Lenten Campaign 2025
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For the first time ever, English-speaking readers can delve into the life and writings of one of the Church’s most visionary missionaries. The Memoirs of Blessed Ramon Llull, newly translated by Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB, is now available, offering a firsthand account of a man whose tireless zeal for evangelization helped shape European and Middle Eastern history.
This long-awaited translation brings Llull’s personal reflections to a modern audience, revealing both his triumphs and struggles. In his own words, he recounts the radical call that led him from a life of wealth and privilege to one of total dedication to Christ. His mission: to bring the Gospel to the Muslim world, not through violence or force, but through dialogue, reason, and love.
One of the most striking elements of The Memoirs is Llull’s plea to Pope Clement V and the College of Cardinals. Recognizing that true evangelization required cultural and linguistic understanding, he urged the Church to establish monastic academies where missionaries could learn Arabic and other languages. Though his request was ultimately denied, his vision was centuries ahead of its time.
Alongside his memoirs, this edition also includes substantial excerpts from his Booklet About the End, in which Llull explores the ultimate purpose of life: union with God. These writings offer a glimpse into the mind of a man who not only sought to share the Gospel but lived every moment in pursuit of divine truth.
Why does this matter?
Blessed Ramon Llull (c. 1232–1315) was a scholar, missionary, and martyr whose impact on Christian thought and evangelization cannot be overstated. A lay Franciscan, he authored over 300 works spanning theology, philosophy, and logic. He pioneered a method of interfaith dialogue that sought to engage rather than conquer — a revolutionary idea for his time.
After multiple missions to North Africa, he was eventually stoned by a mob in Tunisia and died from his injuries. Today, he is honored as the first missionary martyr to the Muslim world.
His writings, long overshadowed by history, are now accessible to English readers for the first time. The Memoirs of Blessed Ramon Llull is not just a historical document — it is a testimony of perseverance, courage, zeal, and faith. For anyone seeking to live boldly for Christ, Llull’s story is one that must be read.
Who was Blessed Ramon Llull?
Born around 1232 in Mallorca, Spain, Ramon Llull was a courtier, poet, and nobleman until a profound conversion experience led him to renounce his wealth and dedicate his life to Christ. He became a philosopher, theologian, and one of the earliest proponents of interfaith dialogue.
Llull believed that reason and love, rather than force, were the keys to evangelization. He mastered Arabic and wrote extensively on logic, theology, and mysticism — including his famed Art of Finding Truth. He traveled multiple times to North Africa to preach the Gospel, facing imprisonment and persecution.
In 1315, at nearly 80 years old, Llull embarked on his final mission to Tunisia. He was beatified in 1847, and his legacy endures as a model of courageous and intelligent evangelization.
And today we celebrate...