Prayer of St Francis

"Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is despair, 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 again to eternal life."

- St Francis of Assisi

Universal Prayer of Pope Clement XI

For All Things Necessary to Salvation
(Composed by Pope Clement XI, A.D. 1721.)

O my God, I believe in Thee; do Thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee; do Thou secure them. I love Thee' teach me to love Thee daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended Thee, do Thou increase my sorrow.

I adore Thee as my first beginning; I aspire after Thee as my last end. I give Thee thanks as my constant benefactor; I call upon Thee as my sovereign protector.

[Grant], O my God! To conduct me by Thy wisdom to restrain me by Thy justice, to comfort me by Thy mercy, to defend me by Thy power.

To Thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; that henceforward I may think of Thee, speak of Thee, refer all my actions to Thy greater glory, and suffer willingly whatever Thou shalt appoint.

Lord, I desire that in all things Thy will may be done because it is Thy will, and in the manner that Thou willest.

I beg of Thee to enlighten my understanding, to inflame my will, to purify my body, and to sanctify my soul.

Give me strength, O my God! To expiate my offenses, to overcome my temptations, to subdue my passions, and to acquire the virtues proper for my state of life.

Fill my heart with tender affection for Thy goodness, hatred of my faults, love of my neighbor, and contempt of the world.

May Thy grace help me to be submissive to my superiors, [consider my inferiors better than myself], faithful to my friends, and charitable to my enemies.

Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by alms-deeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion.

O my God! Make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in affliction, and humble in prosperity.

Grant that I may be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals, diligent in my employments, and constant in my resolutions.

Let my conscience be ever upright and pure, my exterior modest, my conversation edifying, and my [behavior disciplined and proper].

Assist me, that I may continually labor to overcome nature, to correspond with Thy grace, to keep Thy commandments, and to work out my salvation.

Make me realize, O my God! the nothingness of this world, the greatness of heaven the shortness of time, and the length of eternity.

Grant that I may prepare for death; that I may fear thy judgments, and in the end obtain heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Peace

In light of what is happening around the world currently and especially in our own country, it is timely as we lead up to the season of Advent where we prepare for the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we should remember that we are all one family united by virtue of our intrinsic value - we are all made in the image of God Almighty.

I have come upon some beautiful prayers that we can use when asking our God to grant us, and the whole human family peace.

Prayer for Peace by Pope John Paul II

Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace,
who are yourself our peace and reconcilliation,
who so often said, "Peace to you", grant us peace.
Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love.
Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.
Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace.
May all peoples on earth become as brothers and sisters.
May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.

Mulsim Prayer for Peace

O God you are peace
From you is peace and unto you is peace
Lord, let us live in peace
Receive us into your peace
To you be praise and honor
We hear and obey
Grant us your forgiveness Lord
And unto you be our becoming

Jewish Prayer for Peace

Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
that we may walk in the paths of the Most High.
And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares,
and our spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation
Neither shall they learn way anymore.
And none shall be afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.

I envisage a world where no human shall live in fear. No person shall cry from the pains of hunger. Those who have plenty will share with those who have little. All men and women will see in their neighbour the image of the Everlasting God, and treat their neighbour with the utmost respect and honor.

Lord, grant us peace.

St Francis of Assisi

I read today for the first time the story of St Francis of Assisi. Most people who aren't from the Catholic tradition will know him through his quote "go out and preach the gospel to all the world, and if all else fails, use words". Most Catholics know him as the founder of the order of friars - or the franciscan monks.

I would like to make a dedication to St Francis of Assisi – the man who dared to live according to the Gospel – according to the way of Christ. St Francis turned his back on a life of affluence to embrace the mission of God through voluntary poverty. St Francis continues to inspire many people in their journey of Christ through the living of monastic lifestyles – living in the most poverty stricken places in this world, forsaking all that the world has to offer, to show love to the marginalised, and themselves be transformed.

When a Bishop showed horror at the Friars hard life, Francis said, "If we had any possessions we should need weapons and laws to defend them." As Terry Matz comments, "Possessing something was the death of love for Francis. Also, Francis reasoned, what could you do to a man who owns nothing? You can't starve a fasting man, you can't steal from someone who has no money, you can't ruin someone who hates prestige. They were truly free."

This is the famous prayer attributed to St Francis –

Lord, make me an instrument of your 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;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

My prayer -

Father, thank you that St Francis continues to inspire many today to take up there cross and follow you. Help us to remember who he followed so that we may always have the right perspective - keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. Lord, help all of your children to be honest in acknowledging the things that we have pledged alliegance to. May we let go of everything that hinders us from living a Godly life in Christ. May we take seriously your call to take up our cross daily and follow you. May your will be done.

Daniel.

Prayer of St Patrick - Breastplate

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield overshadow me and cover me.
Christ, be under me; Christ, be over me.
Christ, be beside me on my left and my right.

Christ, this day be within and without me.
Christ, the lowly and meek.

Christ, the all-powerful, be in the heart of each to whom I speak.
In the mouth of each who speaks to me -
in all who draw near to me, or see me, or hear me.

Amen.

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.