On the fourth and fifth of November 2023, Metanoia Listening
Center, in cooperation with the Family Committee of the Diocese of Sidon and
the Roman Catholic Deir El Qamar, organized a spiritual relational weekend, at
the Monastery of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Deir El Harf area.
The Family Committee met with families from the family
groups: “You are my joy” and “The Annunciation,” and they lived two days full
of experiences. On the first day, they shared a meaningful relational topic
during which they exchanged personal and bilateral experiences.
They began the second day with an individual contemplative
walk in nature, where they listened to the voice of God through the picturesque
nature that surrounded them. After that, each couple was alone and shared a
quiet time with each other. After the walk, we had a meeting with the
psychologist, Mrs. Patricia Barsha Bassil, who shared with us a topic under the
title: “Couple Service,” during which she shed light on the importance of the
presence of the couple in the same service, and its positive impact on them, as
well as on the couples who receive this service. The meeting concluded with the
cutting of a cake to celebrate the eighth anniversary of the Metanoia Center.
Mgr. Elie Beshara Al-Haddad, also attended and participated
in lunch and the celebration of the Center’s Day. Then celebrate the Mass in
the intention of the committee’s families and all families.
After the
Family Day event in July, our focus, now, is on maintaining connections with
the couples who participated and ensuring the continued success of this
initiative. Recognizing that a single day or lecture isn't sufficient, we
believe in the importance of ongoing support through meetings and seminars.
These gatherings shed light on the marital and relational aspects of their
lives, making sure that the insights gained from the previous event persist.
To achieve
this, we've decided to organize a second meeting akin to Family Day,
exclusively for couples without children. The preparation and coordination for
this event involved collaboration between the Metanoia Listening Center and the
Family Committees of both Archdiocese: Greek Melkites and Maronites.
On November 26,
2023, with the presence of bishops Mgr. Elie Bshara Al-Haddad and Bishop Maroun
Al-Ammar, forty couples convened at the Metanoia Listening Center from 9:00 AM
to 4:30 PM. The theme for this meeting was “ Khallina Sektin!” or "let’s
Stay Silent!."
The invitation
was evenly extended to twenty couples from each archdiocese, totaling forty
couples, along with members of the Family Committees from both regions.
The day
commenced with a warm welcome and morning prayers, followed by a brief play
illustrating the importance of effective communication in relationships. A
couple from the Family Committee performed roles to break the ice and set a
lighthearted tone before the scheduled lecture.
Father Semaan
Bou Abdou, coordinator of the Marriage and Family Pastoral Office in the
Patriarchal Diocese of Bkerke, led a lecture titled "Foundations of
Dialogue and Communication." The discussion delved into various types of
dialogue, emphasizing the necessity of expressing feelings clearly between
spouses. Communication, he asserted, is an art form. The lecture was enriched
with sensory examples and addressed common challenges faced by couples. It
provided insights into the differences in thought processes and needs between
women and men, offering a roadmap to navigate communication challenges,
stressing that nonviolent communication is the language of life.
Following the
lecture and a coffee break, the covenant prayer session unfolded. Prepared by
the "Metanoia Listening Center," it outlined five stages of
communication for couples: gratitude, apology, please, with you, and yes. This
prayer served as a tool to help couples assess and renew their relationships.
Participants were divided into eight sharing circles, each consisting of four
couples and a committee member facilitating discussions. The aim was to equip
couples with a practical map to enhance communication, dialogue, active
listening, and effective problem-solving.
During lunch,
participants gathered for a shared meal, fostering fellowship and joy among
them.
Subsequently,
they enjoyed entertaining moments with recreational games designed for the day.
These activities, such as dancing and laughter, create lasting memories for the
couples, expressing the need for such moments to renew the spirit of joy and
happiness, reminiscent of their childhood.
Before the
divine liturgy, a unique experience took place. Each individual wrote a love
letter to their partner expressing their feelings. Couples then shared a
special moment, exchanging these letters and receiving a small plant.
Symbolizing their relationship, this plant, like a living entity, requires
care, attention, and nurturing. Similarly, their relationship demands
attention, expressed through words of love, apology, and appreciation.
The couples
presented the plant with their written love letters, placing them in front of
the church altar. After the liturgy, bishops and priests blessed the plants,
which were then distributed back to the couples as a tangible reminder of the
day's fruit.
The day
concluded with a divine liturgy at the Basilica of Our Lady of Mantara,
presided over by Mgr. Elie Bshara Al-Haddad, the Archbishop of the Greek Melkite
Catholic Archdiocese of Saida and Deir el Kamar, and Mgr. Maroun Al-Ammar, the Archbishop
of the Maronite Archdiocese of Saida, Father Joseph Abi Aoun, head of the
Family Committee in the Maronite Archdiocese of Saida, and Father George Nimr
also participated. Couples who attended served in the liturgy, presenting
intentions, offerings, the icon of the Holy Family, the Lebanese flag, and a
green plant, praying for the well-being of all families. The choir, featuring members
of Father Bshara's Family, collaborated with singers from Our Lady of the Hill
Parish in Deir El Qamar during the divine liturgy.
After the virtual meetings, “Our
Family…Our Wealth", 1 and 2, over a period of two years, the family
committee in the dioceses of Sidon and Deir Al Qamar launched the First Missionary Family Camps entitled: “Our Family...
Our Wealth- 3-" from the 3rd to the 6th of August in the "House of
Pentecost" at Kfarfalous.
The program of the camp was divided
into several sections. Before noon, the committee members participated in
Biblical, spiritual topics; in the afternoon, they engaged in special
relational and upbringing topics. Then, they went to the villages, and the day
ended with an evaluation evening.
On the first day, we
participated with the pastor of the diocese, Archbishop Elie Beshara Al-Haddad
the following topic: "The family and the Church's view of society"....
During their tourist tour in Lebanon, a delegation from the "Brothers of the Lord" monastery, consecrated men and women from Milan, Italy, visited the Methania Listening Center. They were accompanied by Father Marcelino Assal, who was sent by His Eminence Bishop Mounir Khairallah, the shepherd of the Batroun diocese. After touring the city of Tyre for sightseeing, the delegation arrived at the center around noon, where they rested and had lunch. They got acquainted with the center, its mission, and the activities it offers. They also informed us about their mission and the service they provide in Milan. Following that, the delegation visited the church and the cave, and then returned to Batroun, expressing their joy about this day.
During the period from the 3rd to the 5th of July, Metanoia Listening Center hosted the annual Spiritual Retreat for the priests of Greek Catholics Archdiocese of Sidon and Deir Al-Qamar, under the patronage and presence of the Archbishop, His Excellency Bishop Elie Bechara Haddad.
His Excellency invited Sister Rose Abi Aad from the St. Therese Sisters, a specialist in the Holy Scriptures, who preached this retreat for three days on "The Priesthood in the Holy Scriptures" from the Old and New Testaments.
During this retreat, the participants shared a life of brotherhood, spiritual and biblical sharing, which included the Divine Liturgy, prostrations, and daily prayers..
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....
On May 27th
2023, Metanoia Listening Center hosted youth from various Evangelical churches
and representatives of the centers in the Worldwide Apostolic Movement for
Children (MIDADE) in the Sidon region. The gathering focused on educating
participants on how to present stories from the Bible to children using new
methods that can reach the hearts and minds of children in an easy and
enjoyable way. They shared ideas, exchanged thoughts, and spent a rich day full
of joy and knowledge.
During the month of May 2023, Metanoia Listening Center
organized marriage preparation sessions using Zoom technology for the Melkite
Greek Catholic Diocese of Saida and Deir El Kamar. The participants engaged in discussions on various relevant
topics, including communication, conflict resolution, legal aspects...
The
speakers interacted well with the subjects, providing valuable techniques. we hope
that the participants will benefit from these techniques and apply them in
their future married life, enabling them to overcome any challenges they may
encounter at the beginning of their shared journey.
On Friday March 31st, 2023, Caritas
family of Sidon and Jezzine gathered at the Metanoia Listening Center for a
spiritual day in order to be prepared of the celebration of Easter. The event
was initiated by Father Carmelite Michel Aboud, the President of Caritas
Lebanon, under the theme "My Journey towards the Lord." The
participants then divided into dialogue circles, discussing the topic and
sharing their thoughts and conclusions. After lunch, the spiritual day
concluded with a divine liturgy at Our Lady of Mantara Basilica in Maghdouche.
On the 13th and the 14th of May 2023, Metanoia
Listening Center and the Family Committee in the Archdiocese of Sidon and Deir
Al-Qamar for the Catholic Romans, invited many couples to live, in a joyful
atmosphere, an extraordinary experience of sharing at the Franciscan Sisters'
Monastery in Aishqout. They experienced a weekend of bonding, fun activities,
and entertainment, while exploring the dynamics of communal living and
exchanging experiences.
The gathering began with ice-breaking games and an enjoyable
segment of great pleasure. After lunch and a coffee break, everyone gathered to
discuss the first topic. Each person selected two photos that represented a
specific moment in their marital journey. They contemplated these images for half
an hour, and then shared their thoughts and experiences with the group. The
discussion lasted for three hours, featuring deep individual and couple
contributions, as they shared their experiences and ideas. After dinner, the
couples enjoyed a spontaneous and lighthearted evening, which included games
that added a beautiful and enjoyable atmosphere.
The second day, Sunday morning, started with a walk in the
nature. The enchanting ambiance of the surroundings, the rustling of trees, the
chirping of birds, and the prayers offered by the participants, led the
participants to meditate God’s creation in silent. It was a wonderful
atmosphere that helped everyone to reflect, pray, and express gratitude to God
for His blessings.
Following the break, the second topic, titled "Time
Management," was introduced and discussed for two hours. The goal was to
organize their time between what is important and what is essential in the
current demanding situation, where couples find themselves racing against time
to meet the needs of life and their families. They often fall into the trap of
chaos and neglect to allocate quality time for themselves and their partners,
which affects their family life, relationships, and leads to frustration. The
couples actively engaged in the discussion, resulting in fruitful outcomes.
In conclusion, an evaluation session took place where each
person expressed the benefits they gained from these two days and the purpose
they intend to incorporate into their lifestyle to improve their way of living
and their family life. Everyone exchanged heartfelt words, expressing sincere
emotions.
On October 22-23 under the title of "Mary, the Queen of
my Family", Metanoia Listening Center in collaboration with the Family and
Life Committee in Sidon and Deir al-Qamar archdioceses organized a spiritual Weekend for family groups at Deir El Harf in the monastery of sisters-
Saint Joseph de Leon.
Ten married couples met to share experiences and tryed to
live this two days together in a joyful ambience.
The first day starts with an ice-breaking and acquaintance
games, in the afternoon, everyone went for a walk in the nature, and they share
the first topic "the prayer of the covenant" between spouses, this
prayer helps them to deepen their relationship and renew their love and the
promise they made at the beginning of their marriage.
In the evening, couples share and express their opinions in
the spiritual topic “My Pictures of God” by drawing. The first day was ended
with a fire night, couples dancing and praising the lord.
The second day was started with a morning prayer in the hall
of monastery, then the meeting was with Father Joseph Abi Aoun, priest of the parish of Our Lady of the Hill - Deir al-Qamar,
the topic was launched and everyone joined her own talking group to discuss the
question asked from the father: How can Mary be a queen in our family?
After an hour, participants were gathered again to listen to
Father Abi Aoun explanation:
“We are all invited to let Mary lead us, for this reason we
must look at the Bible and reflect on her attitudes. Although, Meeting with the
Virgin Mary in the small and important matters of our lives, creates spiritual
urge and a spontaneous and sincere faith towards the Lord and each other.
The first home church is parents, so let’s families prays and
shares faith together with their children. This will stay in their memories the
whole life. They will not remember the sermons of the priests, but they will
tell their children about their mothers how to get used to pray while holding
the rosary in their hands.
He assured the necessity that we, as Christian families developed
from father, mother and children, to appear in our society to the image and
likeness of God.
Since ancient times, Mary has been the compass that directs
theology on the right path, the queen of families and their steadfastness in
their faith. He assured the transmission of the Christian tradition through
living these piety and prayers in the family”.
At twelve o’clock,
Father Joseph Abi Aoun celebrated the divine liturgy and couples served the
mass. After a lunch break, we celebrated the seventh anniversary of Metanoia listening
Center together and everyone wished to Metanoia the progress and prosperity.
At The end of this weekend, each one expressed the
experience they took from those two days with a word from the heart, wishing
from Metanoia team to repeat such an entertainment event.
We were so happy
when the sisters of Saint Joseph De Lion asked for the names of the children in
our Diocese in order to receive a piece of cloth for the Christmas activity
funded by A.C.N. (Aid to Church in Need).
We started
the work at Metanoia Center with enthusiasm and passion, we communicated with the
priests and contacted the parents to get the accurate information about their
children’s age and their sizes...
What distinguishes
this work that Parents had the opportunity to choose according to their children
needs (sweaters, pants, dress or jacket…).
This activity targeted 500 children aged between 0-18 years old selected
from our data list.
Within two weeks, we completed the list and sent it to the sisters of
Saint Joseph de Lyon Once the gifts were ready, we went to Deir Al Harf and brought them. We
thanked the sisters for this special gesture and for the particular work they
did, by choosing the clothes as requested, wrapping them, and putting names on
each gift.
The team of Metanoia Listening Center was ready to receive this big number
of presents, and with strong feeling of enthusiasm and excitement we started
sorting and dividing the gifts according to the villages, and we set an action plan
in order to organize the fieldwork and delivered the gifts one week before
Christmas.
Parents and children entertained us very joyfully, we took advantage to
get to know them in person and to inform them about our center.
From town to town, family to family, we were very impressed by that joy
with everyone, and we experienced beautiful and sincere moments, it was a
wonderful feast because sharing joy is what gives meaning to Christmas.
Heartfelt thanks to the sisters of saint Joseph, thanks to the permanent
support ACN because you let us participated in spreading joy and smiles on the
faces of children and their families.
After a successful Family Day on the 3rd of July and our
previous experience with family events in 2018, Metanoia Center and the Family
Committee met and discussed the importance of preparing and executing an
entertainment day for married couples. A day for married couples to meet, greet
and share their experiences and their life difficulties.
An opportunity to get together as couples (without their children)
and have the two of them live the life they had before, parents are people too
and should not ignore their relationships with their partners, being a parent
can take over their life.
We invited spouses from the four dioceses in the south (the Maronite
Diocese of Sidon, the Maronite Diocese of Tyr, the Greek Catholic Diocese of
Tyr and the Greek Catholic Diocese of Sidon), amongst the families that
participated in the Family Day on the 3rd of July under the title
“Yes for Family”.
The event was set on the 21st of August, we booked the
place (Wadi Chemmas Restaurant - Wadi Leymoun village), and we sent invitations
individually to the selected couples.
The number of participants was eighty people (forty couples), the selected
couples showed great interest in the event and they were looking forward to it,
especially after their recent joyful experience with us during the Family Day
event...
After a very busy schedule and hard work successfully done, a
well-deserved break was a bright idea really needed and recommended to breathe
and re-energize by spending a precious time of Pause in peaceful and joyful
way. This is what the team members of Metanoia Listening Center experienced
during two amazing days.
Metanoia Listening Center organized an exceptional weekend for the
team members on 10th and 11th of September 2022 by
offering diversified activities, which were hosted at Deir Al Harf convent, a
great place to boost morale, inspire and relax.
Meanwhile, the participants received training on topics related to
“teamwork”, “mental health”, “social work”, through collective and individual
activities and entertainment sessions prepared and delivered by the subject
experts who gave valuable advice and important information.
A large part of the time was for meditation, contemplation, and for
reaching healthy and serene mindset, in addition to sharing experiences and
knowledge.
Three
main aspects were treated and experienced by focusing on:
- Connecting
with myself
- Connecting
with community members
- Connecting
with environment especially nature
Aim to improve personal wellbeing covering the following areas of
mental growth, social growth, spiritual growth, emotional growth, and physical
growth.
Excerpts from the visit of the Secretary-General of the Assembly of Bishops in the Vatican, “Cardinal Mario Grec”, accompanied by His Excellency Bishop Mounir Khairallah, during which a meeting took place at Metanoia Center - Basilica of Our Lady of Mantara Builduing - Maghdouche, with the bishops of south’s dioceses: Archbishops Elie Bechara Haddad, Maroun Ammar, and Charbel Abdallah, in addition to the various Synod committees in the four Catholic dioceses of Sidon and Tyre.
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On July 3rd,2022, MLC celebrated the 3rd edition of the family day event. This event entitled " YES, FOR FAMILY!" took place in Dar El Inaya, Salhieh and brought together 1600 individuals from the Four archdioceses of South Lebanon (Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Saida and Deir El Kamar, Maronite Archdiocese of Saida, Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Tyr, Maronite Archdiocese of Tyr).
Upon the families' arrival, childcare specialists welcomed, supervised, and looked after the children who are less than 3 years of age (40 children) allowing the parents to enjoy and to actively participate in the activities. Meanwhile Midade "Le Mouvement International d'Apostolat des Enfants" took care of the kids who are under 13 (400 kids) and prepared a day full of games and topics suitable for their age. J.E.C on the other hand took charge of the young people (aged between 15 and 18) and had an amazing day planned for them.
After meet-and-greets, participants 18 years of age and above (870 individuals) headed to the center stage where they had breakfast before starting the day. The program began with an opening prayer and then the priest Nabil Chehade launched the topic and posed the questions that would be later discussed in groups. The participants were divided in groups of 30 where they shared their personal experiences with each other. After a small break and some cakes and juice, the participants listened to the topic delivered by Jesuit Father Nabil Chehateh.
The participants had lunch at 1 o'clock followed by a "FIESTA” and by a mass served by CJS "chorale jeunesse du Sauveur".
We would like to thank the families that participated in the event and put their trust in us.
As well as a special thank you to all the movements that helped make this day happen: Caritas Lebanon, scout Maronite Darb El Sim, MIDADE, JEC, CJS, the family committee and MLC team.
Within the framework of coordination with institutions located in the vicinity, including educational institutions, a joint cooperation has been made between the Metanoia Listening center MLC and the Evangelical School in Saida, NEIGB, to organize training sessions for the educational staff, which took place over two consecutive days, on Friday April 8, and Saturday April 9, 2022...
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Under the patronage and presence of the Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Sidon and Deir al-Qamar, Archbishop Elie Bechara Al-Haddad, the “Metanoia listening Center" launched its new network of projects and activities in the Diocese of Tyre, on Saturday, May 7, 2022 in the Melkite Greek Catholic Diocese of Tyre.
The ceremony was attended, in addition to the priests of the Diocese of Tyre, representatives of the committees working in the Roman Catholic and Maronite Archdiocese, a representative of "Familia Association" from the Maronite Archdiocese, in addition to a number of endowment agents, youth leaders, and a number of specialists and activists in the social and health fields in the region and the neighborhood.
Metanoia Center thanks everyone who participated in this event, and wishes for more cooperation and networking with other resources in our community
As part of MLC’s personal development program, a spiritual session was held on April 2, 2022, where the team members participated actively. The session was prepared and presented by Father Antoine Assaf with the theme “Become the other's joy”. The session started with a self-reflection activity of the targeted theme. A beautiful old French chant “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” was played. The chant is a dialogue between children and God about the true meaning of: Love, Happiness, Freedom, and Death...
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On Tuesday, April 3, 2022, a team from the international organization ACN (Aid to the Church in Need) visited our center, to get acquainted with the team work and to see the most prominent new services that we provide.The delegation also met a number of family groups established by Metanoia Listening Center since 2016...
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Under the patronage and presence of the Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Sidon and Deir El-Qamar, Archbishop Elie Bechara El-Haddad, the “Metanoia Listening Center” launched its new network of projects and activities, on Saturday evening, March 12, 2022, in Maghdouché...
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Within the framework of the Campaign on social media “Shining Our Lights”, that our center is working on, the specialists from our team work conducted several television and radio interviews with several audio-visual media platforms...
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After the start of work at the Metanoia Listening Center, the team of specialists began to prepare all files, documents and forms necessary to the follow up process on cases received by the center's specialized offices. After that, we set off to visit all villages and cities in the Diocese of Sidon and Deir al-Qamar,we were able to visit more than 45 parishes...
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We are proud to present to you the partnership between our center subordinate to the Greek Melkite Catholic Archdiocese of Sidon and Deir El-Qamar and the Archdiocese de Cologne - Allmagne.Through this partnership, the churches of Colognes in Germany are delivering 1000 food parcels to the most vulnerable families of all parishes of Saida and Deir El-Qamar...
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In light of the crises, we are going through on the Social and Health levels (Corona) and their repercussions on the whole family and on individuals, the family and life Committee of the Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Sidon and Deir el Kamar considered it necessary to keep up with a series of virtual meetings aimed at helping them in facing crises and providing them with solutions, guidance and advice by specialized people. The role of the church in keeping up with families is very important in these circumstances, and the committee invited other dioceses in the region, so the participation was from the Maronite Diocese of Sidon and the Maronite and Catholic Diocese of Tyre...
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On February 25, 2022, at 8:30 am, the
Metanoia Listening Center (MLC) held the first Workshop about “The art of
Listening” with the teamwork at the center's headquarters in Maghdouche -
South.
The workshop was prepared and provided by Dr. Jihad Maalouf – a
specialist of Medical Humanities and researcher in philosophy of health.
We began the workshop by defining the concept
of “Listening” and its 5 basic rules. Then we came
to the topic of “The primary of questioning”, including the
characteristics of active listening, the right moment of speech and silence,
etc…
