The Sun and Moon over Assisi: A Personal Encounter With Francis and Clare by Gerard Thomas Straub (St Anthony Messenger Press) One of the more fulsome accounts of the life of Francis and Claire and the meaning of their mission told as travelogue and confessional by an ex-television producer turned novelist. It is an inspiring account of the Saint’s message as it guided the inward journey of a apostate back into the living mystery of his faith.

As St. Francis is a man for all Ages, This book can be read on so many levels. As a straightforward biography of Sts. Francis and Clare it offers a modern no nonsense rendering of the lives of Assisi's greatest progeny. The chapters on Francis and Clare have a spiritual depth that would enhance the formation and understanding of any inquirer into the lives and spirituality of these two great saints.

Straub's honesty and openness in describing his own personal journey from being an atheist to a believer with a special evangelical vocation, the insightful musings of his Pilgrim's Diary, the history of the churches of Assisi all add up to a tour de force. I believe this book will have a great appeal to the general reader in addition to those with a special love for Franciscan and spiritual themes.

Certain parts of the book radiate incandescently. The rule of synergy states that the "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts." And yet, there are so many "parts" in this book that seem to stand alone in excellence at least equal to the power and depth of the whole. The treatment of Francis' timeless elegy to his God's creations, The Canticle of the Creatures, is truly inspired. The poem's majesty is wonderfully underscored by Staub's personal reflections and those the of other writers are quoted in praise and awe of St. Francis' spiritually poetic genius. In closing his reflection on the canticle with Fr. Eloi Leclerc's The Language of the Soul's Night, Straub poignantly illustrates how St. Francis was as relevant in elevating souls in the rawest and most dire moments of the twentieth century as he was in the past and, most assuredly, will be in the future.

A specific charism of the Franciscan is to be able to shed the layers of meaningless diversions, vanities and preoccupations that restrict us from either confronting or exposing the truths and essential realities of our lives. Straub is able, in the most literary and articulate fashion, to expose his spiritual (human) doubts and shortcomings as he grapples with the profound search for meaning in his life. His "inner life" is shared with the reader in the most intimate terms without apology or embarrassment. I felt privileged to become a part of Straub's journey and reveled in the awareness of how much we humans have in common with each other

 The Prayer of Saint Francis: A Message of Peace for the World Today by Leonardo Boff (Orbis Books) Boff provides demystification of the Prayer of Saint Francis while showing how deeply reflective of scripture and the universal longings of humankind for recognition of our innate dignity.

 Hope Against Darkness: The Transforming Vision of Saint Francis of Assisi in an Age of Anxiety by Richard Rohr (St Anthony Messenger Press) Richard Rohr is a modern prophet calling us to change our ways. Rohr paints a critical picture of the prevailing thought, culture and attitudes of the present-day west—which he calls “The Postmodern Opportunity”—including our cultural biases, our embrace of victimhood, our often fearful attitudes toward one another and toward the Church and religion in general. Rohr offers hope in introducing the Franciscan path of transformation, the “new way of being that would change the face of history.”

Rohr describes how following Saint Francis’ way to forgiveness and love, and “owning the darkness,” can bring us out of the postmodern pit in which we find ourselves.

Contents
PART ONE: THE CURRENT DILEMNA
Chapter One: The Postmodern Opportunity
Chapter Two: Beyond Victimhood
Chapter Three: Great Awakenings
Chapter Four: Transformation
Chapter Five: The Cosmic Egg of Meaning
Chapter Six: Getting a Whole New Head
PART TWO: FRANCIS THE REBUILDER
Chapter Seven: Francis of Assisi: Showing the Way Toward Reconstruction
PART THREE: FINDING A THIRD WAY
Chapter Eight: What is Your Window on Reality?
Chapter Nine: The Great Chain of Being
Chapter Ten: The Power of Forgiveness
Chapter Eleven: Limits are Good Teachers
Chapter Twelve: Living With Darkness
Chapter Thirteen: Modern Models of Reconstruction
A RECONSTRUCTIONIST CREED
EPILOGUE  

In this attractive volume, Mayo tells the legend of St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). The son of a wealthy merchant, Francis renounced his hopes for chivalrous heroism and life of ease to live simply as Christ had lived, praying and helping others. Besides the story of Francis’ life, the book also includes three long tales and five short ones related to the saint. The volume ends with a poem written and set to music by St. Francis, "The Canticle of Brother Sun," and an account of what happened after his death as his becoming recognized as a Saint It is a highly readable and aesthetically appealing portrait of St. Francis well worth owning.

This first volume of a projected 3 volume edition of documents pertaining to the life and order of Saint Francis will easily become the source for all followers of Christ through the inspiration of this timeless saint. It provides the best translations and most recent scholarship on the life and times of the saint.