“From the First Minute, You Contribute to the Kingdom of God”: meeting for the Christian Youth in Galilee
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you.” (Jer 1:5)
From the first minute... you contribute to the kingdom of God
GALILEE - Under the patronage of the Patriarchal Vicar for Israel, Mgr Rafic Nahra, a meeting for the Latin Youth in Galilee was held under the title “From the First Minute, You Contribute to the Kingdom of God”, under the guidance of the spiritual guide of the youth, Father Ramez Twal.
The meeting was also attended by Father Elie Karzam, parish priest of Shafa’mer; Father Makarios Jeries, the youth guide of the Akko diocese; Father Ayman Bathish from the Franciscan Order; Father Cyprian from the Carmelite Order. Several Rosary Sisters also came; Sister Carmela Bou Khuza'a, Sister Ghada Nehme, Sister Lauren Imad and Sister Alfonsina Al Daoud, as well as postulants Batoul Fakhoury, Najlin Al-Banna and Teresa Daniel. Two sisters from the Servants of the Gospel of God's Mercy, Sisters Anna and Monica, also attended.
As for the participants, they included about sixty young men and women, all coming from different towns in Galilee; Shafa’mer, Rineh, Jesh, Haifa, Jaffa, Nazareth, Ramah, Kafr Kanna, Ibilin, Ma'aliya, and so on.
The meeting first opened with a welcoming speech by Father Ramez Twal, who expressed his pride in launching the meeting and thanked everyone for the significant attendance. He also placed the meeting and goals under the protection of the Virgin Mary in her blessed month, who watches over her sons and daughters everywhere and leads them towards the Redeemer Jesus Christ.
The participants were then split into groups after singing hymns and participating in other brief activities in order to break the ice. Inside the church, they discussed with Fr. Ramez the main spiritual idea of the meeting, revolving around "the importance of the role of young men and women in the Church." Sister Ghada then took over and spoke about the importance of young men and women being present in the church and what their vocation could be in this context.
The meeting continued with dialogue sessions focusing on the challenges the youth faces in the Church; the difficulty of creating youth movements, the distance some young men and women feel toward the Church, etc.
Afterward, after some entertainment sessions and games, which were followed by a lunch in an intimate family atmosphere, the participants attended a Holy Mass, which was presided over by Mgr Rafic Nahra, and cocelebrated by Fr. Ramez Twal and Fr. Ayman Bathish.
Finally, some spiritual experiences were shared by Sister Ghada Nehme and Miss Natalie Matar, who emphasized on the role for young men and women in the Church, as they represent its present and future.
We thank God first for this successful day, full of blessings, and most especially:
- Father Elie Karzam, who opened the doors of the convent to receive the participants and provided them with the space to carry out their activities.
- Chef Rami Shehadeh, who prepared the meals.
- "DJ" Tariq Awkal, for his love and his constant readiness to serve.
- Alaa Abu Rahmon, for accompanying us in prayers.
- Those who attended from far distances, as well as those who lived closer...
- Everyone who contributed and worked hard to prepare and organize this first successful meeting
And this is only the beginning...
