Francis of Assisi was born in 1182. As a young man, he lived a rather indulgent life as a soldier. At about the age of 25 he had a dramatic conversion, and decided to live his life in selfless imitation of Jesus. Although his family had great wealth, he lived as an ascetic, and at the age of 28 founded the Franciscan order of monks. One of his great legacies is this wonderful prayer.

This simple prayer of St. Francis of Assisi is a beautiful model for living a life in imitation of Christ. In each line of the prayer, he seeks to put the needs of others before his own needs. As I read this prayer, I am reminded of the beatitudes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Each of them is an illustration of how God deals with his children and the pain in their lives.

In his prayer, Francis picked up on these ideas and set forth a prescription for living the Christian life. In fact, the prayer becomes a frame of reference against which we can judge our own actions as we deal with the people and the world around us.

As we put this prescription into practice, we will grow in love and grace and move towards a life of purity and perfection. I find the last line particularly moving. Jesus said, “He who loses his life will find it.” Francis put it this way, “It is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.” As we die to self and live for others, we begin to experience that Eternal Life.

Prayer: God we thank you for Jesus and we thank you for Francis. Give us the courage to live out a life of selfless love in imitation of them. We live in a world full of hate and of suffering. Only love can heal the pain. Make each of us an instrument of your peace, for it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.