St. Francis' Peace Prayer
BEFORE CRUCIFIX
IN SAN DAMIANO
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,
It is in dying.....
that we are born to eternal life.
When a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.
The bird with broken wings still sings, the tree with broken limbs still grows, and the person with a broken heart still loves, for even though we are all broken in different ways, we must continue on. It's easy to judge the mistakes of others, but it's difficult to recognize our own mistakes. Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them. Forgiveness is a catalyst, creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; and the wise forgive but do not forget. To forgive is the highest and most beautiful form of love.
God commands us to forgive one another.
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For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6:14)
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Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
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Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
(Colossians 3:13)
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Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:32)
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You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. (Psalm 86:5)
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Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times ?"
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)
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For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
(Hebrews 8:12)
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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9)
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If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him.
(Luke 17:3-4)
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When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
(Mark 11: 25)
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Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. (Psalm 32:1)
The prayer of protection.
The prayer of transformation.
The prayer of restoration.
Dear Lord, we ask you to give us all-around peace in our mind, body, soul, and spirit. Please
give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil. Thank You for Your promise to put our sins behind Your back, to bury them in the depths of the sea, and to remove them from us as far as the east is from the west. I pray You would cover these hurts in Your healing grace and, through Your strength, empower me to forgive others as wholly and completely as You first forgave me. In Jesus' name,
Amen.