SAINT FRANCIS PRAYEREXPANDED

The Workshop For An Expanded MeditationOn The Saint Francis PrayerThis Omni-Spiritual Flow is a Divine Rhythm/Harmony of our Individual Capacity to be Conscious

The Saint Francis’ Prayer has been a great help for so many of us over the years. Personally I had some resistance to the part that suggest: Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted – to understand, than to be understood – to love, than to be loved. The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Alcoholics Anonymous suggest in Step Eleven: “As beginners in meditation, we might now reread this prayer several time very slowly, savoring every word and trying to take in the deep meaning of each phrase and idea.” Well I am not a beginner but I have followed this suggestion many times. This has been very useful. Then why the resistance to these selects parts?

During one of my meditations it came to me what a perfect example of a spiritual adult or elder prayer this is. All of us who have had some experience working with new comers in A.A. can see how important all of these statements or affirmations are. In the first place when we come into the program we needed to be comforted, loved and understood by one who had experienced being comforted, loved and understood by one who came before us.

In the spirit of the suggestion from The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Alcoholics Anonymous that we go back and forth over this prayer, we expanded it to include the experience of a spiritual; child, adolescent, adult and elder. As a way of meditation you are asked to respond to each of the following, sharing your experience, strength and hope as you understand. There is no right or wrong way. The complete Expanded Meditation is on page 7.