Francis with Jon Sweeney

About this sermon

How do we put the genius of St. Francis to work in our own lives? In this final episode of our Third Season, Richard takes us through Chapter 13 of Eager to Love, "Francis: A Natural Spiritual Genius". Mike, Drew, and Paul then engage in a rich conversation with author Jon Sweeney, who shares his journey of writing about St. Francis and how it has shaped his understanding of compassion and sensitivity in daily life. The discussion emphasizes the importance of navigating the complexities of living out spiritual values in a world filled with challenges. Sweeney highlights the radical love inherent in Franciscan spirituality and the significance of daily practice in living out these principles. The conversation also touches on Francis' critique of social structures and his solidarity with the suffering of the world, culminating in the emotional depth of his teachings that intertwine love and wound. Jon M. Sweeney is an award-winning author and independent scholar. His books on Franciscan spirituality have sold a quarter million copies. He’s also the author of forty books on spirituality, mysticism, biography, and memoir including Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart, coauthored with Mark S. Burrows and, Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life and Practices. Jon is religion editor at Monkfish Book Publishing, editor of Living City magazine, and the book reviewer at SpiritualityandPractice.com. Hosted by CAC Staff: Paul Swanson, Drew Jackson, and Mike Petrow Resources: • Grab a copy of Eager to Love here (https://store.cac.org/products/eager-to-love-the-alternative-way-of-francis-of-assisi-1) . • The transcript for this episode can be found here (https://cac.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/EB_S2_E14_JonSweeney_Transcript.pdf) . • Pick up a copy of Jon's book, The Complete Francis of Assisi: His Life, The Complete Writings, and The Little Flowers, here (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Francis-Assisi-Writings-Paraclete/dp/1612616887) . • Find Jon's book, St. Francis of Assisi: His Life, Teachings, and Practice, here (https://www.amazon.com/St-Francis-Assisi-Teachings-Essential/dp/125020965X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=)