Homily at the Tomb of St. Francis of Assisi - June 22, 2010
The following homily was given during the mass celebrated at the tomb of St. Francis located in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. I talked about the deeper meaning of the Prayer of St. Francis as well as the prayer of Mother Teresa.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me a channel of thy peace;
that where there is hatred, I may bring love;
that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;
that where there is discord, I may bring harmony;
that where there is error, I may bring truth;
that where there is doubt, I may bring faith;
that where there is despair, I may bring hope;
that where there are shadows, I may bring light;
that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted;
to understand, than to be understood;
to love, than to be loved.
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.
It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.
Amen.
Fruit of Silence (by Mother Teresa)
The fruit of silence is prayer
the fruit of prayer is faith
the fruit of faith is love
the fruit of love is service
the fruit of service is peace.
Love to pray (Mother Teresa)
Feel often during the day the need for prayer and pray.
Prayer opens the heart, till it is capable of containing God himself.
Ask and seek and your heart will be big enough to receive Him
and keep Him as Your Own.
