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 heavenly Father, 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.”
~ Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
My patron saint, Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) founded the Franciscan Order. The son of a wealthy silk merchant,
he turned toward a life of devotion after a long illness. Choosing a path of joyful poverty, he sought to follow
Christ and dedicate himself to others.
In his Canticle of the Creatures, Francis welcomed creation as kin — calling upon Brother Sun and Sister Moon to praise God, and speaking of birds and animals as beloved friends. He is the patron saint of animals and ecologists.
The compassionate Francis drew many followers as he cared for the sick and poor, often serving near a leper colony in Assisi, Italy. By 1215, the Pope recognized his growing community as the Friars Minor — Little Brothers — whose humble spirituality, sacrifice, and service spread across Western Europe.
In 1223, Francis began the custom of the presepio, the living Nativity scene, and told the story of the birth of Christ with real people and live animals. He was canonized two years after his death.
Stories tell of Francis preaching to the birds, who listened in stillness, and taming a wolf with only gentleness and trust. He sang in the fields, barefoot and unburdened, finding joy in the smallest gifts of creation. His humility shone as brightly as his courage to embrace the forgotten and the untouchable.
Today his legacy reminds us that peace begins in simple gestures — feeding the hungry, tending the earth, offering mercy, blessing the creatures who share our lives. Each act becomes a prayer of love, a living verse of his Canticle carried forward by our hands and hearts.
Peace be with you.