Peace Prayer of St. Francis
The beloved prayer for peace, traditionally associated with St. Francis of Assisi.
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; 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.
History
Despite its popular name, this prayer was not written by St. Francis of Assisi. It first appeared anonymously in 1912 in the French spiritual magazine La Clochette, and became associated with St. Francis after being printed on a card bearing his image. Its spirit of humble, self-giving love nonetheless reflects Franciscan spirituality, and it became world-famous during and after the World Wars.
When to Pray
Pray it when facing conflict, resentment, or division — in your family, workplace, or heart — or as a daily offering to be an instrument of God's peace.