Desert Flower: Thank you for a year together

On the occasion of the vacation because of the feasts of light, Christmas and Hannuka, were able to meet together for two days, prolonging a little our time together. The place of the meeting this time was in the home of the Haifa kehilla, the first time that some of us visited there. The house is very welcoming and Father Roman left it in our hands for two days. The prayer room where the community prays is where we prayed and the sitting room is where we ate and where some of the young people slept too during the night.

It is not easy to find a day that permits everybody to be present for the monthly meeting and this time too we did not succeed in having everybody there. However, the nostalgia for those who were absent was strong and some expressed it strongly and clearly. The desire to see one another is still great and so too the joy to share what has happened in our lives in the course of the month since we last met.

The first day was characterized by the discovery of the neighborhood in which the kehilla house is situated, the German Colony, with its historic buildings. The main road through the neighborhood proffered a real Christmas atmosphere with Christmas trees everywhere and many elegant lights and decorations. We also had the occasion to enjoy the beauty of the gardens surrounding the Bahai Temple. In the evening, we celebrated the mass of Saint Stephen, first martyr, together with some of the members of the Haifa kehilla and with some from the Brazilian Shalom community. Everyone then stayed on for dinner together. Stella was the guest of honor and for some it was the first time to hear her stories about the beginnings of the kehilla and about Haifa kehilla’s founder, Father Daniel Rufeisen. The day drew to a close with the viewing of a movie in the spirit of Christmas: “Merry Christmas”, from 2005, directed by Christian Carion. The film tells the story of a forgotten historical event, a cease fire at Christmas 1914 among German, French and Scottish soldiers. It underlines the absurdity of war.

On the second day, another flower joined up and we went to fetch her at the bus station and then continued on to the city of Acre. We discovered the port city’s historical and archaeological treasures and for some it was the first time to visit there, Father Apolinary helped us enter into the historical and cultural climate in order to understand the diverse periods, cultures and religions that succeeded one another within the walls and on the streets of this ancient city.

Returning home, we took an intense time for reflection and prayer. Guided by a text from Ecclesiastes… “there is a time for everything under the sun” and psalm 138, we spent a time in silent listening, a unique moment before the end of 2011 to relive with our hearts and minds all that had happened in our lives: easy days and difficult ones, challenges and joys, new friendships and many gifts received from God during the entire year. “The film of your 2011” was the title given to this time, during which each one was invited to imagine that he was viewing a film and once seated in the cinema discovers that the film describes one’s own life, day by day, from last Christmas, throughout the year that is about to end… Background music helped enter the atmosphere and the voice of the animator guided memory step by step through the various moments of the year. It was an important moment during which we could think about how much we have received during one year. We could find the words to express and share at the end of the “film” and pray together as we conclude a year of experiences of faith, encounter and friendship.

Before bidding farewell and returning to the different places from which we had come, we exchanged simple gifts however the most beautiful gift each one had received was the intense joy of being together once again and the great hope that the new year might bring new opportunities to grow and blossom even more.

The Desert Flower group wishes one and all a happy 2012!