By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 3/31/05)

FRANCIS OF ASSISI: WRITER AND SPIRITUAL MASTER, by Thaddée Matura, O.F.M., translated by Paul Lachance, O.F.M. St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2005). 82 pp.

St. Francis of Assisi is a popular saint. Known by many as a man who conversed with animals and tamed the wild, his life is almost mythical and stories about him resemble fairy tales.

Franciscan Father Thaddée Matura’s Francis of Assisi: Writer and Spiritual Master, seeks to, in a short book, explain the spirituality of St. Francis and as a result, Franciscan spirituality, but primarily examining the writings of the saint himself.

"I have always felt drawn more to Francis’ own writings." Father Matura is quoted in the foreword by Jean-François Godet-Calogeras "… From the beginning of my life as a Franciscan, I was fascinated by the lyrical nature of the writings, their quasi-liturgical style, and their aura of mysticism."

According to Father Matura, St. Francis insisted on the preservation of his writings, and insisted that they be put into practice. "He was convinced of the power of the word of God, which he had received in faith and to which he had oriented his life," he writes in the preface. "The necessity of transmitting this belief into writing for everyone of every generation was a mission for him."

Matura continues this Franciscan mission through his book, a brief but deep examination of who Francis of Assisi was through his spirituality.

"According to Francis, someone is spiritual when one is under the influence of the Spirit and follows his promptings," Father Matura writes. "To act spiritually means to discern, to judge according to the Spirit, in order than to incarnate it in one’s daily life."

Part one (chapters one and two) examines Francis himself as a writer and his theology and anthropology. Part two (chapters three through six) puts his spirituality to practice.

By beginning chapters with Francis’ words as examples, Father Matura examines Francis’ vision of a Trinitarian God, the role of men and women in God’s plan and an itinerary of life according to the Gospel.

Each part ends with questions for reflection to encourage the reader to compare Francis’ spirituality and teachings to one’s own life.

Francis of Assisi functions as a primer on the saint, giving a short but in-depth introduction into the actual life — not the mythical life — of the saint who chose poverty over richness and loved all of God’s creations. Anyone with an interest in the spirituality of the simple saint will appreciate the examples of his writings provided by Father Matura along with the priest’s explanations that help relate the 13th century writings to present day spirituality.

Francis of Assisi is available at www.amazon.com and catalog.americancatholic.org/.