Bonaventure, Tree of Life - Eighth Fruit - Jesus' Victory in the Conflict of Death - CHSS 33

Catholic Heritage Spirituality Show

In the Eighth Fruit, St. Bonaventure discusses the final moments of Jesus on the cross. Bonaventure seeks to paint a vivid image of Christ’s death with the darkening of the earth (most likely an instance of a solar eclipse) and the rending of the temple veil from top to bottom, the earth quake and the opening of the tombs.

Throughout this fruit, Bonaventure underscores the sacrificial character of Christ’s death on the cross. Drawing on theological concepts in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Pauline Epistles and the Gospels, Bonaventure seeks to exalt the greatness of Jesus by emphasizing the expiatory character of his death on the cross. Bonaventure describes Jesus as the High Priest who offered his own life for the sins of the people. We know how this is in stark contrast to the numerous sacrifices offered under the old law. In those sacrifices, none of the priests or even the high priests ever offered themselves as the expiatory victim. Instead, the victims of the sacrifice were usually animals. Bonaventure sees in the self-sacrifice of Jesus further grounds for the Christian’s complete devotion to Jesus.

Like other scholastic theologians, Bonaventure connects the death of Jesus to the sacraments of the old law, that is, the sacrificial and ceremonial rites enjoined in the Torah. Bonaventure finds in the death of Jesus the source of the efficacy of the sacraments of the new law. Like Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure believes that each of the Seven Sacraments derive their power from Christ’s death on cross. Like early Christian authors, he perceives in the pouring forth of water and blood from the side of Jesus the sources of the power bestowed upon the sacraments of the Church. In Bonaventure’s thinking, the sacraments do not derive their efficacy from the good intentions of the Christian or the integrity of their life but rather from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Lastly, Bonaventure also mentions the intense devotion of the disciples left remaining at the foot of the cross. In addition to mentioning Mary the Mother of Jesus, Bonaventure also draws attention to Mary Magdalene. He notes that in contrast to the other disciples who fled the scene, Mary was intensely devoted to Jesus as shown in her desire to stay as close to Jesus as possible after the crucifixion. He notes that despite the dangers posed by the darkness of the night and the cruelty of Jesus’ persecutors (both Roman and some of the Jewish leadership), Mary Magdalene sought to go to Jesus’ tomb in order to anoint his body for burial. Bonaventure’ objective in mentioning the intensity of the Magdalene’s devotion as well as the other disciples of the foot of the cross is to underscore the type of devotion which should characterize the readers or listeners of this text. By fully realizing the greatness of the devotion shown by the women who follow Jesus, despite the personal dangers to their own safety, Bonaventure supposes, readers can be inspired to mimic their devotion to Jesus, even though separated from these historical events by hundreds of years.

Join us this week as we talk more fully about Bonaventure’s take on the sacrificial character of Christ death on the cross and the events surrounding his burial.

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Mary Estrada is the co-founder of the Catholic Heritage, LLC, and the main host of the upcoming Catholic Heritage Spirituality podcast. She holds a B.A. in theology and history from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. in theology from the same institution. You can learn more about Mary and this site on the About page. Thank you for taking the time to visit this site.

The Catholic Heritage is devoted to helping Catholic Christians better understand the history, teachings and culture of their Catholic faith so that they can better love and serve Christ, the Church and their neighbors.

Dr. Erik Estrada is a Catholic scholar who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame and specializes in the history of Christianity and historical theology. He also completed a licentiate (S.T.L) in theology and patristic science at the Augustinianum Patristic Institute in Rome and a S.T.B. at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.

If you would like to invite Mary Estrada and/or Dr. Estrada to speak at your next event, you can contact them at [e-mail] or 1-909-575-8035.

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