I suspect that those of you who, like me, are deeply moved by the life and example of St. Francis—whose life I have revisited frequently, most recently yesterday—might wish to pray to him, to enlist the spiritual help of so great a saint. Here is a prayer I found, titled the Commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi:
THIS MAN, despising the world and triumphing over earthly things, heaped up riches riches in heaven by word and deed.
V. Our Lord hath guided the just by right ways.
R. And hath shewed him the kingdom of God.
O LORD Jesus Christ, who when the world was growing cold, didst renew in the flesh of blessed Francis the sacred marks of Thy Passion in order to inflame our hearts with the fire of Thy love: mercifully grant that, by his merits and prayers, we may always carry the Cross and bring forth worthy fruits of repentance: Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.
I found this prayer on a Web site called Preces Latinae. It’s the best resource I have found online for old Church prayers, especially those that were first in Latin. The site also has two more prayers to St. Francis and three by him.
