Franciscan Prayers
Prayer for Peace
Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, Pardon
Where there is doubt, fait
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
And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it's in dying that we are born to Eternal Life
Amen.
For the Brothers
Lord Jesus,
you did choose your apostles to the number of twelve,
and if one of them did betray you,
the others, remaining united to you,
preached your holy Gospel,
filled with one and the same inspiration.
O Lord, look on your church now,
and remember the former days,
when you called your people into one family to uphold faith,
that by them the mystery of your Gospel may be accomplished.
Who will take their place if they give themselves up to the works of darkness
instead of fulfilling their mission and being shining examples for all? Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J.Manning Potts, 1954
For Your Love
O Lord,
I pray that the fiery and sweet strength of your love
may draw my soul to you from all things that are under heaven,
that I may die for love of your love
as you did die for the love of my love. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J.Manning Potts, 1954.
Praise and Guidance
Almighty, most holy,
most high, and supreme God,
highest good, all good, wholly good,
you alone are good,
to you we render all praise, all glory,
all thanks, all honor, all blessing,
and we shall always ascribe all good to you.
Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God,
help us wretches to do for you
what we know is your will
and always desire whatever is pleasing to you.
Purify us within, enlighten us within,
kindle us with the flame of your Holy Spirit,
so we may be able to follow in the footsteps of your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by your grace alone
come to you, the Most High,
who in perfect Trinity and simple unity lives and reigns and glorifies God Almighty for
ever and ever. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J.
Manning Potts, 1954.
The Prayer before the Crucifix at San Damiano
Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart
and give me true faith, certain hope and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord,
that I may carry out Your holy and true command.
A Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Hail, O Lady, Holy Queen,
Mary, holy Mother of God,
Who are the Virgin made Church,
chosen by the most Holy Father in heaven
whom he consecrated with His most holy beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, in whom there was and is all fullness of grace and every good.
Hail His Palace!
Hail His Tabernacle!
Hail His Dwelling!
Hail His Robe!
Hail His Servant!
Hail His Mother!
And hail all Your holy virtues
which are poured into the hearts of the faithful through the grace and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, that from being unbelievers,
You may make them faithful to God.
The Praises To Be Said at All the Hours
Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty,
Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
O Lord our God, You are worthy to receive
praise, glory and honour and blessing.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
The Lamb Who was slain is worthy to receive
power and divinity, wisdom and strength,
honour and glory and blessing.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Let us bless the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit:
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Bless the Lord. all you works of the Lord.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Sing praise to our God, all you His servants
and you who fear God, the small and the great.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Let heaven and earth praise Him Who is glorious.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Every creature in heaven, on earth and under the earth; and in the sea and those which are in it.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever
Amen
For the Brothers
Lord Jesus,
you did choose your apostles to the number of twelve,
and if one of them did betray you,
the others, remaining united to you,
preached your holy Gospel,
filled with one and the same inspiration.
O Lord, look on your church now,
and remember the former days,
when you called your people into one family to uphold faith,
that by them the mystery of your Gospel may be accomplished.
Who will take their place if they give themselves up to the works of darkness
instead of fulfilling their mission and being shining examples for all? Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J.Manning Potts, 1954
For Your Love
O Lord,
I pray that the fiery and sweet strength of your love
may draw my soul to you from all things that are under heaven,
that I may die for love of your love
as you did die for the love of my love. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J.Manning Potts, 1954.
Praise and Guidance
Almighty, most holy,
most high, and supreme God,
highest good, all good, wholly good,
you alone are good,
to you we render all praise, all glory,
all thanks, all honor, all blessing,
and we shall always ascribe all good to you.
Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God,
help us wretches to do for you
what we know is your will
and always desire whatever is pleasing to you.
Purify us within, enlighten us within,
kindle us with the flame of your Holy Spirit,
so we may be able to follow in the footsteps of your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by your grace alone
come to you, the Most High,
who in perfect Trinity and simple unity lives and reigns and glorifies God Almighty for
ever and ever. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J.
Manning Potts, 1954.
The Prayer before the Crucifix at San Damiano
Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart
and give me true faith, certain hope and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord,
that I may carry out Your holy and true command.
A Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Hail, O Lady, Holy Queen,
Mary, holy Mother of God,
Who are the Virgin made Church,
chosen by the most Holy Father in heaven
whom he consecrated with His most holy beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, in whom there was and is all fullness of grace and every good.
Hail His Palace!
Hail His Tabernacle!
Hail His Dwelling!
Hail His Robe!
Hail His Servant!
Hail His Mother!
And hail all Your holy virtues
which are poured into the hearts of the faithful through the grace and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, that from being unbelievers,
You may make them faithful to God.
The Praises To Be Said at All the Hours
Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty,
Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
O Lord our God, You are worthy to receive
praise, glory and honour and blessing.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
The Lamb Who was slain is worthy to receive
power and divinity, wisdom and strength,
honour and glory and blessing.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Let us bless the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit:
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Bless the Lord. all you works of the Lord.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Sing praise to our God, all you His servants
and you who fear God, the small and the great.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Let heaven and earth praise Him Who is glorious.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Every creature in heaven, on earth and under the earth; and in the sea and those which are in it.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
And let us praise and glorify Him forever
Amen
We adore You
We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches throughout the world and we bless You
because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
The invitation to restore all goods to the Lord
(Rnb XVII, 17-18)
Let us refer all good
to the Lord, God Almighty and Most High, acknowledge that every good is His,
and thank Him,
“from Whom all good comes,
for everything.
May He,
The Almighty and Most High,
The only true God,
Have, be given, and receive
All honour and respect,
All praise and blessing,
All thanks and glory,
To Whom all good belongs,
He Who alone is good.
A Prayer Inspired by the Our Father
O Our Father most holy: Our Creator, Redeemer, Consoler, and Saviour:
Who are in heaven: In the angels and the saints, enlightening them to know, for You, Lord, are light;
inflaming them to love, for You, Lord, are love; dwelling in them and filling them with happiness, for You, Lord, are Supreme Good, the Eternal Good, from Whom all good comes without Whom there is no good.
Holy be Your Name: May knowledge of You become clearer in us that we may know the breadth of Your blessings, the length of Your promises, the height of Your majesty, the depth of Your judgments.
Your kingdom come: That You may rule in us through Your grace and enable us to come to Your
kingdom where there is clear vision of You, perfect love of You, blessed companionship with You,
eternal enjoyment of You.
Your will be done on earth as in heaven: That we may love You with our
whole heart by always thinking of You, with our whole soul by always desiring You, with our whole mind by always directing all our intentions to You, and by seeking Your glory in everything, with all our whole strength by exerting all our energies and affections of body and soul in the service of Your love and of nothing else; and we may love our neighbor as ourselves by drawing them all to Your love with our whole strength, by rejoicing in the good of others as in our own, by suffering with others at their misfortunes, and by giving offense to no one.
Give us this day: in remembrance, understanding, and reverence of that love which [our Lord Jesus Christ had for us and of those things that He said and did and suffered for us.
Our daily Bread: Your own beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Forgive us our trespasses: through Your ineffable mercy through the power of the passion of Your beloved Son and through the merits and intercession of the ever blessed Virgin and all Your elect.
As we forgive those who trespass against us: And what we do not completely forgive, make us, Lord, forgive completely that we may truly love our enemies because of You and we may fervently intercede for them before You, returning no one evil for evil and we may strive
to help everyone in You.
And lead us not into temptation: hidden or obvious, sudden or persistent.
But deliver us from evil: past, present, and to come.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Blessing to Brother Leo
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May He show His face to you and be merciful to you. May He turn His countenance to you and give
you peace.
Prayer to the Trinity
(Lord 50-52)
Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God, give us miserable ones
the grace to do for You alone
what we know You want us to do
and always to desire what pleases You. Inwardly cleansed,
interiorly enlightened
and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow
in the footprints of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
and, by Your grace alone,
may we make our way to you,
Most High, Who live and rule
in perfect Trinity and simple Unity,
and are glorified, God almighty,
Forever and ever. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord God living and true!
Let us always render Him
praise, glory, honour, blessing and every good. Amen. Amen, So be it. So be it.
(From the Office of the Passion)
Fear and honour,
praise and bless,
give thanks and adore
the Lord God Almighty in Trinity and in Unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
the Creator of all.
(From the Rnb XXI, 2)
The Canticle of Creatures
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honour and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be you, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day, and through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour; and bears a likeness of You, Most High one.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
And through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
Through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister water,who is very useful and humble
and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my lord, through Brother
fire, through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit
with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon
for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed those who endure in peace,
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.