The Prayer Cycle
Part I: Compassion/Prayer of St. Francis
I am nothing without the purpose that guides my heart.
The work of my hands accomplishes nothing if it does not build Your kingdom.
The words from my mouth are empty if they do not inspire the best in others.
My mind is idle if it is not focused on Your work.
My feet are lost within the sands if they are not guided into Your service.
Make me an instrument of Your peace.
Through the love of those around me I have come to know
Your nature. And though there be the ever-present and outspoken Thomas
in my mind, through compassion I seek to know You. It is through this
compassionate awareness of others that I have come to a point in life
where I have seen and experienced many things that trouble me. I am in a
place where I am sensitive enough to know that some of the things I see
are wrong yet I lack the wisdom and grace to articulate their exact
nature while showing the same compassion towards the instigators as the
victims. Moreover, I lack the enlightened vision to mend all that is
broken...including myself.
So, with humility, I ask that You make me an instrument of Your peace…
I don’t ask that You set my path in a certain direction. I
only ask for the wisdom to know, speak, and act upon the truths You
have placed in my heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment