The Simple Prayer of Saint Francis is a popular prayer attributed to the 13th-century Catholic Saint Francis of Assisi. Although there is a debate over the prayer’s authorship, it is still widely recited by people of various faiths and origins. Let’s take a closer look at this beautiful prayer and its meaning.

“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.”

In this opening stanza, Saint Francis offers himself as an instrument of peace. He asks for the ability to spread love where there is hatred, forgiveness where there is injury, faith where there is doubt, hope where there is despair, light where there is darkness, and joy where there is sadness. The message here is clear – to bring positive change to the world, we must first start by changing ourselves.

“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.”

The next stanza is a plea to God to grant us the wisdom and grace to help others. Saint Francis asks that he may become an instrument of God’s peace, not seeking to be consoled but to console others, not seeking to be understood, but to understand others. In essence, the prayer focuses on the importance of giving. It is when we give that we receive, and when we pardon others that we ourselves will receive pardon. It is through dying to self that we are born into eternal life – a reference to the Christian belief in the afterlife.

One of the significant themes of The Simple Prayer of Saint Francis is the call to action. It is not enough to sit back and wait for things to happen; we must become proactive in spreading goodwill and kindness. Saint Francis speaks about the urgency of being an instrument of peace right now, in this moment.

As a prayer, The Simple Prayer of Saint Francis calls on us to take action in our lives. In the words of Saint Francis, we are called to become instruments of peace. It encourages us to do good, to help others, to spread love and happiness, and to strive to be better people.

At the end of the day, The Simple Prayer of Saint Francis is a call for us to make a difference in the world, one small act of kindness at a time. As the prayer suggests, being an instrument of peace requires us to actively work toward spreading love, joy, and forgiveness to those around us. It is not an easy task, but it is one that is crucial for our own spiritual growth and that of the world around us. By becoming an instrument of peace, we can create a more harmonious and loving world.

Quest'articolo è stato scritto a titolo esclusivamente informativo e di divulgazione. Per esso non è possibile garantire che sia esente da errori o inesattezze, per cui l’amministratore di questo Sito non assume alcuna responsabilità come indicato nelle note legali pubblicate in Termini e Condizioni
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