The CORD - A Franciscan Spiritual Review - Vol.V No.4, April, 1955

Oct 13, 2026

A Franciscan spiritual review issue focusing on “Penance and the Grace of the Incarnation” and the transformation it brings through Christ. The text reflects on Saint Francis’ understanding of the divine Word becoming man, emphasizing God’s incomprehensible love revealed in the Incarnation and calling readers to respond with penance. It includes scriptural and Franciscan references, spiritual reflection, and an outline of featured articles and conference content.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

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THE MONTHLY CONFERENCE

PENANCE AND THE GRACE OF THE INCARNATION

1. Christ Is the Incomprehensible Gift of Our Father

2. Christ Is Our Truth

MARYGROVE GOLLEGE LIBRA代DETROIT,MICHIGAASE DO NOT REMOVE A FRANCISCAN SPIRTUAL REVIEW VOLV No.4,APRIL,1955 CONTENTS 97 THE MONTHLY CONFERENCEFr.Philotheus Boehner,O.F.M. MATHER MARY ANGELA TRUSZKOWSKA…………103Sister Mary Tullia Doman,C.S.S.F. ……113 ENCYCLICAL LETTERFr.Hilary Scott,O.F.M.(Transl.) THE SIXTH JOY-THE APPARITION OF OUR LORD TOHIS MOTHER AFTER HIS RESURRECTION…120William J.Manning,T.O.F. SCRIPTURE READING WITH ST.BONAVENTURE…… ……125Fr.Owen Colligan,O.F.M. + The CORD,a monthly magazine specifically devoted to Franciscan Spirituality,is published under the sponsorship of the Franciscan Educational Conference by TheFranciscan Institute,St.Bonaventure University,St.Bonaventure P.O..New York.Editor:Philotheus Boehner,O.F.M.,Assistant Editor:Sr.Frances,S.M.I.C.Editorial Board:Ignatius Brady,O.F.M.,Columban Duffy,O.F.M.,Thomas Plass-mann.O.F.M.,Allan Wolter,O.F.M.Annual subscription,$2.00.Entered as secondclass matter on November 25,1950,at St.Bonaventure P.O.,New York,under,Act of March 3,1879.All communications,whether of a business or a literary nature,should be addressed to The CORD,St.Bonaventure University,St.Bonaventure P.O.,New York.Cum permissu superiorum. THE MONTHLY CONFERENCE PENANCE AND THE GRACE OF THE INCARNATION We have meditated on what penance must mean for us,and wehave discovered that it means loving ourselves that we may gainourselves in the Lord.It also means,as a necessary consequence,that we must learn to regard the things of this world as valuelessapart from God,and to make God our one and only value—ourGod and our all.This was the Gospel message that Saint Francis,inall simplicity,heard and lived.He found the exhortation to penancein every word of the Good Tidings,for every word revealed to himthe Magnalia Dei,the great things God has done for us.But he wasoverwhelmed by one of these Great Things above all others-the In-carnation of the divine Word,the truth that God became man,thatthe love of the Father gave us the Son as our brother.This over-whelming goodness of our Father and the utter humility of his Sonirresistably forced Francis to answer the call to penance with all thestrength of his ardent young soul. # 1.Christ Is the Incomprehensible Gift of Our Father In his Letter to All the Faithful,our holy Father Francis wrote:“The Most High Father announced through his holy archangel Ga-briel to the holy and glorious Virgin Mary that this Word of theFather,so worthy,so holy,so glorious,was coming from heaven;fromher womb he received the true flesh of humanity and our frailty.” When Saint Francis experienced in his heart and mind the in-credible mystery of the Incarnation,he did not think primarily ofthe lovely Infant lying in the arms of his Virginal Mother and sur-rounded by all the tender and jubilant poetry that adorns the Feastof the Nativity.These are but accidentals-and although Francisby no means despised them,neither did he center his devotion onthem.What he really experienced,and what he wanted to see andhear and even to feel with his bodily senses,as one overwhelmingfact,so simple yet so incomprehensible:God became man,God tookupon himself the weakness of our flesh,was born a helpless child, grew up like one of us,dwelt among us,spent his life doing good tous,and finally sacrificed himself on the Cross for us.It was this fact,as Francis repeated in the words of Saint Paul and Saint John(Cf.Admonitiones,1.),that the Father who dwells in inaccessible light,who cannot be seen by man,nevertheless made himself visible amongus.Philip said to him:'Lord,show us the Father and it is enough forus.'Jesus said to him:'Have I been so long a time with you and youhave not learned who I am?Philip,whoever sees me,sees my Father. Why did the Father leave his inaccessible light to manifest him-self,to show us his love?Indeed,why does he love us at all?Fromthe human point of view,we are utterly unworthy of any love,muchless of the love of our Creator against whom we

FAQs

What central theme guides this issue’s conference reflection?

The reflection centers on “Penance and the Grace of the Incarnation,” showing how penance flows from recognizing God’s love revealed in Christ’s becoming man.

How does the text describe the Incarnation as experienced by Saint Francis?

It presents the Incarnation as an overwhelming, simple, yet incomprehensible fact: God became man, took on human weakness, grew up among us, and offered himself on the Cross for us.

Why does the issue emphasize God’s love as beyond human comprehension?

The text argues that human beings are unworthy and cannot measure this love; it is a revealed truth that God wants others to love with him, giving himself through the Son.

Oct 13, 2026

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