The Prayer before the Crucifix

With Franciscan Clarean Commentary

The Text

Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart,
and give me true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge, Lord,
that I may carry out Your holy and true command.

Clarean Commentary

“Most High, glorious God”
Francis begins with adoration, placing himself low before the Most High. His instinct is worship before petition. For Clareans today, this models our starting point: humility and awe before God’s majesty, not self-reliance.

“Enlighten the darkness of my heart”
He confesses his need without shame — his heart is dark, and he longs for God’s light. For Clareans today, this honesty is vital. Spirituality is not pretending we’re fine; it’s bringing our darkness to God for healing.

“Give me true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity”
Faith, hope, and love — the three great theological virtues. Francis doesn’t ask for wealth or success but for the core virtues that shape Christian life. For Clareans today, this reminds us to reorient our prayers: we don’t ask first for things to change outside, but for God to transform us inside.

“Sense and knowledge, Lord”
Francis was not anti-intellectual. He prayed for sense and knowledge — but always rooted in faith, hope, and love. For Clareans today, this challenges us: study and scholarship are holy, but they must serve charity and obedience, not pride.

“That I may carry out Your holy and true command.”
The prayer ends not with feelings but with action. All the light and knowledge Francis seeks is for one purpose: obedience to God’s will. For Clareans today, this is our compass. Prayer must send us into mission. Contemplation must spill over into action.