Changing Years in Prayer

CustodiaTerraeSanctaeNews
Having spent Christmas in the spotlight, the Holy Land is more modest in changing years. The many calendars in use in this little country multiplies the number of “New Years”.
The first day of the civil year, as the Israelis somberly call it, is nevertheless an occasion for fireworks. As for the Christian communities, even though their calendars are also different, they increased prayers, vigils and Masses.

The Franciscans of Saint Saviour’s first assembled in the monastery church in the late afternoon of the 31st of December to finish the year by chanting the Te Deum in thanksgiving for the year gone by during a Mass celebrated with the parish and with the parish priest, Father Ibrahim Faltas, as principal concelebrant. Later in the evening an evening first prayerful and then “civil” occupied the young friars of the seminary.

Most of them assembled the next day for Mass with the Patriarch, Msgr. Michel Sabbah, as principal concelebrant joined by a number of religious authorities, among them the Custos of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, together with some sixty priests. In his homily, His Beatitude repeated a large part of the message of Holy Father Benedict XVI for World Peace Day.

The Patriarchate’s church was packed. Aside from a number of religious brothers and sisters representing the city’s various communities and some of the local faithful, numerous pilgrims were also present. Among them was a group of 150 young people from 27 different countries, at the initiative of Catholic Action’s Worldwide Forum. They came as pilgrims, but also to spend a few days sharing the daily life of young people of this country. The Mass began with the chant of the Veni Creator, and at its end everyone was able to come and present their greetings to the religious authorities in an atmosphere that was both formal and friendly.