{"id":7475,"date":"2019-05-28T01:00:20","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T23:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/?p=7475"},"modified":"2019-05-28T01:04:19","modified_gmt":"2019-05-27T23:04:19","slug":"in-the-school-of-prayer-with-st-francis-of-assisi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2019\/05\/28\/in-the-school-of-prayer-with-st-francis-of-assisi\/","title":{"rendered":"In the school of prayer with St Francis of Assisi"},"content":{"rendered":"

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St Francis of Assisi (1181?\u20131226): Who better to help us explore the joyful in life and prayer?<\/p>\n

 
\nFirst, some notes on Franciscan-style prayer, based on an article by Stefan Walser<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Next, 3 prayers written by St Francis (or connected with him) for you to try on and adapt. Indoors or outdoors. Alone or together. <\/p>\n

Finally, a ‘Digging deeper’ section with a video and some links. <\/p>\n

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Enjoy.<\/p>\n\n

Characteristics of Franciscan prayer<\/h3>\n

1. Individual<\/em>.  Francis of Assisi developed a personal and individual way of praying, based on his unique personality and life story, and he encourages us to do the same.<\/p>\n

2. Responsorial<\/em>.  Prayer is always a dialogue, a response, a \u2018re-action\u2019. Bringing one\u2019s life to God, one gives back what one received from God. Therefore, Franciscan prayer always includes thanksgiving. <\/p>\n

3. Affirmative<\/em>.  In affirming the gift of life and God as the Creator of life, we develop an affirmative attitude in general.<\/p>\n

4. Universal<\/em>.  There is nothing that does not relate to God, and so there is nothing that cannot be part of prayer.<\/p>\n

5. Connected to actions and work<\/em>.  Francis prays, even in the most seclusive moments of his life, that his prayers might have some \u201coutput\u201d and that he may fulfil \u201cGod\u2019s commands\u201d.<\/p>\n

6. Integral part of communal life<\/em>.  By centring communal life around prayer, a certain \u201ccontemplative\u201d attitude in all things is maintained. <\/p>\n

adapted from an MDPI article<\/a> by Stefan Walser<\/strong><\/div>\n

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Canticle of the Sun<\/h3>\n

Most High, all-powerful sweet Lord,
\nyours is the praise, the glory,
\nand the honour & every blessing.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord, for all your creatures,
\nand first for brother sun,
\nwho makes the day bright and luminous.
\nAnd he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour.
\nHe is the image of you, Most High.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord, for sister moon
\nand the stars, in the sky.
\nYou have made them brilliant & precious & beautiful.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord, for brother wind
\nand for the air both cloudy and serene
\nand every kind of weather,
\nthrough which you give nourishment to your creatures.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord, for sister water,
\nwho is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord, for brother fire,
\nthrough whom you illuminate the night.
\nAnd he is beautiful and joyous and robust and strong.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord, for our sister, mother earth,
\nwho nourishes us and watches over us
\nand brings forth various fruits with coloured flowers & herbs.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord,
\nfor those who forgive through your love,
\nand bear sickness & tribulation;
\nblessed are those who endure in peace,
\nfor they will be crowned by you, Most High.<\/p>\n

Be praised, My Lord, for our sister, bodily death,
\nfrom whom no living thing can escape.
\nBlessed are those whom she finds
\ndoing your most holy will,
\nfor the second death cannot harm them.<\/p>\n

Praise and bless My Lord
\nand give thanks to him
\nand serve him with great humility.<\/p>\n

source: http:\/\/desertrosepress.com<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

St Francis\u2019 prayer inspired by the “Our Father”<\/h3>\n

O our most holy Father:<\/strong>
\nOur Creator, Redeemer, Consoler, and Savior,<\/p>\n

You are in heaven:<\/strong>
\nAnd in the angels and saints,
\nInflaming us to love, because You, Lord, are love,
\nAnd filling us with happiness as our Supreme and Eternal Good.<\/p>\n

Glorious is Your name:<\/strong>
\nMay our knowledge of You become ever clearer
\nThat we may know Your blessings and Your majesty.<\/p>\n

Your Kingdom come:<\/strong>
\nGive us unclouded vision to let you rule in us through Your grace,
\nAnd so we enjoy a blessed companionship with You forever.<\/p>\n

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven:<\/strong>
\nThat we may love You with our whole heart,
\nDesire You with our whole soul,
\nAlways think of You with affection,
\nSpend all our energies in serving You,
\nAnd that we may love our neighbours with Your love.<\/p>\n

Give us this day our daily Bread:<\/strong>
\nWhich is our Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

And forgive us our trespasses:<\/strong>
\nThrough Your indescribable mercy to us in Christ,
\nWhich we see in the faith and prayers of the blessed virgin Mary.<\/p>\n

Help us to forgive those who trespass against us:<\/strong>
\nYou, Lord, enable us to forgive to the full
\nSo that we may truly love our enemies and intercede for them.<\/p>\n

Lead us not into temptation:<\/strong>
\nKeep us from all sin, hidden or obvious.<\/p>\n

Deliver us from evil:<\/strong>
\nKeep us from all that\u2019s bad in the past, present, and to come.<\/p>\n

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
\nAs it was in the beginning, it is now, and will be forever.
\nAmen.<\/p>\n

source: www.soulshepherding.org<\/a><\/div>\n

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“Peace Prayer of Saint Francis”<\/h3>\n

First printed in France in 1912, this much-loved prayer may not have been written by St Francis, but it certainly embodies what he stood for.<\/em><\/p>\n

 
\nLord, make me an instrument of your peace.
\nWhere there is hatred, let me sow love;
\nwhere there is injury, pardon;
\nwhere there is doubt, faith;
\nwhere there is despair, hope;
\nwhere there is darkness, light;
\nwhere there is sadness, joy.<\/p>\n

O divine Master,
\ngrant that I may not so much seek
\nto be consoled, as to console,
\nto be understood, as to understand,
\nto be loved, as to love;
\nfor it is in giving that we receive;
\nit is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
\nit is in dying that we are born to eternal life.<\/p>\n

source: The Book of a Thousand Prayers<\/a><\/em> by Angela Ashwin, #45<\/div>\n

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Digging deeper<\/h3>\n

Video: St. Francis<\/strong> from the series, “Who Cares About The Saints?”<\/p>\n