Devotions to St. Francis of Assisi
Feast: October 4th
Litany of Saint Francis
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Holy Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Holy Mary, Patroness of our Congregation,
St. Francis, founder of the Seraphic Order,
St. Francis, amiable father,
St. Francis, an admirable father,
St. Francis, benevolent father,
St. Francis, venerable father,
St. Francis, sure guide of thy children,
St. Francis, the standard bearer of Jesus Christ,
St. Francis, soldier of the Cross,
St. Francis, faithful imitator of the Son of God,
St. Francis, Seraph full of love,
St. Francis, furnace of love,
St. Francis, ark of sanctity,
St. Francis, a vessel of purity,
St. Francis, model of perfection,
St. Francis, spouse of holy poverty,
St. Francis, mirror of chastity,
St. Francis, a true model of penance,
St. Francis, an example of humility,
St. Francis, master of obedience,
St. Francis, angel of meekness,
St. Francis, an example of every virtue,
St. Francis, patriarch of the poor,
St. Francis, lover of peace,
St. Francis, hater of the world,
St. Francis, extirpator of vice,
St. Francis, bright light of thy country,
St. Francis, conqueror of demons,
St. Francis, zealous for the salvation of souls,
St. Francis, light of the blind,
St. Francis, physician of the sick,
St. Francis, herald of the King of Kings,
St. Francis, light of the nations,
St. Francis, martyr by desire,
St. Francis, lover of the cross,
St. Francis, apostle of the infidels,
St. Francis, propagator of the Faith,
St. Francis, pillar of the Church,
St. Francis, Abraham of the New Law by thy numerous posterity,
St. Francis, who hast received the Stigmata of Jesus,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Saint Francis,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, Who by multiplying the children of Saint Francis, dost give new glory to Thy Church; grant that, following his example, we may despise the honours and riches of this world and obtain those of a blessed eternity. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to Saint Francis
O Seraphic Father, St. Francis, I revere in thee the living image of Christ Crucified. Born like Him in a stable, thou didst contemn a world which rejected thee. Poor like Him, thou didst esteem no possessions but those which are eternal; meek and humble like Him, thou didst count confusion and humiliation a joy; inflamed with an ardent charity, thou didst burn to increase His glory; Thy love transformed thy life into one long martyrdom, and made thee strive by penitential works to satisfy the ardor of thy desires, until at last it impressed on thy body the wounds it had long before engraved deeply on thy heart and made thee a living crucifix, preaching sweetly to men the sufferings and love of Jesus. Obtain for me, oh holy saint, that I too may banish from my heart the spirit of the world, that I may esteem poverty and humiliations above wealth and honors, that I may mortify my passions and advance daily in the knowledge and love of God, until at last, detached from my self, from the world, and from all creatures, I may live for God alone, and like thee, may say with my whole heart, My God and my All; my inheritance and my joy, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Peace Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy 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.
Commemoration of the Stigmata of St. Francis
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who when the world was growing cold, didst, in order to renew in our hearts the flame of love, imprint the marks of Thy suffering on the body of our blessed father Francis, mercifully grant, that upon his merits and prayers we may persevere in bearing the cross, and bring forth worthy fruits of penance. Who livest and reignest forever, unto ages of ages. Amen.
HYMN
Blessed Francis, Holy Father, now our hearts to thee we raise
As we gather round thine altar pouring forth our hymns of praise.
Bless thy children holy Francis, who thy mighty help implore,
For in Heaven thou remainest still the Father of the Poor.
By thy love so deep and burning for thy Savior Crucified;
By the tokens which He gave thee on thy hands and feet and side:
Bless thy children, holy Francis, with those wounded hands of thine,
From thy glorious throne in Heaven where resplendently they shine.
Humble follower of Jesus, likened to Him in thy birth,
In thy way through life despising for His sake, the goods of earth.
Make us love the priceless virtue by our Hidden God esteemed,
Make it valued, Holy Francis, by the souls of the redeemed.
Teach us also, dear Saint Francis, how to mourn for every sin;
May we walk in thy dear footsteps till the crown of life we win.
Bless thy children, holy Francis, with those wounded hands of thine,
From thy glorious throne in Heaven where resplendently they shine.