Refl ection

—St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Feast Day: August 14

The comfort of the cross. Death giving way to resurrection and eternal life. The poor and meek are blessed beyond all. The last will be fi rst, and the fi rst will be last. Christianity is fi lled with mysteries and paradoxes that seemingly defy understanding. How do we make sense of it all?

In Paschal Paradox: Refl ections on a Life of Spiritual Evolution, internationally acclaimed author and speaker Diarmuid O’Murchu explores these ideas, grounding them with his own life experiences, to offer a provocative new take on the questions that confound skeptics and believers alike. Part memoir and part meditation, Paschal Paradox digs deep into the author’s life before soaring to grapple with the big transpersonal ideas inspired by each personal story.

If this isn’t a timely purchase, please consider ordering directly from our online store. It will take a little longer to arrive, but it will benefi t the nonprofi t work of Franciscan Media, spreading the Gospel through our resources to thousands every day.

PO Box 292309 Kettering, OH 45429-0309 StAnthonyMessenger.org

“ Words, images, intuitions about Francesco so artfully assembled that thousands have breathed the pine-scented Umbrian air and glimpsed—however fl eetingly— the sun-drenched horizons of the soul’s longing.” —Margaret Carney, OSF

In 1972, a young Franciscan friar named Murray Bodo wrote a captivating book about the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis: The Journey and the Dream offered readers a unique combination of lyrical prose and brief, absorbing vignettes that inspired hundreds of thousands of people all over the world to contemplate the life of the famous saint and see him in a new way. Fifty years and over 200,000 copies later, this book still captivates people everywhere, and Father Bodo is still writing about St. Francis and the Franciscan way of life. His poetic style continues to draw readers in, and he himself continues to gaze in wonder at the saint who worked nearly his entire life to rebuild the Church. This special anniversary edition includes a new preface in which Father Bodo refl ects on a half century spent immersed in the Franciscan way.

Franciscan Media books are available wherever books are sold, and every sale supports our mission of sharing God’s love in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Buying directly from our online store is the most direct and eff ective way to show your support with your purchase.