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A novena is nine days of focused prayer. This Novena of Peace focuses on praying for peace in our hearts, peace in our lives, peace in our world.
Make me an instrument of peace When we think of the word instrument we often think of a musical object or a voice that uses vibration to create sounds. Sound vibrations range from pianississimo (very very soft) to fortississimo (very very loud); they can be staccato (short detached notes) or legato (flowing smoothly). Sound vibrations can also be dissonant or harmonic, … Read more
Every Christmas season since the tragic events of 2001, I have been praying a Novena for Peace and most years I’ve invited others to join me in the belief that a personal and communal commitment to peace will bring it about. While I have not yet seen peace break out throughout the world, I have … Read more
A novena is nine days of intentional thought (otherwise known as prayer) focused on a particular thing—in this case peace. Why should you participate? Because perception creates reality. When You Change the Way You Look at Things, the Things You Look At Change Religious traditions of all sorts have known for centuries that focused thought … Read more
Peace begins with a thought, an idea, a seed germinating in a heart that is watered with love, gratitude, forgiveness, compassion, and respect for all life. Peace isn’t simply the focus of nine days of prayer; peace is a way of life. So, water the peace seed in you. Feed your heart with the smiles of … Read more
Thinking about the enormity of the problems that war and violence generate can mask the reality that each of us has a responsibility to be a peacemaker, to choose peace in every thought and action. The choices we make in our everyday lives reverberate through the whole of the universe; each of us matters and … Read more
Peace In Our Hearts I have long contended that we cannot have peace in the world until we have peace in our hearts. This lesson has been taught by religious leaders across time, faiths, and belief systems. Something that universally taught must be true. If we can learn to experience inner peace, we can recognize our Oneness … Read more
Power in the small things “If we just worry about the big picture, we are powerless. So my secret is to start right away doing whatever little work I can do. I try to give joy to one person in the morning, and remove the suffering of one person in the afternoon. If you and … Read more
Our inner lives (spirit) are not always in harmony with our outer lives. If our inner life/outer life remains in discord, so too will our world.We believe we are human beings experiencing the reality of living, yet we are spiritual beings caught in the illusion of our individualism and separation from our Oneness with each … Read more
On this weekend, with a bit more time to reflect on our journey toward peace, Hedy Schleifer beautifully explains the power of connection that exists in what Jewish philosopher Martin Buber called the sacred space that lives between us. That sacred space exists between any two people or cities or countries and we must “cross the … Read more
Shattered lives, prayers for peace Yesterday in Connecticut violence ripped through 27 families, a community, and the whole nation. Numb disbelief settles on us as we imagine the horror of mothers and fathers who wailed through the night for their little ones sent off to school to never return home again. Words are so inadequate. What comfort … Read more