by Dan M.
If your only knowledge of the St. Francis Prayer is in the eleventh step of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, you may be surprised that one thing we know of its origin is that it was not written by St. Francis. It first appeared, in French, in the December 1912 issue of the small devotional French Catholic publication La Clochette (The Little Bell). This was the bulletin of The Holy Mass League, founded in 1901 by a Parisian priest, Father Esther Bouquerel (1855-1923). Although it was printed anonymously, many scholars have speculated that he was the author since he wrote many sacred poems and lyrics.
In 1915 the prayer was sent, still in French, to Pope Benedict XV. It soon appeared in Italian after this. In 1920, a French Franciscan priest printed the prayer on the back of a card with an image of St. Francis, calling it Prière Pour la Paix (Prayer for Peace). Nowhere did it claim that Francis was its author. The first English translation appears in 1936 in a book called Living Courageously by Kirby Page. Here it is attributed to the saint. Presumably, Kirby had seen it associated with images of Francis and made the assumption that it was centuries old.
Whether Bill W. saw this book or saw one of the cards and made the same assumption isn’t known, but as anyone who has read the Twelve and Twelve knows, he was greatly moved by it and saw in it the humility for which St Francis was known. Francis died in 1226 and remains one of the most popular saints eight centuries later. He had been raised in wealth and privilege, but after a spiritual crisis, gave away all his worldly goods. As Bill W. put it, “He went through the emotional wringer.” He inspired others to follow him in his vows of poverty, establishing the Franciscan order. His disciple, Clare, founded the women’s order of Poor Clares.
The twentieth century prayer associated with his order has inspired millions and enjoys a special life within Alcoholics Anonymous. The humble appeal to be a channel of the Higher Power, the aspiration to be of service to others, seeking to love rather than to be loved, all of it is a wonderful example of AA principles, reminding us once again that these deep spiritual sentiments are universal, whether from the thirteenth century or the twentieth.
Dan M.’s home group is Fremont Men’s Stag, which meets on Monday nights at 7 at Irvington Presbyterian Church and online: 187 927 449 pc: 774746
