The words are familiar. The prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.   St. Francis calls on us to be God’s instrument; the calling is noble but the task so difficult. How can we ever measure up?

Perhaps it will help a bit to know that Francis’ beginnings were far from saintly. He was born to wealth and privilege in 1182 in the Italian city of Assisi. He dreamed of being a soldier. He actually was attracted to what he saw as the glamour and romance of warfare. The reality turned out quite differently. In his first battle he was captured and made a prisoner of war. He was struck with illness that nearly took his life, was released, and sent home to recover.

Gone was the romance of the soldier’s life. We’re told that at this point his outlook on life took a radical turn. He renounced his wealth and sought to emulate Jesus’ life of poverty. He taught simplicity. He was concerned with lepers and the poor. He rebuilt churches. He promoted love for all of God’s creatures. The men who followed him about became known as an order of brothers – the Franciscans.

Francis wasn’t born with this innate sense that he was an “instrument of God’s peace,” and neither were we. Perhaps the clue comes in the very first three words of the prayer: “Lord, make me . . .”   Yes Lord, we don’t come by this talent naturally and it’s not easy, but YOU can make us such an instrument. And so we lift our hearts in prayer. Lord, you who loves us unconditionally, you can make an “instrument of peace” even out of us.

Never forget, God loves YOU unconditionally.

Judy