France
Paris, France
report by Nicole Cressiot
Drawing out the love and compassion in our hearts to heal the earth was the theme of this year’s SOPP, and the words resonated deeply with all of us who took part in the gathering in Paris held on May 13. They were the energy behind our prayers for each nation on Earth to attain and fully enjoy peace, love, and compassion a day sooner.
We gathered in Paris at the Arc en Ciel space we use for regular gatherings. A wonderful sunlit energy entered through the window, and our prayer colleague from the east of France joined us on line. To bring us together in the spirit of the SOPP ceremony, we gathered in silence and with deep spiritual breathing, welcoming this moment of prayers that we were to begin.
After reading Masami Saionji’s message for this year’s SOPP, I offered the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, and we then began prayers for the peace, happiness and well-being of each nation and its people, by praying with the national flags and the word ‘peace’ in each country’s national language(s). Our prayers for the nations are a call for each nation’s people to evolve to and realize their highest potential. Each of us took part, calling out the nations of a particular continent, and the prayers for each continent concluded with the Divine Spark IN.
We continued with prayers of gratitude to nature, the earth and all its life, and one of us read a poem by Masami Saionji called Prayer for the Oneness of All Living Things.
We also recalled the Goi Peace Foundation’s wonderful Declaration for All Life on Earth, and after I read a short poem from the Australian aboriginal people, Spiritual Song of the Aborigine, we offered to the earth and every element of nature our prayers and INs, in deep gratitude. We concluded this great moment of peaceful prayers and oneness of our hearts with Masahisa Goi’s beautiful poem, In Praise of Life.
After two years of holding the SOPP online, it was a real treat and a joy to be together live, to celebrate the SOPP, and see that nothing has altered our consciousness and deep faith in the power of our prayers, which can and do change the world and participate in its profound healing and evolution.
We finished with tea, lovely cookies, and a lot of catching up and true hugs, which were just wonderful!