Prayer of St. Francis
St. Francis has been called the most beloved saint with good reason. As he followed the command to rebuild the Church, he introduced radical concepts of love for Lady Poverty, devotion to the Earth and holiness that made him worthy of the stigmata. This simple man composed the beautiful prayer that bears his name:
"St. Francis" by Francisco Zurbaran
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. Amen
May 25th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
The Holy Spirit is inspiring many to return to the original rule and vision of St. Francis, and for the same reason–to renew the church by embracing penance with holy joy. As Jesus told him in his vision: “Francis, rebuild my church, which you can see is in ruins.”
One of these groups is The Brothers and Sisters of Penance of St. Francis: http://www.bspenance.org. May God lead many to become a sign of contradiction in this age of excess for the sake of his Body, the Church.
God bless.