Most High, Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness
of our minds.
Give us a right faith,
a firm hope and a perfect charity,
so that we may always
and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen.
You are holy, Lord, the
only God,
and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are
King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One,
Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good,
supreme Good,
Lord God, living and
true.
You are love. You are
wisdom.
You are humility. You
are endurance.
You are rest. You are
peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches,
and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian
and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our
great consolation.
You are our eternal life,
Great and Wonderful Lord,
God Almighty, Merciful
Saviour.
In praise of the Virtues:
Hail, Wisdom Queen, may
the Lord protect thee,
With thy sister, pure
and holy Simplicity.
Holy Lady Poverty, may
the Lord protect thee,
With thy sister, holy
Humility.
Lady, Holy Charity, may
the Lord protect thee,
With thy Sister, holy
Obedience.
O most holy Virtues,
may the Lord protect thee all,
from Whom you come and
proceed.
Most holy virtues, the
Lord salute all of you, He from whom you come and proceed.
There is scarcely a man
in all the world, who can have one of you, before he dies.
He who has one and offends
not the others, has all.
And he who offends one,
has none and offends all. (cf. Jn 2:10)
And any whatsoever confounds
vices and sins.
Holy Wisdom confounds
Satan and all his wickedness.
Pure Holy Simplicity
confounds all the wisdom of this world (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6) ,
Holy Poverty confounds
cupidity and avarice and the cares of this world.
Holy Humility confounds
pride and all the men, who are in the world, and likewise all the things,
which are in the world.
Holy Charity confounds
all the diabolic and carnal temptations and all carnal fears.
Holy Obedience confounds
all things corporal both carnal and one's own willings and holds the body
mortified in obedience to the spirit and in obedience to one's brother
and is subject and submissive to all the men, who are in the world and
not only to men, but even to all the beasts and wildlife, so that they
might do with him, whatever they will, as much as it will have been given
them from above by the Lord (cf. Jn 19:11).
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi before the Blessed Sacrament:
We adore You, O Lord Jesus Christ, in this church and all the churches of the world, and we bless You, because, by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Praising Mary the Mother of Jesus:
Hail, holy Lady, most
holy Queen,
Mary, Mother of God,
ever Virgin.
You were chosen by the
Most High Father in heaven,
consecrated by Him, with
His most Holy Beloved Son
and the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter.
On you descended and still
remains all the fullness of grace and every good.
Hail, His Palace.
Hail His Tabernacle.
Hail His Robe.
Hail His Handmaid.
Hail, His Mother.
and Hail, all holy Virtues,
who, by grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
are poured into the hearts
of the faithful
so that from their faithless
state,
they may be made faithful
servants of God through you.
Note: Sorry to say, though it is indeed in his spirit, the famous Peace Prayer (Make me an instrument of thy peace..) was not written by Francis. It was composed c. 1900 – by an anonymous Englishman.