When a small village was plagued by a wild wolf, it is told that a humble friar named Francis came and met the predator with nothing but his gentle words―and turned the wolf from a menace to a welcome citizen. This graceful man, who spoke to each part of Creation as a sister or brother, has become one of the most beloved of all saints. In both joy and adversity, Saint Francis served as a bold example of how to live completely and authentically as a follower of Christ. From his survival as a prisoner of war to the series of awakenings that helped him to reform the Catholic Church, Francis drew his strength from his miraculous, loving union with the natural world. Saint Francis of Assisi is an essential devotional reader for building your personal connection to the spirit of this modest Italian sage. Through stories, prayers, and his own writings, you are invited to share in Francis' nourishing devotion to God, and in his profound compassion toward all living things.
Author
Author of critically acclaimed new translations of the Spanish mystics, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, Mirabai Starr uses fresh, lyrical language to help make timeless wisdom teachings accessible to a contemporary circle of seekers. She is a professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies and a certified grief counselor. Mirabai Starr writes creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She is an adjunct professor of Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos and teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and interspiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. She has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary new translations of Dark Night of the Soul by sixteenth century Spanish mystic, St. John of the Cross, The Interior Castle and The Book of My Life, by St. Teresa of Avila, and The Showings of Julian of Norwich. She is author of the 6-volume Sounds True series, Contemplations, Prayers, and Living Wisdom. Her poetry collection, Mother of God Similar to Fire, is a collaboration with iconographer, William Hart McNichols. GOD OF LOVE: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam—winner of the New Mexico/Arizona Book Award for Religion, the Nautilus Gold Award in Western Spirituality, and named one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2012 by Spirituality & Practice—positions Mirabai at the forefront of the emerging Interspiritual Movement. Her newest book is Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico.
