October 2014

 

Vessels of Peace

 

This year, some of our holiest of days - in Judaism, Islam and Christianity - fall on the same day. Yom Kippur, Eid ul Adha and St. Francis Day fall on October 4. They are all days for the hard work of Peace.


Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement when the community asks for forgiveness for its sins, in order to be of service to God in the coming year. Eid ul Adha is the feast of sacrifice when God gives the ram to Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son (the son is Ishmael for Muslims, Isaac for Jews and Christians, but Abraham's faithfulness is the same). To eat the ram, one must reconcile with others. St. Francis gave up his father's wealth so he could be of service to God alone, and reach out to all people and all Creation.

 

The prayers that follow are from these holy days, precious to each of us, taught to our children. While we seek guidance from our Scriptures, we offer prayers from our broken hearts. As often happens in interfaith dialogue, we find that we enhance each other. The Jewish blessing reminds us that Peace is from God. The Christian prayer shows that our Peace is for others. The Muslim prayer gives thanks for this gift. In every case, we become God's vessels of Peace.


In common prayer, we have already begun to work.

Islam

Eid ul Adha commemorates the Peace that comes through submission and sacrifice for the sake of implementing the will of God. Abraham receives God's felicity and is given the title "Friend of God" as he readily accepts the call to submit to God's will when he is asked to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Muslims must also ask God to send His Peace upon the prophet Abraham during each of the daily five times ritual prayer. In addition, Muslims do a supplication of Peace during the "khitam" or the "closing" of each ritual prayer and is one of the Prophet Muhammad's most preferred prayers.

 


 

 


Christianity

St. Francis visited Sultan Malik al-Kamil of Egypt during the crusades. He went to preach peace, thinking he might be martyred. To his surprise he was received as a guest. The two men impressed each other with their lives of faith and prayer and began a relationship between the Sultan and the Franciscans.  We have as yet unknown friends. We may start with fear, but God turns the tables, and shows a larger purpose.

 

The Prayer attributed to St. Francis:
 
"Lord, make us instruments of your Peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we 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; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

Judaism

The Blessings of Peace: From Exposition of the Book of Numbers (Midrash Sifrei Numbers). Attributable to the school of Rabbi Ishmael, who tradition holds was a young boy during the Roman destruction of the Second Temple (70 AD), was held captive by the Romans, and later redeemed (date unknown). After not only witnessing one of the greatest tragedies to befall his people, but also personally experiencing slavery and mistreatment, he then became a rabbinic sage whose views are part of the Mishna (The Mishna is the first sacred post-biblical books of Rabbinic Judaism, redacted 180 to 220 AD.)

 

Great is peace, for the only vessel that can contain blessings is peace.

Great is peace, for we must seek it even in time of war.

Great is peace, for it is the reward of the righteous.

Great is peace, for it is bestowed upon those who love the Torah.

Great is peace, for it is bestowed upon the humble.

Great is peace, for it is bestowed upon those who act justly.

Great is peace, for it is equal to all of the work of the creation.

Great is peace, for even those who dwell on high need peace. As it is said: "God imposes peace in His dominion" (Job 25:2) If peace is needed in a place where there is no hatred and envy, how much more so in a place where all these attributes are lacking.

Great is peace, for the name of the Holy One is Peace.

Prepared by


Ms. Naz Ahmed Georgas - Program Director, Faith and Community Affairs; Cordoba Initiative


The Rev. Brian McWeeney - Director, Office of Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York


Mr. Clifford Wolf - Board of Directors Interfaith Committee; American Jewish Committee, Westchester

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Click here to download the two-page Vessels of Peace brochure.
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