RAMALLAH – On October 18th, the Catechetical Office of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem invited all the Christian Schools located in Ramallah for a day of prayer. 207 students gathered to pray the Rosary together in the Greek Melkite Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation, joining the worldwide campaign of prayer for peace launched yearly by ACN (Aid to the Church in Need).
The day started with the Catechetical Office presenting the Rosary and its Mysteries (the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries) to the participating students. All of them came from many different schools: the Rosary Sisters School, the Evangelical Lutheran School of Hope, the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, the Latin Patriarchate School (Al Ahlyya College), the Greek Orthodox School of Saint George, and the Greek Catholic School of Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic School.
Then all the students received a Rosary to pray together the Joyful Mysteries, dedicating each decade to a specific intention related to the fruit of the Mystery. A teacher from Al Ahlyya College started the prayer by reciting the Apostles’ Creed; then other teachers took turns in saying the intentions.
For the First Joyful Mystery – “The Annunciation” – a teacher from the Saint George School asked God to strengthen their faith and trust in Him, just like Mother Mary when she heard the message of God through Saint Gabriel.
For the Second Joyful Mystery – “The Visitation” – another teacher from the Rosary Sisters school prayed for the missionaries, and asked God to give them strength and courage to preach the Good News around the world, just like the Virgin Mary brought the news of Jesus’ conception to Saint Elizabeth.
For the Third Joyful Mystery – “The Nativity of Our Lord” – a prayer was said by a teacher from the Arab Evangelical School, for the homeless children and all the children who don’t have access to education, asking God to provide for them and keep them safe.
For the Fourth Joyful Mystery – “The Presentation”, where the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple – a teacher from the Lutheran School said a prayer for the sick and the elderly, asking God to support and help them.
For the Fifth Joyful Mystery – “Finding Jesus in the Temple” – a teacher from the school of Our Lady of the Annunciation, while meditating on the passage where Mother Mary couldn’t find Jesus for three days, concluded the event by saying a prayer for all of those who lost their loved ones.
At the end of the prayer, the students sang a hymn to the Virgin Mary, accompanied by Sister Laura. After the final blessing, the Catechetical Office thanked all the schools that participated in this prayer for unity and peace in the world, allowing it to reach heaven through the intercession of our Mother, the Virgin Mary.
By: Mariana Kanzoua | LPJ Catechetical Office
