As I have mentioned in a previous Herald of Hope article, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed an extraordinary Jubilee Year in honor of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, to be observed from Jan. 10, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027. During this special year of grace, the faithful are invited to deepen their conversion, embrace the spirit of peace and humility that marked the life of St. Francis and renew their witness to the Gospel in the world today. This extraordinary Jubilee also commemorates eight centuries of Franciscan witness — a legacy that continues to shape the Church’s mission of charity, care for creation and solidarity with the poor.

In the spirit of this Jubilee, I would like to present a reflection upon a prayer which has been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi as one of his personal compositions. The material in this reflection was included in the homily I presented in a Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis of Assisi on Sept. 14, 2024, as part of a pilgrimage of members of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Prayer Before the Crucifix  —
by St. Francis of Assisi

Most High, glorious God,

enlighten the darkness of my heart;

Give me right faith, sure hope, and perfect charity.

Fill me with understanding and knowledge,

that I may fulfill Your command.

Franciscan documents of the 13th century indicate that the crucifix before which St. Francis offered this prayer was none other than the famous crucifix in the little chapel of San Damiano, near Assisi. This beloved crucifix, cherished by the followers of St. Francis, is known as the San Damiano Cross.

Scholars note that the beginning of the prayer is a clear signal of the authentication of the prayer as composed by St. Francis. He was known to initiate his prayer primarily in a spirit of praise. Others often commence prayer from a posture of woe, lament or the darkened depths of the soul, but St. Francis was inclined to focus upon the glory and sublime beauty of God. He believed that voices raised in praise often lift one out of self-absorption or anxiety as the heart grows lighter and is swept upward into the presence of the Lord.

Basking in the radiance of the glory of God, St. Francis then focuses his prayer upon the enlightenment of the heart — again a tradition of the Franciscan spirit — as the heart is the center of the most intimate and inner-most human longing.

Three petitions then follow engaging in the search for a share in the mystery of the overflowing love of God. Saint Francis petitions the Lord for:

  • Right faith — seeking to imitate the gift of self-surrender
  • Sure hope — hope that is empowered by Resurrection faith
  • Perfect charity — responding in the benevolence of total generosity

Ultimately, there follows the request for the understanding and knowledge that rivets the mind, heart, soul and strength upon the one and only desire worthy of our pursuit … “that I may fulfill Your command.” Not specifically a particular commandment or law but rather the total submission of self to the Will of God — a surrender that leads to perseverance in the love of Jesus Christ, which in the fullness of time will bless us with the grace to die and rise with him into the infinite embrace of the LOVE of God the Father.

According to Tradition, it is said that St. Bonaventure, the biographer of St. Francis, told the story of how the humble saint once was devoutly transfixed in meditation in what he thought was a solitary place. However, as St. Francis gazed upon the crucifix, the figure of Christ upon the cross, he sensed that he was not alone — he believed that the Lord was looking directly at him! As he basked in the eyes of Christ, he felt the warmth of the love of the Lord … and his own heart melted. The feeling was glorious!