When our lives are surrounded by the noise and chaos of the world, we can always look to God and, with prayers, find the quiet peace that He can instill in our hearts. The Saints are also examples whose lives inspire and guide us to live like Jesus. One of my favorite prayers is the Peace Prayer, which is affiliated with St. Francis of Assisi. It teaches us to serve one another and to put other’s needs first. The Peace Prayer reminds me of the virtues we learn from the Rosary. For example, the second Joyful Mystery is Love of Neighbor. The Peace Prayer is a beautiful way to reflect on our love for Christ and love one another. Let us pray:


Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

      ⁃     St. Francis, Pray for us.


Aside from St. Francis, one of my favorite Saints is St. Padre Pio, who received many spiritual gifts such as bi-location, the gift to read souls, and the stigmata. I venerate St. Padre Pio because he lived with unwavering piety and devotion to God.

By age five, he found his calling and decided to dedicate his life to Christ. St. Padre Pio became a Capuchin friar at fifteen, taking his vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. He then continued his studies for the priesthood.

At age twenty, St. Padre Pio received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appearing on his hands and feet. He suffered from these pains throughout his life. Miraculously, the bleeding wounds released a sweet smell of roses and never became infected. He endured so much suffering and sacrifice throughout his life.

When I learned how St. Padre Pio accepted his suffering and offered it to God for the salvation of souls, I began applying this to my life. He taught me to bring my suffering to God in prayer to take a share in the Passion of Christ. I began to understand that God allows suffering for our greater good. If Christ himself suffered, we must accept the suffering He sends us and offer them in union with his suffering so that we receive the greatest rewards. God will give us the strength to bear it. I now pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bear my sufferings instead of complaining or becoming irritated. In a sense, I also thank God for my suffering because it gives me a chance to grow closer to Him. I also reflect on how my tribulations are small compared to many others, which has humbled me. I now understand that in His infinite goodness, suffering is good for me and that if borne for the love of Jesus, my heart will be in union with His Sacred heart.

Reading about the lives of St. Francis and St. Padre Pio has taught me how to love God in a greater and more fulfilling way. This is why I venerate them as my favorite saints.

Jodie Arana
St. Francis College