Today is the Annunciation of the Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the day we remember the angels visit to Mary and her humble acceptance of God’s call to be the mother of Jesus. (Meaning it is 9 months until we celebrate, Jesus’ birthday.)
In Lebanon this day, since 2010, has been a declared an Islamic and Christian celebration and a time when people of these two different faith traditions celebrate together that which binds them in faith and humanity. Below is the prayer written for this day, amid the pandemic, for Christians and Muslims to pray together for the work of God in our lives and in our world.
God, our Lord, Lord of all creation and of humanity in its entirety You who have chosen Mary and elected her among all women Sending her the angel Gabriel to announce to her the good news That we celebrate together Christians and Muslims Our Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate, the One who loves all of humankind You who have given us the blessing of life, save us from the danger of this pandemic O Lord, make of the Virgin Mary a model for us in our lives May her example motivate us to hold on to our unity in the face of hardships and challenges And to have confidence in Your Providence instead of giving in to fear or pride So that we may, like her, show solidarity and serve others in all gratuity Our Lord, You are the All Hearing, the One who supports Assist the paramedics, the nurses, and the doctors Heal the sick and Console the grieving Give those who are in need their sustenance and their needs We implore Your assistance to remain dedicated to You and faithful to each other Amen