Prayer of St. Francis

The following prayer, often attributed to St. Francis, has not been traced further back than 1912, but it is a wonderful prayer. My comments at the end.

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.

I was watching a show on Netflix called Unbroken about 7 Jewish brothers and sisters who survived the holocaust. Their mother would help other people hide from the Ghestapo.

As they were discussing this, they remembered that their mom had said, "When we help others, we help ourselves." That made me think of the Prayer of St. Francis.

I don't think that we should help others so that we get something back. But I do think that when we work to live a self-less, other centered life, good naturally comes back to us. Probably not in monetary things, but certainly in a sense of purpose and peace in our hearts.

When we help others, we help ourselves.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

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I am leading a trip to Italy in November of this year with Pastor Sherri Swanson. There is plenty of room and we would love to have you join!!!

click here for the Italy brochure