Francis of Assisi that the world so desperately needs today. Surrounded by Loveis both an introduction to and a meditation on the wisdom of St. Murray Bodo illuminates the grace of the Franciscan tradition and its ongoing relevance, importance, and timeliness with each of his brilliant and poetic books. Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ, Franciscan School of Theologyįr. In this elegantly written book, Murray Bodo brings Francis of Assisi's life experiences and teachings into dialogue with our contemporary world, showing our need for the breathtaking beauty of the Franciscan spiritual and theological visions. Francis used to say to his brothers, 'Let us begin to do good, for up to now we have done nothing.'Ī beautiful meditation on the spiritual wisdom of the Poverello and its practical value for today. Francis will give you hope for hope is the grace to imagine a future more positive, more loving, and more joyful than the world we now find ourselves in. What he teaches, if lived, brings joy, which is the result of union with God, who lives with us and within all of creation. Francis is still admired today in our fractious and divided world. The Seventh Teaching: The Joy of Humble Praise and Service of God.The Sixth Teaching: All Creatures Are Our Brothers and Sisters.The Fourth Teaching: Go and Repair God's House.The Second Teaching: The Paradox of Evangelical Poverty.The First Teaching: The Wonder of the Incarnation.You, too, can follow in Jesus' footsteps with these teachings:

In this, as in everything else, he was following in the footsteps of Jesus, who is the mystery of the fullness of God among us. Francis was not a medieval theologian but a teacher of wisdom who used sayings, stories, and rituals to show us how we can allow God to transform our lives. The seven teachings outlined here-plus an eighth teaching on love, the teaching behind all teachings-define a spirituality for our own time that anyone can learn to practice in his or her own life, anyone who has an attitude of reverence for others and for the earth and all of nature, and who acknowledges the existence of a higher power that is beyond what one can perceive with the senses. St Francis invites us to go on a journey from love through love into love. These seven teachings are both a way and a destination, the way being transformation and the destination being the love of God. Francis of Assisi in the prayerful, lyrical style his readers will recognize. Murray Bodo, OFM, brings to life seven teachings from the life and writings of St.

Surrounded by Love by Murray Bodo