Saturday, April 13, 2002 12:08 PM

Holy Land Beth Myriam

Details of how to provide support for the Holy Land Beth Myriam can be found at: /forum/forum465.html

As we are gathered here
The war is raging outside.
The war we speak of,
The whole world knows tonight-
The war that rages in Palestine.
With all those brothers and sisters, Whether they be Christians, Jews or Muslims, We ask God to send His Peace
To send His Grace
To send His Reconciliation
To send His Healing Presence
To comfort those who are injured
To bring solace and peace to those who are hurt To bring forgiveness to those who are angered. This we ask in His Most Gracious Name. Amen

Dear TLIG Family,

We send you this update from a wartorn Holy Land. Many have asked for an update on the situation here. Thank you all for your concern and especially for your prayers at this time, when the Holy Land faces a crisis more severe than any since the invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Here in Jesus’ own homeland, grievance, hatred and anger are growing on both sides as we struggle AMid spiraling violence and daily funerals. Living here at this time, we remember Jesus’ words to Vassula and we really learn to: « live every day as though it is your last day on earth. » Simply going out for a coffee has become a life or death decision here these days.

Fr. Eugene Nicolau led those gathered to hear Vassula in Jordan (Oct 2000), in the above prayer for peace. The week before the meeting, violence erupted here in the Holy Land on a scale not seen in years. Referring to this in the meeting Vassula said: « Reconciliation shows the reflection of God inside us, because the division is Satan, the divider. He divides families, friends, nations. Look what’s happening! (ref. to Israeli/Palestinian conflict) We are all created by the same Creator, by the same Father. They (Israelis/Palestinians) are brothers, yet they are fighting, massacring each other because there is hatred and hatred is satanic. »

So let us pray the above prayer and also the ‘Consecration to the Two Hearts’ which Vassula prayed at that time for Peace – she reminded us to pray with ‘all our heart’ to be sure that our prayers reach Heaven.

Many thanks to all for supporting the Beth Myriam work here. As always, where there is conflict it is the poorest and weakest who suffer most. Jesus tells us to help the poor and the oppressed and you are doing just that through your support which allows food to be bought and foodboxes to be delivered to the families who have nothing. We wish you could see the smiles of joy, relief and thanks as the foodboxes are gratefully received twice/three times a month. These families are very touched to realize that in their time of extreme need God has answered their prayers with help from the TLIG family. Many had been on the brink of despair. Families here are generally large and include extended family. We make up foodboxes for each family according to the size and needs of each and distribute as many as the funds received allow. Many families, who were formerly considered ‘middle class’ are now as much in need of food as their formerly ‘poor’ neighbours. This is the second springtime that those with fields to tend have been denied access to them and so are unable to plant their vegetables etc. Their trees – olives, lemons, almonds, oranges etc. are also out of reach.

It was truly a blessing from Heaven that allowed us to deliver the foodboxes on Thursday March 28th before the tanks surged in (on what was Good Friday of Holy Week here for some Christians). Since then the whole area is a ‘Closed Military Zone’ and no one can enter or leave. Those inside now have little or no food. Water, electricity and phone lines have been cut off in many areas. Fortunately, some of the families in the area where we have the Beth Myriam project have wells. There is a two hour ‘lifting of the curfew’ every third day so that people can go out for food/water. However there is now next to nothing left in the shops. Trauma and distress abounds.

Down the road in Bethlehem, the siege in the Church of the Nativity continues. It was this time last year that Vassula was here in the Holy Land and we all attended a special Mass in the Grotto of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Church was almost empty as even then there were very few pilgrims. We could never have imagined that one year later the Church would be under siege and the surrounding streets battlegrounds, closed off from the outside world. Let us pray that Jesus, through His special presence there in the tabernacle will allow His Peace and Love to radiate to all present in Manger Square so that there can be a peaceful resolution to this siege.

Beth Myriam Holy Land Team
April 12th 2002

A voice is heard in Ramah,
Lamenting and weeping bitterly:
It is Rachel weeping for her children,