Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, is due to start on Friday 24 April. Of course, as with all days for Muslims, it begins the evening before. But fasting, one of the main features of this month, will start only on the Friday.
In the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, where many Muslims live, the Christians devised a programme which they called Duyog Ramadan, “Accompanying Ramadan”. The idea was taken from music: when people sing they are accompanied by someone playing the guitar; the guitarist doesn’t sing, but backs up the singers with his strumming. In a similar way, Christians will not be observing Ramadan, but they can accompany the Muslims who are doing so.
We, at St Vincent de Paul parish, would like to do the same this year. We wish to accompany our Muslim brothers and sisters, especially by our prayers. In order to help, some information about Ramadan, or about Islam in general, will be given every day on Facebook and in each issue of the Newsletter.
Here to start with is a copy of the message that was sent before Easter to some Muslims we know.
This weekend we Christians celebrate the most holy time of our year: the time of Easter. In it we remember the death and the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for us a most sacred time. Due to the corona virus, like you, we have closed our places of worship and we are respecting the government’s advice that there should be no services which bring together more than two people in one place. It is a bewildering time for us. It is painful that we cannot celebrate Easter with our fellow Christians.
In a few weeks’ time, you too will be faced with the same situation as you enter into your holy month of Ramadan. Already, like us, painfully you keep your mosques closed. We would like you to know that we are praying for you too at this time, as Ramadan approaches.
May our Merciful God look upon us with mercy. May God protect us and console us in this time of suffering. May God help us to change our ways so that we may respect our planet and all God’s creatures which inhabit it with us.
+ Cardinal Michael.