You're listening to Catholic Sprouse, the daily podcast for Catholic kids that strives to plant seeds of faith.

Hey there, Spouse. Today is Friday, October 4th, 2019. It is also the feast day of St. Francis.

Now, in case you don't know, St. Francis is a very important saint. He is the founder of the Franciscan

order, which has grown and is still a very important presence in the world

today. St. Francis grew up in Italy, and he was a soldier in the Crusades and the son of a very

wealthy merchant. However, after a beautiful call from God, St. Francis left behind all of his

worldly possessions. He rebuilt a church with his own hands and soon founded a religious order that

left behind everything. They became the beggars of God. And without family or possessions, they were truly

able to give themselves to other people, to preach the gospel in all places, and to set a remarkable

example of how to not be wrapped up in earthly possessions. One of the most beautiful things the St. Francis

left behind for us is a prayer. And here is that prayer. I'm going to recite the whole thing for you.

St. Francis wrote, Lord, make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.

Where there is injury, pardon, and where there's doubt, faith. Oh, master, grant that I may

never seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace, where there is despair, hope, where there's darkness, light, where there's sadness, joy.

Make me a channel of your peace.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

It is in giving that we receive and in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Then the beautiful thing about this prayer and about St. Francis in general is that he understood

the amazing contradiction that is God.

We oftentimes think that the more possessions we have, the happier we will be, or the more

power and understanding and the more other people

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