Lord, make me an instrument of your peace

Today we were in Assisi for a busy day as tomorrow 120-300,000 people are expected in Assisi for a peace rally... We began with Mass at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi

Readings at Mass

Galatians 6:14-18

The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.

I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers and sisters. Amen.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;

it is you yourself who are my prize.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Reflection

Often at a wedding we hear the reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians...

Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful.  Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

We have heard it so many times - but it can be become a little abstract with love remaining outside of ourselves... but replace the word love with God... and it suddenly changes...

God is always patient and kind; God is never jealous; God is never boastful or conceited; God is never rude or selfish; God does not take offence, and is not resentful. God takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; God is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

But then scratch out "love" and "God" and put in your own name and reading suddenly becomes a journey of self-improvement for us.

We can look at the Prayer of St Francis in the same way... 

In praying "Lord make me an instrument of peace" St Francis was expressing a desire - it wasn't as if he expected God to do all the work to make him an instrument of peace... he knew he had to empty himself to let allow the grace of God work within him to transform him...  

And it is the same for us... In our days we talk about people being on the spectrum and in helps us reflect on the prayer - 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love - but where are the areas of hate, of anger or bitterness in my life? How is my journey across the "spectrum" to become pure love unfolding?

Where there is injury, pardon - What injury or hurts do I hold on to and that I keep going back to in my mind and heart? How easily and quickly to I pardon? Is my heart expanding to become a constant source of forgiveness and compassion? 

Where there is doubt, faith - Our world so easily doubts and we can so easily buy into the seeds of that doubt - but Francis saw the mystery of God in all things and in all people and shared the wonder and delight of faith? Where do I sow?

 

where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

Do I still cling to negative thoughts, things that darken the life of the soul and am I trapped by areas of my life that trap me and never satisfy? Where on the spectrum am I as being a source of hope, light and joy to all those I encounter in my life?  

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.

When we think of these words of St Francis we see the movement from being I centred to other centred, not feeling sorry for one's self but look to the other to how can I can give of myself... it's the journey from the child in us whose early words included "It's mine" and "I want" to embracing and living Jesus' words "This is my body given for you"

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.

We look at these in the life of Jesus, he who came not to be served, but to be serve, who offered forgiveness to those who crucified him, and who was obedient unto death, death on a cross in living trust of the Father and we reflect on where we are on the path of holiness Jesus maps out for us...

Francis of Assisi's life reflected Paul's words from our first reading... The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. His desire was to become an altogether new creature and he longed to be peace and mercy to all.

And in the quest for this he was marked by the stigmata, he body was marked with marks of Jesus.

And in all things he knew we walked not alone... He delighted in coming to Jesus, shoulder his yoke and learning from him, was am gentle and humble in heart. This image of the yoke is that of two oxen hauling a plough or heavy load... Jesus is not going to magically wave all our struggles away - but he going to be beside us helping us through them and in doing so we find rest for our souls and see the yoke of the cross is about love, a love that makes that yoke easy and the burden light.

So we too pray with Jesus beside us, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Francis of Assisi (1181/1182 – 1226) was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone in Assisi, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. Though he enjoyed a privileged youth filled with revelry and dreams of knighthood, a series of spiritual experiences led him to renounce worldly wealth and embrace a life of poverty and service.

He was captured and became a prisoner of war during a battle between Assisi and Perugia in 1202. He was held captive for nearly a year, during which he became severely ill. His father paid a ransom to secure his release, after which he experienced a profound change in his life that led to his religious conversion. 

He began to live simply, caring for the poor and lepers, and praying in abandoned chapels. In 1206, he famously stripped himself of his fine clothes before the bishop of Assisi, symbolizing his total renunciation of his father’s wealth and his commitment to God.

Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor, commonly known as the Franciscans, in 1209. The order emphasized humility, poverty, and a deep love for all of God’s creation. His followers lived without possessions, preached repentance, and served the marginalized. Francis also founded the Order of Poor Clares with St. Clare of Assisi, and later the Third Order of Saint Francis for laypeople.

Another of Francis’s enduring legacies was his profound connection to nature. He saw all creatures as brothers and sisters under God, and his writings—especially the Canticle of the Creatures—reflect this spiritual kinship with the natural world. He is often depicted preaching to birds and taming wild animals, and in 1979, he was declared the patron saint of ecology by Pope John Paul II.

Francis of Assisi is also a prominent figure for interreligious dialogue, primarily due to his historic meeting with the Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil in 1219 during the Crusades and this encounter is seen as a model for peaceful encounter between faiths.

In 1224, Francis received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, making him the first recorded person to bear them. He died on October 3, 1226, at the age of 44, and was canonized just two years later by Pope Gregory IX. Francis’s life continues to inspire millions around the world with its message of peace, humility, and reverence for all life. His example challenges believers to live simply, love deeply, and serve selflessly.

St Francis of Assisi’s words for the way of hope

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;

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.

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.

The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows

Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received - only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

In the afternoon we visited the hermitage high in the hills above Assisi where Francis used to escape in prayer and solitude, sleeping in a cave.

Then down to the Chapel of Damian. It was in this ruined chapel that Francis, while praying before the San Damiano Cross, heard Christ speak to him, saying, “Francis, go and rebuild my Church.” Interpreting this literally, Francis began restoring the chapel stone by stone, though he later understood the call as a mission to renew the Church spiritually.

The San Damiano Cross, is now housed in the Basilica of Santa Chiara, is a striking Romanesque icon cross painted around 1100. It depicts Christ upright and radiant, surrounded by figures from the Crucifixion, including the Virgin Mary, St. John, and Mary Magdalene. Its style blends Eastern and Western Christian traditions and emphasizes Christ’s divine glory rather than suffering. This cross remains a powerful symbol of the Franciscan mission to live the Gospel and rebuild the Church through faith and service.

The St. Damian Chapel also holds deep spiritual significance as the birthplace of the Poor Clares, a contemplative order founded by St. Clare of Assisi in 1212. Inspired by St. Francis, Clare renounced her noble status and embraced a life of poverty, prayer, and enclosure. She and her sisters settled at San Damiano, where they lived a cloistered life devoted to Christ. 

The chapel became a sanctuary for Clare and her growing community, who were known as the Poor Ladies of San Damiano before becoming the Order of St. Clare. Clare wrote the first Rule for a women’s religious order, emphasizing absolute poverty and spiritual devotion.

One of the most dramatic events at San Damiano occurred in 1240, when Clare, holding the Blessed Sacrament, repelled Saracen invaders through prayer alone—a testament to her unwavering faith. Today, the chapel remains a sacred site of pilgrimage and reflection

The San Damiano Chapel with a replica of the cross

Clare of Assisi (1194–1253) was born Chiara Offreduccio into a noble family in Assisi. She was deeply influenced by the preaching and example of St. Francis of Assisi. Rejecting her family's plans for marriage, Clare fled her home at age 18 and received the religious habit from Francis at the Porziuncola Chapel on Palm Sunday in 1212.

Clare’s commitment to a life of radical poverty, prayer, and simplicity led her to establish a new form of monastic life for women. She settled at San Damiano, a small church restored by Francis, where she was joined by her sister Agnes, her mother Ortolana, and eventually many other women. In 1216, Clare became abbess of the community, which came to be known as the Poor Ladies of San Damiano, later renamed the Poor Clares.

Clare’s most significant legacy was her Rule of Life, the first monastic rule written by a woman. It emphasized absolute poverty, forbidding even communal ownership of property. Despite pressure from Church authorities to relax this standard, Clare remained firm. Her rule was approved by Pope Innocent IV just two days before her death on August 11, 1253.

Clare was known for her deep spirituality, humility, and miraculous experiences. One famous event involved her holding the Blessed Sacrament before invading troops, who then retreated. Another miracle occurred near the end of her life, when she reportedly saw and heard Christmas Mass from afar, leading to her designation as the patron saint of television.

Clare was canonised in 1255 and her life continues to inspire devotion, simplicity, and trust in divine providence. 

We then visited the Basilica of St Clare where the original San Damiano cross is and the tomb of St Clare of Assisi.

St Clare of Assisi’s words for the way of hope

We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing.

Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for He who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother.

We are to become vessels of God's compassionate love for others.

Don’t be afraid. Trust in Jesus.

Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.

Our final was to visit the tomb of St Carlo Acutis, our first millenial saint...

Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) was an English-born Italian Catholic teenager whose deep devotion to the Eucharist and innovative use of technology to spread the faith earned him the title of the first millennial saint. Born in London on May 3, 1991, to Italian parents Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, Carlo moved with his family to Milan shortly after his birth. Though his parents were not initially devout, Carlo’s early and passionate love for God deeply influenced them and others around him.

From a young age, Carlo showed a remarkable spiritual maturity. He prayed the rosary daily, attended Mass regularly, and made his First Communion at age seven. His devotion to the Eucharist became the centre of his life. He once said, “The Eucharist is my highway to Heaven.” Carlo also had a strong sense of charity, often helping the poor and showing kindness to those in need.

Carlo was also gifted in technology. He taught himself computer programming and used his skills to create a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles from around the world. His goal was to help others recognise the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He believed that technology could be a powerful tool for evangelization when used wisely.

At age 15, Carlo was diagnosed with acute leukemia. He offered his suffering for the Pope and the Church, saying he wanted to go straight to Heaven without passing through purgatory. He died on October 12, 2006, in Monza, Italy.

Carlo was beatified in 2020 and canonized on September 7, 2025, in Vatican City. He is now venerated as Saint Carlo Acutis, often called the “Patron Saint of the Internet” and “God’s Influencer.” His life continues to inspire young people to live with faith, joy, and purpose in the digital age.

St Carlo Acutis’ words for the way of hope

The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.

Our compass has to be the Word of God.

When we face the sun we get a tan… but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints.

All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.

Our aim has to be the infinite and not the finite. The Infinite is our homeland. We have always been expected in Heaven.