Never Far From Me

Today a friend told me she had bought a statue of St. Francis of Assisi. She said,  "Can you believe I had never known about St. Francis? I knew about St. Anthony, St. Michael and others, but St. Francis was not a saint I knew anything about, that is, until your son's funeral. Your memorial card for him was a picture and prayer of St. Francis and that is when I became aware of the beautiful saint. When I saw the statue, I had to buy it!"

My eyes filled with tears as she told me about why she bought the statue. The tall statue now sits on her front porch and whenever I go visit her, and I see the statue, my thoughts will be of my son. She told me that she thinks of me and my son when she looks at the statue also. We both believe that my son prompted her to buy the statue because he knows that we are friends!

One of my favorite prayers is the St. Francis Prayer: 

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is darkness, light.

and where there is sadness, joy.

Oh, Divine Master, grant that I 

may not seek to be consoled, as 

to console, to be understood,

as to understand. To be loved

as to love, for it is in giving that

we receive. It is in pardoning

that we are pardoned, and it is in

dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen