On Sunday, October 25, Our Lady of Palestine once again gathered together a large crowd of Christians in the sanctuary dedicated to her in Deir Rafat. Msgr. Fouad Twal presided over the celebration, which was animated by the patriarchate seminarians. The Latin Patriarch was accompanied by the Melkite archbishop emeritus Boutros from Galilee, Msgr. Kamal Bathish, Msgr. Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, a Russian bishop, many priests of the diocese, many men and women religious including some ten Franciscans, Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulcher, and tireless Italian volunteers from the Mar Youssef group, who give a few weeks every year to maintain and embellish the place. Mass was followed by the traditional procession around the sanctuary and after the prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Palestine, it concluded with the solemn blessing .
The feast of Our Lady of Palestine is one of the rare occasions during the year when the Arab Christians from the whole country can meet, coming from Israel and the Territories. However, Mass began a little late, because the faithful from the Territories as well as from Galilee were held up at various checkpoints on this day when the police was a little tense, since at the same time, clashes were occurring on the esplanade of the mosques in Jerusalem.
“Fear not,” the patriarch told the faithful. “God has overcome the world and nothing and no one can separate you from Christ.” Msgr. Fouad Twal showed how attentive he is to the present situation, but he invited the Christians to take an example from the Blessed Virgin Mary’s faith and from that of Saint Joseph.
The day’s feast continued with a big picnic, in which most of the Christians who had come for the occasion took part.
Mab
Prayer to our Lady Of Queen of Palestine
O Mary Immaculate, gracious Queen of Heaven and of Earth, behold us prostrate before thy exalted throne. Full of confidence in thy goodness and in thy boundless power, we beseech thee to turn a pitying glance upon Palestine, which more than any other country belongs to thee, since thou hast graced it with thy birth, thy virtues and thy sorrows, and from there hast given the Redeemer to the world.
Remember that there especially thou wert constituted our tender Mother, the dispenser of graces. Watch, therefore, with special protection over thy native country, scatter from it the shades of error, for it was there the Sun of Eternal Justice shone.
Bring about the speedy fulfilment of the promise, which issued from the lips of Thy Divine Son, that there should be one fold and one Shepherd.
Obtain for us all that we may serve the Lord in sanctity and justice during the days of our life, so that, by the merits of Jesus and with thy motherly aid, we may pass at last from this earthly Jerusalem to the splendours of the heavenly one.
Amen.
The feast of Our Lady of Palestine is one of the rare occasions during the year when the Arab Christians from the whole country can meet, coming from Israel and the Territories. However, Mass began a little late, because the faithful from the Territories as well as from Galilee were held up at various checkpoints on this day when the police was a little tense, since at the same time, clashes were occurring on the esplanade of the mosques in Jerusalem.
“Fear not,” the patriarch told the faithful. “God has overcome the world and nothing and no one can separate you from Christ.” Msgr. Fouad Twal showed how attentive he is to the present situation, but he invited the Christians to take an example from the Blessed Virgin Mary’s faith and from that of Saint Joseph.
The day’s feast continued with a big picnic, in which most of the Christians who had come for the occasion took part.
Mab
Prayer to our Lady Of Queen of Palestine
O Mary Immaculate, gracious Queen of Heaven and of Earth, behold us prostrate before thy exalted throne. Full of confidence in thy goodness and in thy boundless power, we beseech thee to turn a pitying glance upon Palestine, which more than any other country belongs to thee, since thou hast graced it with thy birth, thy virtues and thy sorrows, and from there hast given the Redeemer to the world.
Remember that there especially thou wert constituted our tender Mother, the dispenser of graces. Watch, therefore, with special protection over thy native country, scatter from it the shades of error, for it was there the Sun of Eternal Justice shone.
Bring about the speedy fulfilment of the promise, which issued from the lips of Thy Divine Son, that there should be one fold and one Shepherd.
Obtain for us all that we may serve the Lord in sanctity and justice during the days of our life, so that, by the merits of Jesus and with thy motherly aid, we may pass at last from this earthly Jerusalem to the splendours of the heavenly one.
Amen.