Prayer of Saint Francis

"Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace"

Prayer of Saint Francis features poetry attributed to 13th Century Monk, St Francis of Assisi, Italy.  The poem was originally discovered in the early 1900s printed on a small card featuring a picture of St. Francis.  However, no claim was ever made that St Francis himself composed the prayer.  Some believe it was written in France, during World War I, perhaps by a Catholic Priest.  The first known appearance of the "Peace Prayer of St. Francis" was in 1912 AD when it was published in the French magazine La Clochette. Though attributed to Saint Francis many centuries after his death, Saint Francis' great devotion to God is beautifully echoed in this poem, as much a work of art, as a humble prayer. 

This powerful setting of the Prayer of St Francis reflects a deeply intimate relationship between St Francis and the Lord, illustrating the internal conflict of God's Will versus man's.  On his knees in prayer, hands folded, eyes closed, face turned away from the heavens... he asks so humbly to give what he cannot himself completely offer...  The unconditional, perfect love of Christ.

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.

Prayer of Saint Francis was originally written for children's chorus, but could easily accommodate women's or boy's choir.

Premiere: NEW in 2007!

Difficulty: Moderate

Original Print Size: (Orchestral Version): 

Pages 2-8 LEGAL (8.5 x 14); LANDSCAPE

Approx. 4 minutes in length

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