Prayers of St. Francis

Words of peace and eternal love

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.

Prayer before the Crucifix

Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart,
and give me right faith,
certain hope, and perfect charity,
profound humility,
wisdom and knowledge,
O Lord,
that I may do
your holy and true commandment.

Simple Prayer

O Lord, make me an instrument
of your Peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow Love.
where there is injury, pardon.
where there is discord, union.
where there is doubt, faith.
where there is error, truth.
where there is despair, hope.
where there is sadness, joy.
where there is darkness, light.

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.

Grant that we may come to You,
almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God; grant to us, who are miserable, to do, by your grace, all that we know you want us to do, and to always want what pleases you, so that, purified from evil, enlightened and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, we may follow in the footsteps of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And grant that, drawn solely by your grace, we may come to you, O Most High; you who live and reign glorious in perfect Trinity and simple unity, O almighty God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Praises of God Most High

YOU are holy, O Lord, the only God who does wonders.
YOU are strong, YOU are great, YOU are the most high Almighty,
YOU, holy Father, King of heaven and earth.
YOU, the only God in three Persons, Lord God of gods.
YOU the good, every good, the supreme good, Lord, living and true God.
YOU are love, charity; YOU are wisdom; YOU are humility,
YOU are patience; YOU are beauty; YOU are rest; YOU are security,
YOU are joy and gladness; YOU are our hope,
YOU are justice; YOU are understanding,
YOU all our overflowing wealth.
YOU are splendor; YOU are gentleness,
YOU are protector, guardian, and defender,
YOU are strength; YOU are refreshment.
YOU are our hope; YOU are our faith,
YOU are our charity; YOU are our sweetness,
YOU are our eternal life, almighty God,
merciful Savior.

May I die:
The burning and sweet force of your love,
let it turn away, I beseech you, O God,
my mind from all things that are not of heaven
and ravish it into you,
that I may die of love for you,
who for the infinite love of me
deigned to die.

Canticle of the Creatures

Original version

Altissimu, onnipotente bon signore,
tue so' le laude, la gloria e l'honore
et onne benedictione.
Ad tè solo, altissimo, se konfano
et nullu homo ène dignu tè mentovare.

Laudato si', mi' Signore,
com tucte le tue creature,
spetialmente messor lo frate sole,
lo qual è iorno et allumini noi per loi.
Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore,
de tè, altissimo, porta significatione.

Laudato si, mi' Signore, per sora luna e le stelle,
in celu l'ai formate clarite et pretiose et belle.

Laudato si, mi' Signore, per frate vento
et per aere et nubile et sereno et onne tempo,
per lo quale a le tue creature dai sustentamento.

Laudato si, mi' Signore, per sor acqua,
la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.

Laudato si, mi' Signore, per frate focu,
per lo quale ennallumini la nocte,
ed ello è bello et iocundo et robustoso et forte.

Laudato si, mi' Signore,
per sora nostra madre terra,
la quale ne sustenta et governa
et produce diversi fructi con coloriti fiori et herba.

Laudato si, mi' Signore,
per quelli ke perdonano per lo tuo amore,
et sostengono infirmitate et tribulatione;
beati quelli kel sosterrano in pace,
ka da te, altissimo, sirano incoronati.

Laudato si, mi' Signore, per sora nostra morte corporale,
da la quale nullu homo vivente pò skappare;
guai acquelli ke morrano
ne le peccata mortali;
beati quelli ke trovarà
ne le tue sanctissime voluntati
ka la morte secunda nol farrà male.

Laudate et benedicete mi' Signore
et rengratiate et serviateli
com grande humilitate.

Modern Italian version

Most High, almighty, good Lord,
yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and every blessing.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention you.

Be praised, my Lord,
with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day, and through whom you give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor:
of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars:
in heaven you have formed them, bright, precious, and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Wind,
and for the air and clouds and clear sky and every weather,
through which you give sustenance to your creatures.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Water,
who is very useful, humble, precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire,
through whom you light up the night;
and he is beautiful, playful, vigorous, and strong.

Be praised, my Lord,
for our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord,
for those who forgive for love of you
and bear sickness and tribulation;
blessed are those who endure them in peace,
for by you, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin;
blessed are those whom she finds doing your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord,
and give thanks and serve him
with great humility.

Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen, Mother of God, Mary, who are ever a Virgin, chosen by the most holy Father of heaven, and consecrated by Him with His most holy beloved Son and the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
In you there was and is all fullness of grace and every good.
Hail, His palace. Hail, His tabernacle.
Hail, His dwelling.
Hail, His garment.
Hail, His handmaid.
Hail, His Mother.
And hail to you all, holy virtues, who, by the grace and light of the Holy Spirit, are poured into the hearts of the faithful, that from being unfaithful, you may make them faithful to God.

Praises for Every Hour

Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty, who is, and who was, and who is to come. Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever. Worthy is the Lord our God to receive praise, glory, honor, and blessing. Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and divinity, and wisdom and strength, and honor and glory and blessing. Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever. Let us bless the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever. Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever. Praise God, all you His servants, and you who fear God, both small and great.
Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever. Let the heavens and the earth, and every creature that is in them, bless the glorious Lord. The sea and the creatures that are in it. Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever.

Act of Thanksgiving

Almighty, most high, most holy, and supreme God, holy and just Father, King of heaven and earth, we give you thanks for yourself, for by your holy will and through your only Son with the Holy Spirit you created all things spiritual and physical, and having made us in your own image and likeness, you placed us in Paradise; and we, through our own fault, fell.
And we give you thanks because, just as you created us through your Son, so through your true and holy love, by which you loved us, you caused your same true God and true man to be born of the glorious, ever-blessed, ever-virgin, holy Mary, and through His cross, blood, and death you willed to deliver and redeem us.
And we give you thanks because your same Son will return in the glory of His majesty to condemn the reprobate, who did not do penance and did not know you, and to say to all who have known you and adored and served you in penance: "Come, you blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world." And since all of us, wretched and sinful, are not worthy to name you, we humbly pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, in whom you are well pleased, together with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, may give you thanks for everything, as it pleases you and them, He who always suffices for you in all things and through whom you have done such great things for us. Alleluia.