Prayer of St. Francis -- Paraphrased

 

“Prayer is nothing else but union with God… My little children, your hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us.” –St. John Vianney

Sometimes when we pray, we say the familiar words without actually praying them. Paraphrasing a familiar prayer is one way to give it greater meaning, which helps us pray it.  I’ve paraphrased The Prayer of St. Francis, a prayer that sets high the bar for holiness, in hopes that it inspires all of us to put its rich lessons into practice:

 

Lord, make me a person who brings Your peace to the people around me.

Help me remember that making peace or bringing peace 

is not the same as keeping the peace:

One is active and rooted in love; the other is passive and rooted in fear.

When I feel hatred, or when someone hates me,

let me treat them with kindness, pray for them,

and want nothing but goodness for them.

When there are offenses and hurt feelings,

let me be humble and either ask for or grant forgiveness.

When someone doubts You or Your goodness,

let me show them Your powerful love so they dare to have faith in You.

When someone feels despair,

let me listen with compassion and give them hope.

When someone lives in darkness, hiding, and fear,

let me show them the freedom of living in Your light and grace.

When someone feels sad,

let me offer a shoulder to cry on and give them reason to smile.

O Lord,

Let me strive to comfort others more than seek comfort for myself.

Let me try to understand more than seek to be understood.

Let me concern myself more with showing love than with receiving love.

Help me remember that when I give, I receive much in return;

as I pardon others, so will I be pardoned;

and by dying I will be raised to eternal life. Amen.

 

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