Francis of Asissi

Lord…
make me a channel 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;
and 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. Amen.


Saint Francis of Assisi is one of those timeless saints who has transcended the particulars of his tradition. Though rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition his message and power is more truly universal, being neither bound nor owned by any single faith group. Rooted and grounded in the Spirit which unites all people, and tempered by the common experience of human suffering, Francis offers wisdom, hope, and inspiration to people in many different times and places. The life of Saint Francis is an embodiment of humility, simplicity, and compassion. He lived with a deep respect for creation, a comittement to non-violence, and gave generously of himself in a ministry of healing and reconciliation.
A Franciscan Blessing...
May God bless us with discomfort…
at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger…
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless us with tears…
to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war,
so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness…
to believe that we can make a difference in this world,
so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.
Peace and blessings... Rob

“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation. Where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice. Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.” Francis of Assisi