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Fr. Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv., invited Secular Franciscans to listen deeply to the voices woven throughout the Jubilee Prayer of St. Francis during his presentation at the 21st Quinquennial Congress of the Secular Franciscan Order-USA.
Fr. Wayne explored three voices heard within the prayer: the voice of Pope Leo XIV, the voice of St. Francis of Assisi, and the voice of those who make the prayer their own. Together, these voices offer a profound reflection on the Franciscan call to peace, reconciliation and faithful Gospel living.
Pope Leo wrote the prayer in observance of the 800th anniversary of the death or Easter of St. Francis of Assisi. Rather than simply explaining the words of the prayer, Fr. Wayne led listeners through it slowly and thoughtfully, revealing how deeply its themes reflect the spirituality and teachings of St. Francis.
Fr. Wayne drew particular attention to Article 19 of the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, which calls Secular Franciscans to be “bearers of peace” and reminds them that peace must continually be built. He also connected the Jubilee Prayer with Admonition 15 of St. Francis, in which Francis reflects upon the words of Christ, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
For Francis, peace is more than the absence of conflict. It begins within the heart. The true peacemaker is one who remains peaceful in spirit even while enduring difficulties and suffering. That interior peace then becomes something that can be carried into families, fraternities, communities and a divided world.
Through these Franciscan teachings, Fr. Wayne helped listeners hear the Jubilee Prayer not simply as words written for an anniversary, but as an invitation to conversion.
As the presentation unfolded, the voice of the person praying emerged. Pope Leo’s words became our words. Francis’ call becomes our call. The prayer asks each of us to consider how the Gospel of peace will take flesh in our own lives.
In this way, Fr. Wayne’s presentation became more than a talk about prayer. The talk itself became a prayer.
He invited those gathered to listen, reflect, and enter the words rather than simply analyze them. The result was a deeper understanding of what Pope Leo and St. Francis are asking of the Franciscan family today: to become people transformed by the Gospel who carry Christ’s peace into the world.
Eight hundred years after the Easter of St. Francis, his voice continues to speak. Through the Jubilee Prayer, Pope Leo helps the Church hear that voice anew. Through Fr. Wayne’s prayerful reflection at the Quinquennial, Secular Franciscans were invited to add their own voices and to their own lives to the continuing prayer for peace.
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