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Iftar Dinner to Celebrate Interfaith Harmony
31 08 2009To celebrate Interfaith Harmony, an Iftar Dinner hosted by the the Honourable Nathan Rees MP Premier of NSW, took place at Parliament House on 31 August 2009.
In accordance with standard procedure, there was, as part of the preliminaries ,a Quranic Recitation followed by a prayer or Grace before meals.
This year Sr Giovanni Farquer was invited to compose and recite a suitable grace for the occasion, a copy of which is set out below.
God of our Father Abraham, Creator of the Universe and of all humankind, look upon us your people gathered here this evening to celebrate this Iftar Dinner.
Bless the food we are about to share and all those involved in its preparation.
Bless also the leaders of our community whose hospitality we enjoy this evening.
As we eat together in a spirit of openness and conviviality, may our bodies be nourished, our spirits uplifted and our friendships deepened.
We give thanks for this opportunity to grow in mutual appreciation and respect.
Tonight we bear in mind brothers and sisters in our midst and throughout the world who suffer indignity, hardship, degradation and abject misery. May they be comforted by the sustaining power of your everlasting love.
Gracious and most merciful One we acknowledge our human frailty and pray for mercy, enlightenment, and nobility of character so that united as Children of Abraham with people of all faiths and with all of Creation we may fan to flame in each other the spark of hope for a world where all peoples will live together in Righteousness.
This is our prayer to the One whose door is always open to those who truly believe.
Bless the food we are about to share and all those involved in its preparation.
Bless also the leaders of our community whose hospitality we enjoy this evening.
As we eat together in a spirit of openness and conviviality, may our bodies be nourished, our spirits uplifted and our friendships deepened.
We give thanks for this opportunity to grow in mutual appreciation and respect.
Tonight we bear in mind brothers and sisters in our midst and throughout the world who suffer indignity, hardship, degradation and abject misery. May they be comforted by the sustaining power of your everlasting love.
Gracious and most merciful One we acknowledge our human frailty and pray for mercy, enlightenment, and nobility of character so that united as Children of Abraham with people of all faiths and with all of Creation we may fan to flame in each other the spark of hope for a world where all peoples will live together in Righteousness.
This is our prayer to the One whose door is always open to those who truly believe.