The well-known prayer of the past associated with St. Francis of Assisi has been intertwined with a prayer for today.

“Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace”

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
God, you can create us to bring forth sweet notes of peace and fairness in a world confused by chaos and injustice.You are Jehovah shalom, the Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24).
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Help us to love, deeply love, the ‘unloveable,’ those society has rejected and deemed worthless. We place your value in them. To you, they are worth everything.
Where there is injury, pardon
Forgive us for bringing harm to one another. Keep our mouths and our hands from causing hurt. You are Jehovah rapha, the Lord our Healer (Exodus 15:26).
Where there is doubt, faith,
Jesus, when our circumstances cloud our judgment, we put our trust in you. You are Jehovah raah, the Lord our Shepherd (Psalms 23:1).
Where there is despair, hope,
Jesus, when we wade deep in depression and despair and our expectations remain unmet, we put our hope in you. You are Jehovah nissi, the Lord our Banner (Exodus 17:15).
Where there is darkness, light,
Light cannot coincide with darkness. When you are present, your light pierces and radiates through the darkness.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Even during our deepest moments of despair, we are reminded that we’ve joy in our salvation!
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
Let us triumph over our own grief and pour into others the comfort you pour into us.
Not so much to be understood as to understand,
Let us trade wasted words for moments lost in listening to our brothers and sisters.
Not so much to be loved, as to love;
Let us not selfishly feast upon what so many have gone without.
For it is in giving that we receive,
Let us not cling so closely to what rightfully belongs to you, Lord.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
Let us not forget to forgive.
It is in dying that we awake to eternal life.
We praise you, God, for in death to “self” we find deeper and everlasting life in you.