This book is for all those attracted to the way St. Francis & St. Clare of Assisi followed Jesus. All of us are called to make the Gospel an integral part of our lives, going from Gospel to Life and from Life to Gospel. Our Rule incorporates the very essence of the Gospel itself. We were taught to EVERY DAY READ the Bible, especially the Gospel, plus one paragraph from our Holy Rule. But deep commitment does not occur by a mere cursory reading of the Gospels or Rule. But here is a 2,000 year old way to truly pray Scripture and our Holy Rule; it's called "Lectio Divina,." aptly described as "Prayerful Reading." The four steps are simply: Read, Reflect, Respond, and Receive/Resolve. Our St. Bonaventure, O.F.M., has taken the second step much deeper by asking us to REFLECT first on the literal meaning and then the 3 spiritual meanings as they affect our faith, morals, & eternal destiny.
Franciscan Morning and Evening Praise, new hardcover edition by the Franciscan Federation.We recently acquired the publishing rights to this book that was originally published in 2009.This new edition is a two volume hard cover set and is now available. Volume I covers Advent, Christmas, Lent and the Triduum Season Volume II covers Easter and Ordinary Time. Volume I is 750 pages and Volume II is 848 pages. However, due to the high cost of licensing the music we were unable to print it in this new edition. Please call us at 602-625-6183 if you have any questions.
"I recommend this book strongly to anyone serious about understanding Francis of Assisi. I admire the clarity and brevity of the writing. With decisiveness, Thompson cuts through the conflicting medieval accounts of each event in Francis' life, adjusts for the hagiographers' spin and creates a credible chronology out of the blurry dates. His knowledge of medieval Italy allows him to provide insightful explanations of the legal, liturgical, and ecclesiastical practices of the time."—Paul Moses, America Among the most beloved saints in the Catholic tradition, Francis of Assisi (c. 1181–1226) is popularly remembered for his dedication to poverty, his love of animals and nature, and his desire to follow perfectly the teachings and example of Christ. During his lifetime and after his death, followers collected, for their own purposes, numerous stories, anecdotes, and reports about Francis. As a result, the man himself and his own concerns became lost in legend. In this authoritative and engaging new biography, Augustine Thompson, O.P., sifts through the surviving evidence for the life of Francis using modern historical methods. The result is a complex yet sympathetic portrait of the man and the saint. Francis emerges from this account as very much a typical thirteenth-century Italian layman, but one who, when faced with unexpected crises in his personal life, made decisions so radical that they challenge his own society—and ours. Unlike the saint of legend, this Francis never had a unique divine inspiration to provide him with rules for following the teachings of Jesus. Rather, he spent his life reacting to unexpected challenges, before which he often found himself unprepared and uncertain. The Francis who emerges here is both more complex and more conflicted than that of older biographies. His famed devotion to poverty is found to be more nuanced than expected, perhaps not even his principal spiritual concern. Thompson revisits events small and large in Francis's life, including his troubled relations with his father, his contacts with Clare of Assisi, his encounter with the Muslim sultan, and his receiving the Stigmata, to uncover the man behind the legends and popular images. A tour de force of historical research and biographical writing, Francis of Assisi: A New Biography is divided into two complementary parts—a stand alone biographical narrative and a close, annotated examination of the historical sources about Francis. Taken together, the narrative and the survey of the sources provide a much-needed fresh perspective on this iconic figure. "As I have worked on this biography," Thompson writes, "my respect for Francis and his vision has increased, and I hope that this book will speak to modern people, believers and unbelievers alike, and that the Francis I have come to know will have something to say to them today."
This work offers a complete resource for the thousands of people who are members of the First (male), Second (female) and Third (lay men and women) Associates and friends of Franciscan communities, and all who aspire to embrace the simplicity and joy of Francis in their Christian lives. It includes the stories of Francis and Clare, their Rules of life, a daily office, other Franciscan devotions, the essentials of Franciscan spirituality, living as a Franciscan today, a Franciscan calendar, stories of Franciscan saints, places of pilgrimage and more.Contributors include: Murray Bodo ofm, Bishop John Jukes ofm, Damian Kirkpatirck ssf, Samuel Doble ssf, Frances Teresa osc and others.
Whether you are a professed Franciscan of many years or someone just beginning to seek a spiritual understanding of Francis and Clare of Assisi, To Live as Francis Lived will lead you to a closer life with Jesus Christ. Through a process of prayer, reflection, study texts, questions and connections to Scripture, you will be formed in the Franciscan way of life as Francis lived it in his own time.
A new way to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory Giving the Holy Souls in Purgatory an indulgence is "the highest act of supernatural charity," says Pope Saint John Paul II. What better way to pray for them than by adapting our favorite devotional tradition - the Rosary? This little book slips easily into your pocket, so it can go with you anywhere you have time to pray. Susan Tassone points out the Scripture passages that relate to those awaiting their release into heaven. As you pray, you'll come to a deeper understanding of Purgatory. There's simply nothing else like this book. Make praying for the Holy Souls a regular part of your devotional life.
Secular Franciscans and their spiritual assistants will appreciate this little booklet—an English translation of the approved Latin text of the Ritual for the Secular Franciscan Order. The Preface provides background on the history and purpose of the Ritual and helpful guidelines for its use. Part 1 contains the rites for celebrating the various stages of admission to the Secular Franciscan Order. Part 2 contains prayers for use at the various meetings of Secular Franciscan fraternities. An Appendix includes appropriate Scripture readings, Franciscan readings and prayers of St. Francis.
