Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi
by Saint Francis of Assisi
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Book Summary Information
Author: Saint Francis of AssisiEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-01
ISBN: 1602065780
Number of pages: 292
Publisher: Cosimo Classics
Book Reviews of Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi
Book Review: A Man After God's Own Heart
Summary: 5 Stars
One could easily fill a bookshelf with the number of volumes that have been written about the "Little Poor Man of Assisi" over the past seven hundred years, but none has been more widely read or more influential than the Fioretti, better known to English readers as The Little Flowers of St. Francis. This spiritual classic was not written by Francis himself, but by Brother Ugolino, an Italian Franciscan who lived a full century after the death of St. Francis in 1226. It is not so much a biography, but a collection of stories and sayings passed on by the first and second generations of Francis' early followers, in a manner similar to The Sayings of the Desert Fathers. As such, the author is not concerned so much with providing an historical record of the birth of Franciscan spirituality, but with painting a personal profile of this fascinating friar and the most formative experiences that helped to shape the lives of those who followed in his footsteps. This may help to explain why much of the material found in The Little Flowers has become "legendary," and it is left to the reader to decide how many of the events described are fact and how many are fiction.
But it is not the spectacular and/or legendary aspects of St. Francis' life that grab the headlines in this spiritual classic. It is the genuinely humble, Christ-like character of this "little poor man" that stands out most of all. More than anything, and more than most, Francis loved Jesus. So much so, according to those who knew him best, that he was given a special mark of his intimate identification with Christ - the "stigmata" (five wounds of Christ on the cross). Regardless of how closely his outward appearance resembled that of Christ, it is clear that his heart was one with the Savior, as illustrated in the following message which Francis delivered at St. Mary of the Angels in 1215 in the presence of five thousand friars, including St. Dominic and Cardinal Hugolin, who would later become better known as Pope Gregory IX:
"My little sons, we have promised great things, but far greater things have been promised to us by God. Let us keep those promises which we have made, and let us aspire with confidence to those things which have been promised to us. Brief is the world's pleasure, but the punishment that follows it lasts forever. Small is the suffering of this life, but the glory of the next life is infinite."
May the life and testimony of this "Little Poor Man" of Assisi inspire each of us to follow his imperfect yet faithful example, even as he has sought to follow the perfect example of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1).
Summary of Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi
The Little Flowers Of Saint Francis Of Assisi ... Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.St. Francis of Assisi--the saint who preached to birds and wolves, the saint whose vow of poverty changed Christian ethics forever, the saint who repented of his fleshly sins by loving the material world--was also a pretty great writer. His Little Flowers, a series of 53 short chapters ranging in form from wild stories to serene meditations, is perfect bedtime or devotional reading. Before you know it, you'll be reading this one aloud to your cat. And Francis will be very pleased to hear it. --Michael Joseph Gross
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