Peace of Heart: 30 Days with Francis of Assisi

This month-long journey of morning and evening reflections provides a window into the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, the renowned father of environmentalism. This beloved twelfth-century saint found true peace only when he abandoned all his worldly possessions and ordered his life around the care of those in society who were most poor and vulnerable.

Each book in the 30 Days with a Great Spiritual Teacher series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity's most beloved spiritual guides. For each day there is a brief and accessible morning meditation drawn from the mystic's writings, a simple mantra for use throughout the day, and a night prayer to focus one's thoughts as the day ends. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers.

St. Francis of Assisi lived during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries and is honored by the Catholic Church as the patron saint of animals and ecology. He was born to a wealthy merchant family whose expectation was that Francis would follow his father in the cloth trade. After receiving a vision in which Christ asked him to repair His Church, Francis abandoned all his possessions and began ministering to the poor and the marginalized. Tradition holds that Francis's love for the natural world led him to preach to man and beast alike that it is the joy and duty of all creatures to praise God and to act as wise stewards of creation.

John Kirvan writes primarily about classical spirituality. He conceived the 30 Days with A Great Spiritual Teacher series and has authored most of its fifteen titles. Kirvan's other recent books include God Hunger, Silent Hope, Raw Faith, and There Is a God, There Is No God (Ave Maria Press).

Caroline Myss, author of numerous books including the best-selling Anatomy of the Spirit, wrote the foreword for all of the repackaged books in the 30 Days with a Great Spiritual Teacher series. She also tours internationally as a speaker on spirituality.