Be the bridge that promotes peace in the midst of storms. Cultivate love and acceptance of all, regardless of the differences we often perceive as sources of conflict and division. The motto of St. Francis of Assisi, “Pax et Bonum”—meaning “Peace and Goodness”—was not just a phrase but a guiding principle of his life. His journey was one towards embodying both peace and goodness. He believed that “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” As I stood in the serene Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, I felt a profound sense of tranquility and purpose. It is a place that beckons us to pause and reflect deeply on the Prayer of St. Francis:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much 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;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”
As we meditate on these words, let us commit to being instruments of peace and love in our own lives, just as St. Francis did.