Nazareth Filipino community on Advent retreat in Bethlehem

At around 16:30 on December 10, 2016, the HFFCN members from the environs of Nazareth boarded a tourist bus for Afula to get the rest of participants of the community for its 2016 Advent recollection and pilgrimage to Bethlehem. We were altogether twenty-five pilgrims. The group arrived at Casa Nova Bethlehem just past 19:00. As soon as we got our rooms, dinner was served. At around 21:00, the group gathered in the meeting hall near the lobby for the elections of new officers of the Holy Family Filipino Community at Nazareth. But beforehand, I reported on the results of the recent CPAM Meeting at the Latin Patriarchate on December 6, after which some feedback was given regarding the animation of the community over the past year. Then the elections took place, resulting in the elections of Edith Marasigan as Coordinator and Genevieve Zohair as Assistant Coordinator. Once the elections of the remaining officers were done, the group had a free time to move around in Manger Square.

As usual, we had the first Mass at 5:00 in the Nativity Grotto. A couple of other pilgrims joined us for it. The following hour after Mass, we assembled once again in the meeting hall and had an input on the invitation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to do new evangelization in all parishes through the revitalization of Basic Ecclesial Communities, in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. Basic to this is Bible sharing or lectio divina. After the orientation, the group was divided into three. Since we had just celebrated the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and since Mary of Nazareth is an important figure during Advent and Christmas, each group reflected and shared on the three readings of the said liturgical solemnity. After an hour, all the three groups came together and shared on their insights from this religious activity and resolved that perhaps the different clusters of the community could do such weekly reflection and sharing in the future. At the very end of the session, I gave a plaque of appreciation to the former Coordinator of the HFFCN for the past five years, Christopher Garcia, on behalf of the community. He is returning to the Philippines for good after ten years of service in the Holy Land as a caregiver.

Then we had breakfast at 8:00. The following hour we proceeded to the Shepherds’ Field Chapel, where we again reflected on the event that took place there and on the choice of the shepherds as the first witnesses of the newborn King and Savior of the world, Jesus the Messiah. Then inside the chapel itself we sang the Christmas carol, “Angels we have heard on high” and prayed one “Our Father,” one “Hail Mary” and one “Glory be” for the intentions of Pope Francis. The group was then free to move around the grounds of the Shepherds’ Field Shrine until just after 10:30 when we returned to Casa Nova. Then there was free time until lunch at noon. At the end of lunch, Chris was again honored by letting him cut a cake with the written icing, “Thank you, Chris!”

By 13:00, we started driving back to Nazareth with the hope that this activity prepared those concerned to celebrate Christmas meaningfully.