Saint Francis

In college I went on a tour of Italy with the Manchester College Choir. It was all about peace and a member of the music department wrote a piece based on the Prayer of St. Francis. I wasn't familiar with this prayer before.

Prayer of Saint 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;
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. Amen

It's beautiful.

I LOVE the first words..."make me an instrument of your peace."

How can I be an instrument of peace? What does that mean? What does that mean to the way I've been living my life? Interacting with others?

How can I turn what's difficult and negative and dark to create light? Is it about the change or more about the power of seeing hope and light in the future?

I want to live this. Whatever that means. I want to be the person who has faith when doubt is there. Who brings joy in sadness. Who sows love in the midst of hatred. Who seeks to love more than to seek love.

I want to be an instrument of peace.

This is the setting Dr. DeWitt wrote performed by my friend James' choir in Missouri.

Prayer for Peace