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
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.
I am honoured to have had all three of my novels appear on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. {
I love Sarah McLachlan and that song is absolutely beautiful. I just downloaded it. Thanks for sharing.
I went to Assisi for the second time at the end of August and it was a wonderful experience. Visiting the Basilica,the crypt and the house of St.Francis is always overwhelming. I took some pictures while there and here there are some of the Basilica and the crypt:
http://twitpic.com/photos/TwiArcady90
I think Assisi is a place that everyone should see, not only for its beauty but also for its calm and peacefulness. While roaming the streets of Assisi, it’s like you can still feel St.Francis presence. Like you could go back to the 13th century.
Sarah McLachlan’s music version of St.Francis prayer is beautiful. One could listen to it for hours on end.
Thanks for this post SR! Looking forward to the next one 🙂
Elena_twiarcady
What a wonderful post. I love the pictures!
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.
Well it looks like the Professor will be going to DisneyWorld with me. That should be fun 😉
Great post as always SR! You never cease to impress me.
Hmmm…Maybe that would sound better if I said… You never fail to impress me.
OH Darling SR, once again you’ve brought tears to my eyes. I used to sing the Prayer at school and our version was so beautiful too. We would sing it at our weekly mass and it would be the one song/prayer that moved me so!
Re: the professor’s world tour. I brought him with me with my ipad to Turkey and NY but did not think of taking pictures. I will be in Rio in a month and I will for sure take one then. Thanks as always, the world is a much better place with someone like you around. Much love as always.
You have such a beautiful soul Sylvain. Your posts feed me for the day and leave me all kinds of emotional. If only we could all spend time in your world. Thanks for sharing your beauty with us.
I had the privilege of travelling to Italy last October. The absolute highlight of my trip was my visit to Assisi. Having been educated by Franciscans my entire school life, I was more excited about that part of my trip than any other. While being present for the Canonisation of St Mary of the Cross was also very special, the pull of Assisi, and the absolute wonder I felt at finally being there, was incredible. I was stunned into silence and quiet reflection as I knelt and prayed in the crypt, and I will admit that some of my thoughts went to the characters you created and the journey that took them to this place. I felt drawn to it, and still do, even though I am now, once again, half a world away. I visited the Basilica and the Crypt many times in the two days I spent in Assisi, and distinctly remember leaving the crypt for the last time – really wishing I had another hour I could spend there in quiet contemplation. Ultimately, for me, the act of me finally leaving that sacred place was a real sense of loss.
I also meant to say that “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” is a hymn I sang regularly while at school. Just last weekend, we sang it at mass and I was very proud to have been able to sing it from memory, not once having to refer to our hymn sheet! LOL… Having been in the school choir for many years, I could even sing the harmonies in my head (but I wasn’t game to sing them aloud anymore!) My children looked at me afterwards and asked, “Mum? What was that song?” I was able to answer them with a smile and by saying that it was a special song from my childhood.
Hello Everyone, Thanks for sharing your comments, photos and also your experiences of visiting Assisi. It truly is an incredible place.
And thanks so much for reading.
All the best,
SR
Wish I had known about this post before. We went to Italy in October, and I would have been more than happy to do this. I have to start looking at when you first started posting. St. Francis’s prayer is one of my favorite. I have his prayer card that was given to me many years ago by a close friend. The prayer sends out an important message to us all.