A prayer

For some reason, I remembered my favorite prayer today, the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:

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.

I used to have this as a little prayer card. I think I bought it at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. I chose St. Francis because I knew my mother loved him. She was the kindest, most compassionate person and prized kindness above all - so it's no surprise that Francis would appeal to her.

I probably meant to give the card to my mother, but never did. It became very important to me after September 11th. I recited this prayer every day and it helped me feel as if I were somehow responding to the terrible violence.

Of course, I can't forget that I'm from his city, San Francisco, California.