The first thing to say about this prayer is that it is not by St. Francis of Assisi, who died in Assisi, Italy in 1226 A.D. at only 45. The prayer first appeared in 1917, and the author is unknown. We may assume that the author, surely an admirer of St. Francis, attributed the prayer to him because it is the kind of prayer Francis would pray. It is reflective of the values Francis treasured and the kind of life he lived.
Born of wealthy parents, Francis lived a luxurious life until he suffered a serious illness, after which he turned to religion with consummate dedication, and with a resolve to live like Christ as nearly as possible. He saw this as living in abject poverty, even if this may not have been the way Christ lived. As far as is known he was the first person in history to receive the stigmata, the marks of Christ's crucifixion on his body. He preached in the streets, ministered to the poor, and lived among lepers. Even though he felt called to preach, he was never ordained as a priest. He nevertheless gained the reputation of being eminently Christlike, and gained followers to his austere way of life. This led to the Franciscan Order in the Roman Catholic Church, an Order that still exists, one committed to a life of poverty and a mission to the poor. He was made the patron saint of animals and the environment.
As for the poem itself, it is far more than a poem. It is a worldview, a philosophy of life that scores selfish pride and emphasizes service to others. In calling for mutual love, forgiveness, compassion, and joy it provides the basis for universal brotherhood. It calls for values that have the power to restore common decency to a world afflicted by hate and distrust. We would all do well to keep a copy nearby for frequent reference, and to hold it before our children and grandchildren as a mandate on how to live in such a world as ours, And as an example of beautiful literature — English that sparkles!
Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
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.
Born of wealthy parents, Francis lived a luxurious life until he suffered a serious illness, after which he turned to religion with consummate dedication, and with a resolve to live like Christ as nearly as possible. He saw this as living in abject poverty, even if this may not have been the way Christ lived. As far as is known he was the first person in history to receive the stigmata, the marks of Christ's crucifixion on his body. He preached in the streets, ministered to the poor, and lived among lepers. Even though he felt called to preach, he was never ordained as a priest. He nevertheless gained the reputation of being eminently Christlike, and gained followers to his austere way of life. This led to the Franciscan Order in the Roman Catholic Church, an Order that still exists, one committed to a life of poverty and a mission to the poor. He was made the patron saint of animals and the environment.
As for the poem itself, it is far more than a poem. It is a worldview, a philosophy of life that scores selfish pride and emphasizes service to others. In calling for mutual love, forgiveness, compassion, and joy it provides the basis for universal brotherhood. It calls for values that have the power to restore common decency to a world afflicted by hate and distrust. We would all do well to keep a copy nearby for frequent reference, and to hold it before our children and grandchildren as a mandate on how to live in such a world as ours, And as an example of beautiful literature — English that sparkles!
Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
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.
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