The St. Francis Holy Fool Prayer Book by Jon M. Sweeney
Commendation Quotes:
Review Quotes:
 
"What a treasure for anyone with a Franciscan heart! Jon Sweeney has gathered the folklore and the facts about Francis's unique gift to the world and to the Church and offers them to the reader. We learn that it is a holy 'thing' to be 'foolish.' In our world today which touts accomplishment in all its forms as the ultimate success, Sweeney reminds us of what truly makes a person successful in each one's limited span of years." --  Sr. Mary Petrosky, FMM, Spiritual Director 
"Take a retreat from the absurdity of our busy world to enter more deeply in the foolish peace of God." --  Fr. Daniel P. Horan, author of  God Is Not Fair and Other Reasons for Gratitude 
"This gem of a book reminds us to delight in being called a 'fool, ' for then Fun, Optimism, Openness, and Laughter have blended together in life's treasure chest of 'pure joy.'" --  Sr. Bridget Haase, OSU,  wisdomwonder.comPublisher Marketing:
 
What does it mean to be a fool for Christ? It meant to St. Francis: being small not strong, valuing joy over pleasure, avoiding positions of power, and enjoying rather than avoiding moments of insecurity, fear, and awkwardness. These practices revealed to the first Franciscans how being foolish in the eyes of the world is a sure way to discover a renewed sense of the presence of God. 
Includes a week of daily offices focused on the concept of the Holy Fool and spiritual practices for countercultural living. Contributor Bio:
   Sweeney, Jon M
Jon M. Sweeney
 is an author, husband, and father of four. He has been interviewed on many television programs including CBS Saturday Morning, Fox News, and PBS's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. His popular history  The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation 
was optioned by HBO. He's the author of thirty-five other books, including  The Complete Francis of Assisi
,  When Saint Francis Saved the Church
, the winner of an award in history from the Catholic Press Association, and  The Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started. 
Sweeney is also the author of The Pope's Cat series for children. He presents often at literary and religious conferences, and churches, writes regularly for  America 
in the US and  The Tablet 
in the UK, and is active on social media (Twitter @jonmsweeney; Facebook jonmsweeney).









