The Church youth gathering concluded its three days with success and momentum, in the presence of more than 1,500 young men and women participating from all over Lebanon. In his delivered word before the vast youth crowd, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros al-Rahi urged them to “move forward in what they are doing in order to preserve Lebanon,” saluting their work and ecclesiastical and spiritual activity. He said in the closing and ceremonial Mass sermon at the Monastery of Our Lady of Bzommar: “Through the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, He showed in Himself that the human essence recovered the beauty of the first image in which every human being was born, which is that God created man in His own image and likeness’ (Genesis 1:26)…But man distorted it and even lost it with his sin and evil deeds. He transformed his mind, the center of truth, into the energy of lying, and his will, the center of good, into the energy of evil, and his heart, the center of love and tenderness, into the energy of hate and malice…” In his homily in the presence of the heads and bishops of the Catholic Church, al-Rahi praised the role of the youth and ended his message by saying: “You are our only hope to revive Lebanon with its values and advantages…Let this International Youth Day be a new birth in your life.” It is to note that this meeting is part of the World Youth Day celebrations held in Lisbon, Portugal. This initiative aims to give Lebanese youth the opportunity to get closer to the atmosphere and experiences of World Youth Day (JMJ), which is hosted in Lisbon under the auspices of His Holiness Pope Francis. It is organized by the National Committee for Youth Welfare (APECL JEUNE) affiliated with the Secular Apostolic Council in Lebanon, lasting over 4 days and coinciding with the Blessed Feast of the Transfiguration.
Source: National News Agency Lebanon