October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Of the many ways to celebrate this day, it is good to pause a few moments and reflect upon the PEACE PRAYER attributed to St. Francis. Though he did not write this prayer, it has become identified as his blueprint for living the Gospel. For me, it is Francis’ guideline for living with the heart of Jesus. As I reflect on the first part of the prayer, I am prompted to ask: “Am I living the Gospel boldly and without compromise? Am I being the presence of Jesus? How may my heart become more and more like his?”

Let us pray:

LORD, MAKE ME A CHANNEL OF YOUR PEACE. Open my heart and mind to receive your peace. Be the stillpoint in my soul so that I might hear you speak what I most need to hear today. Empty me of anything that takes up space that belongs to you. Help me to BE your peace throughout this day.

WHERE THERE IS HATRED, LET ME BRING YOUR LOVE. Where there is conflict and hostility, let me bring your love through gentle words and kindness. Give me the courage to stand against gossip and the demeaning of any person. Let me be trusted to speak the truth with constancy and gentleness so every person will feel safe and protected in my presence. As I pray to be faithful in loving with your heart, help me to bring peace wherever I am.

WHERE THERE IS INJURY, PARDON. Help me to overcome my pride (which is the heaviest of burdens) and with a humble heart ask for forgiveness whenever I have hurt someone by my words or silence. When I apologize, give me the humility to say “I’m sorry”. Whenever I have been hurt by someone, keep me from being bitter and resentful. Help me to not brood over the injury but to hand over the hurt to you. As I pray to faithfully love with your heart, may I heal and reconcile what is broken and bruised.

WHERE THERE IS DOUBT, FAITH. When someone is struggling with doubts and searching for answers, help me to listen attentively with understanding and compassion. Keep me from my need to offer solutions and answers. Rather, give me the courage to speak of my faith in you as the one I turn to during my times of doubt and confusion. Help me to prayerfully place us in your hands, believing that only in you is there peace.

WHERE THERE IS DESPAIR, HOPE. Help me to live in constant awareness of those who are living with despair caused by war and violence, famine and poverty, fear of deportation and imprisonment, terrorism and evil brutality. Help me to carry their pain in my heart. Let my prayer be a constant vigil of hope. May every person in despair feel the embrace of your comfort and love.

WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS, LIGHT. Help me to give loving attention and recognition to every person I meet throughout the day. Let me never be too busy that I lose my focus on someone who needs a smile, a listening ear, a warm embrace or a hand to hold. Let it be your light within me that brightens the day for someone who feels the burden of darkness in heart and spirit.

WHERE THERE IS SADNESS, JOY. Help me to love with your heart. Fill me with compassion for every person who is grieving the loss of a loved one, the loss of physical and mental wellness, the loss of employment and necessary benefits, the loss of any part of life. Help me to be present beyond the moment of crisis. Help me to live with loving attentiveness every day to the one who is lonely, or forgotten, ignored or excluded. Let my heart be generous with remembering and loving every person placed in my life.

“JESUS, MAKE MY HEART MORE LIKE YOURS.” (Pope Francis)

PEACE AND ALL GOOD!!!

– Sandy Setterlund

P.S. Click here to listen to a musical version of the Peace Prayer.