In the spiritual and solemn atmosphere of the Church of the Carmel Monastery in Bethlehem, the faithful from different areas of the Holy Land gathered to celebrate the feast of Saint Mary Bouardi, also known as Mary of Jesus Crucified, on 26 August. Songs and prayers filled the church during the celebration.
Fr Sandro Tomasevic,ofm Counsellor of the Custody of the Holy Land We celebrated the beginning of the year of preparation for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Church. Jesus himself showed how to build this church. He was always talking to the saints, everyone who comes here feels his presence and his joy, we are all invited to holiness. He always used this word. He surrendered his life to God every moment of his life by invoking the Holy Spirit, so his speech was very powerful. It is important that through his intercession we pray for peace in the Holy Land. The importance of the Third Secular Order’s role in spreading the message of Christ was highlighted by their participation in the festive Mass, adding a special touch of love and sincerity to the celebration.
Suad Handal Bethlehem I am very proud to participate in the third order, in the Carmel of Bethlehem, because Carmel is a special place, a special place in the city of Bethlehem. Anyone who goes there will see peace, tranquillity, peace. It is a place where you can find peace despite the difficult situations you live in and the sounds you hear every day. Joining the order leads to greater spiritual depth, an understanding of Christian life and religious life, secular religion helps to deepen the Carmelite spirit. In his homily, Father Sandro highlighted the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in strengthening the faith through her simple life full of sacrifice, her great love for Christ and her passion in praying for him to become an example for all those who seek to be close to him God.
Sister Faryal Qaraa The Carmelite Sisters of Bethlehem. Many times we see Holy Mary with the people, what miracles she performs and invites them to come to church and return to our Father with the help of the Holy Spirit. I personally felt the call of the Blessed Mary to come to this church. That is why I was able to work in this place for her and for the people of my country, for Palestine, we felt the love of the Saints through the great presence of the Church. By believing in this event, we felt how close they were to us, as we were always close to them, because the Carmelite nuns always embraced them in prayer.
Sister Faryal Qaraa The Carmelite nuns of Bethlehem. Speaking the message to Mary from within the Carmelite church created a message of love and peace. When Jesus Christ told him to build this church in Bethlehem, he said the name of this church is joy and peace, as we have seen. We offer prayer. May the messages of joy and peace from our hearts and prayers, and from the presence of this group that has prayed with us today, reach all of you and all those who want peace in your hearts, in your country and in your families.
St Maryam Bawardi, daughter of the Holy Land, reminds us on her feast day that holiness is a blessing that is not far off for those who have the will to follow in God’s footsteps.
By cmc-terrasanta.org
