What is compassion and how does it emerge in the human heart? What moves one to compassion? Can we learn compassion as a way of life? Can we let go of our fears to love more deeply?

Compassion guides us through the life of Francis, tracing his growth from a selfish, materialistic young man to the humble, holy saint beloved by millions. With this book as your guide, you can do simple things every day to discover a more compassionate, open, fearless, and loving life—just as St. Francis did.

ILIA DELIO, O.S.F., is a senior fellow at WoodStock Theological Center at Georgetown University where she concentrates in the area of science and religion. Prior to WoodStock she was professor and chair of spirituality studies at Washington Theological Union where she taught in the areas of general spirituality, Franciscan theology, and science and religion. She holds a doctorate in pharmacology from New Jersey Medical School-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and a doctorate in historical theology from Fordham University. She is the author of eleven books, including The Humility of God, Christ in Evolution, and Care for Creation, which won two Catholic Press Book Awards in 2009. Her latest books include The Emergent Christ: Exploring the Meaning of Catholic in an Evolutionary Universe (Orbis).