Frank talk

Today is the Feast Day for St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Friars. As many of us know, St. Anthony's High School on Long Island is a Franciscan school -- thus the nickname the Friars. And as many of us know, A LOT of St. Anthony's Friars have run (and currently DO run) for the Marist College Running Red Foxes through the years.

Anyway, this is fresh in my mind because the visiting priest at our church yesterday, a Franciscan, talked about his patron saint. He told a funny sermon about how he lost his temper one time in a parking lot, got into an argument with someone and cursed out the guy in Italian -- his logic being, the Good Lord would only punish him for his swears and sins spoken in English! That even got a laugh out of my young kids.

This old Franciscan is a great priest and a great storyteller, and he recounted to us the deep meaning behind the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which I share with you below.

It is not (nor has ever been) my intention to make this a "religious" blog of any sort. But Marist does have a "Judeo-Christian heritage," so I feel I can get away with it every once in a while. And frankly (get it?), how can you find fault in the sentiment of this wonderful prayer?

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