Product Description

This much-loved modern classic tells the life story of the Little Poor Man of Assisi simply, lyrically, faithfully.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #472238 in Books
• Published on: 1988-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 119 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780867161168
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Review
A gem that is the ninth best spiritual book you've never read. -- U.S. Catholic, April 1999

I have reread this book more than any other and still continue to be changed by its perceptions and compelling insights. -- Companion of St. Francis

From AudioFile
In a soft, lilting voice Murray Bodo narrates vignettes from the life of Saint Francis, whom many know as the man who talked with birds and animals. Bodo speaks with a light accent as he recounts different scenes from Saint Francis's life and dreams. From his boyhood among wealthy nobility to his conversion experience while observing a crucifix at San Damiano and the creation of his religious order, which focused on helping the poor, each account is rendered with empathy and sensitivity. Bodo interprets his own work with poetic style and personal insights. This is an excellent spiritual resource. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!
This book is a GREAT resource that everyone should own. Catholic or not, it doesn't matter. This book will inspire you and bring you closer to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Through the words and works of Francis, the reader cannot help but be filled with joy and love for Christ. As a teenager discerning a possible vocation to the priesthood; this book has helped me to see religious life (the Order of Friars Minor to be more specific) in a whole new light, and to look deeper into the life of a Franciscan! I am SO greatful to Murray Bodo for writing this wonderful piece of art that has both inspired me and brought me closer to my Lord. Now as I look at a crucifix, I can see Christ looking back at me, just as he did Saint Francis. If you are curious about the life of Saint Francis, read this book, you won't be disappointed.

Good for meditation but short on details
I purchased this book hoping to learn more about Francis of Assisi, because it was recommended to me by a few people. I was slightly disappointed in its approach. It is more of a meditative poem about Francis of Assisi's life than a concrete portrait of the individual. There are no quotes about Francis from his writing and the book does not highlight important dates or the historical significance of Francis's actions during the time in which he lived. It is almost as if the book was written in a vacuum.

The story is uplifting as a meditative resource. Francis of Assisi began his life as a member of the wealthy nobility, who had an aversion to the poor and the sick. He had a conversion experience while looking at a crucifix at San Damiano, which changed his life. He started a religious order that was revolutionary in its approach to embracing the poor and avoiding the pitfalls of materialism which plagued much of the Church during his life time. In challenging the status quo, he experienced much opposition, which the book does not investigate, but perhaps in doing so it would lose some of its poetic flow that helps it serve as a meditative resource, because it would require an analysis of politics (nasty business in any time period).

Francis of Assisi is the archetypical respecter of all life. He preached peace, when most of his world was engaged in crusades. He preached equity, when people believed that a state of life was largely a birth right. He is known for his great appreciation for all God's creatures, including members of the animal kingdom. His life was not without challenges, and the book gives the impression that at times he did have doubts about God's plan for him, and was subject to loneliness because of his mission. I wish that the book went into greater details about these aspects of his life, but it does provide much food for thought that leads the reader to greater interest in the character of Francis, his values, and Franciscan spirituality.

start here, please...
when some life has passed and you are (even unconsciously) sick of it - then, start here, please --- this book, like the words, "come, follow me" is an invitation. my mother handed me this book fifteen years ago (with a wagging finger of warning - "don't you become like him !") and it has changed my life forever...
there are other books, too - that I read again every couple of years - but this was the first - the stepping stone. it's an 'easy read' - a group of short vignettes that tell of a wonderful beginning. most highly recommended.
thank you, mom.