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"Francis, go and build up my house, which thou seest, is falling into ruin." To fulfill this command of Our Lord, St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) began by restoring physical churches and continued by building up the spiritual church in souls. Francis' humility, purity, and true joy inspired many to conversion and a deeper faith.

Now you too can discover the inspiring model of St. Francis as outlined by St. Bonaventure. Bonaventure talks about this spiritual journey as taking place in six steps, like the six days of creation. On each step of the journey, he explores a new dimension of our relationship with God. Bonaventure presents us with a mystical theology, leading us step by step from reflection on the world around us, through reflection on our inner world as human beings, toward the world above us, the divine life of the Holy Trinity.

It is said of St. Francis of Assisi that he didn't trust books and never wanted his friars to get distracted and influenced by the words of authors, whose works he also didn't trust. He trusted the Bible, but not certain people's interpretations of it. He was finally willing to bend in his staunch stand against book learning on the advice of St. Anthony of Padua, who was not only brilliant, but whom St. Francis trusted.

The Mass is a central and essential part of the Christian life, the very source and summit of our devotion and piety. Instituted by Jesus Himself at the Last Supper and faithfully passed on by the apostles and their successors, it is not merely a memorial of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Savior, but a true participation in His one redeeming sacrifice. It does not merely praise and invoke God, but causes Him to be really, truly, and substantially present. It is through the Mass that we become closest to Jesus, and mystically partake in His passion, death, and resurrection.

Tree of Life: Incarnation, Passion & Glory, Saint Bonaventure on the Christ Story. This is Saint Bonaventure's 13th Century collection of fifty meditations on the Incarnation, Passion, and Glory of Jesus Christ. Following the 1978 translation by Dr. Ewert Cousins, parish priest and spiritual director Stephen Joseph Wolf offers a paraphrase with brush-ink drawings.

From the pulpit of the cross, Christ gave His final and most riveting sermon: His seven last words. In times past, Christ frequently spoke in parables, but no more. No, Christ penned these words with His royal blood like a calligrapher using the most delicate of strokes. Christʼs seven last words are the greatest utterances ever recorded in the history of the world—greater than the words of any esteemed orator, heroic leader, or even saint, because they were the last words of God to mankind.

La voie des conseils évangéliques est parcourue par les hommes parfaits, comme sont les religieux. Ces conseils portent sur la religion, l'obéissance, la pauvreté et la chasteté.

Ignite your spirituality with the Franciscan writings of St. Bonaventure. In the 13th century, St. Bonaventure, the great Doctor of the Church, philosopher, and Franciscan friar composed The Major Legend of St. Francis, a biography of the man he so admired. Perhaps nowhere does the poor man of Assisi's example of Gospel perfection shine so powerfully. Now, with these 12 erudite lectures, you will explore the powerful question posed by Bonaventure in The Major Legend: Do we wish to admire or to imitate Francis, the perfect follower of Christ?