Daily Devotions and Podcasts

READING Prayer attributed to St. Francis: "Lord, make us an instrument of your peace..." WORDS OF HOPE My personal meditations of each week are often based on the Prayer of St. Francis. Although this prayer reflects the teaching and lifestyle of Francis, these are not his words; hence, we say it is "attributed" to him. The real author is unknown. It appeared in an Italian religious publication near the end of the First World War and quickly circulated throughout France. It is sometimes called a prayer for peace. Usually, it is written in the second person plural addressing “us”. I often modify it so that its meaning is expressed more personally. (Make ME an instrument of your peace) If we desire to be instruments of God in this world, each of us individually must commit ourselves to that task. And the field of our action starts with our most immediate personal contacts, our daily life interactions. So, let's meditate on this prayer as if it is speaking directly to you and me.  In praying these words, it often helps our concentration to speak them aloud: "O God, may I be an instrument of your peace." Our current world order is certainly a place where peace is like a starved orphan in the corner of most countries and a missing part in the lives of many people. Today, there are dominant and active forces which act to disrupt individual and societal peace. This phrase from the prayer points out the fact that peace comes from God! Human ego and fear are at war against the expression of that divine peace. God's desire for us always has centered on peace and harmony among all of the elements of Creation. Because of our strong conflicting psychological drives, it seems almost impossible for humans to create peace with each other. It's only when we borrow from divine peace that we can generate peace among us. By that I mean, it's only when you and I project God's loving peace into our social interactions that we can share true peace. God alone seems to be the origin and well-spring of true peace. The daily challenge is: will you and I carry God's peace into the lives of other humans? It's a matter of our choice! We must desire to become peace-makers with God's help. God allows each of us to take this sweet balm of holy peace and, by our words and actions, heal the wounds and fears of others. Receiving this divine gift is our choice. Am I God’s instrument of peace today? PRAYER Lord God, may I receive the words of this prayer for peace as your wisdom. Plant them deeply into my soul; grow my devotion to you and change me to become a voice of peace in all my human interactions. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  -James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. WORDS OF HOPE A couple weeks ago I had an early flight out of DFW. Because lines and gate changes are unpredictable, I got to the airport early “just in case.” I prepared for the worst, and was gifted with the best; no issues at all getting checked in and moving through security. This allowed me time to grab breakfast in the terminal. Though the line for coffee and a breakfast biscuit was long, it moved quickly. Most people grabbed their sack of food and headed out into the gate area. I had time, so I found a seat in the restaurant where I could sit and relax a bit…and people watch, my favorite airport activity. My spot was right across from a bank of trash cans. Halfway through my meal, I noticed a small-in-stature, middle-aged Muslim woman pulling the barrels out, tying the full bags up and replacing them with new ones. As she did this, she meticulously sprayed with disinfectant and wiped down the area all around. I watched for several minutes. People walked over and dumped their trash. She politely stepped out of their way. No one spoke to her. Not a single “Good morning.” When I went to dispose of my trash, I handed her a $20 bill and said, “Thank you for what you for your work.” She looked at me stunned and said only, “Why?” I told her that she was appreciated. I then went back to my table to finish my coffee. Once the trash cans were neat and clean and the woman had cleared and wiped the dirty tables in the area, she walked over to me with a smile on her face and said, “Thank you.’” I replied, “You are most welcome.” And we both went on with our day. The good deed in this story is the work of the woman. Despite being seemingly invisible to the majority of people in the airport, she continued to do her job as if every eye around was watching…deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. As I sat on the plane awaiting take-off, I replayed a discussion from my CoH small group from the night before. We left each other that night with the challenge to pay attention to the people whose presence, labor, wisdom, or care that often goes unnoticed. I hope the woman cleaning up at this airport restaurant on that Tuesday morning knows that her presence, work, care, and wisdom were all seen and greatly appreciated. She made an impression on me that will linger on. How many people move through their days unnoticed by those around them? God sees them. And God sees those of us that do not notice them and their deeds. I challenge each of you to accept the challenge our small group undertook; pay attention to the people whose presence, labor, wisdom, or care often goes unnoticed. In the words of a wise friend of mine, “Change how you see. See how you change.” PRAYER Jesus, you show us the beauty of valuing the least, the last, and the overlooked. As I go through my day, help me to open my heart to see those who are often unnoticed and to accept and learn from the wisdom they share. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare