Today’s Word from Deacon Amy…
We typically celebrate Saint Francis of Assisi in October, but today I am drawn to the words of a prayer which bears his name:
Lord, make me an instrument of your Peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow Love
Where there is injury, let me bring Pardon
Where there is doubt, let me bring Faith
Where there is error, let me bring Truth
Where there is despair, let me bring Hope
Where there is sadness, let me bring Joy
Where there is darkness, let me bring Light.
O Lord, 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 denying ourselves that we find ourselves.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Friends, we are called to make disciples of all nations. We are called to love God, and love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us be intentional about sharing the love of Christ with one another. In this time of turmoil and despair, let us shine the light of Christ for all to see.
We have a choice right now – we can become bogged down in fear, anger, and anxiety, or we can choose to follow the words of this prayer. We can choose to share: Peace, Love, Pardon, Faith, Truth, Hope, Joy, and Light.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” These words from the book of John still ring true today. The LIGHT is still shining – the darkness has not, and will not, overcome it.
Peace,
Deacon Amy
