St. Francis Prayer~

View from the Basilica di San Francesco

     On my acottagebythesea.net I just posted a little summary of the churches dedicated to St. Francis and St. Clare here in Assisi. As I mentioned, in this hill town I am in awe of  the balance of the masculine and the feminine, which clearly manifests St. Francis’ wisdom that we need both energies. Need? What does that mean?

     St. Francis life was about light, about peace, about doing God’s will, about renouncing material things as a need. I could go on, but instead here is his Simple Prayer. At first glance if seems that he is rejecting the masculine energy and embracing the feminine. But I think not. It’s not that simple. I’m going to try to read it every day and see what begins to enter my heart.

---

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 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.