Feast Day…

Yesterday marked the Feast of the Annunciation–which is a national holiday in Lebanon. In 2010, the government designated March 25th as a national “Christian-Muslim Day” to honor the centrality of Mary in both Christianity and Islam. On Wednesday, I spent the holiday exploring the massive Crusader castle, beautiful churches, and delicious cuisine of Byblos with friends. For lunch, my friends and I feasted on mouthwatering mezze at Locanda a la Granda–named by the New York Times as the best restaurant in town. It was a beautiful day to be on the road exploring Lebanon’s Christian history. Last night in Beirut, the archbishop of Lyon, Card Philippe Barbarin, and the rector of the Mosque of Lyon, Kamel Kabtane, took part in an interfaith ceremony in the chapel of Notre Dame de Jamhour, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation.