ABOUT

This website was created as a shared resource to assist us to nourish our inner life, to focus our thoughts and energies on improving the world, to cultivate peace within ourselves and with others.

Humanity is going through a period filled with challenges and questions. More than ever, this period is one that requires the coming together of peoples of many backgrounds or traditions in harmony to bring about a collective awareness of the sacred meaning of life and contemplation on the essential truths of our existence. It is a moment that invites prayer, a conversation with our Creator. It is this collective awareness of the sacred meaning of life that can support our efforts towards building a more harmonious world.

Just as food is essential for physical sustenance, prayer and meditation nourish our souls and help us to be more attentive to the presence of our Creator in our lives. It calls us to moments of silence and reflection and draws us into a closer relationship to our Creator. Prayer is also shared in collective worship, where devotions strengthen the bonds of unity and help the individual to see their life as part of a larger whole.

Collective worship is essential to the spirit of a community. Just as the individual’s spiritual journey begins with prayer and a connection to our Creator, collective worship is the foundation for a community’s development and progress.

When we come together to worship with our friends and family, prayer becomes part of the fabric of our lives, and not just a special occasion. We become more creative in solving our problems. It lifts our conversations and consultations to a higher level.

All across the world, in villages and cities alike, devotional meetings are held by people of all backgrounds. These simple meetings bring people of all backgrounds and beliefs together in prayer and generate a unifying spirit, a beacon of light, that begins to permeate the community. They take many forms; some are spontaneous, others are carefully planned. Some are energetic and exuberant, others are quiet and reflective. The element that unites them all is a spirit of reverence and respect.

"Devotional meetings are occasions where any soul may enter, inhale the heavenly fragrances, experience the sweetness of prayer, meditate upon the Creative Word, be transported on the wings of the spirit, and commune with the one Beloved. Feelings of fellowship and common cause are generated, particularly in the spiritually heightened conversations that naturally occur at such times and through which the 'city of the human heart' may be opened." - The Universal House of Justice

These meetings allow us to learn to share prayers and sacred writings with those around us and to be inspired by them in our daily activities. We invite you to experiment with the creation of your own moments of prayer, whether individual or collective, using the sacred texts and artistic works made available to you on this website, which is offered by the Baháʼí community of Ottawa. Each of the topics available on the site offer a selection of Bahá'í Writings.

You are welcome to use these resources during moments of personal reflection, with family, or with a circle of friends.