Posted On 2013-09-01 In Covenant solidarity

Prayer that Touches: Covenant Solidarity with the People of Egypt and Syria

Sarah-Leah Pimentel. It is impossible to watch the news and not be moved by the images we see of the situation in Syria and Egypt.  The cameras have done little to spare us the assault on the senses as we watch blood running through the streets, countless bodies of little children, mounds of cement of what was once someone’s home.

Practical faith

But the image that has struck me most is one of hope and of lived faith in a place where it is so hard to have any faith or hope. Last week, an image from Egypt went viral on the internet, where a group of Muslim men formed a circle around Catholic Church in an attempt to protect the congregation inside at Mass from possible attack. This was a dangerous gesture of love and unity because many Christian churches have been attacked and destroyed in the recent surge of violence in Egypt.  This seems to be a direct response to a similar act in 2011, when Christians formed a circle around Muslim protestors in Tahir Square to protect from government forces as they said their prayers.  In both instances, the group offering protection made themselves vulnerable so that the other group could pray.  This is a very practical way of how faith can infuse life, even when that life is hanging on by a thread.

Answering the Holy Father’s call in covenant solidarity

These images of unity, of religious solidarity — despite the huge ideological differences between these groups — made me think about what we in Schoenstatt call covenant solidarity.  In our covenant of love, we are also called to go out from the shrine to “radiate into the world the glories of our Mother, so that streams of love may pour forth to warm cold hearts.” (From ‘Morning Consecration’ in Heavenwards)

Pope Francis has also called us to take Christ out into the streets.  This means taking our Christian faith beyond the confines of our churches and small communities.  This faith cannot be an abstract thing, but rather something that touches into the hearts of those we encounter, even if they are living in faraway places like and we can’t do more to help those people.

How to let the people we pray for know that we’re praying for them?

So often in Mass, during the prayers of the faithful, we pray for people living in war-torn places.  This is good.  But perhaps in light of what our Holy Father is calling us to, we are urged to go one step further.

How many times has someone asked us to pray for them? And while we might pray fervently, the person being prayed for may have no sense that we are praying for them.  Sometimes, a sms or a phone call are as valuable as the prayer.

The same thing applies to people living in war-torn places like Syria and Egypt.  We are praying for them, but how can they know this? As they live each day in fear of another attack or the loss of a family member, many of them feel that the world is standing by and watching, but doing nothing to help them in their plight.

This is perhaps where our covenant solidarity can come in.  Imagine what effect it would have on the lives of individuals, if we could find a way to make our prayer reach those people in a tangible and practical way.  I was really touched by the “I Prayed this Rosary for You” campaign during the World Youth Day in Rio.  People throughout the world prayed a rosary for a young person and then sent it to Rio.  The person who received that rosary knew that someone had prayed for him or her.

I prayed for you…

Could we not do the same thing for people living in Syria or Egypt?  Regardless of whether they are Christian or Muslim or have faced so much hardship that they believe in nothing at all, we can connect with them in a very simple way.  Imagine if we could send them a symbol (for example, a picture of a dove of peace or some other image that doesn’t point to one or another religion) that we have held in our hands and prayed for the person who would receive it, with a short note saying that “I prayed for you.”  Imagine what kind of effect this might have if we could send this to them via the humanitarian organizations working in these countries.  Imagine what it could mean for someone who has been injured, has lost their home, or is grieving the death of a family member or friend, to hold this card and know that someone, somewhere in the world was thinking of them for a moment and prayed for them.

This simple act of covenant solidarity could be a source of strength and hope for someone who has reached the end of their tether.  It could be our way of sharing the graces of our shrine with people who may have no other way of drawing from the well of grace at this time.

This is a crazy idea, a crazy dream, but if we could make it happen and could share this the people in our parishes, our families and our schools, imagine how far the power of prayer could go in countering the evil and hatred that has taken over these two countries?

Latest News: Pope calls for Peace in Syria and Prayer for Syria next Saturday

At the Angelus today, September 1, Pope Francis has called urgently for peace in Syria and invites for a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria next Saturday, September 6. Let uns unite and pray with Francis for Syria… and find ways to make people in these countries feel and know we are with them.

Video

Text of the Angelus



 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *