Mahatma Gandhi’s Prayer for Peace
There are 12 classical world religions: Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism. Each of them has its own prayer for peace, despite the fact there have been “religious wars” for centuries.
World Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2010. The United Nations unanimously adopted it. They decided to observe the first week of February every year as World Faith Harmony Week.
On February 1, in just a couple weeks, James Twyman, aka The Peace Troubadour, will be holding his ISIS Prayer Vigil in war-ravaged Syria. He picked that day to coincide with the beginning of 2016’s World Faith Harmony Week.
James will be joined by a large group of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders in an area overlooking several rebel-held Syrian villages. There will be millions of people focusing their prayers on the area, and especially on the starving Syrian children. Also, over 2,500 Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery in India will be joining the vigil.
If you haven’t already, please join James and the folks who will be a part of this powerful prayer vigil. You’ll be helping to change the world and achieve humanity’s centuries-old dream of peace on earth. It will take only 15 minutes of your time on Monday, February 1, 2016.
Click here to join James and all the others. And please tell all your family, friends, coworkers, etc. about the vigil.
In 2016 I believe we will see peace on earth, or at least more meaningful movement toward it. But when we look at our world, especially as reflected in the mainstream news media, peace on earth might seem like an impossible dream.
I’ve chased impossible dreams all my life. Most of them have come true. I believe the dream we all have for world peace will also come true.
During 2016, we will occasionally feature the peace prayers of the 12 classical world religions, and several other prominent peace prayers. Today’s post is the first of the series. Then, for all the rest of 2016, we’ll publish these prayers in the second weekend of each month.
Today’s post features one of my personal favorites, The Prayer of Saint Francis. But first, a few words from Spirit:
For those of you who work with numerology, 2016 is a most significant year. The four digits add up to 9, which signifies completion.
To follow up on John’s words, we see this calendar year as the completion of a centuries-long cycle.
While we do not make predictions, we see this calendar year heralding the most meaningful progress toward peace on earth that has ever been made in human history.
That is why your prayers for peace are so critical—to continue the energy and power that has been building for centuries.
Each of you, standing alone in your own light and love, is a powerful force—far beyond what most of you can imagine. All of you, standing together in unity and love, are an invincible force.
The so-called battle between good and evil, between light and dark, is over. Dark is defeated Evil never existed. Light and love prevail.
However, like evil, dark also never really existed. Dark is only the absence of light. As you all move closer to your true selves, your perception of dark just dissolves. That’s all dark has ever been—your perception, not reality.
Only light and love are real. Only God is real. You are all part of that oneness, that divine energy, you might call God.
This is as close as we have ever come to making a prediction: You will see peace on earth in 2016.
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Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
Where there is sadness, joy
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 that we are pardoned
It is in dying that we are born
To eternal life
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Do you believe peace on earth is a possible dream? Do prayers for peace make a real difference, especially when we all join together in those prayers?
Please share your thoughts with us below.
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Copyright © 2016 by John Cali
If you know someone who could benefit from this post, please forward it to them with a personal note.
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Bing Crosby and David Bowie sing this lovely rendition of the classic Christmas song, The Little Drummer Boy, combined with the lyrics of Peace on Earth.
The song was recorded September 11, 1977. Bing died about a month later, on October 14, 1977. As we now know, David died just a week ago, on January 10, 2016.
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About John Cali
Writer and publisher John Cali, author of 10 books, talks to ghosts and dead people. He writes about these adventures at his blog and website, and in his upcoming book, Conversations with Spirit: Real Answers To Life’s Pesky Questions, Book 1.
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George Ball
Thank you all for the wonderful discussion today. I have the prayer of St. Francis posted on my desk. We should get the UN to make it “The World Peace Prayer.” And to think all this is here due to my dear old friend, Johnny.
Peace, love, and hugs for all, George
John Cali
Thank you, George, for your comments. “Coincidentally,” I have the Prayer of Saint Francis posted on the wall near my desk.
Peace, love, and hugs to you, dear brother,
Johnny
Madhulika Varma
Dear John, Thank you for this lovely post, and for the idea of sharing one prayer for peace from each religion, each month. Such a wonderful concept. If only every person from every religion thought the same way.
I am so happy that the first prayer for peace that you have posted was the Prayer of Saint Francis, who is also the patron saint of animals! A version of this prayer, Make Me a Channel of your Peace, was one of Princess Diana’s favourites, and I cannot forget its beautiful rendition by the Westminster Abbey choir at her memorial service. I downloaded it, and often play it when I want to uplift my soul!
Let us all pray that 2016 is a year of peace. With love from India.
John Cali
Thank you very much, Madhulika!
Having been raised in the Catholic Church, Saint Francis has always been one of my favorites. I did know he’s the patron saint of animals, but I did not know the prayer was one of Princess Diana’s favorites.
Thanks again.
Love, John
Ron B.
Contrast is essential, always has been and always will be.
I am leaving it at that. We were never promised a rose garden.
Love, Ron
John Cali
Thank you, Ron,
Love, John
Martha
Well, Ron,
The way I see it, We’ve been given the Rose Garden and that includes the thorns!
Ron B.
Well stated, Martha. The thorns are indeed a great metaphor.
As well Free Will does give us the option of choosing our perspective.
This is true and we can verify that truth many times a day and in that sense we
absolutely create our personal realities. To what extend we can push the envelope is often surprising as well.
Momentum is also a factor. The question here imo is whether or not the present momentum can be reversed or even mitigated. Miracles do exist and it may very well be that Source will step in and use this gathering of desires as a wakeup call but and yes there is always a ¨but ¨, it will have to do so within the limits of uncertainty. Otherwise the tendency would become to stop working for peace in an objective manner and descend into another religion once gain in a wishy washy sort of way. The rose bush when nurtured and maintained with positive intent and actual caring and love will produce more beauty than the one which is simply fed wonderful wishes. A little pruning goes a long way.
Martha
Thank you, Ron. I had to look up IMO and see that it means ” in my opinion”.
Well, imo ‘-) wonderful wishes or loving intentions, pruned or wild, Love is the answer to every question. As Abraham says, the contrast is the launching pad for that which we are wanting. Here on Earth seems to be a kind of Creation School. I think lovingly attending to my own blooms and thorns helps me to be able to offer the same to others without getting hung up on the thorns. It is a great metaphor.
I wouldn’t say, ” Oh, I HATE you, Rose, because you have these stupid thorns that hurt me!” My love for the beauty of the rose is stronger than the inconvenience of the thorn. If I can appreciate a rose, thorns and all that, is a pretty good metaphor for unconditional love, the goal of all seeking. If I can love those thorny parts of myself I have a better chance of being able to extend that same love toward others and simply love their prickly parts.
Still in school here, but that is the goal. In this way I bring Light to the darkness.
Love,
Martha
John Cali
Thank you, Martha. As A Course in Miracles says, Love is all there is.
Mikala
MY DEAR FRIEND:
I don’t know if you purposefully left out the 12th prayer, the Native American Prayer for Peace, but there are only 11 on this list. It surprised me.
Your question: Do you believe peace on earth is a possible dream? Do prayers for peace make a real difference, especially when we all join together in those prayers?
On the first part of the question, my heart responds that this is why we are here, why we came voluntarily to Earth at this time, to create Peace on Earth by becoming Divine Humans and sharing the Divine Love and Light with one another and the world. (My belief) Possible? Absolutely!
And (second question) we do that sharing, giving, service, by coming together with that Divine Love and Light essence of Creator in our hearts and minds and every cell of our bodies, and with that power, spread it all over the Earth and beyond.
With the focused power of Divine Love multiplied by the numbers of those with clear minds and hearts filled with unconditional love, each person who participates will be changed. They alone will change themselves, their communities, their countries, and the world with that Light power. And, I believe, that the spark of Creator Light in each heart of each human will receive that Love and Light. Whether they allow that to prosper and grow is up to them. But that Love/Light power will not leave the minds and hearts of all concerned. (My belief).
Love to you for spreading this news, Johnny. I am already amazed by the synchronicity of many various areas coming together for the vigil. It is significant.
Big bear hugs to all,
Micki
John Cali
Thank you very much, Micki. I mistakenly left out one of the classical religions: Confucianism. I’ve made the correction. The Native American Prayer for Peace will be among those I publish in the coming months of this year.
Thank you also for your most eloquent and wise answers to those questions I posed. I completely agree with you. Since we’ve known each other so many years, I’m sure you remember a time when I would not have agreed with you. But I’ve since “seen the light.” 🙂
I too am amazed at the synchronicity so many of us, from different spiritual paths, religions, countries, etc., are coming together in the spirit of love and compassion. It’s a great time to alive on our beloved Mother Earth!
Love and hugs to you, Micki,
Johnny
Karen Lee Samson
John,
Beautiful write up, never have I seen David Bowie and Bing Crosby sing together…beautiful.
Joy and peace starts within and we all connect like a web with our positive frequencies.
Your site is a joy to the heart and soul.
Spirit speaks to help us all remember the brilliant light within our universal family.
John Cali
Thank you very much, Karen. Neither had I seen David Bowie and Bing Crosby sing together. I’m glad I “accidentally” found that video.
I’m grateful for your most kind words, Karen. You and the wonderful work you do are also a joy to the heart and soul.
Love, John
Martha
Oh, well they probably wanted me to say it. I need to remember it more than most!
John Cali
Could very well be. 🙂
Martha
Hey. whadya tryin’ to say?!
LOL
John Cali
YOU know! 🙂
Martha
Ha Ha!
Martha
Wow, John. Thank you so much. I had never seen this. To see David Bowie and Bing singing here together is miraculous.
I believe as you do that peace is possible. It’s starts with me in my heart. To me this song is a prayer for Peace that begins in the heart of the child within us all.
What a beautiful tribute to Bowie especially and expression of what can happen when people who are different come together and share their gifts for the good of all. The result is Peace on Earth.
Love,
Martha
John Cali
You’re most welcome, Martha. Neither had I ever seen David and Bing singing together.
I wholeheartedly agree with you — world peace starts within each of us. I was a bit surprised my spirit guides didn’t say that.
Love,
John