Saint Francis of Assisi: Brother of Creation

by Mirabai Starr, Richard Rohr (Foreword)

When a small village was plagued by a wild wolf, it is told that a humble friar named Francis came and met the predator with nothing but his gentle words―and turned the wolf from a menace to a welcome citizen. This graceful man, who spoke to each part of Creation as a sister or brother, has become one of the most beloved of all saints.

In both joy and adversity, Saint Francis served as a bold example of how to live completely and authentically as a follower of Christ. From his survival as a prisoner of war to the series of awakenings that helped him to reform the Catholic Church, Francis drew his strength from his miraculous, loving union with the natural world.

Saint Francis of Assisi is an essential devotional reader for building your personal connection to the spirit of this modest Italian sage. Through stories, prayers, and his own writings, you are invited to share in Francis's nourishing devotion to God, and in his profound compassion toward all living things.

Genres: Spirituality, Christianity, Biography, Nonfiction

110 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2013

About the author

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and interspiritual teacher. In 2020, she was honored on Watkins’ list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching Philosophy and World Religions and a lifetime of practice, Mirabai shares her wisdom worldwide on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. She has authored over a dozen books including Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, and renowned translations of sacred literature. Her most recent book, Ordinary Mysticism, has been praised by Anne Lamott as “a gorgeous, transformative, welcoming book is for anyone who longs to feel more present, more alive, more joyful and aware of the holiness of daily life”. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico. For more, visit www.mirabaistarr.com.

Reviews

[James Rader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh what can I say about this little book of beauty and wisdom. This was my first book read by Mirabai Starr, and what I liked about her writing was how she beautifully wove together the story and the wisdom of our Brother Saint Francis, while also sharing her own voice and teachings. What you get is a beautifully written book that illuminates the life and wisdom of St. Francis that inspires, encourages, and challenges the reader to follow in the path of St. Francis, and seek after the Divine through simplicity, presence, and connection to all living things. Here are my main two takeaways:

1. I think what I love the most about St. Francis was his devotion to God through relationship. He walked a path of simplicity that allowed him to see God in connection to Brother Sun and Sister Moon, through his life long relationship with Sister Clare, and through all of the animals that wore the face of the divine that he shared a deep bond with. As Mirabai Starr puts it,

“The more saintly Saint Francis grows, the more human he becomes. His love of creation keeps him close to the earth, where he rejoices in the simple yet unutterably holy gift of being a man, a man connected to other men and women, to earth and sky, to forest and village and river and sea, to the tiny ant and the majestic eagle, to winter snowfall and the promise of spring sleeping beneath it.”

2. St. Francis embodied Christ’s beatitude-“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What is ironic is that Francis came from a place of wealth and privilege in his earlier life. Francis state of suffering was what brought him connection to the poor, the marginalized, and the outcasts, and became the vehicle where he discovered his true identity in God. St Francis suffering helped him befriend the “blessed beggar inside himself” that brought him to loving relationship with the “Source of All That Is”

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and it will be one I come back to. Beautifully written, and full of poems, stories, and guided meditations that invoke the radical simplicity, beauty, and path to loving one another that defines the life of St. Francis.

[Artemisia Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern day mystic, spiritual writer and translator of Spanish Christian mystics, Mirabai Starr turns her lovely light on St. Francis of Assisi in this precious little volume. The book which can be used as a devotional, intersperses St. Francis’s own words with her own expansive understanding of this popular saint. As someone who is Jewish by birth and raised in an alternative spiritual community, Starr brings Francis to life in a beautifully ecumenical way that people of all faiths and persuasions can appreciate. I especially like how she relates his simple way of life and his teachings to modern day issues like climate change. I’ll definitely be adding this one to the small basket of books that I keep close at hand for continued spiritual inspiration.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and moving introduction to the mystical spirituality of Saint Francis.

[Tandava Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little "pocket guide" to St. Francis. Contains biographical information, selections of his writings, and selections of writings about him, all compiled with a sense of devotion.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transformative

This book will take you deeper, give you a greater appreciation for the works of Francis, and the sacrifices he made. What a inspiration.