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St. Francis of Assisi: The Best from All His Works
Book by Francis, of Assisi, Saint
- GenresChristian
284 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1989
9 people want to read
About the author
Francis of Assisi
222 books302 followersSaint Francis of Assisi in Italy as a Roman Catholic friar founded the Franciscan order in 1209 and inspired followers with his devotion, simple living, and love of nature; the pope canonized him in 1228.
A mother at Assisi bore him circa 1182, and he died in 1226.
People more commonly know the order of friars minor.
"To most people ... there is a fascinating inconsistency in the position of Saint Francis. He expressed in loftier and bolder language than any earthly thinker the conception that laughter is as divine as tears. He called his monks the mountebanks of God. He never forgot to take pleasure in a bird as it flashed past him, or a drop of water as it fell from his finger: he was, perhaps, the happiest of the sons of men. Yet this man undoubtedly founded his whole polity on the negation of what we think the most imperious necessities; in his three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, he denied to himself and those he loved most, property, love, and liberty. Why was it that the most large-hearted and poetic spirits in that age found their most congenial atmosphere in these awful renunciations? Why did he who loved where all men were blind, seek to blind himself where all men loved? Why was he a monk and not a troubadour? These questions are far too large to be answered fully here, but in any life of Francis they ought at least to have been asked; we have a suspicion that if they were answered we should suddenly find that much of the enigma of this sullen time of ours was answered also." --G.K. Chesterton
A mother at Assisi bore him circa 1182, and he died in 1226.
People more commonly know the order of friars minor.
"To most people ... there is a fascinating inconsistency in the position of Saint Francis. He expressed in loftier and bolder language than any earthly thinker the conception that laughter is as divine as tears. He called his monks the mountebanks of God. He never forgot to take pleasure in a bird as it flashed past him, or a drop of water as it fell from his finger: he was, perhaps, the happiest of the sons of men. Yet this man undoubtedly founded his whole polity on the negation of what we think the most imperious necessities; in his three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, he denied to himself and those he loved most, property, love, and liberty. Why was it that the most large-hearted and poetic spirits in that age found their most congenial atmosphere in these awful renunciations? Why did he who loved where all men were blind, seek to blind himself where all men loved? Why was he a monk and not a troubadour? These questions are far too large to be answered fully here, but in any life of Francis they ought at least to have been asked; we have a suspicion that if they were answered we should suddenly find that much of the enigma of this sullen time of ours was answered also." --G.K. Chesterton
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 9, 2022
Would have given a 3.5 due to the contents being written in King James English, though published in 1989. Since he didn't write either in the 1600s or in English it was distracting and made for unnecessary difficulty in reading and understanding.
The book is part of a "Best of...works" series that includes Luther, Spurgeon, and Moody, the contents have breadth to give insight not only into St. Francis but also into the origin and initial structure of the Franciscan order.
It is good to read the words of the Saint himself; his peace, humility, faith, and commitment to poverty, as well as his struggles and temptations give a good impression of the mettle of the man.
I'm glad I read it. A good book that could have easily been better.
The book is part of a "Best of...works" series that includes Luther, Spurgeon, and Moody, the contents have breadth to give insight not only into St. Francis but also into the origin and initial structure of the Franciscan order.
It is good to read the words of the Saint himself; his peace, humility, faith, and commitment to poverty, as well as his struggles and temptations give a good impression of the mettle of the man.
I'm glad I read it. A good book that could have easily been better.
May 23, 2024
I liked the way the author told the story of Francis without going into any of the politics of the day. There were no dissensions, just the facts of Francis' spiritual life. Francis wanted to participate in Christ' life. He started with the birth of Jesus and made the nativity scene as real as he could make it in his native Italy. Then he moved to the crucifixion and wanted to participate in that. He meditated deeply on it and was eventually rewarded with the stigmata, the wounds experienced by Christ in His crucifixion. This completed Francis' search, and he was ready to meet his maker.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews