St. Francis Novena – Day 8

Pray we are guided by a radical trust in God just like St. Francis.

Fr. Pat McCloskey, OFM

St. Francis, you had many moments of darkness, but you overcame them through how generously you accepted God’s grace in your life. That grace always stretched you in ways you had not anticipated. For example, at one time you might have responded very differently when a friar cried out in the middle of the night, “I’m hungry.” Instead of rebuking him, you ordered the other friars to get up and join the two of you in eating so that the hungry friar would not be embarrassed.

Your many hours of prayer in caves and in empty churches were not always moments of consolation. There you learned to accept God’s idea of “normal” over the one with which you grew up and considered perfectly obvious. In such moments you learned what deserved to be called “a big deal” instead of situations that you had once described that way.

At one point you realized that the friars needed a type of leadership that you could no longer provide. You led by example, showing that grasping at an office was not what the Gospel requires.

Loving God, in all humility, help us to prayerfully place our doubts before you, asking that you show us the way we should go in whatever affects our family, local community, and the entire world.

Fr. Pat

(Fr. Pat McCloskey, OFM, is the Franciscan Editor for St. Anthony Messenger magazine published by Franciscan Media.)

Pray the Novena to St. Francis of Assisi

Read by Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM

When Francis was in the process of conversion, he entered the small church of San Damiano and from the cross heard the words of Christ, “Francis, go and repair My House, which, as you can see, is falling into ruin.” And St. Francis took that as his mission. Post your prayer intentions to him on our Prayer page.

The Novena to St. Francis of Assisi

Day 8

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Poor and humble St. Francis, through your kind intercession we seek to love God above all things. We seek the faith, hope, and love that moved you to joyfully renounce honors and riches and to radically follow our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray for us that we come to see the privilege of suffering with and for the poor after the example of Jesus. Help us to be always grateful for all the blessings we have received and give us the strength to overcome our most pressing concerns.

(Include your personal intentions now.)

Holy St. Francis, you spent your life preaching and living the Gospel and won over many people to God. We beseech you to have pity on us poor sinners, that through your intercession, God may grant that our doubts be replaced with the certainty that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us through life’s many trials towards God’s eternal kingdom.

St. Francis, help us to continue praying for the grace to truly repent and change our hearts by actively seeking reconciliation with God and all those we have offended or hurt in any way. May the blessings we receive through your intercession deepen our faith, and inspire us to store up treasures in heaven, where we hope to spend eternity with our loving God.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

Post your prayer requests on our Prayer Page.

Light a candle or give alms on our Donation Page.

Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, is a writer and poet. Fr. Murray’s newest book, Nourishing Love: A Franciscan Celebration of Mary, is available at Franciscan Media.

Videos and articles on St. Francis at Franciscan Media.

We follow Jesus in the footsteps of St. Francis, learn more at Franciscan.org