Wednesday, April 7, 2010

A Prayer for Peace

I woke up this morning with the memory of this prayer in my heart. I am often heartsick at the state of the world- one look at the newspaper headlines is enough to ruin your day, most days.
Even between loved ones, when the ego takes over, love is quashed. Peace is so fragile, but we need it now more than ever. Can we not all become 'instruments of peace'?

Prayer of Saint 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

18 comments:

Sue said...

This affected me in a way you can't have anticipated -- our Music Sir set this to tune and made us sing this at morning assemblies, so it made me remember him (a silly, vain man) and giggle.

Sowwy. :)

dipali said...

@Sue: The nuns in my school taught it to us in a rather lugubrious tune! Let's sing it to each other whenever we meet next.

Jokes apart, I find it an absolutely wonderful prayer- the concepts are all so true.

the mad momma said...

amen....

Aneela Z said...

amen to that...im doing gargles and prepping my throat in anticipation. jaadu ki jhappi.

Natasha said...

We used to sing this in school, and though I haven't thought of it for a couple of decades, the words came flooding back as I read them.
And the sentiments are so true.

~ Rayna

Deej said...

You are a good egg, Dips. :D

Desi Mom, Desi Dad said...

my first time here...but AMEN,sister.
will be back.

-desi mom

mayG said...

amen to that dips
*hugs*

Savani said...

peace!

Doli said...

Ohh I love this song! I used to love the tune in school :)

Nino's Mum said...

I sing this so often - especially with Nino... beautiful and each word rings true.

Momo's Ma said...

Hi,new here. u reminded me of my school days. what a nice lovely prayer. god bless all n may peace reign always. :) cant get this song out of my head now. makes me want to go back and search for my calendar/ diary and find soem more such songs.

Cee Kay said...

Amen. May it always be so.

How come the nuns at my school did not teach us this prayer? I demand a refund!! :D

Hip Grandma said...

Sounded familiar but could not put a tune to the words. But peace with a capital P is the need of our times. Amen.

Anonymous said...

lovely prayer Dipali...this is the first time im reading it.. will tell mom to stop by..she will surely like it.. :)

Anonymous said...

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life...I liked these lines very much. So much said in this prayer. Will read it many times more. My pranam to such pure hearts. These words are straight fron their hearts. May we all spread peace and happiness.

Banno said...

Better words to start the morning with than the ones in the papers. Hugs.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dipali,

I think I am commenting on your blog for the first time.

Have seen your name a number of times on the comments section of other blogs.

Today i hopped over. This is a beautiful prayer that you have invoked. At school, I didn't understand its significance so much. But in recent years, the prayer keeps coming back. Amen to peace.

Best wishes,
Anjali