Pictures by: Mariana Khurdahji/LPJ.org
Pictures by: Mariana Khurdahji/LPJ.org
NAZARETH – On Saturday, February 24, 2024, Mgr Rafiq Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar of Galilee, presided over a Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation, to celebrate the one hundred years of the Theresian society's presence in the Holy Land.
The Teresian Association is an international Catholic association of lay people who share in the evangelizing mission of the Catholic Church; are committed to promoting human values per the spirit of the gospel; and transform society through education and culture. Furthermore, the members, both women and men, carry out the mission through their respective professions and occupations. In the Holy Land, they mainly work in libraries, education, and in the Papal Foundation, as well as serving the Christian Migrant community from the Philippines. It was founded by Saint Pedro Poveda in Spain in 1911.
In his homily, Mgr Rafiq Nahra expressed the beauty of celebrating their presence in the Holy Land, in the city of Nazareth, due to the spirituality of the mystery of the Incarnation, which they embody: "Jesus Christ lived as a normal person in Nazareth for thirty years and no one knew that he is the Christ. This within itself testifies to your work, which is likened by the gospel to the yeast that grows slowly, and from within". He also praised their work in the Holy Land, and their closeness and their love for others, saying: "Friendship is an important thing so that the heart of others may open up to the true meaning of life, which is found in love and not in the pursuit of money or positions. Hence, spreading the light of Christ in the society". Commenting on the reading of the Gospel, he said: "Jesus likened his believers to salt and light in the world. Salt purifies and gives flavor to life. We know that a little salt has a great effect, so we do not need to prove our Christian existence by looks or by numbers, but by our deeds, carrying the light of hope until the day we meet Him face to face”.
