Saint Francis of Assisi: A Biography


Read by dave7

(4.8 stars; 35 reviews)

Born to a prosperous cloth merchant of Assisi, Francis (1182-1226) lived the typically high-spirited life of a wealthy young man of his day, which included fighting as a soldier. In 1205, while away at war, he experienced a vision that beckoned him return to Assisi, where he soon lost his taste for the worldly life and began to live a life of evangelical poverty in imitation of Jesus Christ. He embarked upon a pilgrimage to Rome, where he begged for alms alongside the poor at St. Peter's Basilica. Upon his return to Assisi, be began to preach in the town square and soon acquired a curious following which blossomed into a worldwide religious order. The Franciscans sparked a spiritual revival that enlightened the Dark Ages and that continues even into our day.

Johannes Jorgensen (1866–1956) is best known outside his native Denmark for his popular biography of St. Francis of Assisi, which he wrote in 1907. As a student in Copenhagen, he searched in vain for truth in various secular and spiritual philosophies. But his 1894 visit to Assisi, with his friend Mogens Ballin, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, led to a turning point in Jorgensen's own spiritual life and quest for truth and marked the beginning of his fervent love for Francis, a love that became the preoccupation of his life and led to his conversion to Catholicism in 1896. His timeless biography of Francis of Assisi continues to inspire readers from all creeds and cultures. (Adapted from Wikipedia) (12 hr 46 min)

Chapters

00 – Author's Preface 7:39 Read by dave7
01 – Bk. I, Chap. 1, The Convalescent 10:38 Read by dave7
02 – Bk. I, Chap. 2, Infancy and Youth 23:27 Read by dave7
03 – Bk. I, Chap. 3, History of the Epoch 7:55 Read by dave7
04 – Bk. I, Chap. 4, Francis Becomes a Soldier 12:58 Read by dave7
05 – Bk. I, Chap. 5, The Conversion 22:37 Read by dave7
06 – Bk. I, Chap. 6, The Message in San Damiano 17:23 Read by dave7
07 – Bk. I, Chap. 7, The Abandonment of His Home and Father 35:54 Read by dave7
08 - Bk. II, Chap. 1, The First Disciples 37:22 Read by dave7
09 - Bk. II, Chap. 2, The Foundations of the Order 44:38 Read by dave7
10 - Bk. II, Chap. 3, Rivo Torto 22:55 Read by dave7
11 - Bk. II, Chap. 4, Portiuncula and the Early Disciples 43:55 Read by dave7
12 - Bk. II, Chap. 5, Saint Clara and San Damiano 46:41 Read by dave7
13 - Bk. III, Chap. 1, The Sermon to the Birds 15:10 Read by dave7
14 - Bk. III, Chap. 2, Missionary Journeys 32:36 Read by dave7
15 - Bk. III, Chap. 3, The Portiuncula Indulgence 21:38 Read by dave7
16 - Bk. III, Chap. 4, Chapters and Provinces 14:19 Read by dave7
17 - Bk. III, Chap. 5, Cardinal Hugolin 20:47 Read by dave7
18 - Bk. III, Chap. 6, The Missionaries 23:41 Read by dave7
19 - Bk. III, Chap. 7, The Foreign Missions and the Chapter of Mats 23:43 Read by dave7
20 - Bk. III, Chap. 8, Rules and Admonitions 31:25 Read by dave7
21 - Bk. III, Chap. 9, Saint Francis and Learning 22:52 Read by dave7
22 - Bk. III, Chap. 10, The Learned Franciscans and the Third Order 23:53 Read by dave7
23 - Bk. III, Chap. 11, Elias of Cortona and the Final Rule 22:12 Read by dave7
24 - Bk. III, Chap. 12, The Last Visit to Rome and the Crib at Greccio 13:23 Read by dave7
25 - Bk. IV, Chap. 1, The Writer 19:20 Read by dave7
26 - Bk. IV, Chap. 2, The Spiritual Life 15:20 Read by dave7
27 - Bk. IV, Chap. 3, The True Disciple 26:35 Read by dave7
28 - Bk. IV, Chap. 4, La Verna and the Stigmata 24:28 Read by dave7
29 - Bk. IV, Chap. 5, The Farewell to the Brethren 15:00 Read by dave7
30 - Bk. IV, Chap. 6, Francis, the Lover of Nature 16:28 Read by dave7
31 - Bk. IV, Chap. 7, Francis' Last Testament, Illness and Death 45:25 Read by dave7
32 - Bk. IV, Chap. 8, The End 4:25 Read by dave7

Reviews

Convicting and Encouraging


(5 stars)

this book and saint farncises life changed my life. many lessons to be learned through his life!

excellent!


(5 stars)

Excellent narration! Good speed and tone! Brought the story of this blessed man and saint alive!


(5 stars)

Inspiring and read with calm assurance and poignant reverence by the reader - thank you.

a blessing!


(5 stars)

Listen with your heart to the story of this child of God!