Prayers and Reflections for Peace from Many Traditions
Prayer of St. Francis of Assissi – Christian Tradition
‘Make me an instrument of your Peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow your love;
Where there is injury pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
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 we are pardoned;
And it is in dying we are born into eternal life.’
Peace of I from Morrnah Simeona who was Hawaiian.
‘Peace be with you, all my peace,
The peace that is I, the Peace that is I Am,
The Peace for always, now and forever and ever more.
My Peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you,
Not the world’s Peace, but only my Peace,
The Peace of I’.
Prayer for Forgiveness from the Buddist Tradition
‘ If I have harmed anyone in any way,
Either knowingly or unknowingly,
Through my own confusions,
I ask them for forgivenss.
If anyone has harmed me in any way,
Either knowingly or unknowingly,
Through their own confusions,
I forgive them.
And if there is a situation
I am not yet ready to forgive,
I forgive myself for that.
For all the ways that I harm MySelf,
Negate, doubt, or belittle myself,
Through my own confusions,
I forgive myself’.
Contemporary Prayer – by Gabrielle McAuley
Peace, Joy, Beauty, May Peace prevail on earth
Peace, Joy, Beauty, May Peace prevail on earth
Vibrant Health, Abundant Wealth,
Divine Wisdom flowing through,
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
Aware, Awake and Free,
May Peace prevail on Earth.
Shining Light, Forgiven, Free,
May Peace prevail on Earth.
Thank you, I love you,
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
The True Peace – Native American, Black Elk, Lakota Sioux Holy Man
‘The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of men when they realize their relationship, their onenss, with the universe and all it’s powers, and when they realise that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.
This is really peace, and the others are but reflections of this.
The second peace is that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which is made between two nations.
But above all you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is first known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men’.
‘This being human’ by Persian poet Rumi,
translated by Coleman Barks
‘This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
Who violently sweep your house
Empty of it’s furniture,
Still, treat each guest honourably.
He may be clearing you out
For some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
Meet them at the door laughing,
And invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
Because each has been sent
As a guide from beyond.
Let nothing upset you by St. Teresa of Avila
‘Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing afright you.
All things are passing,
God only is changless.
Patience gains all things,
Who had God wanted nothing’.
Invocations from The Upanishads,
Vedic Sanskrit texts of Hindu Philosophy
‘May the Lord of Love protect us.
May the Lord of Love nourish us.
May the Lord of Love strengthen us.
May we realise the Lord of Love.
May we live with love for all;
May we live in peace with all.
May the Lord of day grant us peace.
May the Lord of night grant us peace.
May the Lord of sight grant us peace.
May the Lord of might grant us peace.
May the Lord of speech grant us peace.
May the Lord of space grant us peace.
I bow down to Brahman, source of all power.
I will speak the truth and follow the law.
Guard me and my teacher against all harm.
Guard me and my teacher against all harm.
Psalm 23, from the Book of Psalms, King James Bible
‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
For his names sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou are with me;
Thy rod and they staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
They anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever’.
Imagine by John Lennon
‘Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us,
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today
Ah
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Livin life in peace
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You, may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one.