Islam—Tasneem Ahmed
Muslims believe that praying for someone after he or she has died makes a difference. “It gives us strength and peace that we can do something, we’re not helpless,” Tasneem said. She recited this prayer from the opening chapter in the Qur’an that is part of a Muslim’s five daily prayers:
“All praise and thanks belong to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. We worship only You and we seek only Your help. Guide us to the straight path—the path of those whom you have given your blessings and not the path of those who have earned your anger and who have gone astray. “
Tasneem said that prayer reminds a Muslim woman how much she relies on God’s help. She says Muslims often ask their friends and relatives to pray for them, since they believe that prayer can change things. Muslims have prayers to recite when they get up, before they eat, when they finish eating, and when they go to bed. Special prayers can be said when making a big decision. “Prayer gives me the strength and power to deal with things. I don’t know how I would deal with them if I didn’t have prayer,” Tasneem said.
Judaism—Ann Eppinger Port
Ann said that Judaism is more than a religion or set of beliefs. It is a comprehensive way of life. Judaism is based on a set of rules and practices known as Halakhah, which includes instructions on everything from eating to conducting business to observing the Sabbath. She explained these are not rules for rules’ sake but a way of bringing spirituality into everyday life.
When a Jewish person sins against God, she uses prayer to confess that sin and ask God for forgiveness. When she sins against another person, she should, in addition, try to make restitution to the person wronged. Judaism teaches that prayer must be accompanied by repentance and an effort to change one’s behavior.
To Jews, prayer is a very personal undertaking during which a person looks within herself. Jews pray directly to God without any intermediary. While many prayers are said alone, others are recited together in a gathering of at least ten Jewish adults.
Ann said that an observant Jew prays every day. Prayers offered include those upon awakening (thanking God for returning our souls from their nighttime wanderings), before/after eating, when putting on new clothes, before lighting Sabbath candles, when something happens for first time (such as naming a child), or when a good or bad thing happens. The Kaddish, a memorial prayer, is said twice daily when mourning a close relative and is recited yearly on the anniversary of the person’s death. The Kaddish does not say anything about death or loss; rather, it praises God, acknowledges God’s wisdom, and asks for peace on earth.
Ann explained that Judaism allows people to interpret the Bible for themselves and allows for flexibility in beliefs. She said she finds meaning in the traditions, such as lighting the Sabbath candles, attending Sabbath services, and observing major holidays. But to this she has added Jewish mysticism and the practice of Reiki. She believes God is a “universal energy force, with which I try to communicate through prayer and meditation.” Ann says she has learned to trust God more in recent years and to pray less for the things she wants and more for guidance as to what her path through life should be.
Buddhism—Phyllis Berman
Phyllis said Buddhists meditate every day. Zen Buddhism is not about asking for help for oneself but about “extending a loving well-being to oneself and all beings so that all are freed of suffering and at peace.” She explained that the Buddhist version of prayer is to deepen one’s sense of gratitude and one’s sense of uniting with the universe through vows, chanting and meditation.
“Meditation is a focused concentration that helps one open to the presence of the Divine, to become compassionate and to live life with an open heart,” Phyllis said. The goal of meditation is to experience each moment just as it is, without labeling it or interpreting it … just being. Phyllis said that she once found that “moment of just being” at a retreat, but as soon as she thought, “I’ve got it,” it disappeared!
Phyllis noted that chanting is an ancient part of many religions and helps a Buddhist prepare her body and mind for meditation. She added that chants are often directed toward someone who is ill or suffering.
Phyllis spoke of always having loved music, even as a child, and of the importance that singing has had in her life. While singing in concerts, she has found tears flowing down her face. “I was part of this whole, my little sound disappeared, making the beautiful music, and it was thrilling … .. That was my first experience of myself melting into the oneness.” She said that in Zen, the idea of a separate self is seen as an illusion.
Christianity—Mary Giegengack Jureller
Mary explained the “enormous expanse” of prayer within the Roman Catholic tradition. One meaningful practice for her is Lectio Divina (literally, divine reading), whereby she reads a sacred text and lets it speak to her.
What distinguishes Christianity from Judaism and Islam, she said, is the belief in a Trinity (God in three forms: Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier) and in the Incarnation (the fact that God became human in Jesus). She noted that Jesus, the Christ, is central to prayer for many Christians, although many people pray to God using various names. She explained that Roman Catholics balance private prayer, communal prayer (prayer with others), and liturgical prayer (official prayer of the church). The latter, she said, follows set forms from Jewish tradition. Another similarity between the two faiths is the Christian Eucharist, which comes from the Jewish Passover meal.
Mary explained that when she lived in a monastery, it was important to her to observe the Liturgy of the Hours, a prayer time that took place approximately every three hours (except that she did not get up to pray during the night). She found it meaningful that through this practice, prayers are going up continuously throughout the day, all across the world. “You were praying for the whole church and world … . All [the prayers] didn’t speak to what you were experiencing in your personal life … but somebody in the world is experiencing the feelings that were in that prayer. You got a sense that your prayer was one part of the prayer of millions going on at the same time. I found that uplifting.” She joked that Roman Catholics are known for the “smells and bells”; however, she finds her spirituality is heightened by candles and music.
Mary finds a similarity between Christianity and Zen Buddhism in the concept of centering prayer, what she described as “prayer trying to be very quiet, to abandon all words, to find a center.” She finds reflective contemplative prayer to be most meaningful at this stage of her life but notes that her tradition offers so many forms of prayer that she can use whatever type helps her at any particular time.
Sharing
Commenting after these presentations, many women noted the commonality among the traditions. One Muslim woman noted that the Jewish prayer that was read reminded her of a Muslim prayer.
A short discussion ensued about whether women would be offended if those of other faiths came to recite prayers with them. Most said they would not, noting, however, that they would not want other women to pray in ways that were uncomfortable for them; for example, a Jewish woman would not pray to Jesus in a Christian prayer service. But all who spoke expressed a welcoming warmth in wanting others to participate—as they were able—in their services.
Other topics discussed were posture during prayer (e.g., prostration), the use of prayer to help insomnia (as in “counting your blessings”), and the use of prayer beads made with the initials of family members.
Nancy Sullivan Murray closed the program by asking us to remember to pray for WTB women who are facing difficult times, job loss or medical tests.