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

Poor and humble Saint 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, your concern for God’s creation caused you to be named patron of ecology. May we, through your prayers, follow your footsteps in being good stewards of all of creation which God our Creator has provided. May we also be faithful stewards of the skills and abilities we have been given. 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.

Reflection: While Francis was in church praying, he heard God say, “Go Francis, and restore my church.” Francis immediately went out and began to move stones and to beg for supplies. Another word for prayer is relationship – if we spend time in prayer listening to God, He will speak to us. If I want God to answer my prayers then I must be as ready as St. Francis to respond to God when he calls me into action.

Action: Spend five minutes in “relationship” with God today.