Customer Reviews

The Riches of Simplicity: Selected Writings of Francis and Clare (Upper Room Spiritual Classics-Series 2)

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Last year I used *Francis and Clare: The Complete Works* (Paulist Press) for a course in medieval literature and history at the classical school where I teach. We found it rather dry for high school students and, for the coming year, have adopted this volume, *The Riches of Simplicity* (Upper Room Spiritual Classics). Advantages: (a) it's shorter; (b) it's considerably less expensive; (c) it includes an excerpt from a contemporary of Francis, Thomas of Celano, as well as the famous "Wolf of Gubbio" tale from *The Little Flowers of St. Francis*; (d) it includes suggestions for group reading; and(e) its introduction gives a thumbnail sketch of Francis' and Clare's accomplishments in a highly readable style suitable for teen readers. Both Catholic and Protestant readers will come away with both head knowledge and heart knowledge of a man and woman so devoted to the cause of Christ that they bucked the medieval system to bring their mission to the streets of twelfth-century Europe and beyond.

I had mostly heard about Francis and Clare via 3rd-person summaries of their lives, so it was good to get some 1st and 2nd-hand material to flesh out their real personalities a little more. I was impressed that so much could be shared in such a thin text.

Many of the words of this book are quite harsh on modern ears. Humility, Obedience, Simplicity, and Chastity are not our favorite virtues, but they were Francis and Clare's passions in life. Some of their statements about such things appear especially sacrificial and bore much fruit in their lives and ministries, but their framework can sound legalistic to us. Their devotion to the Catholic Church runs deep, which may offend some and encourage others. (As a non-Catholic myself, it was a reminder that great men and women of God have come via devotion to many different Christian traditions.)

Overall, I was glad to get a fuller picture of Clare and Francis from this simple book. I would have difficulty agreeing with many of their statements and decisions myself, but I can feel in their stories that they have found paths that I do indeed need to explore further.