Focus on the inner person

Bond of Perfection

Chapter 3

Discussion Group 1:

Jim Heuser, Seung Yong, Joseph Pampackal

Wendy M. Wright - Author of Bond of Perfection

What struck me from the reading?

Struck by the analysis of Christian view of friendship through the centuries to see the diverse views in the Christian tradition. There was one view of friendship that is distrustful and suspicious and views friendship as dangerous and the second view that sees friendship as an encounter with God and views it in a positive way. Friendship between human beings should be stimulated by divine love and in this sense it is an experience of divine love and something very positive.

It is striking that Francis guides Jane to focus on the inner person and not the outer. Wendy writes that this was because Francis understood that it was the nature of women to focus on the outer. This, however, is a good advice for men as well in the present context and culture, in which the stress is on the external than the internal.

How is this reading new?

Jane had to go through adark pilgrimage with the invitation to abandon herself, strip herself, let go, and finally realize that God is enough for her. At the same time this is the time of the establishment of the Visitation and so a fruitful time for her in the sense of giving birth to the Congregation, forming the other women in a very gentle and loving way. While personally she experienced it as a dark night, it was very fruitful period of life for her.

Was there anything in it confirming?

Francis was a product of his time in the sense that he used the positive view of the love and relationship in the culture of his time and gave it a Christian dimension. She quotes him saying, it is very important to consider the historical era in which one writes.

It is confirming because we are products of history but we can take what is positive in the present culture and highlight its Christian dimensions.