THE  FORENSICS 

OF  FOOTPRINTS 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Forensics of Footprints.”

Today is the feast of St. Bonaventure [c.1217-1274] – a Franciscan and a theologian – a doctor of the church.

Every year when I come to his feast day – July 15 - I celebrate that I grabbed and got one of his big messages – a footprint - vestigium in Latin -  realizing there is so much I don’t get.

No problem. I’m just happy that something of his has rubbed off on me.

So I get his message about footprints.

FOOTPRINTS

We all know the story of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe – published in April of 1719. We all remember  the moment he spotted footprints on the sand of the beach – where he was all alone.

He was no longer alone. Uh oh! What now? What’s next? Read the book.

We’ve all had the experience in our life of spotting footprints in the sand or in the snow. There was someone going down or up this path or beach before me.

I am not alone.

BONAVENTURE ON FOOTPRINTS

We don’t know much about Bonaventure’s personality – but we know a lot about his thought – he wrote a lot - as well as the external facts of his life.

He was a great thinker and theologian – and I think he would have written a lot more if he had more time. Who knows what else he would have come up with – if he was not moved into executive tasks in both his order the Franciscans – as well as Church business – being consulted by Rome as well as being made the cardinal-bishop of Albano.

So I like one of his most basic messages: footprints. They mean someone with feet was here.

Well, Bonaventure argues for God – by saying God’s footprints are everywhere.

The stuff around us tells us there was a stuff maker – God the Creator.

I’ve had said out loud to dozens of people asking me about God – that if there is a chair, there is a chair maker. What the chair maker’s personality is like – now that’s another story – but we know there is a chair maker.

We got to the Moon. Our human footprints are now on it. Human footprints on the moon tells us there was someone there.

It also tells us that there are humans with minds who figured out the mathematics and the mechanics of getting there.

It also tells us that there was a moon maker – as well as the vast universe we live in? Our God is a creator, a universe maker – and after we  die, hopefully, we’ll know God and how God is.

The title of my homily is, “The Forensics of Footprints.”

FORENSICS

Forensics – basically - means arguing – trying to prove things in the public forum.

And that’s what Bonaventure did – as teacher and priest and bishop and then cardinal of our church.

He would say: check out the footprints. He was an optimist – someone said more than Thomas Aquinas – who also often made deductions from what is.

Bonaventure also tells us that the human mind – tells us so much more than the footprints. Bonaventure tells us to use science.

Science, learning, getting the facts for the forensics – helps us in arguing for God.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading and gospel, tells us there are cities – and in those cities there are kings and subjects – and by thinking about each other – how we are as people – pluses and minuses – creations and destructions – good and evil - we can learn even more about God and each other.

That’s step 2 by Bonaventure – moving from creation to creative persons on the earth. 

Step 3 – following these steps – these footprints – we can get even closer to the third step – moving to this God of ours – to God as Trinity – another big message of Bonaventure.

We all know about the poem “Footprints” about there is a God – who carries us – but that is the faith step.

Our last Pope, Benedict wrote his second dissertation on Bonaventure – and Revelation in Bonaventure - and came up with one of his big messages of hope from him.  Bonaventure said we can learn a lot from everyone – even those we’re not walking with – so some wish Pope Benedict did a little more of that – but I leave those footprints and that kind of figuring and dialogue to others.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “The Forensics of Footprints.”

Bonaventure tells us to see the footprints all around us.

He said read the book of creation – read the minds of others – and you’ll arrive by foot at God – and others will learn from our footprints. Amen