Faith Community Resources

Interfaith Invocations And Blessings

Suggestions: To set the tone for the gathering, assemble in a circle with lit candles. Invite those in attendance to share important symbols - for example, music, ram's Horn, drum song, bell, smudge... Feel free to replace or adapt the texts and prayers.

 

Leader:
Today we gather to celebrate Restorative Justice Week and to reflect on the theme Pathways to a Strengthened Community. Let us pray together that justice will prevail for all our brothers and sisters who suffer as victims of violence.

(Silent pause)

Reader 1:
When the wheels of change seem to have ground to a halt, and resistance abounds, let us renew our commitment to Restorative Justice.

It goes on one at a time
it starts when you care
to act, it starts when you do
it again after they say no,
it starts when you say "We"
And know who you mean,
and each day you mean one more.
-Poet Marge Piercy

Reader 2:
We need to embrace a philosophy that moves from punishment to reconciliation, [.] from alienation and harshness to community and wholeness, from negativity and destructiveness to healing, forgiveness and mercy. (Jim Consedine, National Coordinator (New Zealand) of Restorative Justice Network, quoted in The Justice Tree)

Reader 1:
Restorative Justice [.] is a deeply spiritual process. It is never the easy way out; neither for the offender, the victim, nor the community. It requires all of us to come to grips with who we are, what we have done, and what we can become in the fullness of our humanity. It is about doing justice as if people really mattered. (Michael L. Hadley, The Justice Tree, Multifaith Reflections on Criminal Justice)

Leader:
In the midst of the darkness of our world, we gather as a sign of hope.

Reader 1:
We hold all life, in its wondrous diversity, as sacred.

Leader:
We bring our different religious traditions, values and beliefs with us as we work in harmony for true justice in our families, neighbourhoods, and cities.

All:
By my life, be it so.

(Silent pause)

Leader:
As believers in the potential of Restorative Justice to renew the fabric of our communal life, let us pray.

(Silent pause)

Reader 1:
Forgive us our mistakes -- when as people of faith and as individuals we have used religion to justify hatred, vengeance and aggression.

(Silent pause)

Leader:
May each of us return to the roots of our faith, to rediscover the values and spiritual energy that animate it. To the Buddha, the Vedas and Upanishads, to Rishabhdev, to the Elders, to Abraham and Sarah, Moses, to Jesus, to Mohammed, to Sikh Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Mahavira, Zoroaster and Baha'u'llah and to all the faithful ones throughout the ages, and to the voices of Nature speaking through us and our world.

Reader 2:
May we recommit ourselves to the ancient life-affirming values of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, love of our enemies, acceptance of the dignity of the person, peace, non-violence and Oneness.

All:
In my life, be it so.

(Silent pause)

Reader 1:
An ideal community [.] is one that resembles the human body. Different parts of the human body have different functions . and yet in a time of crisis, the whole body galvanizes to deal with an injury even if it is on the little toe. An ideal community must emulate this response of the human body. The community may be made up of vastly different economic, religious or social groups, but in a moment of crisis they must come to the aid of the poorest among them. And, when not in crisis, the community, like all body parts, must function in absolute synchronicity. (The Gandhi Institute)

Leader:
Bless us as we seek in faith to build restorative paths of renewal and healing in the midst of so much brokenness of victims, offenders and families.

Reader 2:
May our shared values and spiritual energy increase our capacity to repair and restore broken relationships. May we create a just and secure communal life founded on dignity, respect, healing and reconciliation. Bless our determination, hope and vision. Grant us insight, wisdom, courage and understanding of the ways that truly heal.

All:
In my life, be it so.

(Silent pause)

Leader:
With our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, we affirm: "Life is about 'all my relations'.[We] share with [you] this acknowledgement of the ultimate divine unity of all existence."

Let us close our prayer as one in heart and mind as we proclaim:

All:
All my relations unto the 7^th generation.

Closing: all those present are invited to express, in turn, a short quote and or gesture from their own tradition or culture: e.g. "My peace, I leave with you", "Assalamu alaikum," "Shalom" or "Shante".

Resources: Michael L. Hadley, The Justice Tree,
The Gandhi Institute,
World Prayers Site - http://www.worldprayers.org/index.html

The Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy in partnership with the Chaplaincy Division of the Correctional Service of Canada extends special thanks to the interfaith team that produced this prayer service.