Many Catholic families are among the more than 1 million people who have taken flight to escape Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, many of them seeking in Beirut \u2013 Lebanon\u2019s capital \u2013 which has also been hit by Israeli strikes.<\/p>\n
As the war continues, three Indian Redemptorist priests continue their mission in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach explosion shakes our own house, breaks our windows, and reminds us that we too are part of this war,\u201d said Redemptorist Father Binoy Mandapathil, Mission Superior of the Beirut-based Lebanon Mission Community, in a message sent to\u00a0Crux Now.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet our calling is clear: To remain close to the people, to share their pain, and to bring the light of Christ into the darkest places,\u201d the Redemptorists\u2019 statement says.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt present,\u201d the message says, \u201cmany of those most affected are migrant workers and refugees. They have lost jobs, homes, and security. With nowhere to go, they come to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reach out to the most vulnerable, giving shelter, sharing food, clothing, and medicine, and offering comfort and prayers,\u201d Mandapathil also says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe war has damaged our own buildings, but it has not broken our spirit. We believe that being Redemptorist means living the Gospel in the hardest places,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven in the ruins, we see signs of hope. We live as one family united in Christ. Faith becomes stronger when everything else is shaken. Our role is to keep that flame alive \u2014 to show that God is present, even in the midst of struggles and difficulties,\u201d Mandapathil\u2019s statement also reports.<\/p>\n
Mandapathil is working with Redemptorist Father Shinto Moongathottathil and Redemptorist Father Lijo Velladathu.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation in Lebanon today is very heavy,\u201d Moongathottathil said in an account of the priests\u2019 experiences shared with news outlets including Crux Now.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day, we hear the sounds of war, and we see the fear in the eyes of those around us. Thousands of families have been forced to leave their homes, carrying only what they can hold. Schools and streets are crowded with people who have nowhere else to go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Yet despite dangers in Lebanon, the three Redemptorist missionaries have chosen to stay.<\/p>\n
Next door to the residence of the Redemptorists is the convent and house of the Missionaries of Charity, the women\u2019s order founded by Mother Theresa to help destitute people and orphaned children.<\/p>\n
The Redemptorists celebrate Holy Mass daily for the nuns, offer regular confessions and recollections as well as weekly Friday adoration and Sunday Mass for residents of the home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a time of war, the Eucharist is our greatest strength,\u201d Moongathottathil said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring this time of struggle we hold a special time of Adoration for the inmates and those living in the sisters\u2019 care,\u201d Moongathottathil said. \u201cIn that quiet hour before the Blessed Sacrament, the noise of the war fades away, and we find the peace that only Christ can give.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond the convent walls, the missionaries regularly visit families in the surrounding neighborhoods, especially those unable to leave their homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur mission also takes us into the heart of our local neighborhood,\u201d Moongathottathil said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven in the midst of war, we go out to visit families, especially those who are elderly or too sick to leave their homes. During a war, these people often feel the most forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we visit them and give them Holy Communion, we are bringing them more than just a sacrament; we are bringing them the comfort of the Church,\u201d he added. \u201cWe sit with them, listen to their worries, and pray with them. These visits remind them that even when the world feels like it is falling apart, God is still walking with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes, he said, missionary work is not about large projects or dramatic interventions.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes people think missionaries must always be \u2018doing\u2019 big things,\u201d Moongathottathil said. \u201cBut we have realized that simply staying is the most powerful thing we can do. When people see that we have not run away, it gives them courage. It tells them: \u2018You are not alone. God has not forgotten you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the middle of this fear, we three Redemptorist missionaries have made a clear choice. We are staying,\u201d Shinto said. \u201cWe are not just watching this war from a distance; we are living through it alongside the people. Many ask why we stay when it is dangerous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe answer is simple: Our presence is our mission,\u201d Moongathottathil said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Many Catholic families are among the more than 1 million people who have taken flight to escape Israeli…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26752,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[4212,4213,93,42,4214],"class_list":{"0":"post-26751","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lebanon","8":"tag-catholic","9":"tag-independent","10":"tag-lebanon","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-vatican"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116256237383064770","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}