On Friday, June 7th, 2024, Msgr. William Shomali, General Vicar for the Latin Patriarchate, presided over the celebrations for the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bethlehem, where he presided over a Mass at the Salesian Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; followed by a Eucharistic procession through the Old City of Bethlehem.
Concelebrated by Msgr. Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Fr. Lawrence Sagotti, rector of the Salesian monastery and spiritual guide of the scouts, and several priests of Bethlehem; in the presence of religious sisters, the Salesian family, as well as the faithful.
In his homily, Msgr. Shomali spoke of the greatness, yet meekness of God, and His nearness to Man, by reflecting on God's actions throughout the Bible: "In both the Old and New Testaments, we see that God deals with humans with a maternal love: like a mother who carries her child in her arms and does not punish him if he makes a mistake, shown in the scripture, 'Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you,' says the Lord."
“We live in a world without a heart, and Jesus Christ desires for us to be a heart in this world," he added. "Hence, he invited us to come to him to be refreshed, and that is in His saying: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest", so the love that overflows from the heart of Jesus can inhabit ours and change us to be a loving heart for those around us.”
Then, the assembly recited the consecration prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
After Mass, the traditional Eucharistic procession began in the streets of Bethlehem, as the faithful followed after the Blessed Sacrament in a march, roaming the streets of the old city of Bethlehem, which connects the Salesian Church and the Church of the Nativity.
