A Channel of Your Peace – The Prayer of St. Francis

Saint Francis is, and will always be, an important saint in my faith journey. Being my namesake saint I have consistently felt a closeness to him and was interested in learning about his life from when I was a young boy in Catholic school. I remember very well learning the prayer of St. Francis many years ago, and also singing the hymn attributed to that same prayer.

The feast day for St. Francis is October 4^th and during the month of October I reflect upon the messages of this crucial saint who was tasked by Our Lord to rebuild His Church on Earth. The prayer of St Francis evokes so many points for reflection and introspection:

Lord make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred let me sow love;
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 seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand
And 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

The reflection upon being an instrument of peace is so critical in today’s downcast and grim society. It is essential to our lives as Catholic followers of Jesus to mirror St. Francis in seeking to bring peace and unity to our homes, our families, our communities, our workplaces, and to all those we encounter.

The chaos and despair caused by the divisions which society is seeking to create among people can be overcome by a willingness to be instruments of peace. That type of shift in thinking and action can cause healing and reconciliation in our communities. There is a change in approach which takes place within yourself as well, where you will confront challenges and handle stress differently when remaining open to being an instrument of peace.

There is so much hatred and anger in the world, hatred for those who are different than us in some way. I see so much anger in the everyday experiences of life that it is disturbing to me. I cannot imagine what would possess someone to hold those types of feelings towards another and it is very sad that people are that hurt or angry. In those instances, this prayer teaches us to instill love.

That expression of love could be in the most simple of gestures. It could be a smile or a wave, it could be to hold the door open for someone, and it is important to do so in situations where the other person is upset or angry. That kind gesture can and will make a difference. I have seen that evidence in my own experience and with others I know who have shared similar accounts with me.

Our lives will be filled with moments and periods marked with doubt. The sheer number of decisions we all face routinely create conditions where doubt is almost inevitable. In those moments, this prayer asks for faith in the face of that uncertainty that marks the human condition. We have all made decisions at points out of fear or desperation, and looking back at my own life, those choices have had heavy consequences.

In contrast, the decisions I have made with faith have taken me to places I would have previously thought I would never be, and in a positive and fulfilling way. Sometimes people will ask me about when I decided to make writing the primary avenue in which I would dedicate my time. I had no client roster, I had no prospects for a news writing position, yet I had faith and believed that God wanted this to be the next step for me. That was almost four years ago, and I have been on an incredible journey ever since.

The prayer of St. Francis provides a guide in times of despair, we are called to bring hope. This is a crucial message in today’s world of depressing news cycles, increasing levels of poverty, flat wages coupled with increasing costs of living, illness, natural disasters, and terrorism. These factors can, individually or collectively, cause many levels of despair at any point in our lives.

It is in these times that we are to bring hope to each other, and it is only through faith that we can have that hope manifest within ourselves. The ways of this world are fleeting, they will not last, and our hope is in the salvation promised to us by Jesus. The changes within ourselves, through faith and surrender to God’s will, allow us to bring hope to those in despair. This can be through small acts of kindness or big, bold acts of generosity; it achieved through whatever the situation calls for or demands.

The darkness that fills this world can be daunting and overwhelming if you allow it to be. We all have moments of weakness and fatigue which cause us to react to situations differently. The challenge is to bring light into the world, as Jesus and St. Francis strove to do in their everyday activities. Jesus instructed us to be the light in the world, to let our light shine before all and not to let your light be hidden by the lampstand, as The Gospel tells us so distinctly. Therefore, be that light to those in need, be that light for those in your family, your workplace, and your community. It will change their lives and in the process it will change your life as well.

It is incumbent on us as followers of Jesus to bring joy where there is sadness, to lift the spirits of those who are dealing with difficult circumstances. This could be from job loss, an emotional breakdown, loss of a spouse or parent, the loss of a child, a family member who is very ill, or through a diagnosis of medical conditions for the person themselves. It is part of our duty to be there for our brothers and sisters in need, to help them through those times by being witnesses to the joy of Christ. The message that someone cares is very powerful for someone in those circumstances and we can bring joy, solace, and comfort to their lives. That is truly living the messages of The Gospels and Our Lord’s commandment to love one another.

In a society that is all about taking whatever it possibly can get, the message of this prayer is that in giving we receive. The notion of giving is unpopular in our secular world, with the exception of the Christmas holiday season. The expectation is that we should be giving consistently as much as we can whether it is through acts of service, acts of kindness, acts of generosity, or acts of love. It is in those times that we will truly understand what it is like to receive the grace and peace of Our Lord, and that is a wonderful feeling!

Finally, when I pray this prayer to St. Francis, my namesake saint, and I reflect upon all he did to build the church on Earth, to minster to the poor and sick, to heal the hearts of those in despair, and to show kindness and love to the animals and creatures in nature; I am left with one key thought. That thought is this: help me to say “yes” in all the ways that this prayer demands of me. I ask for St. Francis to help me say “yes” as he said “yes” and as the Virgin Mary gave her fiat “yes” to The Holy Spirit. I ask for the courage to say “yes” to carry out the mission of Jesus and be His hands and feet in our broken world.

We are all sinners, I have done my fair share of things I am not proud of, but Jesus came to call sinners and through His mercy and His salvation we can be saved. It is in saying “yes”, that we can accomplish our purpose in life and that is to be the light of Jesus in a dark and fallen world.

I pray that you all will find a way to ask St. Francis for the courage to say “yes” to build the church here in your families, your communities, and your workplaces. I ask for St. Francis to bless and protect all of you and your families. May the Lord Jesus, the Lord of Light and Prince of Peace be with all of you always.</p