Ten couples from the Melkite and Maronite dioceses of Sidon spent a spiritual, relational and recreational weekend in Deir El Harf, with the covenant prayer, a talk by Father Joseph Abi Aoun, and the center's seventh anniversary.
In a joyful atmosphere, ten couples from the Melkite and Maronite dioceses of Sidon and Deir El-Qamar met at the Saint Joseph of Lyon school in Deir El Harf for a spiritual, relational and recreational weekend, experiencing community life and sharing their experiences. The gathering began with get-to-know-you and icebreaker games – a fun and very joyful time. In the afternoon everyone set off on a walk in nature, where the first theme was living the covenant prayer between spouses; this prayer helps couples deepen their relationship and renew their love and the promise they made at the beginning of their marriage.
In the evening, the couples explored a spiritual theme, "My images of God," expressing their views by drawing these images and then sharing them together. The first day ended with an evening around the fire, with hymns, songs and joyful moments.
We began Sunday with morning prayer and hymns in the convent courtyard.
This was followed by a session titled "Mary, Queen of My Family," which brought the families together around Father Joseph Abi Aoun, a Mariamite priest. He introduced the theme and invited us into dialogue circles to discuss the question: how can Mary be queen of our family?
He then developed the theme for an hour and a half, and the fruits were very rich.
After a break, Father Joseph Abi Aoun celebrated the Divine Liturgy, with the couples serving the Mass. After lunch and a break, everyone celebrated Metanoia Listening Center's seventh anniversary; we cut a cake for the occasion and everyone wished the center continued growth and success. To close there was an evaluation session, in which each person expressed the fruits they had received from these two days, and everyone exchanged "a word from the heart" expressing sincere feelings.
