressed like a Roman. It may be that both represent the authorities, Jewish and Roman, who put Jesus to death.

The figures found in the bottom panel are difficult to interpret because it is badly worn from kissing and touching. We can see two male figures with halos, but who they are is unclear. The rest of the panel is obscure. Still, there have been attempts through the centuries to identify who is depicted. Some have assumed that they are the Patron Saints of Umbria (that is, of the churches in Umbria): St. Damian (and if St. Damian is there, can St. Cosmas be missing?), St. Rufinus, St. Michael, St. John the Baptist, Ss. Peter and Paul. Others have considered them to be disciples looking up, awaiting the return of Christ. Still others suppose them to be Christians, who are called to be holy; here, in our present existence, they (or, rather, we) can see Jesus, but not as we will after the Kingdom comes to its full fruition. Finally, they may be our ancestors in faith, that is the holy people and patriarchs of the Old Testament, awaiting redemption through Christ. [9]

The Rooster, visible on the right near Jesus' knee, calls to mind the denial of Jesus by St. Peter (John 13:38; 18:15, 25-27). Also, he announces the dawn of Christ, the Light of the World (Malachi 4:2, or in some translations 3:20). A vine borders the cross. It represents the Mystical Vine: “I am the vine, you are the branches.” (John 15) The seashells along the cross' side stand for eternity, for a mystery hidden in eternity's sea is being revealed.

Above Jesus' head and the inscription, IHS NAZARE REX IUDAEORUM, the iconographer has placed a Medallion of the Ascension. In it, the ascending Christ is shown breaking out of a circle of red. Jesus wears a golden victory garment with a purple scarf of royalty over his shoulder. In His left hand, He carries His cross as a royal scepter. His face smiles slightly as He is welcomed by ten angels, five on each side, their wings visible, but folded. We should note that the inscription is not only at the top of the cross over Jesus' head, as in John 19:19, but also under His ascending feet, identifying who the ascending Christ is (just like the names, Sancta Maria, S. Johannes, etc. mentioned above).

In conclusion, the icon is not just a depiction of the crucifixion, but actually a visual narration of the whole main event of our salvation history: the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus the Christ, a summary of our redemption in its totality. Above I said that Francis used this icon as an aid in prayer. While he was praying, as we know, he heard the voice of Jesus give him his mission in life: Jesus said, “Repair my house (domum) for it is completely destroyed (tota destruitur).” Francis then set out to repair the San Damiano Chapel, followed by still other churches. Ultimately, he went on to try to repair the whole church, not just physically, but spiritually as well. But, as Raphael Brown points out in True Joy from Assisi, Jesus didn't tell Francis to repair His church (ecclesiam); He said, “Repair my house (domum).” If we think of God's house as being within us, we can all attempt such repair, leading to our own spiritual transformation, and perhaps even to the transformation of the society around us.

NOTES

1. The icon is not a sacrament, of course, but has a sacramental function. It has a spiritual effect, and can aid in devotion and prayer. See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1667, 1674, 1677-79
2. Recall St. Francis' Prayer before the Crucifix, which he said while standing before this very icon.
Most High Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart.
Give me right faith,
sure hope and perfect charity.
Fill me with understanding and knowledge
that I may fulfill your command.


3. There is a similarity to stained glass windows here. In earlier times, when literacy was less common, images of these kinds had an additional instructional purpose. Iconographers, in fact, thought of their task as like unto that of Evangelists. In our own times, however, when literacy is much more wide-spread, these images can still help us to focus our minds in prayer.
4. Generally, the use of sacraments and sacramentals is considered to be a form of cataphatic prayer. Cataphatic prayer is often contrasted with apophatic prayer, which renounces images and feelings in order to draw us closer to God. A characteristic form of apophatic pryaer is centering prayer, in which a word or phrase is used as a way to focus ourselves on God. More generally, contemplation is considered to be apophatic prayer. But these are really two sides of the same coin. Whether by the infused contemplation of apophatic prayer or by the contemplation induced self-consciously by a method of cataphatic prayer, we still seek a greater awareness of God. (see Fr. M. Basil Pennington, 1976).
5. The use of icons in prayer has been treated by Henri Nouwen, Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons.
6. More detailed information about the ephodand the origins of the theology of the San Damiano Crucifix in John's gospel can be found in the study by Michael Guinan, OFM.
7. This is the case with the reproduction at Old Mission Santa Barbara which was used during the presentation to the Secular Franciscans.
8. See [7], above.
9. Of course, the main concern is prayer and meditation. If you are practicing cataphatic prayer, why choose between them, but rather select one or the other according to your needs and desires while praying?
   
   
   BIBLIOGRPAHY


Bodo, Murray, OFM
The San Damiano Crucifix: A Prayer. Written for the 6^th National Forum of the Franciscan Institute. St. Bonaventure University, New York. February 26-29, 2004.

Brown, Raphael, Tertiary OFM
True Joy from Assisi. Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press. 1978

Goonan, Fr. Michael
“The Crucifix.” St. Anthony's Messenger. Oct. 1995.

Guinan, Michael, OFM
The San Damiano Crucifix, The Gospel of John, and St. Francis. St. Bonaventure University: CFIT. To Appear.

Nouwen, Henri
Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons. Ave Maria. 1987

Pennington, M. Basil, O.C.S.O.
“Centering Prayer—Prayer of Quiet.” Review for Religious. vol. 35, 1976/5

Saint Sing, Susan, Ph.D.
Francis and the San Damiano Cross: Meditations on Spiritual Transformation. St. Anthony's Messenger Press. 2006.

Scanlon, Fr. Michael, TOR
The San Damiano Cross: An Exposition.
<http://www.franciscanfriarstor.com/stfrancis/stf_san_damiano_cross.htm>

I. In my personal information, I said that I was " . . . affiliated with the Secular Franciscans." To state things more precisely, I was at the time in formation, having completed a period of inquiry, as the Secular Franciscan Order requires. Finally, last Saturday, 2 December 2006, I made my profession along with Dorothy Tremblay and Thomas Connors. A fourth candidate, Blanche Johnson, had been expected to join us but suddenly fell ill and was unable to. This was a shame: we had originally hoped to make our professions in early October, around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on 4 October, but because of conflicts this was postponed until November. The November profession also turned out to be impossible, again because of conflicting schedules. We all eagerly awaited the December profession and so it was a sad irony that one of us was unable to participate in this ritual. This was especially so because we were blessed to have three priests, Fr. Richard McManus OFM, the Guardian of Old Mission Santa Barbara, along with Fr. Daniel Barica OFM, Pastor of St. Barbara's Parish and Fr. Jack Clark Robinson OFM, currently visiting here to do graduate studies in history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, concelebrate the Mass at our profession.

Still, in honor of those of us who completed the inquiry, formation and profession, I have posted pictures of the profession and following reception, which was held at the home of Lyn and Bob Carman, respectively our Minister and Formation Director. At the reception, some of us presented a short play to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego. My fellow newly-professed Secular Franciscan, Tom Connors, had the role of St. Juan Diego, Fr. McManus that of Bishop Zumarraga, Bob Carman the part of Uncle Bernardino, Bianca Castro the part of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and this cogitating writer served as narrator. Enjoy the pictures of the performance below! (And many thanks to fellow Franciscan Covenant member James Favre, for the photographs!)

II. Earlier, you read that one of our number fell ill and was unable to complete the profession. I am happy to report that the illness was not serious and that Blanche was able to play the part of Our Lady of Guadalupe in our play at another performance the very next day. She was also graced to have a personal profession this morning, 6 January 2007 here at the Old Mission Santa Barbara in the Serra Chapel. Unfortunately, only Fr. McManus was able to celebrate mass this time and the gala reception that was held at the home of the Carmans was replaced by our usual First Saturday morning meeting. Once again, though, there are photographs of the ceremony, taken once more by James Favre. Note Blanche's imitation of St. Paschal Baylon.