©Wilfredo Benitez
August 20, 2015
Aug20
Category Archives: Prayer
May30
A Prayer for Farkunda (killed outside a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, by deranged men).
God of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob;
God of Sarah, Hager, Rebekah, and Rachel,
God of our Abrahamic faiths,
God of Moses, and the Prophet Muhammad,
God shining in the face of Jesus,
God in the tears of Mary his mother,
God in the cries of our sister Farkunda,
We invoke your presence here this evening,
As we gather and mourn over the senseless, cowardly, and brutal slaughter
Of a courageous woman who spoke her conscience.
Allah in the light of our candles,
Allah who ignites the fire in our hearts,
Allah in the voice of Farkhunda,
We hear the echo of her screams,
Even across the oceans,
We hear the echo of her screams,
Even across the valley of death,
We hear the echo of her screams.
Most Merciful and Compassionate,
Author of Freedom and Justice
We mourn the killing of your daughter
An instrument of your Voice,
In the midst of men,
Who were deaf to your beauty and sanctity.
Allah in the hearts of the Women of Afghanistan,
Allah in the hearts of women persecuted everywhere,
Allah in the hearts of men with a conscience,
We pray that her death not be in vain.
God of heaven and earth,
We pray that her death give rise to the voice of our Sisters
Who speak your truth,
Who speak your beauty,
Who speak your justice,
Who speak your LOVE.
Peace be upon Farkhunda,
And peace be in our hearts tonight,
That from the ashes of her body,
A new dawn may begin,
Where the darkness of ignorance
Will find no place to hide,
Where the darkness of persecution
Will find no refuge,
Where the darkness of tyranny
Will find no protection.
Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar. Ameen.
©Wilfredo Benitez, 2015
May1
Interfaith Prayer for the Victims of Domestic Violence
Eternal Source of Light, Beauty and Holiness,
Never ending fountain of LOVE,
We your humble servants,
Of many faith traditions,
Come before you, and invoke your sacred presence.
From the depths of darkness we call forth your LIGHT,
Especially upon those whose lives have been turned into a living hell:
Women and Children,
Victims of senseless violence,
At the hands of those,
Who had been charged to love them.
From the depths of their despair,
We beseech your burning radiance,
To purify our hearts in the name of LOVE,
That our backs may not be turned,
To their turmoil and unrest.
Source of infinite compassion and mercy,
Awaken in us the will to protect, the will to advocate,
And the will to stand in courage and justice,
On behalf of those who have no advocates,
On behalf of those enslaved,
On behalf of those who have lost all hope.
Source of Wisdom and Benevolence,
Let their cry by our cry,
Let their weeping be our weeping,
Let their scars be our scars;
That we who put our trust in you,
May live their pain through you,
And say
no more,
no more,
no more. Amen!
©Wilfredo Benitez
May1
Interfaith Convocation Prayer for Nuclear Nonproliferation
God of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob;
God of Sarah, Hager, Rebekah, and Rachel,
God of our Abrahamic faiths,
God who births the universe,
God of the Prophet Muhammad,
God shining in the face of Jesus,
God in the tears of Mary his mother.
Come on this day and dance in our hearts,
Come on this day
And imbue your infinite universe
Into our souls.
Come on this day,
And bring the radiance of your peace,
into the hearts of all your human creation.
Light radiant in the face of the Buddha,
Light radiant in the Sweetness of Krishna,
Light radiant in the seekers of peace,
Your holy presence has been invoked upon us,
Your hallowed presence has been begged upon the earth.
A hideous darkness has overtaken us,
A dense and stubborn darkness that threatens all forms of life,
A repulsive darkness that rebels against your beauty,
Your Truth, Your Peace, and Your LOVE.
Violence has been unleashed,
with a depth of darkness unprecedented;
Nuclear has become a guise for the Angel of Death;
Robed in furious uncompromising fire,
It obliterates the perfect beauty of your marvelous creation.
God of infinite Life, Compassion, and LOVE,
Come dance at the center of our hearts.
Make us the instruments of your peace.
Teach us to bow in humility,
Before the majesty of what you’ve created;
Aid us in liberating our only Earth,
Of the profanity of nuclear arsenals.
We pray these things,
In the name of your supreme and benevolent LOVE. Amen.
©The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez
