Peace Prayer of St. Francis/Belle prière à faire pendant la Messe

What?  You all miss think I have lost my mind! Am I sitting around watching Shirley Temple movies and think that is the cure for our nation's ills? No, although I think our whole world could use more goodness like hers. No, the main thing about me is this:  I have had an illness for over three weeks that has been very difficult for me to get over.    Have I left you strange and rambling comments?  Yes, I know, but maybe even MORE so than usual?  Let's blame it on the strong combination of drugs that the doctor prescribed for me...doctors really don't know that my small brain should only use a small amount of medicine!

When I am well, I can just about handle this cruel world.  When I am ill, it is a another matter...it seems that everyone is so mean and hateful, and I only notice the violence on TV shows and the horrible things on the news.  I noticed that one of my posts that I did about the monastery was written when I was ill....and  it is now my second rated post of all that I have written. Our Lady of Holy Spirit Monastery- Conyers, Georgia, USA  On that post, I have the St. Francis Assisi Prayer,  you do know that one, don't you?  The prayer has always been called that, but it is not believed St. Francis actually wrote it...it was first published in a Catholic magazine called "The Little Bell" in 1912.  It is possible that it was written by a French priest by the name of Father Bouquerel during the first World War but no one knows for sure.  The prayer was published with a photo of St. Francis of Assisi on the back, and perhaps that is how the saint became connected to it.

 I know just enough French that when I see it in this language, I can recognize the prayer...

 

Belle prière à faire pendant la Messe

Seigneur, faites de moi un instrument de votre paix.
Là où il y a de la haine, que je mette l'amour.
Là où il y a l'offense, que je mette le pardon.Là où il y a la discorde, que je mette l'union.
Là où il y a l'erreur, que je mette la vérité.
Là où il y a le doute, que je mette la foi.
Là où il y a le désespoir, que je mette l'espérance.Là où il y a les ténèbres, que je mette votre lumière.
Là où il y a la tristesse, que je mette la joie.
Ô Maître, que je ne cherche pas tant à être consolé qu'à consoler, à être compris qu'à comprendre, à être aimé qu'à aimer, car c'est en donnant qu'on reçoit, c'est en s'oubliant qu'on trouve, c'est en pardonnant qu'on est pardonné, c'est en mourant qu'on ressuscite à l'éternelle vie.

Here it is in English:

A Beautiful Prayer To Say During The Mass...

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 again to eternal life.
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When we were in London at our hotel, I pulled out the Gideon Bible from my bedside table.  Someone had written almost a full page on the first page of the Bible.  It was in French and was a statement of unbelief.  I read it, or as much as I could and then, asked my husband to translate it for me.   It most certainly was exactly what I said, a statement against everything in the Bible and Jesus.  I didn't do anything about it, I just thought I would have a little talk with God about it.  Now, the thing that came to me...it was written in PENCIL, so maybe whoever wrote it, thought maybe someone might come along to care enough to erase it. 

That would be me!

So, in case this ever happens to you...it is useless to buy souvenir pencils (the erasers do not work) and also, erasers in the shapes of London taxis and buses do NOT work either...one of the shopkeepers told me that he didn't carry pencils...but I kept looking and I found some anyway! He seemed very surprised...they were just loose, in a cup at the far back corner of the shop... (God, was that YOU?!)
Hey, the shopkeeper charged me anyway! 

Now, after I erased that entire page in pencil, I took my hand and brushed away the erasings to make sure that I had gotten it all... I had missed erasing just one word and it made me smile to see it there, just that one word on the page and I decided to leave it...



                                                            Jésus!




Needlework on kneeler at All Souls Church in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England.

                                 

Stained Glass Window-All Souls Church, Eastbourne.