The Peace Prayer of St. Francis Rosary

Handmade Franciscan Crown Rosary by prayer bedes

The Prayer of Saint Francis  has been running through my mind lately.  In light of the shootings in Tucson, I have been reflecting on what it means to act with peace, and my mind keeps returning to this prayer.

Lord make me an instrument of your peace

• Where there is hatred, Let me sow love;

• Where there is injury, pardon;

• Where there is error, truth;

• 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 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.

It also occurred to me that the 7 decade configuration of beads in the Franciscan Crown Rosary could easily be adapted for the Peace Prayer of St. Francis.  Each decade could be used as a meditation for each of the lines I have designated above.  The beads would need to be repeated twice, or even three times if you wish to repeat the first verse.

Instead of praying the Hail Mary on each of the decade beads (Ave Beads), one could pray “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

On the beads closest to the cross, the same prayers as used in the Franciscan Crown Rosary could be used to complete the Peace Prayer rosary.

As you begin on the medal, the beads closest to the cross are not used until the end of the traditional prayers for the Franciscan Crown Rosary.  Those prayers are as follows:

• After the last decade, pray one Hail Mary each on the fourth and third beads from the Cross to complete 72 years of Mary’s Joy.

• Pray the Our Father (Lord’s Prayer) and the Glory to the Father (Gloria Patri) for the intention of the Holy Father on the 2nd bead from the Cross.

• Pray a Hail Mary on the single bead closest to the Cross.