Hello! I'm hoping that somebody here can help me out. I'm taking the reigns of a civic group this fall and part of our tradition is that the lodge's theme for a year falls in line with the number one officer's background (in my case, Irish).

I'd like to offer up a nice prayer at our opening meeting, but we are explicitly non-sectarian: people of every religion imaginable are part of our organization.

Is anybody aware of a religion-neutral generic prayer that I could say? I've looked around a bit but I'm coming up short.

Many thanks for your assistance.

Daniel Ó hAireachtaigh

So let me get this straight, they are interested in your background, but not your religion? That sounds a bit intolerant to me since most people's background includes religion.

I'm sure we'll be able to find a prayer for you though that doesn't mention God or anything.

Here is a nice one:

Paidir Phroinsias Naofa

Déan gléas chun síochána díom id láimh, a Thiarna
San áit a bhfuil fuath go gcuire mé an grá
San áit a bhfuil ciontacht go gcuire mé pardún
San áit a bhfuil coimhlint go gcuire mé aontú
In áit na hearráide go gcuire mé an fhírinne
In áit na doirheachta go gcuire mé creideamh
San áit in a bhfuil fulaingt go gcuire mé lúcháir
A Thiarna, deonaigh a spreagadh dhom
sólas a thabhairt
seachtas sólas a fháil
dul i dtuiscint ar dhaoine
seachas go dtuigfí mé féin
Grá a roinnt ar dhaoine
seachas grá fháil uathu
Mar is le linn dúinn tabhairt a fhaighimid féin
Is le linn dúinn pardún a thabhairt
a mhaitear dúinn
Is le linn dúinn bás a fháil
a théimid i seilbh na beatha síoraí.




Prayer of St Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred let me sow love,
where there is injury let me sow pardon,
where there doubt let me sow faith,
where there is despair let me sow hope,
where there is darkness let me give light,
where there is sadness let me give joy.
O divine master, grant that I may
not try to be comforted but to comfort,
not try to be understood but to understand,
not try to be loved but to love.
For it is giving that we receive,
it is forgiving that we are forgiven,
and it is dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

Oops, that last post was from me.

That'd be lovely, Canuck, but might annoy the atheists & polytheists in the crowd.

Oh, and the "Saint" Francis reference might irk any evangelical Protestants among the attendees.

;-)

non-religious prayer, sounds a bit like an oxymoran really. I know your aim here is to make everyone content, but in reality that doesn't happen a chara.

Beir bua agus beannacht

well, you're not going to come up with a prayer that will fit with the beliefs of athiests by definition.

perhaps some kind of seanfhocal would be more in order.

how about something like:

go tsásaí tú gach daoine roinnt uair, agus go tsásaí tú rionnt daoine gach uair, ach ní shásaí tú gach daoine gach uair, dá bhrí sin sásaigh tusa fhéin.

I'm sure at least someone knows what i'm trying to say, corrections welcome...

(Message edited by antaine on August 15, 2006)

Daniel, a chara,
I hope this works for you:

A Blessing

Go mbeidh an áit seo beannaithe óna bun go dtí a barr,
May this place be blessed in every nook and corner,
Go mbeidh said beannaithe gach doras, cloch is clár.
May each and every door, stone and wall of it be blessed.

Go mbeidh muidne beannaithe, is an bord ar a leagtar ár bia
May we ourselves be blessed and the table on which our food is laid,
Go mbeidh said beannaithe na seomraí i gcomhair shámhchodhladh na hoíche.
May they be blessed the rooms that will give us sound sleep tonight.

Go mbeidh sé beannaithe, an doras a osclóimid go fial
May it be blessed the door that we will open generously,
Don stráinséir is don bheochtan chomh maith is dár ngaol.
To the stranger and the poor just as we open it to our own.

Go mbeidh muid go léir slán anseo, slán ó gach bhaol
May we be all safe here, safe from every harm,
Go mbeidh síocháin sa domhan mór, i ngach cuid den saol.
May peace reign in the world, in every part of life.

Blessed be,

By removing references to the Lord in the prayer attributed to Saint Francis you could keep the sentiments without treading on any toes.

People could supply the Deism of their choice:

Go ndéantar gléas chun síochána díom
San áit a bhfuil fuath go gcuire mé an grá
San áit a bhfuil ciontacht go gcuire mé pardún
San áit a bhfuil coimhlint go gcuire mé aontú
In áit na hearráide go gcuire mé an fhírinne
In áit na doirheachta go gcuire mé creideamh
San áit in a bhfuil fulaingt go gcuire mé lúcháir
Go spreagfar mé chun
sólas a thabhairt
seachas sólas a fháil
dul i dtuiscint ar dhaoine
seachas go dtuigfí mé féin
Grá a roinnt ar dhaoine
seachas grá fháil uathu
Mar is le linn dúinn tabhairt a fhaighimid féin
Is le linn dúinn pardún a thabhairt
a mhaitear dúinn
Is le linn dúinn bás a fháil
a théimid i seilbh na beatha síoraí.

The last two lines might need to go for people who don't believe in an afterlife.

Someone also needs to proofread this!

Completely off the thread but related:

A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards.

She says to the clerk, "May I have 50 Christmas stamps?"

The clerk says, "What denomination?"

The woman says, "God help us. Has it come to this?! Give me 6 Catholic, 12 Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran and 22 Baptist!"


Sorry :-(


Eoin

Eoin, that's a riot.

Many thanks to one and all.

For what it's worth, this organization requires a belief in a supreme being, but does not prescribe acceptable religions. Mention of God is fine, of course -- but because we have members who are Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, Jews, Moslems, Deists, Buddhists and a few others, it's considered bad form to pray explicitly to Jesus, or Yahweh, or Allah since you're praying on behalf of all in attendance... I was simply trying to find a prayer that fits that bill, not one that "doesn't mention God or anything."

Thanks again for your input and I can all but guarantee you I'll end up using one of the above! My Irish is exceedingly rudimentary so I'm grateful for your help with this.

This is a wonderful site, by the way.

Dan

hm...whenever we do interfaith stuff at church with the other religions in the area the Lord's Prayer never seems to be a problem .

the prayer of St. Francis might be even less of a problem, but is very long.

What about one of the psalms?

117 or 150 might do it...short, sweet, to the point and without theological detail...

Salm 117
Molaigí an Tiarna, a chiníocha uile;
moladh na náisiúin go léir é.
Óir is daingean é go deimhin, a bhuaughrá dúinn;
maireanna dhilseacht go brách.

Salm 150
Molaigí Dia ina ionad naofa!
Molaigí é i bhfirmimint a chumhachta!
Molaigí é as ucht a éachtaí!
Molaigí é as ucht a chumhachta ollmhóire!
Molaigí é le séideadh an stoic!
Molaigí é leis an gcruit agus leis an cláirseach!
Molaigí é le teampán is le rince!
Molaigí é le téada ceoil is leis an bpíb!
Molaigí é le clagarnach na gciomhal!
Molaigí é le ciombail chlingíneacha!
An uile dhúil bheo dá bhfuil ann,
moladh sé an Tiarna! Alleluia!

An tArd-ailtire would be a loose reference to "The Supreme Architect" which is one reference used in such organizations.

I'd wait to have thi verified on two counts. First, I don't know how it would sound to the native ear. Second, I'm not sure about the pre-fixing of that "t".

Daniel,
Do you have anyone that will help you with the pronunciations?

Daniel,
Thanks for the kind words and if you need help with pronunciation, come back to us.

Good luck,

Thanks! I probably will need some coaching; maybe I can try and find a native speaker here in the Seattle area who will help me out if I take him/her to lunch or something. :)

Folks ... not to belabor this, but assuming I cannot find a native who can help me, can you let me know my options?

Would any of you wonderful native speakers have the ability to dictate something slowly into a digital recorder, for example, and send me a sound file... :)

Again, my thanks and I'm sure I don't know how I could repay such a kindness!

Dan

Daniel,
I'm just back from vacation. You can call me at 818 991 1932 if you need pronunciation help,