Dear friends,
Most of us will be familiar with the wonderful prayer of St.
Francis which begins,
Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
I thought that in this meditation it might be an idea if I offered you an alternative version of this prayer.
It's not that my new version is an attempt to improve on the extraordinary simplicity of the original.
This is more an attempt to offer a break from the cozy familiarity which can dull the original prayer of its meaning.
You know how a photo of a familiar place seen in reverse can offer a freshness of view that brings a familiar scene to life as if it was being looked at for the first time.
So that's what we're at.
Let's have a settling down minute before the prayer begins.
For this you might like to close your eyes but notice your presence here in this room.
Notice your body and any points at which your body is in contact with the floor or chair or cushion.
Take a deep breath and as you breathe out relax into whatever it is that is supporting you.
Drop the shoulders and really enjoy the feeling of relaxation and letting go.
Do you notice any sounds?
Can you hear your own breathing?
Can you notice your own heartbeat?
Welcome to this wonderful present moment and enjoy the next 60 seconds of calm.
You giver of life God spirit beyond all our knowing let me bring the gift of peace into the world may I be an emissary of love and kindness in every ocean of hostility or prejudice aware of my own failings may I be patient repeatedly patient with the failings of others may I be forgiving towards those who injure me through fear through thoughtlessness or more in a world of doubt and anxiety let me offer the light of reason courage and even hope because in this wonderful world we must open our eyes if we are to distinguish light from darkness sadness maybe the lot of people in my world so let me sit with the sad the dispossessed the unloved the misunderstood the bereaved give me strength to listen to comfort and to help turn their sadness into joy bringing kindness and compassion to others may I receive the same in my turn knowing that the measure I give out is the measure I will receive back just as my being understood is the natural reward of my efforts at understanding others my being loved is the gift I receive when I give myself to others in love just as forgiveness is the greater reward of every forgiver we are told that he who loses his life will save it and may that be so still let my life be spent seeking no reward save that of knowing that I do the will of you the giver of life amen
