Hailing as he did from the wealthy Bernardone family of Assisi, Francis had everything going for him, all the luxuries in the world he would ever want or need. But his decision to give it all up just to be rich in the eyes of God was a decision that was so revolutionary as to be shocking both to his immediate family as well as to the world of his time. And yet, there was a purpose, a God-given purpose that prompted him to do exactly what he did. It is that purpose that this book seeks to expound. In the process, Francis emerges a saint not merely of the altars but of the commonality of God’s human creation, whereby becoming Christ-like appears both humanly possible and significant. In essence, living becomes for Francis a fraternal link between man and nature, and dying becomes an embrace with ‘sister death'. So shall it be for the reader, too.