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…
Saint Francis of Assisi
The Prayer of Saint Francis
Topic: Serving Others
Lord, make me an instrument of thy 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;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
Saint Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone around 1181 in Assisi, Italy, emerged as a central figure in Catholicism due to his deep spirituality and radical embodiment of Christian ideals. His early life was characterized by opulence, as he was born into a wealthy cloth merchant's family. However, a transformative experience during his youth, marked by a severe illness and imprisonment during a military expedition, catalyzed a profound spiritual awakening. This pivotal moment led him to renounce his family's wealth and embrace a life of poverty. Francis's commitment to living in simplicity and his devotion to Christ were deeply influential in his journey. He adopted a life of mendicancy and piety, often finding solace in remote locations where he prayed and sought spiritual communion.
Francis's spiritual journey was marked by significant milestones, most notably the founding of several religious orders. His initial act of repairing a dilapidated chapel in Assisi was symbolic of his broader mission to rejuvenate the Christian Church. He founded the Order of Friars Minor, a congregation committed to the ideals of poverty, humility, and the preaching of the Gospel. His charisma and genuine love for all of God's creation, including animals and the environment, attracted a diverse following. Additionally, he established the Order of Saint Clare (Poor Clares) for women, and the Third Order of Saint Francis for laypeople, expanding his influence across various strata of medieval society. His contributions culminated in the Custody of the Holy Land, emphasizing his commitment to safeguarding Christian holy places.
Regarded as one of the most venerated religious figures in history, Saint Francis's legacy extends far beyond the Franciscan orders he founded. His teachings and life story resonate with themes of universal love, compassion, and a profound connection with nature. His stigmata, a mystical experience of receiving the wounds of Christ, further cemented his status as a spiritual luminary. Francis’s teachings, particularly his emphasis on living in harmony with nature and his advocacy for peace and understanding, have transcended religious boundaries, making him a symbol of interfaith harmony and environmental stewardship. His life and teachings continue to inspire countless individuals across the globe, embodying the essence of selfless service and humility. Saint Francis of Assisi's life narrative is a testament to the transformative power of faith and the enduring impact of living a life dedicated to spiritual principles and altruistic values.
The Prayer of Saint Francis
Easwaran, Eknath. God Makes the Rivers to Flow: an Anthology of the World's Sacred Poetry & Prose. Nilgiri Press, 2009, p. 109 [The Prayer of Saint Francis].
Saint Francis of Assisi
About the Prayer of Saint Francis, the Peace Prayer [Commentary]
Quote Investigator: Christian Renoux, an Associate Professor at the University of Orleans, France, investigated the origin of this prayer and was able to trace it back to an appearance in French in a magazine called “La Clochette” in 1912 where it was published anonymously. This research is discussed in a short article titled “The Origin of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis” which is available at a website of “The Franciscan Archive”
There is no compelling support for an attribution to St. Francis. Renoux states that around 1920 the prayer was printed on the back of an image of St. Francis with the title ‘Prière pour la paix’ (Prayer for Peace). This suggests to QI a natural mechanism for the creation of the ascription to St. Francis.
In 1927 a version of the prayer appeared in English in a periodical called “Friends’ Intelligencer” published by the Religious Society of Friends also known as the Quakers. This is the earliest instance in English that QI has located. Immediately preceding the prayer the following attribution was given: “A prayer of St, Francis of Assissi”. Note the spelling of Assisi within the periodical used the letter “s” four times [FAFI]:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
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.
The text of the prayer above has been reformatted for readability. The passage in “Friends’ Intelligencer” was printed in two simple paragraphs with a break at the phrase “O Divine Master”.
In January 1932 a version of the prayer was published and credited to “St. Francis of Assissi” in a weekly titled “Young India”. The editor of this periodical was Mahadev Desai who today is best known for being the personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi. Desai provided the following introductory remark for the prayer [MDYI]:
For us the unworthy followers of Bapu and the Sardar who are today thrown, seemingly leaderless and helpless, in impenetrable darkness, to work towards the life-giving light of Swaraj I cannot think of a better prayer than one I received yesterday from two Christian friends who send their “love and prayers and living faith in the triumph of truth through suffering as part of that sympathy which is being borne out to you all by countless numbers in these very difficult days.”
Eknath Easwaran About the Prayer of Saint Francis
Francis Bernadone, perhaps the most universally loved of Christian saints, was born in Assisi, Italy*. At age twenty-two, after a sudden illness that brought him almost to the point of death he left his home and inheritance to follow an injunction that he felt he received from Christ himself: “Francis, rebuild my church.” With the eagerness that was the hallmark of his personality, he set about repairing a tiny broken-down chapel on the outskirts of Assisi, begging for stones and singing while he worked. His directness, humility, and uncontainable joy drew others. Within a few years, three great Franciscan orders grew around the monks, nuns, and lay disciples who responded to his example of universal love and selfless service, following the way of Jesus as set forth in the Gospels…
—Eknath Easwaran [God Makes the Rivers to Flow, The Prayer of St. Francis] p. 109.
* St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1181-1226) is probably the most universally loved of Catholic saints. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.”
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