On Saturday, September 12, 2026, the Family Center of the Latin Patriarchate in Galilee organized a family gathering entitled “in minus” focusing on financial planning and family economics. The meeting brought together around 30 participants from several parishes across Galilee. The gathering was organized and coordinated by Fr. Ramez Twal, director of Family Center, and Mr. Bashir Mansour, social facilitator, in cooperation with members of the Family Committee, who contributed to the preparation and organization of the event and accompanied the participants throughout the day.
This event was inspired by the importance of raising awareness about financial decisions and their impact on the life of a Christian family, while highlighting the importance of using money correctly and for the good. The gathering sought to encourage participants to view money not only as a means of meeting daily needs, but also from a spiritual perspective that helps families discover the meaning of money holding them in their lives and learn how to deal with it responsibly, consciously, and openly.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to reflect on each person’s relationship with money, particularly within married life. Couples were encouraged to open up about their personal stories, experiences, and circumstances that have shaped their understanding of money, and to consider how these backgrounds can influence shared financial decisions in the daily life of the family.
The program also included an activity through an interactive game, giving participants an opportunity to meet and get to know one another. This was followed by a workshop on financial decision-making led by specialist Reem Khalaf. The workshop sought to correct common misconceptions about managing bank accounts and to explore how to develop a Christian approach to financial management within the family and the wider community.
The gathering also included a spiritual reflection led by Fr. Ramez Twal, who addressed the spiritual dimension of money and its importance in the life of the individual and the Christian family. He encouraged participants to view money in the light of faith and to discover how it can be used responsibly in ways that serve the life and mission of the family.
The participants then divided into small working groups, creating a space for dialogue and sharing around financial topics and questions that concern them and touch upon the realities of their family lives. They exchanged experiences, perspectives and reflecting together on the challenges they encounter in their daily lives.
The day concluded with the celebration of Holy Mass, during which the participants brought their various intentions and challenges including those related to money and economic life. They prayed for the grace to live these everyday realities in the light of faith and in relationship with God, who loves us generously and is the true treasure and the most fruitful investment of our lives.
In his homily, Fr. Rudy Noura, a member of the Family Committee, said: “With God, our lives are always marked by gain, never by loss; with Him, we are always in the positive, never in the negative”, He emphasized that what a person offers to God does not diminish his or her life, but instead opens it to a deeper richness that cannot be measured by numbers alone.
Loay and Hanan Shomali from Shefa-Amr, who expressed their appreciation for the gathering and its importance in their married life. They explained that the initiative helped them develop skills and practical tools for dealing with the subject of money from a Christian perspective, in a way that is consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The couple also noted that working in groups and meeting other couples added greatly to the blessed experience. They emphasized that concluding the day with Holy Mass gave the gathering a particularly meaningful character. They further described the spiritual growth they experienced through the meeting and the impact it had on both their married life and their life of faith.
Also, Lawrence and Christine Khoury from Haifa, described the gathering as a rich and distinctive experience. They noted that listening to the challenges of other couples in dealing with financial matters, from raising children to preparing for retirement, opened new horizons for them and helped them look at the subject of money from different perspectives.
They also praised the practical aspect of the workshop led by specialist Reem Khalaf, which encouraged them to pay closer attention to and examine their banking and financial practices. At the same time, they said, the spiritual reflection with Fr. Ramez Twal reminded them that spiritual life cannot be separated from economic life, and that faith and values are also called to be present in the financial decisions made by the family.
