Instruments of Christ: Reflections on the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

by Albert Haase

Through one of the world's most beloved and inspirational prayers, the Peace Prayer, Franciscan priest Albert Haase challenges us to look beyond ourselves and toward God, and henceforth all of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0867165723
• ISBN13: 9780867165722
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Franciscan Media
• Length: 81 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.2" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

MOST PORTABLE AND YET COMPREHENSIVE WORK ON THE ESSENTIAL PRAYER OF PEACE

This summative Prayer of the Christian Faith was found on prayer cards throughout the past century. Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York from 1939 through 1969, used it as his ordination card, and also presented it thirty years later to Pope Paul VI in Shea Stadium. Now, nearly one hundred years after its publication in French in La Clochette by Father Bouquerel, we nearly forget or easily dismiss this "Belle priere a faire pendant la messe" as it was then entitled. And yet now we discover this one prayer, this summary of our Roman Catholic spirituality, that which we most deeply need to meditate, that which most truly feeds our Faith and our action, that which we find reflected in our Holy Father Pope Benedict's most recent social encyclical and treatises of spirituality. The prayer itself seems brief enough, and yet all-encompassing. One English translation, that which is used by the social services agency AA, reads: 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. Franciscan Father Haas uses the other well-known translation: 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. and he dedicates a chapter of this wonderful book of prayer to the meditation of each line, exploring its import in our lives, strengthening us to live this prayer even now in this world of war in which so much discord has been sown among and within us. Each chapter closes with questions for reflection, each of which may be considered privately alone or in a prayerful group or family setting.

Getting Tough about Peace

This little book is a feet-to-the fire test for those who profess to follow the tenets of Catholic social teaching or any other system of social justice. Early in this work, Haase warns us that fully understanding the Peace Prayer will induce in us a "psychological and spiritual earthquake." This small book is filled with strong sentiments that back up the earthquake image. One example is the questions at the end of each chapter, questions like " How can I actively seek out the poor among us?" and "How do I feel about my own death?" And there's no wiggle room in Haase's definition of peace: not just keeping silent, but "taking a prophetic stand" by committing ourselves to uprooting the sources of hatred, injury, despair, sadness, and darkness suffered by the marginalized in society. Our words and actions should compel others to examine the attitudes and social structures that oppress and exploit society's weak and disenfranchised. To top it off, he reminds us that unlike a physical activity that gets easier with practice, "the more one travels in the footprints of the Master, the harder it gets."

New Insights into a favorite prayer

Certain inspirational sayings and prayers transcend denominational lines, becoming part of the fabric of faith and inspiration for masses of believers seeking solace or comfort in difficult times. In Reflections on the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi (Saint Anthony Messenger Press & Franciscan Communications, September 2004, paperback 84 pages) author Albert Haase, O.F.M. dissects the classic "Peace Prayer" which is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. In his enlightening introduction, Haase offers a brief history of the prayer, noting that it has been embraced by as a "prayer for all times and all peoples", having been used by such notables as Margaret Thatcher at her inauguration and at the funerals of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Diana, Princess of Wales. Given today's climate of political upheaval and war in so many areas of our world, contemplation of the Peace Prayer seems to be even more relevant than ever. This compact, twelve chapter book examines each phrase of the prayer in detail. Personal reflections and stories of individuals living out the aspects of the Prayer are offered and draw the reader into a closer understanding of what is meant by each simple expression. Each chapter ends with four reflective questions for individual or group consideration. For individuals looking to truly live out the concept "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace", Albert Haase's book will become a treasured resource and invaluable prompt to both prayer and action. Groups looking for a concise study should enjoy gathering to read and contemplate the book as they examine how to become peacemakers in their own communities and in the world at large.