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Mar. 2024 – “Called and Sent“: this was the theme that approximately 80 families, youth and children from Galilee wanted to deepen together on March 15-16 in Tiberias, on the shores of the Lake, that very Lake that had witnessed the calling and sending forth of the apostles and the public mission of Jesus.

This call is repeated to each one today: in the face of ever-growing challenges, God calls us to the radicality of the Gospel and to give our lives for peace, for dialogue. “What does dialogue mean?” shared Margaret Karram, born in Haifa and now president of the Focolare Movement. “Dialogue says I want to get closer to you, to know you, to be enriched by your diversity. The willingness to dialogue says I open… arms, heart, mind to go beyond fear.”

“Called and Sent”: on this theme several families had also met in Jerusalem on March 9^th, and in Bethlehem on March 14^th.

Intense meetings of spirituality, conversation with God and communion among all, which gave balm to wounds, opened souls to forgiveness, purified hearts to know how to welcome the others, their sufferings and their hopes.

Appointments filled with joy and cheerful games by the children, which helped them overcome any worries and better understand the the reality of Easter now approaching and the power of the Resurrection.

Occasions to strengthen mutual love among all participating, strengthening the conviction that this is the truest witness, that dialogue and unity among people and peoples is possible.

Precious moments to then start again with renewed commitment, to be together witnesses of this hope.

The words of Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop and South African activist, read during a reflection, well express the lived experience: “If we could but recognize our common humanity, that we do belong together, that our destinies are bound up in one another’s, that we can be free only together, that we can be human only together, then a glorious world would come into being where all of us lived harmoniously together as members of one family, the human family.”

Some impressions:

“Until the last moment I was in doubt whether to participate or not. But in the end I decided for yes: it was an act of love for my daughter who wanted it so much. I thank God that we went. It was beautiful. Both my family and I received the sacrament of reconciliation. It was a grace to be with everyone.”

“It was a very beautiful retreat! We needed to get away from the world. We really felt like family. The atmosphere was very beautiful. Thank you for all the work! It would be important to do it again and again: we need it.”

“It was important to retreat from the world in this hard time. To be together with Jesus in our midst, with peace among us. It was a meeting with so much love among everyone. There was a need to draw strength together to go out and face the challenges in life and in the world. We thank God for this opportunity.”

March 2023 – From Friday, March 24^th to Sunday, March 26^th, 2023, the communities and friends of the Focolare in the Holy Land gathered in Jericho to experience three days of meeting in preparation for Easter. The participants, about 160 of all ages, came from various locations: Bethlehem, Gaza, Jerusalem, Haifa, Jenin, Nazareth, Ramallah, etc.

The central points of the program were: the Eucharist, the Word and sharing. On this basis, the mornings were devoted to visiting significant sites in Jericho due to their historical and spiritual value: the sycamore tree and the house of Zacchaeus, the Mount of Temptation and the Place of Jesus’ Baptism at the Jordan River. Each visit was preceded by moments of in-depth reflections of the Gospel texts related to the respective places. In the afternoons we shared moments of recollection so as to respond, like Zacchaeus, to Jesus’ invitation,  “…come down at once, for today I must stay at your house” (Lk 19:5), and to welcome him into our “home.”

Each day was enriched by moments of sharing and prayer with priests and religious who, with their experiences and testimonies, made a significant and much valued contribution.

We are happy and grateful to God for this experience, which took place despite various challenges and suspensions due to the uncertain political situation. One of the participants shared, “I realized the strength of living as one family, of sharing and giving love, of caring for others, as well as the strength of praying together.”

Oct. 2022 – This is one of the pages from the diary of Irene, a young editor of Teens, a magazine of the Città Nuova publishing group, which is made by teenagers for teenagers. Through her eyes and her words we learn of a journey in a country marked by divisions and we get to know the project “Harmony among peoples”, which, thanks to art and dance is spreading beauty and hope to the new generations in Bethlehem.