Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)

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.

Today (October 4) we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a man whose life still speaks with quiet power across the centuries. Francis was born into privilege but gave it all up, trading wealth for simplicity, comfort for poverty, and status for humility. He found joy not in possessions but in presence—in the beauty of creation, in the song of birds, in the kindness of friends, and even in the embrace of suffering.

His famous prayer, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,” captures the heart of his message. Francis understood that the world is healed not by force, but by gentleness; not by pride, but by humility; not by judgment, but by mercy. His way of living challenges us to become channels of light in places of darkness, of love in places of hatred, of hope where despair lingers.

In a noisy and divided age, St. Francis still calls us back to what matters most: peace, compassion, and reverence for all life. To live as Francis lived is to trust that even the smallest act of kindness can ripple outward to heal the world. His life is a reminder that true greatness is found not in domination, but in service.

May we, like Francis, walk gently on this earth, carrying peace in our hearts and scattering love wherever our footsteps fall.”