John 14:6-7
Tell everyone that you speak to, that Jesus Christ is the door to the Father.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
– John 14:6-7 (NABRE)
St. Bonaventure Quotes
"Do not believe that reading is sufficient without unction, speculation without devotion, investigation without wonder, observation without joy, work without piety, knowledge without love, understanding without humility, endeavor without divine grace..." (From The Journey of the Mind to God)
"It is impossible, therefore, for anyone to achieve a firm understanding of the truth of all sacred Scripture unless he first receives the gift of faith in Christ. This faith is the foundation of the whole Bible, a lamp and a key to its understanding." (From a discourse on Sacred Scripture)
"Now, the eye of contemplation cannot see with perfect clearness, except through glory, which man may lose through sin, but restore through grace, faith, and the study of Scripture." (From The Breviloquium)
Key Concepts in Bonaventure's Ascent
The Universe as a Ladder: Bonaventure taught that the physical world acts as a "vestige" or footprint of God. Physical reality functions as a stairway or ladder that the mind climbs to reach the Creator.
Weight, Number, and Measure: In the first stage of contemplation, observing physical properties like number, weight, and measure reveals the power, wisdom, and goodness of God.
Light and Beauty: Bonaventure viewed sensible beauty and light not as ends in themselves, but as reflections of the eternal Source that draw the soul upward toward spiritual truth.
The Four Spiritual Senses of Scripture