Prayer of St. Francis

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. Where there is sadness, joy. 

Divine God, 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.

I will always think of this as "Jim's Prayer." Jim Sullivan was an English teacher and Baseball Coach at Los Angeles Lutheran Jr/Sr High School where I taught years ago. Jim had it memorized, which always amazed me. Most of us are lucky if we get the Lord's Prayer memorized. He used it in meetings , devotions and chapels. He'd grown up in Catholic schools in New York where he learned it.

St.Francis and Jim were both examples of the values Francis has us ask from God. I would like to try to memorize this prayer because prayer transforms us and I want God to use this prayer to make me more able to live out this prayer.

Ideas for Lent; Saint Francis' Prayer- for others

I lost a former colleague last year who, even though he taught at a Lutheran high school, had grown up Catholic. Whenever it was his turn to lead a prayer or give a devotion at faculty meetings he pulled out a beautiful prayer written by Saint Francis. I shouldn't say he "pulled it out," because he never had a printed copy, he had it committed to memory. I always admired that and have tired, but haven't succeeded yet, to memorize it myself.

I've posted this prayer on this blog before, but an idea occurred to me the other day that I'd like to share today. The idea is one I've had before- Click here to see the post I wrote about praying the Lord's Prayer for someone else. So here it is, think of someone you'd like to bless, someone who needs your prayers, and pray the prayer of St. Francis for them:

Lord, make ________________ an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred let he/she sow love
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is doubt, faith:
Where there is despair, hope:
Where there is darkness, light:
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that ________________ may 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:
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

Spoiled rich kid who gave it all away

This is the day, February 24, when in 1209 Francis of Assisi believed that God called him to a life of poverty and preaching the Gospel.

Born in Assisi, Italy in 1182, Saint Francis probably didn’t ever go to school, but his dad was a rich merchant. That meant that he could live the life of a playboy when he was young. Then he was held captive for more than a year by another city-state at war with Assisi.

As a prisoner of war, he suffered from a terrible illness. He decided to change his ways. When he got home he helped lepers and helped rebuild churches. His father thought that he was wasting his money. He was so angry with Francis that he disinherited him. Francis became a priest. He continued to serve a leper colony and to restore old churches.

On this day, during Mass, he believed that he heard God tell him to go into the world, owning nothing, but doing good everywhere, just like Jesus told His original 12 Apostles in Matthew 10:5-14.

That same year he began a preaching ministry. 12 men became sort of disciples to him. They became the original monks in the Franciscan order.

He tried to do missionary work in Spain to preach to the Moors (Muslims). In 1219 he went to Egypt, where he preached to the sultan. From there he journeyed to “the Holy Land,” what is Israel today.

Now, as a Lutheran, I believe that the only mediator Christians need between ourselves and God the Father, is God the Son, Jesus Christ- be that as it may, we non-Catholic Christians can certainly learn a lot from early Church leaders and saints like Francis. For one thing, he set a tremendous example. Why does Matthew 10:5-14 or the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 have to only apply to Jesus’ original 12 disciples. Shouldn’t everyone who claims to believe in Jesus want to go out and continue His ministry?

Francis also left us a tremendous gift in a famous prayer that he wrote. I had a colleague who taught with me at a Lutheran school, who grew up in a community of staunch Irish Catholics. He always amazed me not just by the fact that he had this pray memorized, but in spite of knowing it so well, he always recited it with such genuine passion and commitment. It was never stale or rote. Too often too many of us mumble through the words of prayers as if we’re only going through the motions.

It’s a beautiful prayer and if you’re one for learning prayers by heart and you’ve already got the Lord’s prayer, the serenity prayer, or the Jabez prayer down pat, this is one which will no doubt bring you great comfort and I hope you’ll treasure:

“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
Where there is sadness . . .joy
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,
It is in dying . . .that we are born to eternal life”
In Jesus’ name,
Amen"

Franciscan view on impeachment

This was a fascinating find- a older gentleman who calls himself a "secular Franciscan," blogged the following at: http://sfojourney.blogspot.com

NeoCons and Christ

There is a good read I came across on Jim Wallis' blog. It's entitled, "NeoConservativism and Christain Faith. I enjoyed reading it. I'm grateful that there are Christians like Jim Wallis. I read yesterday that Senator Hagel is talking impeachment of the president if he can't be held accountable. I don't think it's if. There is no doubt that George Bush is and has been off the reservation for some time. I also think it'll be the Republicans who will wind up impeaching him after we go to war with Iran. The Democrats don't have the stomach or the political will. We really only have one effective political party in the United States these days. We've become dangerously like the old Soviet Union. We have become a one party system. The Democrats have become the "New Jersey Generals" of politics.

As I understand it, a "secular Franciscan" is simply a lay-person (not a priest or monk) who practices a Christianity as understood and taught by St. Francis of Assisi, one of my favorite Catholic Saints (I'm Lutheran). Here is the beautiful Prayer of St. Francis.

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:
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may 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:
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen