Advance Praise for Surrounded by Love A beautiful meditation on the spiritual wisdom of the Poverello and its practical value for today. In this elegantly written book, Murray Bodo brings Francis of Assisi's life experiences and teachings into dialogue with our contemporary world, showing our need for the breathtaking beauty of the Franciscan spiritual and theological visions. --Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ, Franciscan School of Theology Fr. Murray Bodo illuminates the grace of the Franciscan tradition and its ongoing relevance, importance, and timeliness with each of his brilliant and poetic books. Surrounded by Love is both an introduction to and a meditation on the wisdom of St. Francis of Assisi that the world so desperately needs today. This is a must-read book! -- Daniel P. Horan, OFM, author, God is Not Fair and other Reasons for Gratitude and Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St.
Francis . Whether you are new to the Franciscan tradition or deeply rooted in its spirituality, Surrounded by Love is a wonderfully inspiring read. While the stories of St. Francis may be familiar to many, Murray Bodo's storytelling ability and poetic insights give them a renewed character, allowing the reader to enter into the mind and heart of the great saint in a profound way. --Casey Cole, OFM, founder of Breaking in the Habit Media and author of Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God Fr. Murray Bodo has lost nothing of the joy, freshness and vitality that characterized his writing when he was a newly vowed young friar. Yet, his latest work, Surrounded by Love: Seven Teachings from Saint Francis , possesses something else: wisdom. It is a gift received after a lifetime spent serving others: as friar and priest, as pilgrimage leader, as teacher and mentor, as companion to the countless friends he has made around the world.
What emerges here are seven teachings passed on to Fr. Murray through close and intimate relationship not only with St. Francis of Assisi, but with Jesus Christ himself. Thank you, Fr. Murray, for the gift of this newest book. --Bret Thoman, OFS, author of St. Francis of Assisi: Passion, Poverty, and the Man Who Transformed the Catholic Church and St Clare of Assisi: Light from the Cloister To live a Franciscan life, we must live the Gospel and embrace its basic truth. Murray Bodo clearly and poetically expresses how the Franciscan life is to be lived in this seven-part outline of the way St.
Francis of Assisi embraced the Gospel life, underscoring each essential principle with quotes from early Franciscan works. --Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS, editor of CatholicMom.com and managing editor of Today's Catholic Teacher.