Less than a week after the first phase of the Hamas-Israel peace plan began, young Catholics from Galilee and Jerusalem found spiritual renewal and rest at an Oct. 18 retreat that had been delayed by the war.
Participants enjoyed a day of prayer and fellowship at the Shrine of Our Lady in Deir Rafat, Jerusalem. They had the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Mass celebrated by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, according to an Oct. 20 news report posted to the patriarchate’s website.
The Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics and the General Secretariat for the Youth in Galilee organized the retreat.
“After the war, many of our young people were weary and in need of spiritual renewal,” Maria, a public relations representative for the Youth In Galilee, said, according to the report. “This day offered them the opportunity to meet others from different places and cultures — Arabic- and Hebrew-speaking Catholics — and to rediscover the joy of belonging to one Church.”
She said the youth entered the retreat with open hearts and a willingness to share and receive.
“We hope to offer the world a true image of Christians in the Holy Land — a young and united Church that lives, believes, and hopes here,” she said.
In his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa described the retreat as “an embodiment of our diocesan vocation — unity in Jesus Christ.”
The young people, who may find differences among themselves, can find common ground in shared faith through Jesus, Cardinal Pizzaballa said, according to the report.
“What we are doing here is very important in these difficult times as a Church,” he added. “Each of you lives this difficulty in your own social, political, and religious context. Yet because of Jesus Christ, we keep this desire for unity alive, seeking a different way.”
He also spoke about Divine Providence and sharing God’s love with others.
“For those who believe, we are not here in this land by chance, but by providence,” he said. “Jesus wants His community, His Church, to show what it means to belong to Him. We may face difficulties, but since we have received the love of God, we cannot keep it for ourselves. Love flourishes only when it is given freely to others — when the other becomes as important to me as I am to myself.”
The retreat was held amid a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, both of whom reportedly exchanged some fighting Oct. 19, as CatholicVote previously reported. President Donald Trump said this week that the ceasefire still stands. The Israel Defense Forces stated Oct. 19 that it “will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond forcefully to any violation.”
>> Cardinal Pizzaballa speaks on peace plan, leadership, conditions in Gaza <<
The post Youth from Galilee and Jerusalem go on spiritual retreat appeared first on CatholicVote org.