Twelfth Family Encounter in Tiberias

17 families gathered at Casa Nova in Tiberias, were they were welcomed by the parish priest, Father Giuseppe and the community of Koinonia John the Baptist that animates the place.

On Friday afternoon, Father David introduced the program to the participants and they introduced themselves to each other. Among the participants were three new families. There was time to catch up on recent news. After dinner, those present either went out for a stroll or gathered to watch a moving new film on Saint Teresa of Calcutta, “Letters from Mother Teresa”.

The following day, discussions beganafter morning prayer and breakfast. While Sinead and Daniel, helped by three members of the Desert Flower youth group took care of the children, the parents convened with Fathers David, Rafic, Apolinary and Giuseppe. The day was broken up into three sessions, morning and afternoon, focusing on how to make present the message of Advent and Christmas in our homes and especially for our children. The first session, with Father Rafic, focused on the history and development of the Christmas season. The second session in the second part of the morning, with Father Apolinary, focused on the various activities that make the season more palpable including creating the right atmosphere, making things and decorating the home, singing songs, giving charity, etc. The third session, in the afternoon, with Father Giuseppe, focused on the Biblical background to the season.

Thank you to Ibrahim and Paula for the wonderful doughnuts... a reminder that Christmas and Hannuka fall together this year. 

The weekend ended with the celebration of the Sunday mass on the occasion of the last Sunday of Advent.