Overview

Inspired by a vivid account of St. Francis at prayer - where he didn’t merely pray but became prayer - Becoming Prayer introduces readers to the heart of Franciscan spirituality. Drawing on the enduring wisdom of Francis, Clare, and generations of Franciscans, including voices like Richard Rohr and Ilia Delio, it offers a rich and accessible introduction to prayer as a way of life. From moments of thanksgiving and praise to silent contemplation, readers will learn how to pray not just in church, but in every moment. Simon Cocksedge and Nicholas Alan Worssam ssf explore communal practices such as the Daily Office, liturgy, and online gatherings, and delve into prayer rooted in Scripture—through the Passion, the Stations of the Cross, and the Rosary. They also embrace the stillness of solitude: night time reflection, silence, and the Jesus Prayer. Inspired by The Canticle of the Sun, Becoming Prayer invites readers to experience prayer through a deep connection with creation. It shows how prayer transcends words and rituals, becoming a lived reality through simplicity, perseverance, and the pursuit of peace and reconciliation. Sacred spaces - both physical and spiritual - are honoured as places of encounter with the divine. Rooted in a tradition that speaks powerfully to today’s world, and published in a milestone year for Franciscans globally, this is an invitation to an ancient yet ever-renewing journey of prayer.

Full Product Details

9781786226198

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A timely and beautifully written volume, Becoming Prayer: A Franciscan Guide offers the reader a detailed yet gentle tour of the incredibly rich spiritual treasury which is the Franciscan tradition on prayer. Simon Cocksedge and Br Nicholas Alan help the reader to pray with St. Francis and the other great Franciscan saints, while also introducing the reader to some of the key aspects of wider Franciscan spirituality"". -- William Crozier ""I really liked this book! I found it gentle and easy to read while also focussing me very much in a prayer mode so that I morphed gently into a peaceful sense of being in God's presence. That seems to me more than enough to ask for from a book on praying!"" -- Sr Frances Teresa OSC ""In an age of religious pluralism, climate crisis and Christian nationalism the teachings of the Franciscan tradition on prayer are a benchmark of sanity. Simon Cocksedge and Nicholas Alan Worssam, devout Franciscans, write in a lucid and accessible style in Becoming Prayer of the challenges and delights of prayer as St. Francis practiced and lived it....a heartening resource employing a modern sensibility. Franciscan spirituality is not eccentric, it speaks to the heart of human life, and has done all along. The life and example of Francis in his prayer and relating to God is as provocative and heartening today as it was 800 years ago."" -- Clark Berge SSF ""This is a book rich in content, and aided by thoughtful questions that will repay individual or group study. Franciscans and non-Franciscans alike will find their engagement with this book richly repaid in 'becoming prayer'. "" -- Christopher Chessun ""There is perhaps no greater model of Christian prayer than Francis of Assisi. This new book invites readers to get to know Francis and his style of prayer, which became about far more than mere words spoken to God - he strove to become a 'living prayer,' one whose whole life communicated something of the glory and mercy of God! Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, this book will provide you with food for thought and resources for the soul."" -- Daniel P. Horan

""A timely and beautifully written volume, Becoming Prayer: A Franciscan Guide offers the reader a detailed yet gentle tour of the incredibly rich spiritual treasury which is the Franciscan tradition on prayer. Simon Cocksedge and Br Nicholas Alan help the reader to pray with St. Francis and the other great Franciscan saints, while also introducing the reader to some of the key aspects of wider Franciscan spirituality"". -- William Crozier ""I really liked this book! I found it gentle and easy to read while also focussing me very much in a prayer mode so that I morphed gently into a peaceful sense of being in God's presence. That seems to me more than enough to ask for from a book on praying!"" -- Sr Frances Teresa OSC ""In an age of religious pluralism, climate crisis and Christian nationalism the teachings of the Franciscan tradition on prayer are a benchmark of sanity. Simon Cocksedge and Nicholas Alan Worssam, devout Franciscans, write in a lucid and accessible style in Becoming Prayer of the challenges and delights of prayer as St. Francis practiced and lived it....a heartening resource employing a modern sensibility. Franciscan spirituality is not eccentric, it speaks to the heart of human life, and has done all along. The life and example of Francis in his prayer and relating to God is as provocative and heartening today as it was 800 years ago."" -- Clark Berge SSF

""A timely and beautifully written volume, Becoming Prayer: A Franciscan Guide offers the reader a detailed yet gentle tour of the incredibly rich spiritual treasury which is the Franciscan tradition on prayer. Simon Cocksedge and Br Nicholas Alan help the reader to pray with St. Francis and the other great Franciscan saints, while also introducing the reader to some of the key aspects of wider Franciscan spirituality"". -- William Crozier

Author Information

Dr Simon Cocksedge is a Third Order Franciscan, a medical doctor academic and a priest. Nicholas Alan Worssam ssf studied theology at Cambridge and taught at Seoul Anglican University before joining the Franciscans. He is Guardian of Glasshampton Monastery, the order’s house of prayer. He is a contributor to Seeing Differently and is an Honorary Canon of Worcester Cathedral.

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