Peace Contents Prayer leader introduction note. Prayer handout sheet. Prayer outline. Handout content (for reference only)

Transcription

1 Peace Contents Prayer leader introduction note. Prayer handout sheet. Prayer outline. Handout content (for reference only)

2 Dear Prayer Leader, Thank-you for leading this prayer on the charism of Peace. A charism is like a living gift. It is a way of living or doing, inspired by Jesus, which links us to God. As you pray with your staff, we hope that you will develop a clearer appreciation of how each charism can impact on your life and the lives of those around you. In this prayer module, your charism is linked to an Aboriginal spirituality and to the prayer style of Contemplative Prayer. Gathering Each prayer starts with a brief ritual that serves to engage and focus everyone to the spirit of the prayer. As well as being a means of focusing your staff, it is also a way to add another level of meaning and understanding to the charism. The ritual for your prayer is a bit different as the focus of the prayer is silence and contemplative reflection with a silence as the emphasis for the welcome. It omits the normal welcoming words and starts with the lighting of the candles. The quieter and more peaceful you can make this time the better. This prayer may be a perfect opportunity to consider taking your prayer gathering outside. Reading and Reflection The reading is John 14:27. The reflection material invites us to consider what it means to live with the peace of Jesus. Because the focus is on contemplation, this section will involve not reading out loud, but handing out the reading and reflection for people to read themselves, in silence. Prayer The prayer style is Contemplative Prayer. It involves spending time in quiet, reflective thought and prayer with God. Surprises Add to the experience of the prayer by continuing to bring your prayer s charism to people s attention during the week. Here are few ideas to get you started. Place a Peace flash card on each staff member s desk/ pigeon hole. Post to their home address a flash card with Peace written on it. Hang a Peace sign in the staff car park. Write Peace messages, in chalk, around the school. The structure and ideas we have included are just suggestions. Please feel free to modify or add to the wording to make the experience more personal and relevant for your staff. Adding your own touches will not only make the experience more enriching for you personally, but also for the rest of your staff. Best of luck.

3 Peace (cc) cmgramse We Listen Peace I bequeath to you, My own peace I give you, A peace the world cannot give; this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 (JB) We Pause to Pray Dadirri invites you, simply, to be present. Clear your mind of other thoughts.. Settle into a feeling of peace.. Be still and silent, and listen. Take a focus card and for a few minutes just look at it. be aware of the image on it and of the candles in our prayer space. This page has been intentionally left blank

4 We Reflect In Hebrew the word shalom is often translated to mean peace. Not surprisingly it is also one of the many Hebrew names for God. Tracing it back to its core meaning shalom is better described as completeness, fulfillment, wellbeing - rather than an absence of conflict. Shalom is a peace which is more a state of being. When we speak of the peace of Jesus it is this root meaning which we are looking at. It is not to be confused with acting peacefully. Jesus peace is a Shalom, a peace which brings a total well being and wholeness. The people of God have always been promised this peace. Before his crucifixion Jesus promised the gift that is peace, saying, My peace I bequeath you; my own peace I give you (John 14:27). In a life which was anything but peaceful, it was Jesus deep experience of God at his centre which gave him strength and a calm energy which sustained him through all that unfolded. As we do, Jesus felt fear and anger, sadness and disappointment. But throughout the most difficult and stressful times of his ministry, we sense a man whose inner-strength is founded in deep and trusting peace. It is this gift which we are offered. A peace that leaves our hearts untroubled. A peace that leaves no place for fear. A peace that is completeness, fulfillment and wellbeing A peace that is God s gift to those who trust. Adapted from: Binz SJ, The names of Jesus. Mystic (CT): Twenty-Third Publications; 2004.

5 We Respond In what areas of my own life am I in need of peace? What new thoughts / feelings linger for you in the prayer today? Continue to discipline yourself to sit with a sense of stillness let the 100 things in your mind pass just for the moment.be at peace. Closing Prayer As we go about our day O God, As we strive to walk with Jesus Remind us that we are the face of Christ, Who is with us always. May your grace, mercy and peace, Bless us, keep us and transform us all, This day, now and forever. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Wisdom Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people. Jawaharlal Nehru "If you want to work for world peace, go home and love your families." Mother Teresa

6 Peace Using the notes: Sections to be read by the leader are marked with Leader: at the beginning. Texts in bold type are notes and guiding information for leaders and provide a guide for what to do or say. Resources: Handout sheets Dadirri focus cards Head, Heart, Hands candles Staff candle Matches Prayer intentions book Setting up for prayer; Prepare a prayerful space suitable for your staff to gather around. Have ready o The Head, Hands & Heart candles to light in the opening prayer. o Your staff candles. o The prayer intentions book. Have the Quickfire Prayer Cards ready to distribute at the end of the prayer time. Your handout sheets are close by o Handout one - Peace o Handout two - We Reflect Your focus cards are ready to be distributed after the opening prayer. Reflective music is playing quietly before people arrive.

7 We Gather Leader: In silence start the reflective music. As you light each of the candles say:- Our prayer journey this week invites us to walk with Jesus in peace. God of Peace, As we gather here in Your name, Open our minds to know Your voice. Open our hands to do Your work. And open our hearts to hold Your Spirit. (Light head candle) (Light hands candle) (Light heart candle) Amen Leader: (have focus cards ready) Sit with your focus card for a moment in the quiet. Be attentive to your breathing slow it down a little as you settle.

8 We Listen Leader: The Indigenous People of Australia have a depth of spirituality that can enrich our non-indigenous spirits in so many ways. Our reflection is an edited version of a reflection by Miriam - Rose Ungunmerr Baumann an artist, a tribal elder and Principal of St Francis Xavier School, Daly River. It is titled Dadirri. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Miriam Rose writes. NGANGIKURUNGKURR means 'Deep Water Sounds'. Ngangikurungkurr is the name of my tribe. The word can be broken up into three parts: Ngangi means word or sound, Kuri means water, and kurr means deep. So the name of my people means 'the Deep Water Sounds' or 'Sounds of the Deep'. This talk is about tapping into that deep spring that is within us. Many Australians understand that Aboriginal people have a special respect for Nature. The identity we have with the land is sacred and unique. Many people are beginning to understand this more. Also there are many Australians who appreciate that Aboriginal people have a very strong sense of community. All persons matter. All of us belong. And there are many more Australians now who understand that we are a people who celebrate together. What I want to talk about is another special quality of my people. I believe it is the most important. It is our most unique gift. It is perhaps the greatest gift we can give to our fellow Australians. In our language this quality is called dadirri. It is inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness. Dadirri recognises the deep spring that is inside us. We call on it and it calls to us. This is the gift that Australia is thirsting for. It is something like what you call "contemplation". When I experience dadirri, I am made whole again. I can sit on the riverbank or walk through the trees; even if someone close to me has passed away, I can find my peace in this silent awareness. There is no need for words. A big part of dadirri is listening. Through the years, we have listened to our stories.

9 They are told and sung, over and over, as the seasons go by. Today we still gather around the campfires and together we hear the sacred stories. As we grow older, we ourselves become the storytellers. We pass on to the young ones all they must know. The stories and songs sink quietly into our minds and we hold them deep inside. In the ceremonies we celebrate the awareness of our lives as sacred. The contemplative way of dadirri spreads over our whole life. It renews us and brings us peace. It makes us feel whole again The full transcript is available at Ungunmerr Baumann M. [online]; Available from URL:

10 We Respond Individual Prayer Leader: The remainder of today s prayer is an opportunity to experience prayer in the mould of Dadirri. I invite you, simply, to be present. Clear your mind of other thoughts.. Settle into a feeling of peace.. Be still and silent, and listen. Look again at your focus card and just be aware of the image on it and the candles in our prayer space. After a few minutes of silent time pass the Leader can move about the staff and pass out the handout (1 sided). titled Peace Wait a few minutes while people read the scripture.. Then in silence- pass out the handout (2 sided) titled- We Reflect Allow a longer time for people to read and contemplate.. When a suitable time has passed, draw your staff back together to pray the closing prayer.

11 We Go Forth Leader: As we pause now before our prayer time ends, we stop to light our staff/school candle. (Light the staff/school candle) We pause in silence to pray for the intentions we have added to our staff intentions book.. (place it into the prayer space) and those who are already on its pages. We add to these the prayers that are known only in our hearts. (Allow for silent prayer) Closing Prayer Leader: Let us pray together As we go about our day O God, As we strive to walk with Jesus. Remind us that we are the face of Christ, Who is with us always. May your grace, mercy and peace, Bless us, keep us and transform us all, This day, now and forever. All: Amen

12 Hand out content (for reference only)

13 Scripture We Listen This is on the handout sheets Peace I bequeath to you, My own peace I give you, A peace the world cannot give; this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 (JB)

14 We Reflect Deep Peace This is on the handout sheets In Hebrew the word shalom is often translated to mean peace. Not surprisingly it is also one of the many Hebrew names for God. Tracing it back to its core meaning shalom is better described as completeness, fulfillment, wellbeing - rather than an absence of conflict. Shalom is a peace which is more a state of being. When we speak of the peace of Jesus it is this root meaning which we are looking at. It is not to be confused with acting peacefully. Jesus peace is a Shalom, a peace which brings a total well being and wholeness. The people of God have always been promised this peace. Before his crucifixion Jesus promised the gift that is peace, saying, Peace I leave you; my peace I give you (John 14:27). In a life which was anything but peaceful, it was Jesus deep experience of God at his centre which gave him strength and a calm energy which sustained him through all that unfolded. As we do, Jesus felt fear and anger, sadness and disappointment. But throughout the most difficult and stressful times of his ministry, we sense a man whose inner-strength is founded in deep and trusting peace. It is this gift which we are offered. A peace that leaves our hearts untroubled. A peace that leaves no place for fear. A peace that is completeness, fulfillment and wellbeing A peace that is God s gift to those who trust. Adapted from Binz SJ, The names of Jesus. Mystic (CT): Twenty-Third Publications; 2004.

15 We Respond This is on the handout sheets Reflection In what areas of my own life am I in need of peace? What new thoughts / feelings linger for you in the prayer today? Continue to discipline yourself to sit with a sense of stillness let the 100 things in your mind pass just for the moment.be at peace.