Religious Text ~
During our difficult times, having religious text, prayers, affirmations and even mantras can help calm us. Some of my most frequent requests are religious texts and quotes from Saints and other religious leaders.
St. Francis of Assisi's Life Practice
The first line of "The Peace Prayer" by St. Francis lays out in beautiful language a honorable life's path: "Lord, make me an instrument of you Peace". St. Francis of Assisi is known for his beautiful prayers. He was a Catholic friar who gave up a life of wealth to live a life devoted to Christianity after having a mystical vision. He gave away his father's wealth and all he owned, He was the founder of the Franciscan order and is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment.
St. Francis Prayer used in a movie about a terror attack
There are many beautiful prayers for which he is known. This prayer was actually used in the movie, directed by Clint Eastwood: The 15:17 to Paris. It's a miraculous true story that is based on a terrorist attack on a train going to Paris. Three American heroes were on this train with 500 souls when they realized passengers were about to be killed by a terrorist with an automatic weapon. In a truly selfless act to thwart the attack, one of the Americans puts himself directly in the line of fire. Miraculously the jammed and the 3 fought the crazed terrorist to prevent him from further harming any of the passengers. It was a very emotional scene in the movie.
The St. Francis Prayer was recited during the movie as the main character's childhood prayer. When my client asked me to write this prayer she hadn't realized (nor did I) that it was written by St. Francis. I had remembered hearing it, but until I did an online search for the quote to make sure the wording was correct I didn't realize it was written by St. Francis. So this is an abbreviated version of the full prayer.
She wanted a picture to remind her of the movie. And since it was a dark story I felt that having the calligraphy in a light color on black background would look right. What do you think?
Background Image Changes The Feel of a Poem
I encourage my customers to consider the mental image that comes to mind when you read a particular poem or quote. St. Francis is the patron saint of patron saint for ecologists — a title honoring his boundless love for animals and nature. You often see statues of St. Francis surrounded by birds and small animals. That could also make a nice background for the prayer that begins with the line: Lord Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace.
Why A Rock Cairn For the Peace Prayer
When I read the poem, I imagined that St. Francis had written a road map for how to live a spiritual and kind life. That meant a lot for me. A rock cairn is a trail marker that is set up on hikes where there are no clear directions for where to go. I just love the colors of the rocks and how calming they are.
If you love the way the Peace Prayer of St Francis is written in calligraphy above, it is available as a print in the store. That means the cost is much less than having an original written out for you. I can also use the text and change to a background that you imagine when you read St Francis' Peace Prayer!
Bringing Out The Meaning Of The Words With Calligraphy
Writing text in calligraphy is really about making the meaning of the words apparent through design. That's why I enlarged the important words to make them stand out.
Do you have a favorite prayer of St. Francis, or other prayers, psalms, or biblical verse? They are words to live by- and remind you to stay on your chosen path!
May you have a blessed day!