St. Francis, Paperbacks and Road Trips
Dear Everyone,Recently, I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for Miss Tamie of The Book Hookup, on the subject of Muses. You can read the post and see the artwork I included here.
Last week, I mentioned a Book Club that put together a list of refreshments to accompany each chapter of "Gabriel's Inferno."
These week, I want to mention a reader who took her copy of my novel to Assisi. You can see the photographs she shared with me above.
Assisi is a special city to me and to many other people. It was the home of St. Francis and today, it houses the great Basilica, in which he is buried. You can view a short video of the crypt here.
St. Francis was not only a generous and holy man, he was very wise. He had compassion for the sick, generosity for the poor, a respect for nature and an affection for animals. You can read more about his life and what Dante thought about him here. Perhaps one of his best known writings is his prayer of peace:
"Lord make me
an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, Joy.
O Divine Master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood,
As to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are
Born to eternal life."
You can listen to a musical version of St. Francis' prayer performed by Sarah McLachlan, here.
If you have a photograph of your copy of "Gabriel's Inferno" (either paperback or e-reader) that you'd like to send to me, you can do so by emailing me through this site, or sending it to me via Twitter or Facebook.
Where would you like to take the Professor? Where do you think he should go? I look forward to your pictures.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
PS. The lovely ladies of KLB Virtual Events are hosting a book blog tour for me from September 19 - October 3. There will be interviews, book reviews and giveaways. I'll be posting more details soon.
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No worries, Miss SMC. And thanks so much for your comments.Assisi truly is a peaceful place.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
Considering how to enter the photo challenge...
Assisi became my favorite place in Italy (though it had some tough competition from Florence and Rome). St. Francis is among my favorite historical and religious figures, so I was thrilled to visit last year during our vacation.
I’ve admired St. Francis ever since I learned about him as a kid, and even though I’m no longer Catholic, his life and works continue to inspire me. The church I attended as a teenager was staffed by Franciscans, and I’m deeply indebted to them for the spiritual guidance they provided me at the times I really needed it.
I think I became so fond of St. Francis because of his love of animals. He was the first saint I’d read about who spoke of caring for all God’s creatures. I greatly respect the sacrifices St. Francis made in his life, as well as his humility. His example of finding peace and serenity through charitable works are the perfect antidote for those times when I get too bogged down in my own problems.
The Basilica moved me to tears. As tranquil as it is, there’s a power there that is unlike any I’d felt in any other church. It was a privilege for me to pray at his crypt.
I enjoyed the Sara McLachlan video. I’d never heard that version, though I’ve sung the hymn many times.
Thank you for posting this, SR.
(I cross-posted my response from your blog here. I hope that's okay.)