THIRTEENTH CENTURY PRAYERS
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Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; Where hate rules, let me bring love, Where malice, forgiveness, Where disputes, reconciliation, Where error, truth, Where doubt, belief, Where despair, hope, Where darkness, Thy light, Where sorrow, joy!
O Master, let me strive more to comfort others than to be comforted, To understand others than to be understood, To love others, more than to be loved!
For he who gives, receives, He who forgets himself, finds, He who forgives, receives forgiveness, And dying, we rise again to eternal life. Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
The Daily Prayer of St. Francis
My God, and my all, who art Thou, sweetest Lord, my God? And who am I, a poor worm, Thy servant? Holiest Lord, I would love Thee! Sweetest Lord, I would love Thee! Lord, my God, I give to Thee all my heart and body, and 67 vehemently desire, if I might know how, to do more for Thy love. Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
Praise
Now to that God, who has suffered so much for us, who at one giving has conferred on us so many good things, and will yet confer so many more, to this God let every creature who is in heaven or upon the earth, in the sea or in the depth of the abyss, render praise, glory, honour and blessing. He is himself our virtue and our strength. He alone is good, lofty, almighty, admirable, and glorious; the only holy, worthy of praise and blessed through ages of ages. Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
For the Knowledge of God’s Will
God, almighty, eternal, righteous, and merciful, give to us poor sinners to do for Thy sake all that we know of Thy will, and to will always what pleases Thee, so that inwardly purified, enlightened, and kindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit, we may follow in the footprints of Thy well-beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
Thanksgiving
Almighty, most holy, most high and supreme God, holy and just Father, Lord, king of heaven and earth, for Thyself we give thanks to Thee 68 because by Thy holy will, and by Thine only Son, Thou hast created all things spiritual and corporal in the Holy Ghost and didst place us made to Thine image and likeness in paradise, whence we fell by our own fault. And we give Thee thanks because, as by Thy Son Thou didst create us, so by the true and holy love with which Thou hast loved us, Thou didst cause Him, true God and true man, to be born.... And we give thanks to Thee because Thy Son Himself is to come again in the glory of His Majesty ... to say to all who have known Thee and adored Thee, and served Thee in repentance: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.” And since all we wretches and sinners are not worthy to name Thee, we humbly beseech Thee, that our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, in whom Thou art well pleased, together with the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, may give thanks to Thee as it is pleasing to Thee and Them, for all. Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
Praise and Guidance
Almighty, most holy, most high, and supreme God, highest good, all good, wholly good, who alone art good, to Thee we render all praise, all glory, all thanks, all honor, all blessing, and we shall always refer all good to Thee.
Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God, 69 give to us wretches to do for Thee what we know Thee to will and to will always that which is pleasing to Thee; so that inwardly purified, inwardly illumined and kindled by the flame of the Holy Ghost, we may be able to follow in the footsteps of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by Thy grace alone come to Thee the Most High, who in perfect Trinity and simple unity livest and reignest and gloriest God Almighty for ever and ever. Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
For the Brothers
Lord Jesus, Thou didst choose Thine apostles to the number of twelve, and if one of them did betray Thee, the others, remaining united to Thee, preached Thy holy Gospel, filled with one and the same inspiration; and behold now, remembering the former days, Thou hast raised up the Religion of the Brothers in order to uphold faith, and that by them the mystery of Thy Gospel may be accomplished. Who will take their place if, instead of fulfilling their mission and being shining examples for all, they are seen to give themselves up to the works of darkness? Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
For Thy Love
I beseech Thee, O Lord, that the fiery and sweet strength of Thy love may absorb my soul 70 from all things that are under heaven, that I may die for love of Thy love as Thou didst deign to die for the love of my love. Amen.
—Francis of Assisi
Thanksgiving
Thanks be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which Thou hast given us; for all the pains and insults which Thou hast borne for us. O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may we know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly; for Thine own sake. Amen.
—Richard of Chichester
Daily Prayer
Grant me, I beseech Thee, O merciful God, prudently to study, rightly to understand, and perfectly to fulfill that which is pleasing to Thee, to the praise and glory of Thy name.
Thou, O Christ, art the King of glory; Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. Amen.
—Thomas Aquinas
For Steadfastness
Grant me, I beseech Thee, almighty and most merciful God, fervently to desire, wisely to search out, and perfectly to fulfill, all that is well-pleasing unto Thee. Order Thou my worldly condition to the glory of Thy name; and, of all that Thou 71 requirest me to do, grant me the knowledge, the desire, and the ability, that I may so fulfill it as I ought, and may my path to Thee, I pray, be safe, straightforward, and perfect to the end.
Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give me an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.
Bestow upon me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know Thee, diligence to seek Thee, wisdom to find Thee, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace Thee. Amen.
—Thomas Aquinas
For Love of Jesus
Ah! sweet Jesus, pierce the marrow of my soul with the healthful shafts of Thy love, that it may truly burn, and melt, and languish, with the only desire of Thee; that it may desire to be dissolved, and to be with Thee; let it hunger alone for the bread of life: let it thirst after Thee, the spring and fountain of eternal light, the stream of true pleasure; let it always desire Thee, seek Thee, and find Thee, and sweetly rest in Thee. Amen.
—Bonaventura
For Pardon, Purity, and Grace
O Holy God, in whom is all goodness, whose pity and mercy made Thee to descend from the 72 high throne down into this world, the valley of woe and weeping, and here to take our nature, and in that nature to suffer pain and death, to bring our souls to Thy Kingdom. Merciful Lord, forgive us all our sins that we have done, thought, and said. O glorious Trinity, send us cleanness of heart and purity of soul; restore us with Thy Holy Spirit, and strengthen us with Thy might, that we may always withstand evil temptations. Comfort us with Thy Holy Ghost, and fulfill us with grace and charity, that we may henceforth live virtuously and love Thee with all our heart, with all our might, and with all our soul, so that we may never offend Thee, but ever follow Thy pleasure in will, word, thought, and deed. Now grant us this, good Lord, that art infinite, which eternally shall endure; through Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen.
—Richard Rolle
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