Sacred Life Sunday: Prayer of St. Francis, Redux
I’m tired of not saying prayers I once loved because the language is gender exlusive, or the God they address is too limited in scope, or the self-degradation is way too intense for the sins of the day. So I’m rewriting them, these words I once loved, until they are in an order I can love once again.
The Prayer of St. Francis
(before the crucifix)
Oh great Divine,
cast your light into the dark corners of my heart.
Give me purity of thought,
a firm hope, abundant charity,
and profound kindness.
Grant me wisdom, and perception
that I may carry out
that which brings wholeness to this world.
Amen.
6 comments
So beautiful: the photograph, the prayer, the intention. I’m inspired to go back and look at the original prayer, engage in the same process of re-writing & re-affirmation. But first: I carry your post like a blessing into this day.
I am going to learn this prayer, it is lovely and very much in the spirit of what I need and want to ask. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful!
Hope you were able to connect with some of your friends back home. Sending peace your way.
Lovely. I never was a Christian, raised as a buddhist, but this prayer speaks to me.
This is beautiful! I’ve done something similar: changed the words of prayers so that they speak to me—and to the Divinity I respect. I especially like St. Francis’ prayers, thank you for this :)
Love it!
I just started collecting prayers like this (ones that I can say without squirming!).
Tell me all about it! Leave a Comment...