Francis: The Journey and the Dream [Paperback]

Murray Bodo (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0867161167 | ISBN-13: 978-0867161168 | Publication Date: June 25, 1988 | Edition: Revised

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

Editorial Reviews

Review

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

Father Bodo has done what only a poet and a man of insight could do for Francis: He has presented Francis' interior life in a lyrical, moving, yet down-to-earth and believable way. He has written one of the best books on St. Francis there is. --Twin Circle

In its poetic and reflective wisdom the book achieves a compelling montage of lessons and spiritual truths for contemporary Christians. --Cross and Crown

Father Bodo has done what only a poet and a man of insight could do for Francis: He has presented Francis' interior life in a lyrical, moving, yet down-to-earth and believable way. He has written one of the best books on St. Francis there is. --Twin Circle

In its poetic and reflective wisdom the book achieves a compelling montage of lessons and spiritual truths for contemporary Christians. --Cross and Crown

About the Author

MURRAY BODO, O.F.M., a Franciscan priest, is writer-in-residence at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, where he teaches composition and creative writing. He is the author of Landscape of Prayer; Mystics: Nine Who Show Us the Way to God; Song of the Sparrow: Meditations and Poems to Pray By; and The Simple Way: Meditations on the Words of Saint Francis (St. Anthony Messenger Press).

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Product Details

• Paperback: 119 pages
• Publisher: St. Anthony Messenger Press; Revised edition (June 25, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0867161167
• ISBN-13: 978-0867161168
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #216,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Clergy > Church Institutions & Organizations
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Catholicism > Saints
  • #46 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Catholicism > Inspirational

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!, June 30, 2004

By 

Andrew Y. (KY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Francis: The Journey and the Dream (Audio Cassette)

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It was a very smooth reading book., February 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Francis: The Journey and the Dream (Paperback)

I must say that I enjoyed this book very much and so have most of the people I have spoke with. It is a good poetic book with a lot of great insights into the heart and soul of Saint Francis. Bodo has a wonderful way of expressing the poetic heart of Francis through his own poetry. A must read for anyone interested in Saint Francis of Assisi.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Best read as a series of meditations, October 15, 2006

By 

Waverley36 (Nunya) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Francis: The Journey and the Dream (Paperback)

I'll have to differ with the ecstatic reviewers before me. This is the wrong book to come to for either a.) a biography of Francis, or b.) a strong narrative line or, even, a cohesive story. Fr. Bodo gives us highly subjective moments from Francis's life, some very beautiful, some funny, all lovingly rendered. Many of his observations do indeed inspire the reader (this reader anyway). What he does not do is meaningfully connect these various moments and bits, most of which are no more than a page or two long, together into a strong story. So we get a very sketchy narrative that works better in individual moments than it does as a whole. The episodes have a sort of chronological unity. They are also continually roped in by the terminology of the subtitle, with lots of talk about Francis's Journey and Dream. But by the end of the book (novel? bio?), these terms have become so ambiguous that they aren't much help.

I think this may be a great book to come to after one has read more concrete and chronological accounts of Francis's life. It's not a good place to begin to get to know him.