Prophecy of St. Francis

[Dawn Marie]

The prophecy of St. Francis


Shortly before he died, St. Francis of Assisi called together his followers and warned them of the coming troubles, saying:

1. The time is fast approaching in which there will be great trials and afflictions; perplexities and dissensions, both spiritual and temporal, will abound; the charity of many will grow cold, and the malice of the wicked will increase.

2. The devils will have unusual power, the immaculate purity of our Order, and of others, will be so much obscured that there will be very few Christians who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff and the Roman Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death.

3. Then scandals will be multiplied, our Order will be divided, and many others will be entirely destroyed, because they will consent to error instead of opposing it.

4. There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people, the religious and the clergy, that, except those days were shortened, according to the words of the Gospel, even the elect would be led into error, were they not specially guided, amid such great confusion, by the immense mercy of God.

5. Then our Rule and manner of life will be violently opposed by some, and terrible trials will come upon us. Those who are found faithful will receive the crown of life; but woe to those who, trusting solely in their Order, shall fall into tepidity, fo rthey will not be able to support the temptations permitted for the proving of the elect.

6. Those who preserve their fervour and adhere to virtue with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and, persecutions as rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits, will say they are rendering a great service to God by destroying such pestilent men from the face of the earth. but the Lord will be the refuge of the afflicted, and will save all who trust in Him. And in order to be like their Head, [Christ] these, the elect, will act with confidence, and by their death will purchase for themselves eternal life; choosing to obey God rather than man, they will fear nothing, and they will prefer to perish rather than consent to falsehood and perfidy.

7. Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and others will trample it under foot and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days JESUS CHRIST WILL SEND THEM NOT A TRUE PASTOR, BUT A DESTROYER."

(Except for breaking up the narrative into numbered paragraphs and adding bold print for emphasis, the prophecy is presented without any alteration, as given in the Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi, Washbourne, 1882, pp. 248-250)

[Mary Ellen]

Saint Francis' Prayer and Thanksgiving 

All powerful, most holy, most high and supreme God, Holy and just Father,
Lord, King of heaven and earth,
We thank You for Yourself for through Your Holy will and through Your only Son with the Holy Spirit 
You have created all things spiritual and corporal and, having made us in Your own image and likeness,
You placed us in paradise. And through our own fault we have fallen.
And we thank You for as through Your Son You created us, so also,
Through Your holy love with which You have loved us,
You brought about His birth as true God and true man by the glorious, ever-virgin, most blessed, holy Mary
And You willed to redeem us captives through His cross and blood and death.
And we thank You for Your Son Himself will come again in the glory of His majesty
To send the wicked ones who have not done penance and who have not known You into the eternal fire,
And to say to all those who have known You and have adored You and have served You in penance:
"Come, you blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world."

And because all of us wretches and sinners are not worthy to pronounce Your name,
We humbly ask that our Lord Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son,
In whom You were well pleased, together with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
Give You thanks as it pleases You and Him for everything, He Who always satisfies You in everything through Whom You have done such great things for us. Alleluia!

And through Your love we humbly beg the glorious Mother, most blessed Mary, ever-virgin,
Blessed Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael and all the blessed choirs of seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations, principalities, powers, virtues, angels, archangels, blessed John the Baptist,
John the Evangelist, Peter, Paul, and the blessed patriarchs, prophets, the Innocents, apostles, evangelists, disciples, martyrs, confessors, and virgins, the blessed Elijah and Henoch, and all the saints who were, who will be, and who are, to give You thanks for these things as it pleases You, the supreme and true God, eternal and living, with Your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, world without end. Amen. Alleluia. 

Saint Francis' Petition for Holiness 

Therefore, let us desire nothing else, let us wish for nothing else, let nothing else please us and cause us delight, except our Creator and Redeemer and Savior, the one true God, Who is the Fullness of Good, all good, every good, the true and supreme good, Who alone is Good, merciful, and gentle, delectable and sweet, 
Who alone is holy and just and true, holy and right,
Who alone is kind, innocent, pure,
from Whom and through Whom and in Whom is all pardon, all grace, all glory of all the penitent and the just, of all the blessed who rejoice together in heaven.
Therefore, let nothing hinder us, nothing separate us, or nothing come between us.

Let all of us, wherever we are, in every place, at every hour, at every time of day, everyday and continually, believe truly and humbly and keep in our heart and love, honor, adore, serve, praise, and bless, glorify and exalt, magnify and give thanks to the most high and supreme eternal God, Trinity and Unity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Creator of all, Savior of all who believe in Him and hope in Him and love Him, Who is without beginning and without end, unchangeable, invisible, indescribable, ineffable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, blessed, worthy of praise, glorious, exalted on high, sublime, most high, gentle, lovable, delectable, and totally desirable above all else forever. Amen.