By: Kurt Barnes

In the rolling hills of Assisi, Italy, over seven centuries ago, a remarkable story began. Born into the wealth and privilege of a prosperous silk merchant’s family, Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone’s early life seemed destined for the gilded path of nobility. His mother, a woman of French aristocratic lineage, ensured that Francis had every advantage at his disposal. Fascinated by tales of knightly valor, young Francis was set to become a knight, a path that promised honor and acclaim.

However, life, as it often does, took an unexpected turn. During a military expedition, Francis was captured and imprisoned. For a year, he languished in a dark dungeon, his fate uncertain, waiting for a ransom that only wealth could secure. But it was in the suffocating embrace of captivity that Francis experienced a profound spiritual awakening. In that murky cell, stripped of his worldly trappings, he encountered the boundless love and peace of God.

Upon returning to Assisi, a regenerated Francis chose a radically different path. Casting aside the luxurious garments of his upbringing, he donned the simple attire of a scarecrow and embraced a life of poverty. He dedicated his life to serving the poor and preaching the gospel, becoming a living testament to the transformative power of divine peace.

Francis’s life and teachings have resonated through the ages, capturing the hearts and minds of those seeking peace beyond understanding. His renunciation of material wealth in pursuit of spiritual richness is embodied poignantly in his Prayer for Peace. This prayer not only reflects his deep faith but also his commitment to being an instrument of God’s peace:

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,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

The prayer’s enduring appeal lies in its call to action and its profound simplicity. It emphasizes active engagement in fostering peace and love, urging us to transform the chaos of our world into harmony through small, deliberate acts of kindness and understanding. In essence, St. Francis invites us to become instruments of peace ourselves.

But where does this profound peace originate? True peace begins with an abiding relationship and transformation from the inside out, grounded in knowing Jesus, the ultimate source of peace. Scripture reminds us in Ephesians 2:14, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”

This foundational peace is not something we can muster on our own. Instead, it flows from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 outlines this beautifully: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”