Light Shining Through a Veil

by Goorbergh, Edith Van Den; Zweerman, Theodore H.; Looman-Graaskamp, Aline; Frances Teresa, Sister

• ISBN13: 9789042908451
• ISBN10: 9042908459
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-10-01
• Publisher: Peeters Pub & Booksellers

Summary

The spirituality of Saint Clare of Assisi, the soul mate of Saint Francis, is the object of this book.

Table of Contents

Foreword	1	(4)
Introduction	5	(6)
Her Person and Way of Writing	11	(26)
Life story	11	(10)
Her surroundings	12	(1)
Meeting Francis	13	(1)
The start of the Order of San Damiano	14	(1)
The way of life: the Gospel	15	(1)
Life in San Damiano	16	(2)
Mission in the Church	18	(1)
Which way of life?	19	(2)
Her way of writing and our way of reading	21	(10)
A distant voice	21	(3)
The form of her texts	24	(1)
A needle woman	25	(2)
Meditating	27	(4)
The use of metaphors	31	(6)
Same and different	32	(1)
Four primal metaphors	33	(4)
The First Letter: The ``Commerce''	37	(38)
Text of the Letter	37	(6)
The background	43	(2)
Structure of the Letter	45	(1)
The metaphor of Commerce	46	(2)
Comment	48	(1)
Address: greeting and blessing (vss 1-2)	48	(2)
The body of the text (vss 3-34)	50	(16)
Agnes' choice: (vss 3-11)	50	(1)
Joy for Agnes' choice (vss 3-4)	50	(1)
Agnes' choice (vss 5-7)	51	(2)
The fruit of the choice (vss 8-11)	53	(4)
The middle section: bride, mother and sister (vss 12-24)	57	(1)
Exhortation to loyalty to the Crucified One (vss 12-14)	57	(5)
Praise of Poverty (vss 15-18)	62	(2)
God's loyalty in the incarnation (vss 19-24)	64	(2)
Sister, bride and mother	66	(7)
Clare's affirmation of Agnes's choice (vss 25-34)	67	(1)
The struggle for ``what-cannot'' and for ``what-can'' (vss 25-29)	68	(3)
The praise of the Commerce (vs 30)	71	(1)
Promise and request for prayers (vss 31-34)	72	(1)
Closing section: (vs 35)	73	(1)
Retrospective	73	(2)
Symbolism of Kinship-Relationships with Christ	75	(20)
Resistance	75	(2)
Some distinctions	77	(1)
Biblical tradition	78	(2)
Ecclesiastical tradition	80	(1)
Clare and Francis	81	(7)
Differences	84	(1)
Bride, sister and mother	85	(1)
Motherhood for men	86	(2)
The relationships with Jesus Christ	88	(1)
Relativising the sexual dimension	89	(6)
Incompatible relationships?	90	(2)
A unique and enlarging relationship	92	(1)
What the heart thinks	93	(2)
The Second Letter: The Way	95	(44)
Text of the Letter	95	(4)
The background	99	(1)
Probable date of the Letter	100	(1)
Structure of the Letter	101	(1)
Metaphor of the way	102	(4)
The way	103	(2)
The symbolism of the number five	105	(1)
Comment	106	(1)
Address: greeting and blessing (vss 1-2)	106	(3)
The body of the text: the way (vss 3-23)	109	(28)
Giving thanks (vss 3-9)	110	(1)
Thanks for the good gifts (vs 3a)	110	(1)
Virtues and signs of perfection (vs 3b)	111	(1)
Imitator of the Father (vs 4)	112	(1)
Union in the bridal chamber (vs 5)	113	(2)
In Jesus' footsteps (vss 6-7)	115	(2)
Adorned with many virtues (vss 8-9)	117	(1)
Exhortation (vss 10-14)	117	(1)
The one thing necessary (vss 10-11)	118	(3)
Look to the beginning (vs 11)	121	(1)
Tread the path (vs 12-13)	122	(2)
Believing nothing (vs 14)	124	(1)
Advice (vss 15-18)	125	(1)
Brother Elias	126	(1)
Which advice?	127	(1)
Second exhortation: (vss 19-23)	128	(1)
See Christ and follow Him (vs 19)	129	(2)
Fivefold suffering of the Bridegroom (vs 20a-20b)	131	(2)
Gaze, consider, contemplate (vs 20c)	133	(1)
United with Christ (vss 21-23)	134	(1)
Promise: mansion and name (vss 21b-22)	135	(2)
The twofold commerce (vs 23)	137	(1)
Closing section (vss 24-26)	137	(1)
Retrospection	138	(1)
The Third Letter: Not Beneath Dignity	139	(26)
Text of the Letter	139	(6)
The background	145	(2)
Structure of the Letter	147	(3)
Not the least	150	(2)
Rhetorical question and personal titles	150	(1)
Bitterness and darkness	151	(1)
Pride and vanity	152	(3)
The Book Ecclesiastes on vanity	153	(2)
How does Clare deal with Agnes' negative frame of mind?	155	(5)
And yet	156	(1)
Between nihilism and cosmic fervour	157	(3)
Paul's words about the sublimity and intimacy of God	160	(3)
The marrow of the Letter	161	(2)
Asceticism and mysticism: form and contents	163	(2)
The Third Letter Once More: Indwelling	165	(46)
Comment	165	(1)
Address: greeting and blessing (vss 1-2)	165	(45)
The mystical section of the main text (3-28)	168	(1)
Survey	168	(1)
Joy because of Agnes (vss 3-9)	169	(1)
Acknowledgement of Agnes' growth (vss 3-4)	169	(2)
Hidden treasure (vss 5-9)	171	(6)
The middle part: encouragement (vs 10-19)	177	(1)
The titles (vs 10-11)	177	(2)
Encouragement to contemplation (vss 12-13)	179	(3)
Hidden sweetness (vs 14)	182	(1)
Blinding light (vs 15)	183	(2)
God's greatness in the Incarnation (vs 16-17)	185	(2)
Symbolism of sun and moon in the christian tradition	187	(2)
In Christ	189	(2)
Human dignity (vss 20-28)	191	(1)
Reduce to nothing (vs 20)	191	(2)
The faithful soul (vss 21-22)	193	(2)
Indwelling (vs 23)	195	(2)
The virgin as one who carries Christ (vss 24-25)	197	(2)
Beatitude (vs 26)	199	(1)
Reduced to nothing (vss 27-28)	200	(1)
The ascetic section (vss 29-41)	201	(1)
Clare's answer to one of Agnes' questions	201	(2)
The practice of fasting (vss 31-37)	203	(3)
Admonition to behave wisely (vss 38-41)	206	(4)
Closing section: greeting (vs 42)	210	(1)
The Fourth Letter: The Mirror	211	(48)
Text of the Letter	211	(5)
The background	216	(1)
The metaphor of the mirror	217	(3)
Clare and the mirror	218	(2)
Structure of the Letter	220	(1)
Comment	221	(1)
Address (vss 1-3)	221	(2)
The body of the text (vss 4-38)	223	(14)
Prologue: relationship between Clare and Agnes (vss 4-8)	224	(2)
Middle part: the contemplation of Christ: vs 9-34	226	(1)
In holy commitment (vss 9-17)	226	(1)
Beatitude (vss 9-14)	226	(2)
The symbolism of the numbers eight and six	228	(1)
Symbolism of paradise	229	(1)
Rays of the beatitude	230	(1)
The Cross of San Damiano	231	(1)
Admonition to look into the mirror (vss 15-17)	232	(3)
Christ, the mirror (vss 18-27)	235	(1)
Look at Christ into the mirror (vss 18-23)	235	(1)
Call from the mirror itself (vss 24-27)	236	(1)
The room of contemplation (vss 28-34)	236	(1)
Surrender to the Bridegroom (vss 28-32)	236	(1)
Life in contemplation (vss 15-32)	237	(12)
Clare's usage of language	237	(1)
A way toward contemplation	238	(1)
The first phase: the ``lectio'' (vss 15-17)	239	(3)
The second phase: the ``meditatio'' (vss 18-23)	242	(4)
The third phase: the ``oratio'' (vss 24-27)	246	(1)
The fourth phase: the ``contemplatio'' (vss 28-34)	247	(2)
Reflection and its effects in the text	249	(8)
Verses 14-17 related to verses 24-27: encouragement to look	251	(1)
Verse 18 related to verses 28 and 29: wonder	252	(1)
Verses 19-23 related to verses 30-34: in contemplation	253	(1)
A monogram of Christ?	254	(1)
Expression of affection (vss 33-34)	255	(1)
Epilogue: relationship between Clare and Agnes (vss 35-38)	256	(1)
Closing section (vss 39-40)	257	(2)
Clare's Spirituality: Full of Strength and Joy	259	(38)
Occasional writings	259	(2)
Writings of predicament	260	(1)
Four central texts	261	(7)
The kernel	262	(1)
The heart of the First Letter	263	(1)
The heart of the Second Letter	264	(1)
The heart of the Third Letter	265	(2)
The heart of the Fourth Letter	267	(1)
A picture of the transfer	268	(2)
The metaphor of the mirror and the mirroring of the metaphors	269	(1)
The heart of Clare's spirituality	270	(6)
Reference to the mystery of God	271	(1)
In the spirit of Scripture and Tradition	272	(3)
Spirituality in deeds	275	(1)
Bridal mysticism, mysticism of the cross and mysticism of the Body of Christ	276	(3)
Clare next to Francis	279	(4)
Different accents	279	(1)
Two personalities	280	(3)
Mutual enrichment	283	(3)
Mirroring and reflecting	283	(1)
Bearing	284	(1)
Obedience	285	(1)
Clare and our days	286	(11)
An alien world	287	(2)
Acceptance of being a creature	289	(1)
Go in peace	290	(4)
Finder of God	294	(3)
APPENDIX I	297	(8)
Bulls by Pope Gregory IX with regard to the Letters	297	(8)
APPENDIX II	305	(10)
About the nature of fasting	305	(10)
BIBLIOGRAPHY	315	(10)
Sources	315	(1)
Secondary Sources	316	(9)
INDICES	325
Abbreviations	315	(16)
Index of Names	331	(4)
Analytical Index	335