O Lord,
I pray that the fiery and sweet strength of your love
may draw my soul to you from all things that are under heaven,
that I may die for love of your love
as you did die for the love of my love. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
Lord Jesus,
you did choose your apostles to the number of twelve,
and if one of them did betray you,
the others, remaining united to you,
preached your holy Gospel,
filled with one and the same inspiration.
O Lord, look on your church now,
and remember the former days,
when you called your people into one family to uphold faith,
that by them the mystery of your Gospel may be accomplished.
Who will take their place if they give themselves up to the works of darkness
instead of fulfilling their mission and being shining examples for all? Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
Almighty, most holy,
most high, and supreme God,
highest good, all good, wholly good,
you alone are good,
to you we render all praise, all glory,
all thanks, all honor, all blessing,
and we shall always ascribe all good to you.
Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God,
help us wretches to do for you
what we know is your will
and always desire whatever is pleasing to you.
Purify us within, enlighten us within,
kindle us with the flame of your Holy Spirit,
so we may be able to follow in the footsteps of your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by your grace alone
come to you, the Most High,
who in perfect Trinity and simple unity lives and reigns and glorifies God Almighty for ever and ever. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
Almighty, most holy, most high and supreme God,
holy and just Father,
Lord, king of heaven and earth,
we give thanks to you because by your holy will,
and by your only Son
you created all things spiritual and corporal in the Holy Spirit,
made us in your image and likeness and placed us in paradise,
where we fell by our own fault.
We give you thanks
that just as you created us by your Son,
so by your true and holy love,
you sent him as true God and true man,
to be born….
And we give you thanks because your Son himself
will come again in the glory of his Majesty
… to say to all who have known you and adored you,
and served you in repentance:
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Since we wretches and sinners 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 Counselor,
may give thanks to you as it is pleasing to you.
Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
God,
almighty, eternal, righteous, and merciful,
help us poor sinners do all that we know of your will,
and to will always what pleases you,
so that inwardly purified, enlightened, and kindled
by the fire of the Holy Spirit,
we may follow in the footprints of your well-beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
Now to God,
who has suffered so much for us,
who at once has given us so many good things,
and will yet give so much more,
to this God let every creature who is in heaven or on the earth,
in the sea or in the depth of the abyss,
render praise, glory, honor and blessing.
He is himself our virtue and our strength.
He alone is good, lofty, almighty, admirable, and glorious;
the only holy One, worthy of praise and blessed through ages of ages. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
My God and my all,
who are you,
sweetest Lord, my God?
And who am I,
a poor worm,
your servant?
Holiest Lord, I would love you!
Sweetest Lord, I would love you!
Lord, my God,
I give you all my heart and body,
and earnestly desire,
to know how to do more for your love. Amen.
Source: Francis of Assisi, 13th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was and who is to come.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
Lord our God, you are worthy to receive
praise and glory and honor and blessing.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive
power and divinity and wisdom and strength,
and honor and glory and blessing.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
Sing praise to our God, all you his servants
and you who fear God, the small and the great.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
Let heaven and earth praise him who is glorious.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
And every creature that is in heaven
and on earth and under earth
and in the sea and those which are in them.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Let us praise and glorify him above all forever.
Source: St. Francis of Assisi
Source of this version: http://www.ibreviary.com/m2/preghiere.php?tipo=Preghiera&id=451
Also found here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/wosf/wosf18.htm
“Holy, holy, holy” is a reference to Revelation 4:8
“Lord our God, you are worthy”is a reference to Revelation 4:11
“The Lamb that was slain” is a reference to Revelation 5:12
The refrain “Bless the Lord…” is from the Song of the Three Holy Children
“Sing praise…” Revelation 19:5
“Every creature…” is a reference to Revelation 5:13
You are holy, Lord, the only God,
and your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love. You are wisdom.
You are humility. You are endurance.
You are rest. You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and you suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage. You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord,
God Almighty, merciful Savior.
Source: St. Francis, d. 1226
Source of this version: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=180
Also found here: Eerdman’s Book of Famous Prayers, © 1983 Lion Publishing
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;
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;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Source: Attributed to St. Francis, d. 1226. See note below.
Source of this version: Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal, © 1993 Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, Wisc. U.S.A.
Original in French:
Seigneur, faites de moi un instrument de votre paix.
Là où il y a de la haine, que je mette l’amour.
Là où il y a l’offense, que je mette le pardon.
Là où il y a la discorde, que je mette l’union.
Là où il y a l’erreur, que je mette la vérité.
Là où il y a le doute, que je mette la foi.
Là où il y a le désespoir, que je mette l’espérance.
Là où il y a les ténèbres, que je mette votre lumière.
Là où il y a la tristesse, que je mette la joie.
Ô Maître, que je ne cherche pas tant
à être consolé qu’à consoler,
à être compris qu’à comprendre,
à être aimé qu’à aimer,
car c’est en donnant qu’on reçoit,
c’est en s’oubliant qu’on trouve,
c’est en pardonnant qu’on est pardonné,
c’est en mourant qu’on ressuscite à l’éternelle vie.
NOTE: This prayer has its own wikipedia article, which states, “The prayer in its present form cannot be traced back further than 1912.”
Variants:
…it is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
…it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.
A Collection of Prayers 