Complete Francis of Assisi: His Life, the Complete Writings, and the Little Flowers

Description: The Complete Francis of Assisi offers the best introduction to St. Francis yet available between two covers.
There are many editions of the writings of St. Francis, and biographies about him, but here in this volume are BOTH. The Complete Francis of Assisi is actually a collection of three books in one.

• The Little Flowers
• Francis of Assisi in His Own Words: The Essential Writings
• The Road to Assisi

Brief description: Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and award-winning author. His books have been translated into many languages. He's a popular interpreter of the life and work of Francis of Assisi, and author of more than 40 books including St. Francis of Assisi with a foreword by Richard Rohr, and The Complete Francis of Assisi used by Third Order Franciscans. HBO optioned the film rights to Sweeney's book on the medieval Pope Celestine V, The Pope Who Quit.

In 2023, Jon published Sit in the Sun: And Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats, and Meister Eckhart's Book of Darkness and Light, coauthored with Mark S. Burrows. Jon has been interviewed on CBS News, WGN-TV, Fox News, and CBS Saturday Morning, and by publications online from CNN to Romper. He's a practicing Catholic who also prays regularly with his wife, a congregational rabbi. He loves the church, the synagogue, and other aspects of organized religion. He would never say he's "spiritual but not religious." He is the father of four and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sweeney is codirector of The Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Sacred Heart Seminary; religion editor at Monkfish Book Publishing; editor of Living City magazine; and contributing editor for books at SpiritualityandPractice.com.

Review Quotes:

"It's difficult to think of a saint more widely recognized and beloved than Francis of Assisi (1181-1226 CE). Sweeney (When Saint Francis Saved the Church) has brought together Paul Sabatier's important 1894 biography of the saint and almost all of Francis's own writings and prayers including the classic The Little Flowers, an early anthology of anecdotes, teaching tales, and legends about Francis and the first generation of his followers. The author has annotated Sabatier's work, and the translations and arrangement of the material are also his. VERDICT It is immensely valuable to have in one volume the key writings by and about Francis and his first disciples; essential for libraries and individuals looking to expand their knowledge of this influential saint." --Library Journal, Starred Review

"Francis's Essential Writings is of the most historical interest to me. Here is Francis in his own words-letters, prayers and monastic rules. These are important documents of the early Franciscan movement. Sweeney's introductions and comments provide context for each piece of writing. The Little Flowers is well known and well loved. What sets this edition apart from others (other than Sweeney's translation) is their arrangement. Sweeney places these stories in what he thinks is their most straightforward chronological rendering (rather than the traditional order). Anyone interested in Francis and the movement he founded will love this volume. If you do not have any Francis on your shelf, this is a good deal. I give it five stars." --James Matichuk, thoughts, prayers & songs

"The Complete Francis of Assisi is actually a collection of three books between two covers. Sweeney edited the material of three classic Francis texts and brought them together in one convenient location. The individual titles that constitute this single work on Francis are Road to Assisi, Francis of Assisi in His Own Words: The Essential Writings, and The Little Flowers. This four hundred-page book may seem daunting considering it seeks to introduce a simple and unassuming man of God, but the reader will soon be captivated by the message and transformed in heart. The reader will discover the man Francis, his writings, and his living legacy. Sweeney does an admirable job introducing, annotating, and contemporizing each of the three classic French texts. It should also be noted that this title is part of a new series created by Paraclete Press called Paraclete Giants which specifically gathers the materials that profile the life, deeds, and words of Catholic luminaries in one place. The Complete Francis of Assisi is recommended for all libraries seeking to update some classic texts." --John Leonard Berg, Catholic Library World

"Saint Francis of Assisi is easily one of the most recognized saints, right up there in popularity and appealing warmth with Santa Claus. The Complete Francis of Assisi seeks to create a loving, inspiring portrait of the man who abandoned his father's riches to wander the Italian countryside, ministering to lepers and preaching to birds. The book is actually three books in one: a gentle biography, a selection of writings by the saint himself, and a collection of medieval tales meant to popularize his legacy. Readers won't find anything that drastically changes their perceptions of the lover of Lady Poverty, who nicknamed his own body Brother Ass, and the inclusion of three separate books means that some anecdotes are repeated. But the editor-translator's clear love for his subject shines through, and the readers are left feeling they have spent some quality time with the man who continues to inspire us to contemplate abandoning our worldly possessions. In the company of a man like Francis, it seems like a good idea." --Christine Engel, Booklist

Paraclete Press now has published this comprehensive collection of materials on Francis of Assisi as another volume in a very useful series, "Paraclete Giants," with others on Julian of Norwich, Thérèse of Lisieux, the Imitation of Christ, among other classics in the spiritual life. Once more, I can recommend a book by Jon Sweeny with enthusiasm and gratitude. Sweeney brings together several important resources in one volume. There is first, the classic biography of Francis by Paul Sabatier, but with a great deal of editing and added material. Additional resources include a glossary of terms, a very helpful listing of major figures as well as sources for further reading. The second component is the essential writings of Francis. Here Sweeny provides fluid, accessible translation and notes as well as ample bibliography. Lastly, there is a well edited, revised translation of the important early narrative on Francis and his life, the fioretti or "little flowers," a collection of accounts by different authors done and collected a century or so after Francis' death. This, like other volumes in the series such as the one on Julian, will be a welcome resource for lectio divina, for what is contained is the substance of Francis' words and actions. Having all these sources together and in such a clear, accessible version will make this a valuable book for retreats, for courses on the spiritual life as well as on major figures in that life.

Today, the bishop of Rome, the pope's taking on not just the name of Francis--the first time ever for the head of the Catholic church--but also this same Pope Francis' daring to speak out against world economic systems, against the abuse of the natural environment, on behalf of the marginalized--all this has created yet another anti-Franciscan backlash, a sign of the way in which the "little poor man" of Assisi remains a sign of contradiction and challenge in the church. This fine volume is perhaps the most complete encounter in print one could have with him. The detail from Giotto's beautiful fresco in the upper basilica in Assisi on the cover, of Francis preaching to the birds, is another wonderful vision.-- Michael Plekon, Baruch College of the City University of New York