The goal of Franciscans has always been to put the Gospel into action. Whether you are a professed Franciscan of many years or someone just beginning to seek a spiritual understanding of Francis and Clare of Assisi, Live Like Francis will give you the tools you need to live the Gospel--a directive that remains as simple and, at times, confounding, today as it was eight hundred years ago during Francis's life. Through a process of prayer, reflection, study texts, questions and connections to Scripture, you will gain a deeper understanding of the Franciscan way and, through it, the Gospel.

Live Like Francis is, first and foremost, a prayer book. No deep understanding of Jesus, Francis and Clare can be reached without God's direction through prayer. Divided into fifty-two sections, this book encourages you to contemplate one aspect of the Franciscan way each week. You are invited to study the text and suggested additional readings; read selections from the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, which you'll find in various chapters; meditate on questions for reflection; and consider the application to daily life. Heartfelt prayers by Patti Normile from the previous edition (entitled To Live as Francis Lived) round out each section and offer a way to integrate the material into your daily prayer life.

You can live joyfully and humbly in the secular modern world. Week by week, Live Like Francis will help you answer the Gospel's call to simplicity, peace, gratitude and service, and live a life in balance with all of God's creatures.

Leonard Foley, O.F.M., was a popular retreat master and speaker on Catholic identity and Franciscan topics. He wrote the perennial bestseller Believing in Jesus: A Popular Overview of the Catholic Faith.