The Lord is truly good, for despite the ravages of war and the intense, constant bombardment affecting the neighborhoods of Beirut, all the registered couples—nine couples with their children—and all the staff members—30 people—arrived at the door of the community house without hesitation! We were carried and protected throughout this week of retreat, as if enveloped in a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Over the course of these days, the retreatants were guided step by step along a genuine path of inner transformation, beginning with a time of silence that gently detached them from the daily hustle and bustle and opened them to a deeper listening to God.
Each day invited them to receive a special grace: first, the intimate experience of God’s love and the living action of the Holy Spirit, which renewed their trust and peace; then a sincere encounter with our fragility, where, through the acknowledgment of sin, they tasted infinite divine mercy and liberating forgiveness; for most of them, this stage was marked by a profound renewal of their Baptism in the Holy Spirit, experienced as an outpouring of grace, healing, and inner fire. Moving forward, they were called to follow Christ more concretely and to discern his voice in their personal and married lives.
Times of personal prayer, teachings, Masses, adoration, and moments as couples wove a deep communion where everyone could feel accepted, loved, and uplifted. Finally, this retreat culminated in the rediscovery of our personal and shared call to say “yes” to God in daily life, bearing the fruits received with gratitude and commitment.
Thus, this week was not merely a spiritual interlude but a living source of blessings, destined to sustain our lives, our marriages, and our walk with the Lord for years to come.
Jane and Gaby
