Desert Flower in Nazareth

On Friday, we met up again, we, the youth of the Desert Flower. This time the meeting took place in Nazareth, in the convent of the Little Brothers of Jesus.

On Friday, as it was rather later by the time that everyone had arrived, we ate dinner and then together participated in a Taize prayer. Thus, we concluded our first day together.

The following day, we began with morning prayer and breakfast. Then we set off to do some volunteer work in an old people’s home run by the Sisters of Saint Anne. When we reached the place, the director explained to us the history of the place. When it was founded it was the first such home not only in Nazareth but throughout the Middle East. Then we went to meet the residents of the home. We divided into two groups – one group stayed with the elderly, went to walk with them, fed them, spoke with them and the other group helped out with gardening and other maintenance jobs.

Afterwards, we met up, the members of the two groups, in the church of the home and had a meeting in order to evaluate the volunteer activity and how each one experienced this time. It was really beautiful to see the devotion and treatment of the nurses, the sisters and those taking care of these elderly. They truly invest all their heart in the job and despite the condition of the elderly it was possible to see joy and light in their faces. Then, we were invited to stay for lunch in the home as a sign of gratitude for our volunteering.

After lunch, we returned to the convent for some free time and time to walk around Nazareth.

When we returned, we continued the filming of the film clip that we are preparing for the Italian group that is coming in the summer. When the shooting was finished, we participated in the mass celebrated by Father Apolinary.

At the end of mass, we all went to the home of one of the participants who is a resident of Upper Nazareth. The meeting ended with a dinner of pizza, prepared especially by the mother of one of the participants.

WE were very happy to meet up again and to share new experiences together. We bade farewell to one another, eagerly awaiting the next time.