The St. Francis Prayer Book: A Guide to Deepen Your Spiritual Life [Paperback]

Jon M. Sweeney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2004

This warm-hearted little book is a window into the soul of St. Francis, one of the most passionate and inspiring followers of Jesus. "Prayer was to Francis as play is to a child: natural, easy, creative, and joyful," author Jon Sweeney tells us. "Before it became common to speak in personal terms of a relationship with God, Francis did so, and made it seem natural." With this guide, readers will:

* Pray the words that Francis taught his spiritual brothers and sisters to pray.

* Explore Francis's time and place and feel the joy and earnestness of the first Franciscans.

* Experience how it is possible to live a contemplative and active life, at the same time. Unique features: Includes well-loved prayers of Francis, such as The Canticle of Brother Sun and Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace Pen-and-ink illustrations

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An accessible, practical introduction to Franciscan prayer." -- Publisher's Weekly

Help[s] us tap into this spirit of Francis' devotional life. -- Spirituality and Health

Sweeney has collected...a beautiful selection of prayers in keeping with the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. -- Arkansas Democrat Gazette

From the Publisher

Kindle your prayer life with the words, guidance, and spirit of Francis of Assisi. This warm-hearted little book is a window into the soul of St. Francis, oone of the most passionate, and inspiring followers of Jesus. "Prayer was to Francis as play is to a child--natural, easy, creative, and joyful," author Jon Sweeney tells us. "Before it became common to speak in personal terms of a relationship with God, Francis did so and made it seem natural."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Pr (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557253528
• ISBN-13: 978-1557253521
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jon M. Sweeney has lived in Vermont since 1997. He has three kids, one in college, one in high school, and a new baby girl. He writes and reflects on spiritual matters in books, articles, blogs, and other media, and he works in book publishing.

Jon was the cofounder and editor-in-chief of SkyLight Paths Publishing for several years. Since 2004 he has been the associate publisher at Paraclete Press.

His spiritual and religious life continues to evolve, and much of Jon's writing is about this. His first 20 years were spent as an involved evangelical (a story he told in the memoir Born Again and Again); he then spent 22 years as an active Episcopalian (see The Lure of Saints and Cloister Talks, among other books); and in the fall of 2009 he was received into the Catholic Church. Today, he is a practicing Catholic (of a more monastic variety), but his most regular spiritual practice is Jewish, as he prays regularly with his wife, a rabbi, and they keep a Jewish home.

Sweeney often says that he loves the church, the synagogue, and other aspects of organized religion, and wants to see these organisms survive (he loves religion; he's not just spiritual), but he also is not interested in doing things to simply prop up falling institutions. In all of his writing, Jon is drawn to the ancient and medieval (see Strange Heaven, Beauty Awakening Belief, The Road to Assisi, and the forthcoming The Pope Who Quit).

Sweeney has a special passion for Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. He has written several books on Francis and Clare including Light in the Dark Ages: The Friendship of Francis and Clare of Assisi, a History Book Club and BOMC selection, The St. Francis Prayer Book, and The St. Clare Prayer Book. He has also written books on embodied prayer, the Virgin Mary, and other subjects. His most recent are Almost Catholic: An Appreciation of the History, Practice, and Mystery of Ancient Faith, published by Jossey-Bass, and Verily, Verily: The King James Bible--400 Years of Influence and Beauty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introduction to a Franciscan Prayer Life, February 22, 2010

By 

Kyle Potter (Lexington, KY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The St. Francis Prayer Book: A Guide to Deepen Your Spiritual Life (Paperback)

This attractive prayer book begins with an introduction and biographical chapter that commends the life and witness of Clare of Assisi before moving into the short daily offices (prayer services). The offices can each be prayed slowly and meditatively in ten to fifteen minutes. There is one separate morning prayer and one evening prayer office for each of seven days, and a quick compline (night prayer) that's the same for each night. Each day includes collects (set prayers) quotations, and Scripture readings that enlarge upon a particular theme in the spiritual life. The St. Francis volume explores these themes: Following Christ / Disregard for possessions / Peace and care in human relationships / Love for all creatures / Preaching the Good News / Passion more important than learning / Joyful simplicity.

What I Like. It's important that a breviary (book of short prayers) be accessible and easy to use. While a paperback, it is well bound and attractively designed. The type is reasonably large and the different sections are easy to read. Finding one's place requires only to know what day of the week it is, and the prayer offices require no flipping back and forth.

What I Don't Like. It is a common poetic device of Franciscans to thank God in all circumstances by offering prayer of praise to Lady Poverty, et al. You know, like Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and all of that. I don't imagine that Francis, Clare, or any of the Order's members suppose there to be an actual heavenly persona named Poverty, whom we would care to address in real terms. I understand the poetic device and find it pleasant. Christian prayer, however, is addressed to the Father, with the Son, through the Holy Spirit (leaving aside the question of intercessions to departed Saints). The Psalms seem to entreat Creation to praise God along with the worshippers, but when I'm teaching beginning disciples to prayer, I don't want to have to go through the trouble of explaining/defending that particular literary device.

Bottom line: The introductory material provides an excellent popular account of this Christian saint and his contributions to the spiritual life of the wider Church. The book itself is easy to use for prayers, aesthetically attractive, and well-priced. If you don't mind the aforementioned literary device, these volumes are an excellent gateway to the practice of regular structured prayer as well as Franciscan Christian spirituality.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent everyday prayer book, December 8, 2010

By 

Patrick M. Carroll (Shanghai, China) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The St. Francis Prayer Book: A Guide to Deepen Your Spiritual Life (Paperback)

I really like this little prayer book. It begins with some information about the life of St. Francis and about the order that he established. It then sets up a weekly liturgy based on thematic elements of Francis' theology. Each day reflects a different theme and the prayers, psalms, and gospel readings are reflective of that theme. I find the prayers to be both spiritual and touching. Using this book, especially for morning prayer, has changed the way that I communicate with God for the better. I am inspired by the collects and by the prayers themselves and truly enjoy the way that times of silence are worked into the liturgy for personal reflection. This is an excellent resource for those interested in experimenting with new approaches to their prayer life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fransican Prayer, April 20, 2011

By 

Liz - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The St. Francis Prayer Book: A Guide to Deepen Your Spiritual Life (Paperback)

The book was highly recommended to me and I understand why. It has provided me with a greater understanding and appreciation of Franciscan spirituality. It has enriched my prayer life.