Customer Reviews

To Live As Francis Lived: A Guide for Secular Franciscans (The Path of Franciscan Spirituality)

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I was very happy to receive this book again. I had my own copy in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. It was lost during the storm.
This is why I ordered another copy, as I am a lay member of the Franciscans. I use my book as a study guide as I learn more about the life of St.Francis and his spirituality.
Thank you very much!!!

I'm new to the Secular Franciscan Order and this book has been very helpful. I have been using it as a weekly guide as suggested. I look forward to my weekly visits.

This book delivers! Easily understood and wastes no words, it gets to the point from first to last page. Will never be without it.
Br. Ross, FFR+

This book is a great tool for beginning to live the life as christ would like us to. The spiritual thinking on our part and the soul searching is awsome. I would recomment this book to anyone looking to enhance your life as God as intented us.

As a non-Catholic, I find Francis of Assisi fascinating as a man who gave up the life he knew, with all its privileges, to live with as little as possible so as to serve the people as Christ did. So I was happy to find this easy-to-read book.

The book is divided into different sections consisting of ÒreflectionsÓ, which are what normal people call ÒchaptersÓ.

The first section is called the ÒFoundationÓ which is, as the authors put it, ÒJesus Christ and no other.Ó That says it all, doesnŐt it? Each reflection, such as ÒThe Grace of ChristÓ, ÒThe Real ChristÓ, ÒJesus Visible TodayÓ, ÒMary, Our Mother and ModelÓ, explains the different roles Christ plays in the Franciscan life.

The second section covers ÒConversionÓ, the painful process we must endure if we are to throw away our old ways and adopt a new attitude. This is explored in reflections such as ÒPenance: Turning to God and Away from SinÓ, ÒThe Poverty of ChristÓ, ÒThe Poverty for the KingdomÓ (easily the hardest part of the conversion process), ÒHumility Toward OthersÓ, ÒA Life of ChastityÓ (possibly the second hardest), and ÒYouth, Hope for the FutureÓ.

The third section is a group of reflections on prayer. I found information here that hasnŐt been explained by anybody else as plainly before. You get into what is prayer, whatŐs it for, what are the ingredients? Then it goes into what I call the ÒCatholic elementsÓ of liturgy and Eucharist.

The fourth set of reflections teaches the role of those who call themselves apostles, which we can do if we follow Jesus and help others do so as well. You learn how to see Christ in others, how to represent Christ to others (a personal Jesus, if you will), how to love ALL people, what is the role of family (however defined), whatŐs really involved in forgiveness, what exactly do we mean by ÒjusticeÓ (important this day and age), how to be a peacemaker, what is consumerism doing to the environment we are charged with caring for, what is the role of work, how are we to regard those with illnesses, and what perfect joy is all about.

At the end of each reflection, there are instruments for further study. You find questions for reflectionÓ to see if you understood the chapter, important Òapplications to daily lifeÓ, a prayer thatŐs relevant to the discussion, and you are also given scriptural and other references for each ÒreflectionÓ.

By the end of the book you will have enough basic knowledge of what itŐs like to truly live as Francis lived to be able to decide whether to study further or abandon it. ItŐs a small book that can be covered in two afternoons. ItŐs a very plain-spoken book that opened my eyes about what devout religious life is all about.

As for me, I would have liked to have seen more mentioned about the other woman in FrancisŐ life, Clare of Assisi, and the roles of women in general in Franciscan life. Also, the book calls itself a guide to secular Franciscans, and that membership in the Catholic Church is required for Secular Franciscan Order. I take exception to that.

After all, what is being a Franciscan is all about? On the outset it means patterning your beliefs after those of the legendary Francis of Assisi, but in reality you are simply patterning your life after Christ. And you shouldnŐt have to join the Catholic Church or any other form of organized religion to do that.

So, to live as Francis lived is to live as Christ lived. CHRIST, not the hateful, misogynist, homophobic, and full-of-himself self-appointed apostle Paul. If I may paraphrase from the first chapter, as a friend of Francis your purpose is to respond to GodŐs love with TOTAL love of your own. This book puts you well on the path of doing just that, if you open your mind to what it has to say. Highly recommended.

Well-written and full of great information. I ordered this book to expand my knowledge of St. Francis as I am in formation to become a Secular Franciscan. I was so impressed with this book that I brought it to a Fraternity meeting to share with others. It turns out, this is the very book that our council selected as our next study selection!