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A Knight and a Lady: A Journey into the Spirituality of Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi
Journey into the spirituality of two of Christendom’s most beloved saints: Francis and Clare. Delving into all aspects of Franciscan spirituality such as poverty, embracing the leper, community, relating to the Church as well as nonbelievers, creation and nature, prayer, peacemaking, and evangelization, this book brings to life their milieu as the two saints from Assisi discovered the face of Christ, set out to live the Gospel life, and journeyed from war to peace.
Centering on the writings of the saints themselves, the thirteenth-century Franciscan sources, and modern scholarship, this book reconstructs their historical profiles in a serious manner. At the same time, the reflections, meditations, and questions provided in each section render it a contemplative guidebook and an ideal resource for study in groups or alone.
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Centering on the writings of the saints themselves, the thirteenth-century Franciscan sources, and modern scholarship, this book reconstructs their historical profiles in a serious manner. At the same time, the reflections, meditations, and questions provided in each section render it a contemplative guidebook and an ideal resource for study in groups or alone.
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St. Francis of Assisi: Passion, Poverty, and the Man who Transformed the Catholic Church
All Christians know his name. Few truly know the man. Francis of Assisi was not even five feet tall. He was not well educated. And yet he is the one saint commonly recognized as Alter Christus, the “other Christ.” Francis is not just any saint -- he’s a saint for everyone, whatever your place or position in life. But do we really know him?
Who was this man at his core? What was it that thrust this little man from a little town to the heights of sanctity, into a place of high honor among the celestial court?
In this riveting biography, author Bret Thoman accomplishes what few biographers have. He pierces the inner life of Francis, revealing his deepest passions, his unquenchable love for poverty, and his unshakable grip on the core of the Gospel. The life of Francis, so often festooned with spectacle and miracle, is in reality the story of a soul yearning for God in every moment and glimpsing His presence in all creation.
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Who was this man at his core? What was it that thrust this little man from a little town to the heights of sanctity, into a place of high honor among the celestial court?
In this riveting biography, author Bret Thoman accomplishes what few biographers have. He pierces the inner life of Francis, revealing his deepest passions, his unquenchable love for poverty, and his unshakable grip on the core of the Gospel. The life of Francis, so often festooned with spectacle and miracle, is in reality the story of a soul yearning for God in every moment and glimpsing His presence in all creation.
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St. Clare of Assisi: Light from the Cloister
Just as with his stirring narrative of the life of St. Francis, "St. Francis of Assisi: Passion, Poverty & the Man Who Transformed the Church," author Bret Thoman draws upon his profound knowledge of original sources, his familiarity with the places where these two great founders lived and breathed and changed the world, and his own Franciscan spirituality, to bring to life, like never before, the story of St. Clare of Assisi.
Join Thoman as he skillfully weaves the known facts of Clare’s life with imaginative passages that bring the reader into the profoundly spiritual world of the “Light from the Cloister.” Hailing from an aristocratic or “Major” family, Clare continually -- in imitation of Our Lord and Francis -- sought to make herself lesser or minor. In the process, in another of God’s “divine paradoxes,” she became a giant, not only of her Age, but of all time.
St. Clare truly was a “light from the cloister” not only for her era but for all time. Meet her as never before in these pages and, in what is sure to be a profoundly spiritual reading experience, let her light shine upon you.
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Join Thoman as he skillfully weaves the known facts of Clare’s life with imaginative passages that bring the reader into the profoundly spiritual world of the “Light from the Cloister.” Hailing from an aristocratic or “Major” family, Clare continually -- in imitation of Our Lord and Francis -- sought to make herself lesser or minor. In the process, in another of God’s “divine paradoxes,” she became a giant, not only of her Age, but of all time.
St. Clare truly was a “light from the cloister” not only for her era but for all time. Meet her as never before in these pages and, in what is sure to be a profoundly spiritual reading experience, let her light shine upon you.
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Walking Camino Guidebooks
Following Francis and Clare: 12 Walking Excursions in Assisi, Mt. Subasio, Spoleto Valley, Rieti, and Laverna
Assisi is celebrated throughout the world as the city of Saints Francis and Clare and the cradle of Franciscan spirituality. As Rome is the political capital and Milan is the economic center, Assisi is considered Italy’s spiritual heart. With St. Francis as the patron saint of Italy, countless Catholics come to Assisi every year in search of spirituality and peace. Yet, Assisi is exclusive neither to Italians nor Catholics, and people of all nationalities and creeds have discovered a unique tranquility in the “seraphic city.”
In the spirit of Camino, this guidebook offers religious pilgrims and spiritual travelers alike the possibility of staying in Assisi and walking in the footsteps of St. Francis and Clare. The routes included are in Assisi, the Spoleto Valley and Mt. Subasio, as well as in Spoleto, Cannara, Laverna, and the Rieti Valley.
Walking in the footsteps of St. Francis and Clare is an unparalleled way to connect with their hearts and spirituality. This book brings it to life.
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In the spirit of Camino, this guidebook offers religious pilgrims and spiritual travelers alike the possibility of staying in Assisi and walking in the footsteps of St. Francis and Clare. The routes included are in Assisi, the Spoleto Valley and Mt. Subasio, as well as in Spoleto, Cannara, Laverna, and the Rieti Valley.
Walking in the footsteps of St. Francis and Clare is an unparalleled way to connect with their hearts and spirituality. This book brings it to life.
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The St. Francis Camino: A Spiritual Walking Pilgrimage from Assisi to Rome
The St. Francis Camino (also known as the Way of St. Francis) is a spiritual walking pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Francis through central Italy from Assisi to Rome. Divided into fourteen stages, the 280-km trek is an intimate way to connect spiritually with the humble saint from Assisi by walking on the same land he walked.
This guidebook offers practical tips regarding packing, traveling in Italy, setting up GPX tracks, as well as obtaining the Pilgrim’s Passport and Testimonium. Each stage includes daily distances, altitude gains and losses, surface type, duration, and level of difficulty. Next is a brief description of the stage with useful notes as well as a succinct textual description of the route. Lastly, there is a list of Franciscan and spiritual sites along the route in addition to an aerial map and elevation profile.
Walking in the footsteps of St. Francis -- from his birth city to Rome, the city of the martyrs and Popes -- is an unparalleled journey into the heart and spirit of Christendom. And this book will bring it to life.
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This guidebook offers practical tips regarding packing, traveling in Italy, setting up GPX tracks, as well as obtaining the Pilgrim’s Passport and Testimonium. Each stage includes daily distances, altitude gains and losses, surface type, duration, and level of difficulty. Next is a brief description of the stage with useful notes as well as a succinct textual description of the route. Lastly, there is a list of Franciscan and spiritual sites along the route in addition to an aerial map and elevation profile.
Walking in the footsteps of St. Francis -- from his birth city to Rome, the city of the martyrs and Popes -- is an unparalleled journey into the heart and spirit of Christendom. And this book will bring it to life.
Visit Amazon for purchase and more information