Franciscan Prayers
 

   

P:     "'Peace' is my farewell to you, my peace is my gist to you."
F:     Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
P:     Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil, with good.
F:     Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
P:     "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing."
F:     Where there is injury, let me show pardon.
P:     "DO not persist in your unbelief, but believe!"
F:     Where there is doubt, let me show faith.
P:     Hope will not leave us disappointed, becabse the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
         through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
F:     Where there is despair, let me show hope.
P:     "You are the light of the world. Your light must shine before men so that they may see goodness in our
         acts and give praise to your heavenly Father."
F:     Where there is darkness, let me show light.
P:     "I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices;’ you wall grieve for a time, but your
         grief will be turned to joy."
F:     Where there is sadness, let me show joy.
P:     He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with
         the same consolation we have received from him.
F:     O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console.
P:     God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ.
F:     Grant that I may not so much seek to be understood, as to understand.
P:     If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong,
        a clanging cymbal.
F:     Grant that I may not so much seek to be loved, as to love.
P:     "Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
F:     For it is in giving that we receive.
P:     "Forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us."
F:     It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
P:     "Unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies,
        it produces much fruit."
F:     And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

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    Prayer on Sighting a Church or Cross

    We adore Thee, Our Most Holy Lord, Jesus Christ, in all Thy churches which are in the world, and we bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world, with Mary. Top

    Prayer on Entering a Church (where the Most Blessed Sacrament is reserved)

    O Sacred Banquet in which Christ is recieved, the memory of His Passion is renewed, our souls are filled with grace and a pledge of future glory is given to us!

    V.: Thou has given them Bread from heaven!
    R.: The Bread that has all sweetness within!

    O God who in this wonderful Sacrament has left us a memorial of Thy Passion, grant we beseech Thee, that we may so venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, as to come to experience the Fruit of Thy redemption, who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.  Top

    The Praises of God Most High
    by St. Francis of Assisi

    Thou art the Holy Lord, the Only God, who works miracles (Ps. 76:15) Thou art strong, Thou art great (cf. Ps 85:10), Thou are the Most High, Thou art King Eternal, Thou Holy Father (cf. Jn 17:11) King of Heaven and earth. (Mt 11:25)

    Thou art three in one Lord, God of gods (cf Ps 135:2), Thou art Good, all good, Highest Good, Lord God living and true. (cf. 1 Thes 1:9).

    Thou art Love, Charity; Thou art Wisdom, Thou art humility, Thou art patience (Ps 70:5), Thou art Beauty, Thou art gentleness; Thou art security, Thou art quiet, Thou art joy; Thou art our Hope and Joy, Thou art justice, Thou art temperance, Thou art all our riches unto sufficiency.

    Thou art Beauty, Thou art gentleness, Thou art Protector (Ps 30:5), Thou art our guard and defender, Thou art fortitude (cf. Ps 42:2), Thou art refreshment.

    Thou art our Hope, Thou art our Charity, Thou art our Sweetness, Thou art our eternal Life: Great and admirable Lord, God Omnipotent, merciful Savior. Top

    An Exhortation to praise God
    by St. Francis of Assisi

    Fear the Lord and give Him honor (Apoc. 14:7). Worthy is the Lord to receive praise and honor (cf. Apoc 4:11) All who fear the Lord, praise Him (cf. Ps 21:24)

    Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. (Lk 21:24)

    Praise Him Heaven and earth. (cf. Ps 68:35) Praise the Lord all you rivers. (cf. Dan 3:78) Bless the Lord you sons of God (cf. Dan 3:82)

    This is the day which the Lord has made, let us exult and rejoice in it. (Ps. 117:24) Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! King of Israel! (John 12:13)

    Every spirit praise the Lord. (Ps. 150:6) Praise the Lord, since He is Good. (Ps. 146:1) All you who read this, bless the Lord. (Ps. 102:21)

    All you creatures bless the Lord. (cf. Ps. 102:22) All you birds of heaven praise the Lord. (Dan 3:90; cf. Ps 148:7-10) All you children praise the Lord. (cf Ps 112:1) You youths and virgins praise God (cf. Ps 148:12)

    Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive praise, glory and honor (cf. Apoc 5:12).

    Blessed be the Holy Trinity and undivided Unity.

    St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle.  Top

    The Exposition of the Our Father
    by St. Francis of Assisi

    O Most Holy Our Father: Creator, Redeemer, Consoler and Our Savior.

    Who art in Heaven: in the Angels and in the Saints; enlightening them unto knowledge, since Thou, Lord, art Light; inflaming them unto love, since Thou, Lord, art Love; indwelling and filling them unto blessedness, since Thou, Lord, art the Highest, the Eternal Good, from whom is all good, without whom nothing is good.

    Hallowed be Thy Name: may the knowledge of Thee in us be made bright, so that we may know, what is the breadth (cf. Eph 3:18) of Thy kindnesses, the length of Thy promises, the sublimity of Thy Majesty and the depth of Thy judgments.

    Thy Kingdom come: so that Thou may reignest in us by grace and makes us come unto Thy Kingdom, where vision of Thee is made manifest, love of Thee made perfect, company with Thee blessed, enjoyment of Thee everlasting.

    Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven: so that we may love Thee with our whole heart (cf. Lk 10:27) thinking of Thee always, with our whole soul desiring Thee always, with our whole mind directing unto Thee all our intentions, seeking Thy honor in all things and with all our strength expending our every strength and sense of soul and body in submission to Thy love and nothing else; and may we love our neighbors as ourselves drawing all to Thy love to the extent of our abilities, rejoicing over the good things of others just as over our own and compassionating them in evils and giving offense to no one (cf. 2 Cor 6:3).

    Give us this day, Thy beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, our daily bread: to remember and understand and reverence the love which He had for us , and those things, which He did, said or endured for us.

    And forgive us our debts: by Thy ineffable mercy, through the virtue of the Passion of Thy beloved Son and by the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin and all Thy elect.

    As we forgive our debtors: and what we do not fully forgive, may Thou, Lord, make us, fully forgive, so that we may truly love our enemies for the sake of Thee and intercede devoutly for them with Thee, returning to none evil for evil (cf. 1 Thes 5:15) and striving to advance all unto Thee.

    And lead us not into temptation: hidden or manifest, sudden or importune.

    But deliver us from evil: past, present, and future.

    Glory to the Father, ....        Top