Secure Your Copy The Way Of St. Francis: The Challenge Of Franciscan Spirituality For Everyone Conceived By Murray Bodo Compiled As Multimedia Book

used this as a core text when I was being formed in the Third Order Excellent book on the philosophy of St.
Francis by a Franciscan scholar, Bodo's work is easy to read, but full of excellent insight, It's not hard to see how Francis has been misused and misunderstood for centuries, and how far the Catholic church and all Christian churches, really have moved from what St.
Francis lived and taught, which is sad, seeing as he is universally acknowledged as the man who lived his life the most in tune with that of Jesus Christ.
As Bodo says in his introduction, Jesus is down there somewhere in the alley, drunk, needing help, But nobody's going to help him these days, In thirtyfive short chapters, an Afterword, and the closing powerful letter to an alcoholic bum, the author, a Franciscan priest, presents not just a spiritual biography of Francis but also his own insightful comments about living the Christian life today.


Here are some of the significant statements in the book:

Early in the book, Fr.
Bodo writes, “The radicalness of Saint Francis is not in his poverty but in his response to the gospel of Jesus.
He lives it” p

“I have learned from Saint Francis that where this is no involvement with human suffering, there is no following of Gods will” p.
.

“It is easier to rationalize and dismiss Jesus than Francis, because Jesus, after all, is divine and so far above us.
But Francis is only human like us, What he is, we can become, It is the challenge of his life that seduces, We sense that somehow this man found the way, and we are going in the opposite direction" p,.

“Francis never says we are to imitate Christ, but that we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ thus insuring the uniqueness of our own following” p.
.

“The life of Francis is the story of how one man found God, . . And the surprise is that when God is everything, then everything else becomes more important and more holy” p.
.


This is a modern view of the Way of St, Francis. Bodo's story is very much told from the modern era it was written inand from an American viewpoint.
At one point, Bodo discusses the nationality of the Pope and its influence on the Catholic church, I would argue that the nationality of this Franciscan priestauthor impacts his view of Francis and how the modern citizen can continue to pursue the gospel way of life as St.
Francis had.

As consideration for a pilgrimage along the way of St Francis, I read this book to learn more about the journeys he took around Assisi, Rome, and La Verna.
As a pilgrimage companion, the Way of St, Francis delivers. I got views of Francis as the teacher, the roadwarrior, the prayerful, the poet, and the Father to an Order of brothers and sisters that he started.
However, all of this is viewed through the prism of the modern American life, which is perhaps what makes it so easy with which to identify.


"And it is this communion of people together on the road which prevents conversion from being a selfcentered affair of the heart, a closedcircuit dialogue between me and the voice I hear inside.
Conversion is something that happens in me but also in communion with others, "

Whether the journey/road you are on is a literal road, a spiritual road, or an internal path of intellectual

discovery, may your trail cross those of other people that bring you joy, knowledge, or peace.
I have always admired the members of the Franciscan religious order that I have met, I have for years seen the garden statues of St, Francis communing with birds and other animals, and was familiar to some extent with at least a portion of his work involving brother sun and sister moon.
I therefore had developed the impression that he was somehow a middle ages back to nature semipantheist, I figured his “way” might be a pretty easy approach to help incorporate my environmentalism with my faith, While Francis did see God manifest in nature and indeed the cosmos as a whole he was no flower child of theth century rather he was a man who strove mightily to live the teachings of Jesus, embracing an extremely impoverished lifestyle in order to benefit the lowly and commune with the most outcast of his society.


Author Murray Bodo, a Franciscan monk living in Cincinnati, breaks down Franciss way into small components and offers not only direction from Francis, but sets forth his Bodos own life as an example of how difficult it is to live the example set by Francis.
While one could despair that there is no way that someone with a relatively comfortable middle class lifestyle, such as myself, could ever hope to follow Francis example, Bodo seems to indicate that there is still great value in using Francis example as a guiding light.


This book makes a good justbeforeyougoto sleep read in pieces book as it involves short chapters on each theme set forth, each of which takes a bit of slow digesting.

This is also my idea of spirituality and it gives hope, We are each
individual and beloved and to me the basis of the Gospel, Challenges the reader with a renewed understanding of the a Francis who shows us a way of life both stimulating and troubling, who asks us to look again at the possibilities within us and around us, and to whom we turn repeatedly in interpreting our own human experience of God.
The Franciscan way helps, transforms and renews us, The book is composed of chapters on ways of letting go, of achieving poverty, simplicity and nonviolence, Fantastic book. Refreshing read. Very slow, but by intent, as the whole concept is about slowing down and seeing through someone else's eyes in order to help others.
This was a fascinating audio book, It was a very profound and approachable study, I look forward to listening to it again, Fr. Bodo reflects deeply on the Franciscan way of life inshort chapters, The reflections challenge the reader to examine his own humanity, his ideas of a spiritual life, and the journey to God alone and in community.
Interesting stories about St. Francis highlight the author's thoughts, Several of the shorter chapters would make excellent meditations for worship, or small group study, I still find myself troubled and seeking, as some concepts made me look at myself and my journey through different eyes.
Read this book for contemplation, not necessarily for a quick easy read, In the author's words, "Christian spirituality is simply an attempt to take seriously and live more sincerely the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Franciscan spirituality is no exception.
But there is something about Francis himself and the WAY he lives the gospel, " a third reading. just as good as earlier, slowly i hear more of what is present in the telling of the life and times of francis, thank goodness for franciscan minors, i am so grateful for my faith tradition, for the eighteen years i was unchurched, i took with me the beatitudes and francis of assisi, these two elements remain valid and helpful on the spiritual journey, Murray Bodo has such a gentle voice which adds to the stillness of his words,

his acronym SPORT is very helpful for me the "P" of purification is/was the most challenging yet Bodo's thoughts on this very part of the practice is extraordinary he says right off "as soon as i hear someone say "I" i know they are doing too much"

truth lies therein: i might want to "purify" myself i might or might not even know what that means but to be still "S" and open "O" and desire "P" purification does more toward moving me in that direction than all of the effort i put out for myself and from my own industry.
purification, then, is a Godactivity not a human effort after all, to employ the similar buddhist term "accepting", . . to accept who i am moves me toward embracing my true self and then quite naturally to begin to stop projecting "me" the contaminated/distorted version of myself onto others and into situations.
that is closer to what is meant by Bodo's "P" for purity, a lesson worth learning, imo,
Those are the two magnetic poles of my life: books and the Franciscan Priesthood, The glue that holds them together is Saint Francis of Assisi himself, From the time I was thirteen years old and read Sophie Jewetts Gods Troubadour, The Story of St.
Francis of Assisi, St, Francis has been a major inspiration of my life, I became a Franciscan inIve written about him, prayed for his intercession, studied him, taught his life and spirituality and for the lastyears led pilgrimages to Assisi Murray Bodo "Those are the two magnetic poles of my life: books and the Franciscan Priesthood.
The glue that holds them together is Saint Francis of Assisi himself, From the time I was thirteen years old and read Sophie Jewett's God's Troubadour, The Story of St.
Francis of Assisi, St, Francis has been a major inspiration of my life, I became a Franciscan inI've written about him, prayed for his intercession, studied him, taught his life and spirituality and for the lastyears led pilgrimages to Assisi " Murray Bodo sitelink.