PENTECOST XXIII
November 8, 2020
“A Prayer for All Times”
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we 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 i
t is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
(Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226)
Some phrases, expressions, or old sayings are classified as cliches, because they are so overused that they no longer catch your ear and any significant meaning has faded out like a pair of old jeans. A new descriptive term pops up, and before long, we just cringe when we hear it. Have you heard “awesome” more times than you ever thought possible?
As we near the end of an exhausting, stressful time of political campaigning and an election week like no other (please note I didn’t say “unprecedented”), the familiar prayer attributed to St. Francis might sound to some as tired or hackneyed. However, reading it, we can see that it’s an expression of a deep-seated wish for each of us, in some small way, to be an instrument of peace. He doesn’t say a weapon, or a force, but an instrument to be used for God’s good purposes.
We perceive of the word “instrument” in a variety of ways. There are musical instruments, which bring melodies and beauty into our lives. Surgeons use specialized instruments to perform life-saving operations, and there are those of us who consider the computer keyboard our instrument. But one thing these items have in common is that they must be used. An instrument does nothing on its own, but in the hands of a skilled, talented person, there can be music, healing and communication.
To be instruments of God’s peace is a holy calling, and if we don’t feel up to the task, that’s completely understandable. As we pray this prayer, asking God to use us to bring love, pardon, faith, and hope where there is hatred, injury, doubt, and despair, we can do so in full faith and knowledge that at all times and in all places, our Lord is by our side. Look at what God’s peace brings, and notice how different that is from the world’s peace. There’s nothing about winners and losers, or being able to shout that you’re Number One — it’s about giving consolation, understanding and love to others.
Nowhere are we told that this is easy or simple, or even that our efforts will be well received. But we aren’t doing this on our own — if we are instruments of God’s peace, we are part of his family, treasured and loved, and we are blessed to have the opportunity to share this Good News with all people.
Hoping to be instrumental,
Your Friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers