Section:
prayers
October 4
ENVIRONMENT:
Bible, picture of St. Francis of Assisi, flowers, or plant
CALL TO PRAYER:
Leader: All-powerful, most holy,
most high, and supreme God:
all good, supreme good, totally good,
You Who alone are good,
may we give You all praise, all glory,
all thanks, all honor,
all blessing, and all good.
most high, and supreme God:
all good, supreme good, totally good,
You Who alone are good,
may we give You all praise, all glory,
all thanks, all honor,
all blessing, and all good.
All: So be it. So be it. Amen.
Excerpt from "Praises to Be Said at All Hours" page 162 in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume 1: The Saint, edited by Regis J. Armstrong, OFM Cap., J.A. Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv., William J. Short, OFM. New York: New City Press, 1999. Used with permission.
HYMN:
"Give Thanks to the Lord" - Dan Schutte
PSALM 104 Pray antiphonally.
Antiphon: I will sing to my God, make music for the Lord.
Bless Yahweh, O my soul.
How great you are, Yahweh, my God!
You are clothed in majesty and splendor,
wrapped in a robe of light!
You spread the heavens out like a tent;
you build your high walls upon the waters above.
The clouds are your chariot
as you travel on the wings of the wind.
The breezes are your messengers
and fiery flames your servants.
You fixed the earth on its foundations
so that it cannot be moved;
you cover it with the deep as with a robe,
the waters enveloping the mountains.
At your charge the waters took to flight;
they fled at the sound of your thunder,
pouring over the mountains, settling into the valleys,
down to the place you made for them.
You set a limit they must never cross—
nor shall they flood the land again.
You set springs gushing in ravines,
flowing between the mountains,
giving drink to wild animals,
drawing the thirsty wild donkeys.
The birds of the air make their nests
and sing among the branches nearby.
From your palace you water the hills.
You fill the earth with the fruit of your works.
You make fresh grass grow for cattle,
and fruit for your people.
You bring forth food from the earth:
wine to make them rejoice,
oil to make them happy,
and bread to make them strong.
The trees of Yahweh are well watered—
those cedars of Lebanon.
Here the birds build their nest;
and on the highest branches, the stork has its home.
For the wild goats there are the mountains;
badgers hide in the rocks.
You made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows the hour of its setting.
You form the shadows, night falls,
and all the forest animals prowl about—
the lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
At sunrise they retire,
to lie down in their lairs.
People go out to work
and to labor until the evening.
Yahweh, how many are the works you have created,
arranging everything in wisdom!
Earth is filled with creatures you have made:
see the vast ocean
teeming with countless creatures, great and small,
where ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan that you made to play for you.
All creatures depend on you
to give them food in due season.
You give the food they eat;
with generous hand, you fill them with good things.
If you turn your face away—they suffer;
if you stop their breath—they die and return to dust.
When you give your spirit, they are created.
You keep renewing the world.
Glory forever to you, Yahweh!
May you find joy in your creation.
At your glance the earth trembles;
at your touch the mountains smoke!
All my life I will sing to Yahweh;
I will play for you, my God, as long as I live.
May my life be pleasing to you
while I find my joy on earth!
May sinners vanish from the earth,
and the wicked exist no more!
Bless Yahweh, O my soul.
Glory . . .
Antiphon: I will sing to my God, make music for the Lord.
Psalm is reprinted from Psalms Anew by Nancy Schreck, OSF, and Maureen Leach, OSF, © 1984 The Sisters of St. Francis, Dubuque, Iowa. Used with permission.
READING: Galatians 6: 14-18
RESPONSE:
"Sequence" from the Mass on the Solemnity of St. Francis of Assisi
Pray antiphonally.
Pray antiphonally.
Lo, new signs of sanctity,
Deserving praise in high degree,
Wonderful and fair to see,
In Francis now behold!
Deserving praise in high degree,
Wonderful and fair to see,
In Francis now behold!
To the newly gathered band
Francis gives the King’s command,
And guided by his mighty hand,
The New Law does unfold.
Francis gives the King’s command,
And guided by his mighty hand,
The New Law does unfold.
Before the world’s astonished view
Arise the life and Order new
Whose holy rules again renew
The evangelic state.
Arise the life and Order new
Whose holy rules again renew
The evangelic state.
Francis to Christ’s law conforms,
The life monastic he reforms
And all the apostolic norms
he keeps inviolate.
The life monastic he reforms
And all the apostolic norms
he keeps inviolate.
Scant the measure of his food;
Scant his raiment, coarse and rude;
A cord his girdle plain and rude;
he goes with feet unshod.
Scant his raiment, coarse and rude;
A cord his girdle plain and rude;
he goes with feet unshod.
For naught but poverty he yearns;
From money he in loathing turns;
All earthly things now Francis spurns,
Despising all for God.
From money he in loathing turns;
All earthly things now Francis spurns,
Despising all for God.
He seeks a place to weep apart,
And mourns in bitterness of heart
The time he lost while taking part
In earthly things so vain.
And mourns in bitterness of heart
The time he lost while taking part
In earthly things so vain.
Within a mountain cavern lone
He hides to weep, and lying prone,
Prays aloud with sign and groan;
Then peace returns again.
He hides to weep, and lying prone,
Prays aloud with sign and groan;
Then peace returns again.
There in that rocky cave’s retreat,
Enrapt in contemplation sweet,
The wise judge spurns the earth beneath,
To heaven he aspires.
Enrapt in contemplation sweet,
The wise judge spurns the earth beneath,
To heaven he aspires.
His flesh by penance is subdued,
Transfigured wholly and renewed;
The scriptures are his daily food;
He scorns all base desires.
Transfigured wholly and renewed;
The scriptures are his daily food;
He scorns all base desires.
Then like a seraph from the height
Of heaven, comes the King of might;
The patriarch, in deep affright,
Beholds the vision dread.
Of heaven, comes the King of might;
The patriarch, in deep affright,
Beholds the vision dread.
It bears the marks of Christ, and lo!
While Francis stands in speechless woe
It pierces him, and blood does flow
From out the wounds so red.
While Francis stands in speechless woe
It pierces him, and blood does flow
From out the wounds so red.
His body, like Christ’s crucified,
Is signed on hands and feet.
His side,
Pierced through and through, is slowly dyed
In crimson streams of blood.
Is signed on hands and feet.
His side,
Pierced through and through, is slowly dyed
In crimson streams of blood.
Prophetic secrets now are heard:
Great wisdom has the Lord conferred
Upon the saint; the mystic word
His soul with light does flood.
Great wisdom has the Lord conferred
Upon the saint; the mystic word
His soul with light does flood.
Now in those bleeding wounds, behold!
Black nails appear, cause pain untold.
Sharp are the points, and manifold
The anguish and the woe.
Black nails appear, cause pain untold.
Sharp are the points, and manifold
The anguish and the woe.
No human instrument did aught
To make those wounds; they were not brought
To him by nature’s hand, nor wrought
By cruel hammer-blow.
To make those wounds; they were not brought
To him by nature’s hand, nor wrought
By cruel hammer-blow.
We pray you, by the cross’s sign
Marked on your flesh, whereby ‘twas yours
The world, the flesh, all things malign,
To conquer gloriously:
Marked on your flesh, whereby ‘twas yours
The world, the flesh, all things malign,
To conquer gloriously:
O Francis, take us to your care,
Protect us here from every snare,
That we your great reward may share
In heaven eternally.
Protect us here from every snare,
That we your great reward may share
In heaven eternally.
O holy Francis, Father sweet,
Devoutly we your aid entreat.
May we and all your children meet,
Crowned victors in the strife.
Devoutly we your aid entreat.
May we and all your children meet,
Crowned victors in the strife.
In virtue’s path our footsteps train
And guide us where the saints now reign,
that we, your children, may attain
The joys of endless life.
And guide us where the saints now reign,
that we, your children, may attain
The joys of endless life.
Amen. Alleluia.
Sequence reprinted from The Franciscan Lectionary, published by The English-Speaking Conference of the Order of Friars Minor, 1975. Used with the permission of Jovian P. Lang, OFM.
GOSPEL CANTICLE:
Morning - "Benedictus" - Bernadette Farrell
Evening - "Magnificat" - Bernadette Farrell
Evening - "Magnificat" - Bernadette Farrell
INTERCESSIONS:
Response: Most High and Glorious God, hear our prayer.
Francis was in awe of the tremendous love God pours out daily on us. Trusting in that love, let us pray for our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
For the church, the community of sinners and saints, we pray.
For all people of the world and their leaders, especially those who have been victimized by war and oppression, we pray.
For the sick, the imprisoned, the neglected, and the abused, we pray.
For all the members of the Franciscan family throughout the world, we pray.
For all of us gathered here, we pray.
For what else should we pray . . .
For all who have died, we pray.
OUR FATHER
CONCLUDING PRAYER:
Let us pray.
Loving and compassionate God, you invited Francis to follow you in a life of simplicity and joy. May we imitate his devotion to your gospel and his love of all creation. We make our prayer in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and for ever.
Loving and compassionate God, you invited Francis to follow you in a life of simplicity and joy. May we imitate his devotion to your gospel and his love of all creation. We make our prayer in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and for ever.
SIGN OF PEACE
