The St. Francis Prayer Book: A Guide to Deepen Your Spiritual Life

by Jon M. Sweeney

Overview

This warm-hearted little book is a window into the soul of St. Francis, one of the most passionate and inspiring followers of Jesus. "Prayer was to Francis as play is to a child: natural, easy, creative, and joyful," author Jon Sweeney tells us. "Before it became common to speak in personal terms of a relationship with God, Francis did so and made it seem natural." With this guide, readers will:

• Pray the words that Francis taught his spiritual brothers and sisters to pray.
• Explore Francis's time and place and feel the joy and earnestness of the first Franciscans.
• Experience how it is possible to live a contemplative and active life, at the same time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781557253521
Publisher:	Paraclete Press
Publication date:	02/01/2004
Pages:	155
Product dimensions:	4.40(w) x 7.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and award-winning author. His books have been translated into many languages. He's a popular interpreter of the life and work of Francis of Assisi, and author of more than 40 books including St. Francis of Assisi with a foreword by Richard Rohr, and The Complete Francis of Assisi used by Third Order Franciscans. HBO optioned the film rights to Sweeney's book on the medieval Pope Celestine V, The Pope Who Quit.

In 2023, Jon published Sit in the Sun: And Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats, and Meister Eckhart's Book of Darkness and Light, coauthored with Mark S. Burrows. Jon has been interviewed on CBS News, WGN-TV, Fox News, and CBS Saturday Morning, and by publications online from CNN to Romper. He's a practicing Catholic who also prays regularly with his wife, a congregational rabbi. He loves the church, the synagogue, and other aspects of organized religion. He would never say he's "spiritual but not religious." He is the father of four and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sweeney is codirector of The Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Sacred Heart Seminary; religion editor at Monkfish Book Publishing; editor of Living City magazine; and contributing editor for books at SpiritualityandPractice.com.

Editorial Reviews

To help us tap into this spirit of Francis's devotional life, the author has put together a weekly liturgy derived from various sources that reflects the saint's deepest concerns. There is a theme for each of the seven days: following Christ, disregard for possessions, peace and care in human relationships, love for all creatures, preaching the good news, passion more important than learning, and joyful simplicity. Also included in this handy paperback are occasional prayers of Francis — prayer to the Virgin Mary, prayer for exuberant faith, a benediction, a prayer for a rich spiritual life, and more.” —Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice: Resources for Spiritual Journeys

From the Publisher