The Daily Meditation with Brother Richard

Prayer of Saint Francis Meditation (Part 4): Sense and Knowledge

September 15, 2026·9 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

In this meditation, I bring our series on the Prayer of Saint Francis before the Crucifix to a close, reflecting on the final petition of the prayer: the desire for sense and knowledge.Knowledge can give us information, but discernment helps us understand what matters and how we should respond. Francis asks for both — for a deeper awareness that allows us to choose wisely and to act with greater attention, compassion and openness to divine grace.We begin by settling into the body and breath, letting go of what came before and what might follow. From that stillness, we allow Francis’s prayer to sound within us once again: asking for light in darkness, right faith, certain hope, perfect love, sense and knowledge.As the meditation deepens, we consider how contemplative practice can accompany the decisions we make in everyday life. Rather than reacting automatically, we can create space to reflect, discern and listen.This meditation offers a contemplative practice for discernment, decision-making and prayer, inviting us to bring greater awareness and wisdom into the choices of daily life.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction: Sense and knowledge 00:40 – Opening bell 00:43 – Entering the present moment 01:50 – Letting go of past and future 02:25 – Resting in the breath 03:07 – The prayer for sense and knowledge 03:19 – Knowledge and discernment 04:25 – Choosing wisely through awareness 04:39 – Bringing decisions into meditation 05:26 – The full Prayer of Saint Francis 06:10 – Light, faith, hope and love 07:11 – Living with discernment 07:51 – Making decisions contemplatively 09:07 – Returning to the body 09:30 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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