THE ASSISI PROJECT
OUR DAILY PRAYERS
Members of the Assisi Project range in age from 15 to 99 and live in the United States, the United Kingdom, Angola, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Portugal, and all around the world. Every member of our Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit is called to pray every day for the Church and for all who have asked us for prayers. Indeed, our work together is our prayer together. So, please join in praying for the following intentions through intercession of our patrons: Saint Francis, Saint Clare, and Our Lady of Angels.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Our Father…
For our families & friends: Hail Mary…
For our parish communities: Hail Mary…
For our Holy Father, Pope Francis: Hail Mary…
For our departed brothers and sisters: Hail Mary…
For the poor, the sick, and the left behind: Hail Mary…
For all who have asked us to pray for them: Hail Mary…
For an increase in faith, hope & love around the world: Hail Mary…
For an increase in peace, justice & solidarity around the world: Hail Mary…
For our divided country, our wounded church & our suffering world: Hail Mary…
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
For the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi
O Saint Francis,
who received the wounds of Christ
at Mount La Verna,
the world longs for you,
that icon of our crucified Lord.
It has need of your heart,
open always to God and to others;
of your bare, wounded feet,
of your pierced hands raised in supplication.
It longs for your voice so frail
yet forceful with the power of the Gospel.
O Saint Francis,
help the people of our age
to recognize the evil of sin
and to seek purification from it in penance.
Help us to become free
from the structures of sin that oppress our world.
Rekindle in the consciences of those in government
an urgent need for peace between nations and peoples.
Instill in our young people your freshness of life,
that is so capable of withstanding
the snares of the culture of death.
O Saint Francis,
teach those injured by every type of evil
the joys of being able to forgive.
Teach those crucified by suffering, hunger, and war
the joys of reopening the doors of hope. Amen.
For the intercession of Saint Clare of Assisi
O Saint Clare,
ardent lover of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament,
help us to grow in love
for Christ Jesus, our Redeemer.
With strong faith and unwavering hope,
gather our wounded church,
our suffering world, and all people
into your loving heart
and lift us up to Jesus
with absolute confidence in his merciful Love.
O Saint Clare,
help us to be like you:
peaceful, kind, gentle,
strong, patient, and persevering
in the face of every difficulty.
Trusting in your powerful intercession,
we confidently praise and thank God, our Father,
for every blessing we have received.
Glory, praise, wisdom, and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might to our God,
forever and ever. Amen.
May the powerful intercession
of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi
bring us closer to Christ, closer to the Church,
and closer to each other.
May their prayers comfort us,
empower us, and protect us
as we strive to live the Gospel,
share God’s love,
and rebuild our Church. Amen.
Saint Francis, pray for us!
Saint Clare, pray for us!
Our Lady of Angels, pray for us!
Our prayer for the intercession of Saint Francis was composed by Saint John Paul II during a pastoral visit to the Franciscan Sanctuary at La Verna in Tuscany, Italy, where Saint Francis of Assisi received the the stigmata, the five wounds of the Crucified Christ. Our prayer for the intercession of Saint Clare was written anonymously by a Poor Clare sister in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. We are forever grateful to the sisters for the gift of this beautiful prayer.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Brother Patrick Garvey is a co-founder of the Assisi Project. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Saint John Seminary, and the Catholic University of America. He is a writer, spiritual director, retreat leader, and university lecturer. He also serves as Associate Minister of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport in Massachusetts. In 2023, on the Feast of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi, Brother Patrick was consecrated as a diocesan hermit by Bishop Mark O’Connell, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Boston. For more information about the Assisi Project and our programs and ministries for adults of all ages and backgrounds, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com.
__________
THE ASSISI PROJECT
A FRANCISCAN NIGHT PRAYER
Saint Paul writes: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of the God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16).” For centuries, Christians have puzzled over what it means to pray without ceasing. But one ancient practice provides an answer: the Liturgy of the Hours. Since the Middle Ages, the Church has used a daily practice of prayer called the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours to mark and sanctify the various hours of the day: morning, afternoon, evening, and night. It is based on a four week cycle of psalms, canticles, and scripture readings that calls us into a deeper relationship with Christ and the Church bringing us together through prayers of praise, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving.
At ordination, deacons and priests make a solemn promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day, using a book called the Breviary. But the Divine Office is not just for the clergy and those consecrated to religious life. Countless lay people around the world make the Liturgy of the Hours part of their daily prayer and worship. Indeed, when we pray these prayers, whether alone or in community, we are united in a powerful spiritual communion that helps to heal, redeem, and consecrate our sick and suffering world.
Unlike the other hours of the Divine Office, Compline (or Night Prayer) works on a seven day cycle. Every Sunday, the prayers are the same. Every Monday, the prayers are the same. And so on. According to the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours: “Night Prayer is the last prayer of the day, said before retiring, even if that is after midnight.” And about this form of prayer, Pope Francis says: “I am very attached to the Breviary…It is the first thing I open in the morning and the last thing I close before going to sleep.”
In this spirit, in solidarity with Pope Francis, and in communion with Christian disciples around the world, the Assisi Project invites you to join us in offering A Franciscan Night Prayer. This newly created version of Night Prayer includes the traditional psalms, readings, and canticle of the day. It also includes antiphons, readings, and a Marian devotion from the spiritual tradition founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. A Franciscan Night Prayer can be prayed by listening to one of our free podcasts or by praying with the printable version. See links below! Let’s pray together! It’s a great way to end the day! Each podcast is less than ten minutes!
- A Franciscan Night Prayer for Sunday
- A Franciscan Night Prayer for Monday
- A Franciscan Night Prayer for Tuesday
- A Franciscan Night Prayer for Wednesday
- A Franciscan Night Prayer for Thursday
- A Franciscan Night Prayer for Friday
- A Franciscan Night Prayer for Saturday
For more information about the Assisi Project and our programs and ministries for adult believers of all ages and backgrounds, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us! May the Lord give you peace!
__________
ABOUT US
Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. The Assisi Project is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. All are welcome to support our ministry via Pay Pal (see link below) or by mailing a tax-deductible donation to the Assisi Project, Post Office Box 3158, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931-3158. The Assisi Project Podcast is Produced by the Assisi Project, Inc. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. May the Lord give you peace!
The Assisi Project 