This week’s spiritual wisdom is an excerpt from a prayer written by World Peace Prayer Society member Peace Representative in Greater Boston Penny Joy Snider-Light. The prayer was offered on September 19, the first day of Rosh Hashanah, at Harvard University’s Hillel Reform Service last month in honor of the UN International Day of Peace, which took place on September 21.

PRAYER

Dear G-d,

We give You this moment.

Pausing in spiritual reflection,
We join with humanity all over the world,
Who are re-affirming a commitment to serve
the essence of Peace – Shalom.

As we honor this sacred opportunity to dedicate this moment to You,
So, too, do we honor this sacred opportunity
to dedicate ourselves to You,
And we offer our prayers for both personal and planetary Peace.
We pray that You will illumine our minds,
Renew our souls,
Free our spirits,
And open our hearts,
So that our lives may become clear reflections of
Your Love and Your Light.

We ask for special blessings at this time on
The UN International Decade for a Culture
of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World.
As both the peacemakers of today and the peacemakers of tomorrow,
May all children and youth come to recognize and own their divinity,
And share in the leadership for creating a Culture of Peace.

We ask for special blessings at this time on
The UN International Day of Peace 2009
During the UN International Year of Reconciliation, 2009.
As we pray now for Peace among all Peoples of the Earth,
Our brothers and sisters living in this mosaic of global family,
All of us sharing this beautiful, beloved planet
We collectively, and gratefully call
“Home.”

May the UN International Day of Peace 2009
hold the world and all its inhabitants
In a vibration of Love, Light, and Peace.
So that
Peace May Prevail on Earth.

We ask for special blessings at this time, G-d,
On our congregation.
Each of us moved to join together
To add our unique light to the collective light
In honor of the Jewish New Year,
this most holy of Shabbats, and the
UN International Day of Peace 2009.
May we all heed “Your Shofar’s Call,” G-d,
So that inspired into blessed Partnership with You,
Each of us may become
An expression of Your Divine Will for Peace.

May we learn Peace,
May we know Peace,
May we teach Peace,
May we be Peace.

O Eternal Source of Peace
Please grace us with Your Sacred Peace.

MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH!

AMEN.