Susan Pitchford
Fioretti ("little flowers")
A "florilegium" is a collection, or bouquet, of writings. It comes from the Latin "flora" (flower)+ "legere" (to gather). It has the same meaning as the Greek word "anthology."
In the Middle Ages and beyond, when books were rare and expensive, people copied their favorite excerpts from books into a booklet they carried with them, a florilegium. In a similar vein, the "fioretti" or "little flowers" of Francis of Assisi are a series of stories about the saint that were gathered into a single volume. In this florilegium (nicer than "blog," isn't it?), I'd like to gather some of my favorite bits of writing by various authors, adding a little commentary but mostly letting the quotations speak for themselves. I hope it will grow into a garden that will be a pleasant place to linger for a bit. Enjoy! Archives
|
FlorilegiumToo Catholic (for the Protestants), Too Protestant (for the Catholics)September 17, 2009
At the end of his little book on the Eucharist, renowned theologian and Bishop of Durham Tom Wright lists a number of things that are negotiable, a matter of spiritual taste, if you will: what vestments, if any, should be worn; whether particular postures (such as kneeling, or crossing oneself) should be used, whether to have incense, and so on. He then acknowledges that although there is a case to be made for offering communion to anyone who shows up, most churches have required recipients to have demonstrated at least the basic level of connection to Christ, shown by baptism and perhaps confirmation. Wright then continues to that which, in his view, is non-negotiable: (more…)
|
|
9 Comments