Prayer of St. Francis

In our corporate prayer time on Sunday, Pastor Allen led us in the Prayer of St. Francis, which is reprinted below.

I often emphasize that as Reformed Christians, we are connected by history to the entire body of literature and tradition of western Christianity, and the use of this prayer is a fine example of how we can incorporate the best of what has gone before us. It has been quoted at strategic times in history by figures like Mother Teresa, upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize,and Margaret Thatcher, at her installation as Prime Minister of England.

It first appeared anonymously in a small French publication in 1912, and was known in ensuing years as "the prayer for peace." Because it was widely distributed in Europe on the back of a picture of St. Francis of Assisi, it eventually came to be attributed to St. Francis, although there is no historic record to connect him with the prayer. Ironically, it was first identified as "The Prayer of St. Francis" in France in 1927 by a protestant movement, The Knights of the Prince of Peace.

Here is the most commonly quoted translation from the French:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy 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.

There are many beautiful musical settings for this text of the prayer, but I also like this metrical hymn version, which is used by the British Royal Legion in their Service of Remembrance each November:

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me bring your love,
Where there is injury your pardon Lord,
And where there's doubt true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace,
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there's sadness, ever joy.

O Master grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.