As the Sikh man walked towards the circle of unlit candles he was surrounded by angels. Behind him stood his guardian angel and as he reached to taper out to light the candle, his guardian angel reached out as if to hold the taper with him. The Sikh man lit one of the candles on the table. Beside each of the candles stood a very tall angel, dwarfing both the people and the other angels in the room. Their folded wings reached far up above the ceiling which seemed to have disappeared. These angels all looked alike. They appeared to be draped in golden robes which fell in perfect folds. The angels were so bright, and the light from them radiated out into the room.
A Hindu man was next in a line of people to light a candle, each one representing a different faith. They included Jews, Quakers, Buddhists, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Unitarians and Muslims. Each person was surrounded by angels and behind each of them stood their guardian angel.
I was extremely moved and delighted watching this scene. I had never seen so many people from different faiths gathered together in the same place for prayer. It wasn't an extraordinary place -- it was in fact an ordinary conference room in a hotel outside Dublin, where a multi-faith event I had been asked to speak at was being held. By their abundance and radiance, the angels were clearly showing me their approval of different faiths coming together.
I have been seeing and talking with angels since I was a baby. I see them physically as clearly as I see someone sitting in front of me. I never told anyone about what I was seeing until a few years ago after my husband died and my children were reared. It was only then that I started writing and talking about what I was seeing.
I am a Catholic, born into an Ireland that at that time was largely Catholic. From the time I was a baby I saw guardian angels behind each and every person, regardless of religion. In fact like most children I didn't realize that there were different religions. The first time I got any inkling of the different beliefs people have of God was when I was about six and was walking past a Protestant church near my home with my aunt. I was looking at two big powerful angels who were standing on guard outside the church when my aunt told me I was never to go in there -- that that was a Protestant church and no place for any Catholic. I looked at her in bemusement.
In the years following the angels explained to me that different religions have different beliefs, different traditions and different ways of praying. They always emphasized, however, that it was one and the same God and that one day all religions would come together under one umbrella.
I pray for that day to come, but I fear it may be a long way off.
What we can do though now is pray together more often.
Just as the Olympics brings people of different nationalities and traditions together to play sport, we need to continually seek opportunities to bring people of different faiths together to pray with each other. Praying together will help to lessen fears that people have, will break down cultural differences and will help to lay down a foundation for peace at a local, national and international level.
No one ever prays alone. When you pray to God there is a multitude of angels praying with you, regardless of your religious faith or what form your prayer takes. It doesn't matter whether you pray standing, kneeling, lying prostrate or twirling, whether you chant, sing, light candles, or use prayer beads. The angels are there enhancing your prayer, interceding on your behalf and imploring God to grant your prayer.
Prayer is extremely powerful and the angels have told me that the prayers of people of all religions are equally powerful.
The angels tell me that when people of different religions gather together in prayer it pleases God. That when people of different traditions pray together, it creates a synergy, an intertwining of prayer that makes their prayers even more powerful.
© 2012 Lorna Byrne http://www.lornabyrne.com
