Summary

   The fourth meeting of the “family day” was held in Sidon and Deir Al Qamar’s Maronite and Catholic dioceses entitled “Family: Conversation and Communication” in the Monastery of Our Lady of Mashmoushe – Jezzine on Sunday, July 2, 2023.
   The participants of 60 towns flocked and were distributed over the area of both vast dioceses where they exceeded a thousand among parents, children and officials. This annual family festive meeting is organized periodically and in full coordination by one of the two family committees in the two dioceses. This year, the organization was in charge of the family committee in the Maronite Diocese of Sidon. As for the day’s program, arrival took place at 9 am in addition to the registration and morning hospitality.
   At 10, the meeting was set in motion with prayers and hymns by our brothers, the group of “Renewal in the Holy Spirit”, Deir Al Qamar. Then a word of sentiments took place bearing joy, love and thanks to the present families and the organizing committee, by the Patron of the Maronite Diocese of Sidon, His Excellency, Bishop Maroun Al Ammar. He also noted the joint work and the full coordination between His Excellency and the Patriarch of Diocese of Sidon and Deir Al Qamar of the Melkite Roman Catholics, Archbishop Elie Bechara Al Haddad.
   Then a speech took place by the person in charge of the family committee in the diocese, Father Joseph Abi Aoun, head of the Antioch of Our Lady of the Hill, Deir Al Qamar, and the parish priest there, in which he mentioned the preparatory stages for this day, which extended for more than 6 months. At the same time, he thanked Their Excellency Bishops Maroun Al Ammar and Elie Bechara Al Haddad and all the loved ones who were behind this day’s organization, achievement and success.
   At 10:30 was the event that marked, beautified and rejoiced the day: the spiritual issue with Abbot Semaan Bou Abdo, former General Superior of the Maronite Marian Order and coordinator of the “Marriage and Family” pastoral office – Bkerke, family companion and mediator. His holiness extinguished and took to the air the art of delivering the word: with his person, his performance, his method, his style, his culture, his communication and his long experience in the family field, twitching the feelings of those who where present, attracting their attention and touching their lives, making them interact with his questions and inquiries while bringing joy to their hearts. After the discussion, at 11:30, a coffee break took place.
   That was followed by dialogue sessions at 12 noon. There were two categories of dialogue episodes: The first category consisted of married couples; they were of 25 episodes. The second category grouped young men and women aged between 18 and 30 and they were of 4 episodes.
   At 1:30 in the afternoon, lunch took place. It was accompanied with lovely spirits demonstrated by dancing and dabke to the beat of Lebanese songs. It’s the family’s wedding and feast! Before moving on to the last stop, note that children who are under the age of 3 years old had their own program with nursery teachers. Similarly, children who are between 3 and 16 years old also had their own program according to their age groups in another place in the center.
At 3 in the afternoon, families gathered with their children and the officials to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. It was chaired by His Eminence Bishop Maroun Al Ammar, and a group of priests. The sermon was delivered by the Holy Lecturer, Abbot Semaan Bou Abdo, in which he summed up his recommendation that “as long as the family is alright and Jesus is alive in it, then Lebanon will be fine too.” After the sermon, marriage dates were renewed where each husband took his wife’s hand which, in turn, left a great impact in the souls and joy in the hearts, expressed by clapping and singing as if it was the couples’ actual wedding day.
   In closing, a thanks prayer took place by our Master Elie Beshara Al Haddad, and the final blessing was from our Master Maroun Al Ammar. In this manner, at about 4:30, our families were back to their towns, parishes and homes, with joy filling their hearts, carrying a precious provision that, with Jesus, the initiator of listening and communication artistry, we can live these skills within our families, groups and centers to break the impossible.
   Thanks to everyone who contributed in organizing this meeting.