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;
It is in dying to self that we are born to
eternal life.
Ave Maria! Today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved saints of all time. The above "Peace Prayer of St. Francis" attributed to him is prayed daily by millions throughout the world. While it's been established that St. Francis did not write this prayer, his name remains attached to it, and for good reason, because this prayer sums up how he lived his life. Indeed, it has been said that St. Francis lived this prayer. The Web is full of excellent articles about him and his life, such as here, here, here, here, and here. Even the New York Times weighs in here, reporting that the Peace Prayer of St. Francis "became wildly popular only after it was reprinted in L’Osservatore Romano in 1916 at the behest of Pope Benedict XV, who wanted a prayer for peace in the throes of World War I." How accurate that statement is, I don't know -- perhaps one day when I have nothing else to do I can check it out. Meanwhile, through the grace of God who gave us this poor, humble, joyful saint, I will continue to pray and will strive to live this prayer each day of my life. And especially today, I will remember and pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis!
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. ~Matthew 5:3
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