The Spiritual Program on the Mount of the Cross

The spiritual program on the Mount of the Cross:

9:30 am: The Way of the Life to the Full
             (The encounter with the Lord Jesus through the Holy Scriptures).

10:30 am: Visiting the Lamb of God Shrine.
                Confessions in the Lamb of God Grotto.
             (The encounter with the Lord Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation).

11:30 am: Visiting Fr. Yacoub's Church. Holy Mass.
             (The encounter with the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist).

12:30 pm: Visiting the Cross built by Fr. Yacoub.

1:00 pm: Lunch

If you want to organize a pilgrimage trip to the Mount of the Cross in Deir-El-Kamar and you want to follow the above spiritual program, please call Father Antonio Elfeghali on the following number: 03/413476.

The Story of Fr. Yacoub Church

   In the year 1932, Father Yacoub constructed a building on the summit of the Mount of the Cross and made it a place to store provisions.  In case of heavy rainfall, the saint would celebrate the Eucharist there. This place was never considered to be a church.

In the years of the Lebanese war (1975-1990), many foreign armies passed through and stayed in this place.  They made it a base for their military operations.  When these armies left, this building was relatively forgotten and was abandoned for almost eighteen years.

The mission of restoration:

Early in 2008, I felt a strong desire in my heart to restore this place.  I intended that a few days after the canonization of Father Yacoub, this place would be dedicated as the first church named in honor of Father Yacoub.  The desire burned within me, reminding me that this would be a historical opportunity for Deir-El-Kamar and for the Christians in the Chouf region.

Yes, it was indeed a historical opportunity for the people who live in the Chouf area and for those who suffered from the persecution and the expulsion during the years of war.  Even now they suffer from the political and economic blockades, which discourage the youth into emigration.  So I met with Mr. Kamil Habib and the engineer, Tony Yazbeck, and we all decided to go forward to achieve our goal.

The approval of the general president:

                                                                                                                              

I called the general president of the assembly of the Sisters of the Cross and I explained to her about my wish and desire.  I told her that I was aware that the nuns were busy these days in preparation for the canonization of Father Yacoub in Beirut. I asked if she would grant us permission to restore the building to make a church in his honor.

Two days later she called me and gave me permission to proceed.  So I started praying, using the three principles, which I had followed before during the construction of the Lamb of God shrine: not to take any money from the order, not to take out any loans and not to use any advertising for funding.

A scream to Father Yacoub:

The first step I made was to call friends and tell them about the project.  We received no financial help.  A couple of weeks later, I went up to the Mount of the Cross, I looked at a big picture of Father Yacoub and I cried out to him, “Will you help me or not?  Do you want this place to be the first church named in your honor or not?”  I went home very sad.

The intercession of Father Yacoub:

The next day on the first of March 2008, Sister Salwa Islambouli, president of the convent of the Sisters of the Cross, called me and asked me to come right over. I hurried and she told me that a very rich man came and wanted to do something on the mountain of the cross. So, she told him I had begun working.  He asked to meet with me.

I understood that Father Yacoub had sent us this man and I went with her to see him.

He listened to the story and contributed by giving us thousands of dollars.  This was only the beginning.

Two days later, I was sitting in my office when I received a phone call from a strange person who said, "Father, I have read the story of the Lamb of God shrine and I was really impressed.  I am a company manager for construction materials. You may consider my company as yours and you can take whatever you need for free."  I immediately understood that Father Yacoub had sent this man to help us.

On the 8^th of March 2008, after a night that I spent worried because I needed $5000 to widen the road of the Mount of the Cross and to build a wall, I was praying in my heart.   I went to the metropolitan of Saida, to a meeting for the priests of the parish.  As I was sitting with my brother priests, I received a phone call from a person in Beirut who said, "Father, I am going to send you a check for $5000."

I was overjoyed and I called the owner of a jackhammer to widen the road.  I met with the construction worker and instructed him to start the work. This is how the road was widened and we built the 700-meter wall.  God and Father Yacoub began to send us the assistance we needed.

On the 25^th of March 2008, Mr. Kamil Habib was visiting a family and he told them about the restoration project and the family donated five hundred rocky stones to the project.  A few weeks later, we went to Jezzine to look for an altar for the church of Father Yacoub. The engineer, Tony Yazbeck, was wandering everywhere looking for this altar. He prayed in his heart asking Father Yacoub’s intercession and suddenly he found the stone of the altar hidden among rocks and soil.  The owner of the factory took the initiative and gave us what we needed as a present.

At one point in time I hadn't enough money to proceed with the project.  A friend advised me to write letters and send them to rich people in hopes that I would find what I needed.  So I sent about ten letters, but only one person answered me.  I understood that God is the One who wants to restore this place and make it a church.  He would provide.

In mid-April 2008, there was only $20 left in the box.   I knew I would have to dismiss the workers the next day because there was no more money. I prayed and said to Father Yacoub, "I'll take out no loans.  If you want to rebuild this place and make it the first church in your name, help me."  Shortly afterward, a school friend I hadn’t seen in fourteen years visited the Lamb of God shrine and was impressed by the story of this place.  After his visit he felt that he wanted to help so he donated $17,000.  He told me later that something from within him inspired him to help.

Again, in mid-May, 2008, I found myself with only $44 left in the fund.  I planned to dismiss all the workers the next day.  After I celebrated the Eucharist, a person came near me and said, "Father, I want to talk to you.  I had a business trip planned to one of the Arabic countries to participate in an annual seminar.  I didn't want to go. So I prayed to Father Yacoub and I said to him, "I don't want to go on that trip.  If you can do something to help me, I will donate the price of my ticket to your church.  The very next day, serious confrontations broke out in Beirut and the Mount of Lebanon, which resulted in the closing of the airport.  The annual seminar was cancelled and here I am, giving you a check for $1,000, which was the price of my ticket."

At the end of May, there was only $67 left in the box, so I again planned to dismiss the workers the next day.  The next morning, I received a phone call from a person I know in Beirut.  He said, "Father, I wish to donate the dome and the bell of the church. What else do you still need?" 

I mentioned that we still needed to pave the churchyard and a few other things.  He promised to call me back that night.  When he called, he said, “Tomorrow I will send you a check for $6,000."

In this way we accomplished our work.  There are many more stories to tell and if I recorded all of them, I would need books to write them.  During three months, we restored the building, which Father Yacoub built.

The celebrations of the beatification of Father Yacoub:

On the 21^st of June 2008, the occasion of the beatification of Father Yacoub, celebrations in Deir-El-Kamar began with a huge procession. It began at the statue of Father Yacoub in the town and continued to the summit of the Mount of the Cross.  Believers gathered at half past seven at night.  The procession included a body of priests and a band of musicians, Al-Ahrar Kferdibyan.  The band and the choir of Saydet El-Talley played and sang beautiful anthems.  We processed with candles.  I was holding the Blessed Sacrament in the Monstrance that the Beatified used on special occasions.

When we arrived at the entryway of the Mount of the Cross, a light breeze was touching the faces of the people and tickling their hearts.  I looked at the crowd and I shivered because of an indescribable joy and because there were thousands of people. At the entryway, we built a tower on which we put a statue of Jesus, donated by a person from Deir-El-Kamar a few days before the procession.

The crowd stopped to look at the statue covered with a red cloth, wondering what that was.  The band was playing and all eyes were looking at the tower.

Then Mr. Kamil Habib lifted the piece of cloth and the statue of Jesus appeared with both hands opened to welcome the crowd on the Mount of the Cross.

The hearts of thousands of people were moved at seeing this scene.  Many cried because of joy and affection.  We reached the square of the Cross, which Father Yacoub set up and there we spent the evening in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

The "Télé Lumière" TV station broadcasted the unique celebration for four hours.

The 21^st of June 1860 brought a tragedy for the people of Deir-El-Kamar and the 21^st of June 2008 brought a beautiful ceremony for the people in Deir-El-Kamar. 

On the 22^nd of June 2008, Father Yacoub the capuchin was beatified in Beirut. On the 24^th of June 2008, the reverend bishop Elias Nassar inaugurated the project as the first church in the world that holds the name of the Beatified Father Yacoub.

And since then, crowds have come in to the Mount of the Cross, this holy place. They visit the Lamb of God shrine and the church of Father Yacoub. And when they go back to their homes, their hearts are overflowing with joy, peace and sanctity.

The Important Feasts in the Lamb of God Shrine

The important feasts in the Lamb of God Shrine

12 September: the feast of the Lamb of God Shrine.

-5 o'clock in the afternoon: a procession on the Way of the Life to the Full.

-6 o'clock in the afternoon: the celebration of the Eucharist in the Lamb of God Shrine.

27-28 December: Christmas Time.

- 7 o'clock at night: a Christmas spiritual evening in the crèche of the Lamb of God with the Blessed Sacrament, a cow, a donkey and two sheep.

The Stones of the Chapel

On the 30^th of April 2007, Mr. George Saady and his assistant, Mr. Samir Abou Rjeily started building the chapel from natural stones. Before completing the construction, we ran out of the stones.  We couldn't find even one single stone. So the worker found himself obliged to go far away to bring the right stones.  It was very tiring, so I told him to stop.  He couldn’t continue in such a way.

I phoned the owner of a JCB drill and I asked him to dig in the middle of the square. He dug about two meters in the middle of the square and there found more than five

hundred stones. We were very happy. In this way, we continued building the chapel. On the 5^th of July 2007, the construction of the chapel was finally completed.

The Statue

In 2003 a group of people from Deir-El-Kamar went for a visit to Medugorje and there, two young women bought a statue for Our Lady the Virgin, known as "the white statue" or "Statue Blanche."

Despite many obstacles, they managed to pass it through the airport and they brought it to Lebanon. Since then, they tried desperately to find a place for the statue but their attempt was in vain; they couldn't find a place for it.  One of the Mariamite friars told them, "Don't worry. The Virgin came to Lebanon on her own and she'll find her place at the right time."

The statue remained in the box for four years until one of the young women heard about the project. She called me and said, "We want to present you with the statue of the Virgin for the project."  After four years, we took the statue out of its box and on the 14^th of August 2007, we brought it to the location of the shrine where we put it in the place which the Virgin has chosen to be - in the midst of prayers and glorifications.

The Blue Cross

On the plane returning from Medugorje, I was thinking about the blue cross planted in cement 200 meters away from the location of the project (the Lamb of God shrine) on the Mount of the Cross in Deir-El-Kamar.  I thought it would be so wonderful if only I could move the cross from its place and put it in the shrine.  But, I knew it was secured in cement, and that this would be nearly impossible.

I arrived in Lebanon and the next day I took the workers to the shrine location.   When we reached the place of the Blue Cross, we found it pulled out and bowing towards the ground.  I asked what had happened to the cross.  One of the workers answered, "Father, while you were away a storm with strong winds blew in Deir-El-Kamar.  It uprooted everything on its way and pulled out the Blue Cross with it."

I instructed him to bring the cross immediately.  The cross was put in place in the location near the shrine on the 17^th of August 2007.

The Stones of the Shrine

On the eleventh of April 2007, I received an invitation from "Télé Lumière" to visit Medugorje.  The date of this invitation wasn't a coincidence to me, but it was chosen by divine providence. The 11^th of April is significant to me because it is the date of my vocation to religious life in 1993.

I accepted the invitation and went to Medugorje on the first of May 2007, and there I contemplated the shrine of the white statue in the churchyard of the parish.  A crazy idea occurred in my mind.  I desired to buy the stones for the shrine in Lebanon from Medugorje.  While believers were praying near the shrine, I was counting the number of the stones of the shrine and planning.

I spoke to a Croatian using the language of signs until he understood what I wanted to say.  He took me in his car to the industrial area in the town.  We went to a factory of tiles and rocks, and there I chose the white stones of the shrine.

I told the Lebanese group I was in pilgrimage with about my vision.  Enthusiasm entered their hearts.  One by one they offered to carry one or two stones in their luggage. I bought the 130 stones of the shrine from Medugorje. A woman from Himlaya offered to pay the price of the white stones of the shrine.

On Sunday morning, these 130 stones were in the bags of seventy-five Lebanese people.  The next day, the plane flew from Europe to Lebanon, loaded with the stones for the shrine.  One week later, the stones began to be delivered in Deir-El-Kamar until they all arrived. The shrine construction was complete on the 27^th of May 2007.

The Story of the Altar

On the 2^nd of April 2007, a person who lives in Deir-El-Kamar asked me to go with him to Jezzine to a tile factory.  I accepted his invitation.  I had never been to Jezzine before.  When we reached the tile factory, I noticed the owner of the factory working on a big altar.  I asked him how much such an altar would cost.

He answered, "Honestly father, I didn't calculate the expenses. It's a votive offering and I want to finish it quickly."

We left the factory and headed to another one. On our way, I said loudly, "I wish someone who has a votive offering would present us with an altar for the shrine."

I looked up to the sky and prayed, "Oh Virgin, isn't there anyone who has a votive offering that could present to us an altar?"

We reached the second factory.  My friend bought the goods he needed and then we strolled outside the factory.  The owner looked at me and asked, "And you father, what do you want?"

By coincidence, we were passing by an altar so I asked him how much such an altar would cost.  He answered, "Father, this is a present for you."  I was overwhelmed with joy because the Virgin had answered my prayer.

The altar was delivered on the 17^th of April 2007.

Spiritual & Physical Healing

At the beginning of the year 2008, I was surprised by the arrival of many groups of believers coming from different Lebanese regions to the Lamb of God Shrine.  I investigated the matter and learned that a woman from Beirut used to suffer from a big tumor in her leg. The doctor wanted to operate on her to remove the tumor immediately.

In November 2007, she came to the shrine and prayed near the statue of the Virgin.  That same night the tumor disappeared from her leg.  So the woman started to wander in the Lebanese coastal regions telling everybody about the Lamb of God Shrine.   Subsequently, people started to come in crowds to the Mount of the Cross.

The Lamb of God Grotto

I came back from the United States and decided not to be quiet before this wickedness.  I began a tree-planting campaign on the Mount of the Cross in November.  The people who live in Deir-El-Kamar and people who love this place informed me the price of each replacement tree would be five dollars.  Through much generosity, I was able to collect the price of 2,100 trees and we planted them on the Mount of the Cross. 

While digging during the replanting, we discovered something covered with soil right next to the chapel.  Curious to see what was there, we brought a drill and began digging.  There we found a beautiful rock.  So the rock that you see in the crèche and outside of it was covered with soil; it was hidden.

On the last day of replanting, the 17^th of November, just forty days before the Christmas evening, the machine was set out to discover the rock covered with soil until we reached the level of the yard.  It was late afternoon.  Right before I went home I asked the owner of the drill to dig a bit more at the level of the rock to see where the rock ended.

He dug about two and a half meters in the earth and smoke went up. Curious, I asked what that was.  The owner replied that it was a rock.  When he moved, more smoke went up.  I asked him to clear away all the earth from the rock.  I wondered how large this rock was.  He worked late into the night and as he cleared more dirt, God revealed a very large paving stone, the size of a room or two.  I now understood that the crèche I dreamt about was here.   I called the engineers and my friends saying, "Come and see what we have just discovered."

They hurried to the place and everybody was astonished and overjoyed. The person who dug using the drill was not Christian, and when he saw the flat rock, he looked at me and said, "You are a prophet."   This reminded me of the pagans’ reactions towards Saint Peter and Saint Paul, when they saw the work of God through the disciples.

I asked the advice of the engineer, Tony Yazbeck, and he explained to me the expensive cost and the need for iron bridges for the construction.  I prayed, "Oh Virgin, you know it is forbidden for me to use my own money or to take money from the convent or to take any loans or to use solicitation, but we have only thirty-seven days before Christmas day.  Please provide the price of the iron bridges."

Two days later, I was visiting a family in Deir-El-Kamar.  When I was leaving, I noticed a flat tire on my car.  I called a friend to help me.  While I waited for him, I stood at the property edge, which overlooks the valley.

I was worried, praying and thinking about the bridges and how costly it would be to buy them.  As I waited, I glanced at the ground and to my surprise I found myself standing on a long iron bridge with three other bridges lying next to it.  I was really terrified.  I hurried to ask the family about these bridges, and they said, "Father, these bridges have been thrown here for a while and we don't need them.  We would like to offer them to the Virgin."

A few days later, the bridges were delivered to the shrine, and on December 8, 2007, other bridges were offered from another family. The Virgin continued to send financial support and the ceiling was molded on the 21^st of December. The crib was finally ready for Christmas.

We brought a donkey, a cow and two sheep, and I placed the Blessed Sacrament in the crib.  It was the most beautiful spiritual evening spent in the Lamb of God Shrine.  More than 300 people attended on the 27^th and 28^th of December, 2007.  They hurried like shepherds, they knelt like the magi, and everyone who spent the evening with the Lord during those two nights in the Lamb of God Shrine went home glorifying and praising God for everything they heard and saw, keeping all these things in their hearts to meditate upon.

This is the story of the Lamb of God Shrine.  

The War of the Devil

1- When I told Ahmad's story to the people and the children of our parish, their hearts were burning with enthusiasm for the mission.

They said to themselves, "What are we doing to our country? We're following this leader or that and we're fighting in politics, forgetting our Christian mission to give the light of the world to the thirsty peoples."

At night, I was leaning my head on the pillow to sleep when an evil, satanic calm thought said to me,

"Father, stop telling people true stories. They won't understand them.  Keep these stories to yourself.  Some might accuse you of promoting yourself or of pretending sanctity."

I was disturbed to hear this and I almost believed it.  So I took the Holy Bible and I prayed, "Lord, Jesus, you know my weakness and I know my sin; You talk to me, and no one else, not even my own thoughts."

I opened the Bible and I read a passage from Acts 21:18-19:

       “The next day, Paul accompanied us on a visit to James, and all the presbyters

       were present. He greeted them, then proceeded to tell them in detail what God

       had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry.”

When I read this passage, I was filled with joy and peace because Jesus wants me to talk and to tell everything in detail.

2- I got up from my bed and I turned on the computer.  I wrote the whole story and I wanted to publish it on my web site. The moment I pressed the button to publish it, the computer was hit by a virus, which damaged the whole site.

"Oh, my God, what happened?"  I said to myself.  I didn't understand anything. Luckily, the site was saved on a small computer six months ago.  I worked a whole week to get back the information I lost, and I didn't have the courage to publish the story on the internet because I felt that the matter was dangerous.

3- We inaugurated the shrine on the 12^th of September, 2007.  The Virgin had already sent the altar, the statue and the stones from Europe in the travelers’ bags. The Virgin had sent everything you see in the shrine.  I didn't use publicity. After the inauguration I traveled to the United States of America and there through my sermons I told the Americans the story.  Enthusiasm spread through their hearts and they said, "This is what we want to hear."   So they invited me to their homes, schools and churches to tell it for them.

On the second of October, 2007, I was telling the story and a person who was responsible for programs on TV and radio was present.  He took me aside and insisted on telling the story on the radio and the television.

I said, "Be a bit patient."

He said: "You have to tell this story no matter what."

I replied, "When do you want to tell it on the radio?"

He asked me, "Can you go to the radio station tomorrow?"

I agreed and registered the appointment on my schedule.  He then asked, “Can you go to the TV station the day after tomorrow?"  I agreed.  The moment I wrote down the date on my schedule, I entered my office and I received a call, "Father, Deir-El-Kamar is surrounded by fire."

"What?" I asked.  “What has happened?"

"We're in hell; the flames are 17 meters deep. The fire passes near the houses and burns the whole mountain."

I was afraid. I didn't know who caused the fire, but I understood the devil's message. "If you keep on telling the story, I'll burn Deir-El-Kamar and set the Lamb of God Shrine on fire."

I was confused all night, "Shall I go to the radio station tomorrow or not? Shall I tell the story on TV or not?"

I went to see a holy nun and told her everything, she said, "This is a sign that the story must reach everyone. The devil practices terrorism through his thoughts and deeds so that we won't talk about what God is doing in our lives and the lives of others. Thus, if we don’t talk, faith becomes weak. But, if we tell what God is doing in our lives, faith actually gets stronger in the souls.  Faith comes from hearing."

I understood and I went to the radio and the TV and told the story to millions of people.

This is the Good News.  Every Christian has to tell others about what God is doing in his life and the life of others, without fear of pride (you're pretending to be a saint, you're promoting for your own self) or retreating or drawing back before evil thoughts and the devil’s terrifying deeds.

On the 2^nd of October, the flames of fire were very high in Deir-El-Kamar and people were terrified and perplexed and astonished.  Fire passed among the houses but no one was hurt and it burned the whole Mountain of the Cross.  After the destructive fires, people visited to inspect the Lamb of God Shrine.  There was the greatest surprise, which made them cry.  The two trees of the chapel, the tree, which overshadowed the head of the Virgin, and the tree of the blue cross all remained clothed in their green garments. Everything else was reduced to ash or deformed by the flames. In addition, the paper bags surrounding the shrine, in which we put candles, remained intact.

The people who live in Deir-El-Kamar felt that only the Virgin protected the place and she forbade the evil hand to reach it. It was a great sign from heaven that comforted and assured everyone.  The Virgin and her Son, the Lamb of God, were and are present with us.

The Building of the Lamb of God Shrine

The Virgin sent me assistance from everywhere.  Consequently, the stations of the Way of the Life to the Full were built in addition to the Lamb of God chapel and the shrine of the Virgin.

God bless everyone who contributed and worked hard in this project from contributors and volunteers to supporters.  I appreciate their tireless love. Almost every person who gave and presented something from his heart, came back to tell me about great blessings he received from God.  On the contrary, everyone who presented something because he had a personal purpose or aim, the Virgin turned him away with his gift.  There is not enough space for me to relay all the stories.  They are too numerous to write.

I tried to ask for financial aid from some people, and I heard a lot of promises that turned out empty because Our Lady did not want me to ask for money.  She only wanted me to pray and talk about God's great miracles and deeds.  I had to rely on God who moved the hearts of many people and encouraged them to help.  This is how I got the assistance I needed from many different places and from people whom I did not expect to receive help.

On June 27, 2007, the Order officially approved the project and named it “The Lamb of God Shrine,” a name declared by the religious authority, but always in my heart.

On the 18^th of August, 2007, I had the written permission from the Maronite Diocese of Sidon to build the shrine. 

On September 12, 2007, we had a procession on the Way of the Life to the Full.  The Reverend Bishop Elias Nassar consecrated the Lamb of God chapel.  More than 500 people were in attendance at the inauguration.

The Purpose of this Story

The intent of this story is not to target or enrage any religious or cultural community. Different cultures and religions are worthy of our respect and our love.  The aim of such a story is to bring alive the Christian belief that the Lord Jesus is talking to us today powerfully through the Holy Bible[1] and He reveals His will and His Holy face

to us after the confession of our sins.[2]   He waits for us and blesses us every time we visit him in the Blessed Sacrament[3], exactly as it happened with Ahmad.

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[1] We have to read the Bible carefully unlike we read magazines or newspapers.

[2] When we confess our sins to the priest, even if we were "good" and pure, the picture in our life became clearer and we realize our mission in life.

[3] When we visit the Holy Host, The Lord Jesus blesses us and puts his hand on our shoulder to console, comfort and strengthen us. It's not important to see the light or to feel the presence of the Lord but it's just important to believe.

Ahmad's Free Decision

Ahmad came back to Lebanon and told me all these things.  He kept silent for a moment, and then he looked at me and said, “It’s true, I have found Christ and I know that He is the Son of God and the Lord of heaven and earth, but there is something still lacking. What is it?”

I stopped the car and we entered a small church.  I had the bible in my hands.  I read for him St. Peter’s preaching after Pentecost. Peter said to the public,

        “ ‘Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made

         him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’

         Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and 

         the other apostles, ‘What are we to do, my brothers?’

         Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of

         Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the

         Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:36-38).

So Ahmad said, “This is it. What do I need to become a Christian?”

I replied, “First Catechism, then…”

Ahmad interrupted me and said, “Catechism, Catechism.  This word has been in my heart for three weeks and I do not understand its meaning.”

I understood that the Holy Spirit was working very hard in Ahmad’s heart.

So I asked him when he would like to begin.  On the eighteenth of April, 2007, Ahmad decided to follow Christ.  On the first of February, 2008, snow covered the land of the Lamb of God Shrine.  It was half meter deep when Ahmad received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist[1].  And so Ahmad became one of the sons of the Holy Church.

This was the first conversion that happened in this place chosen by the Virgin Mary.  It is a conversion that stands not on brainwashing or coercion, human wisdom or financial temptation.  It stands firmly on strong signs from the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit. God is wonderful in his deeds!

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[1] The devil has put many obstacles so that Ahmad can't reach baptism: people, whom he doesn't know, hit him on his way to get Catechism. An explosion forbids him from wandering about. His son got sick and he was close to death so he went to see him. And when we fixed the first of February a date as the day to receive the sacrament of baptism, a snowy storm hit Lebanon and all roads were closed for more than one week. But we challenged nature and we walked to the Mount of the Cross holding with us the things that we needed for baptism and for the Holy Communion.

Ahmad Preaching to his Children

Ahmad left Deir-El-Kamar with his life upside down. He stopped eating, drinking and socializing with people. All the beliefs that he had built his life on began to be shaken.  He started reading the bible.  One of his friends noticed this and was upset with him.  He attacked Ahmad and hit him with a knife.  Ahmad went to see the doctor who told him, “The Lord has saved you; one more millimeter and your hand would have been paralyzed.”  Ahmad forgave the attacker.  He called me before traveling back home and told me what had happened to him.  I cautioned him to be careful.

Ahmad answered me, “I am ready to die for the sake of the Lord.”

I told him, “No, the Lord has chosen you for a great mission.  Just be careful.”

He agreed to be more cautious.

Ahmad returned to his country, he gathered his eight children and said to them, “I want to tell you a story.  Have you ever heard anything about Jesus?”

They said, “No, who is Jesus?”

He said, “His name is Issa in the Koran.”

They replied, “Yes, Issa is a prophet.”

Ahmad told them, “No, Jesus is the Son of God.  He came to the world.  He suffered, He was crucified and He died, and on the third day He was resurrected.  He gave us His body and His blood. He did all this to forgive our sins and to give us eternal life.”

His elder son interrupted him, “May God pardon us, father.  The Christ wasn’t crucified.”

Ahmad screamed and said, “Mohammad, this is the truth, Mohammad.  This is the truth. Tomorrow you will not go to school. You will stay at home.   I want to bring a movie about Jesus for you to watch.”

The next morning, Ahmad went to the nearest Christian village and entered a video store, he asked for all the movies about Jesus.  The Christian owner of the shop was surprised and said, “I’ve been here for forty years and I have never heard anyone who is not Christian call Jesus the Lord.  Even I only say it once a week, on Sunday.”

Ahmad answered him, “You say it once a week because you are drowning in

materialism.  You must say it every day.”

Ahmad took the movie about Jesus of Nazareth and he watched it with his

children who believed.  They were upset because this truth had been hidden from   

them.  When the movie was over, Ahmad called me and said, “My children want to

talk to you.”

I was surprised. The children started talking to me and telling me of their love for me.

I asked Ahmad what he had told his children.

He said, “I’ll tell you later.  I won’t talk to you about that on the phone.”

I asked him when he would come back to Lebanon.  He replied that he had no money, so he would not be able to come yet.  I told him not to worry; that the Lord would arrange and manage his things.

The very next day, an old friend of Ahmad visited him and left some money in the pocket of Ahmad’s son. When Ahmad discovered the money, he took it in his hands, he gathered his children and said, “Did you see the divine providence?   Did you see the Lord Jesus?”

Then, instead of turning towards their holy, sacred city, he turned towards Deir-El-Kamar, knelt and thanked God.

Ahmad's Profession of Faith

On the fifth day, I went with Ahmad to the project and there we had a conversation in the place that later became the shrine of the Virgin.

He said, “Father, there is something, a missing thread, a key[1] that you’re not giving to me.”

I replied, “Ahmad, I know the key, but I’m not giving it to you. You have to discover it on your own.”

But, to make things easier, I told him the story about a girl I met in the United States who was not Christian, but who met Christ and decided to be baptized. After she received the sacrament of baptism, she went to visit her parents and she couldn’t sleep because she felt a dark and gloomy presence in the home.  She went from room to room making the sign of the cross and saying, “In the Name of Jesus Christ get out of here.”

So Ahmad interrupted me saying: “How? How? Make this sign one more time.”

So I made the sign of the cross.  Then he said, “This is the sign which I saw on Friday night in the chapel.  The light went out of the Box (the Tabernacle) in the shape of a cross and it entered my heart.”

I was surprised, but I now understood why the light went from left to right. I said, “Ahmad, you’ve been here in Deir-El-Kamar for five days and Christ is revealing Himself to you in a powerful way. Who do you say Jesus Christ is?”

He was quiet for a moment then he raised his head, looked at the sky and said,

“I used to consider Him a prophet, but now I can see that He is the Lord of heaven and earth.”

He proclaimed this in the place where the shrine of the Virgin was built later on.

Evening came, and morning followed--the fifth day.

On the seventh day, Ahmad completed his work at the shrine, and I was certain that God was finished with the work He had been doing in the life of this man.

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[1]  What is the thread or the key to a person who is non-Christian? It is baptism, the person who is not Christian feels that there is something that he misses but he doesn’t know what it is.

The Power of the Eucharist

On the third day, Ahmad worked all day on the project of the shrine and in the evening I asked him if he had ever watched a film about Jesus.  He had not.  I invited him to watch one with me.  So I took him to the big reception room of the parish and there we watched "The Passion of the Christ," a film directed by Mel Gibson.

As we were watching the film, a scene when Jesus was stomping on a snake in the olive grove, drew Ahmad's attention.  He screamed, "Repeat the scene, repeat it.  I want to see it again.”

I replayed the scene and he said, "Those are the sandals I saw in my dream. They were honey-colored and they had a ribbon."  He then understood that the Lord Jesus, Himself, was the one who appeared to him in the dream.  Jesus chose this picture to unveil and reveal Himself to this man.

At the end of the film Ahmad said, "This is the truth and it must be made known to everybody." 

Before leaving the reception room I asked him if he would like to visit the chapel before going to the apartment and he agreed.  I did not tell Ahmad anything about the essence and the essential nature of the chapel or about the Real Presence of the living Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.  I was sure that the Lord present in the sacrament would touch the heart of any pure person who is seeking the truth.  So we entered the chapel and we sat near the tabernacle. After a few minutes, Ahmad surprised me when he took my right hand and he put it on his heart.  His heart was beating very fast.

I asked him: "What's wrong?"

He said, "I've been feeling a great presence since I entered this place, as if someone is putting his hand on my shoulder."

I said, "Pray."

A few minutes later he was trembling and he asked me if I had seen what he saw.  I asked him what he saw and he told me that he would tell me later.  He was troubled and confused.

I said, “Ask whatever you want now and God will respond to you."

We prayed a little longer and then we left the chapel.

On the road, I asked him what he had seen in that place. 

He said, "I saw a bright light coming out of that Box[1], the Tabernacle, and it moved from left to right, then it entered my heart as quickly as a flash of lightning."

I didn't understand why the light had to move from left then to right.  I said, "Do you know where I have just taken you?"

He responded, "No, is it a sacred, holy place?  The moment I entered that place[2], the chapel, I directly felt that the principle of everything is there[3].

At that moment, Ahmad began to speak theologically because two days after that incident, the Pope Benedictus produced Sacramentum Caritatis, which describes the Eucharist as being the peak of everything in Christianity.

I said, "Yes, the principle of everything is present here in the chapel."

I explained to Ahmad the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples and the way He gave us His body and his blood as forgiveness for our sins and for eternal life.  I also explained to him the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

He asked, "Does it mean that Jesus was present?"

I answered, "Yes."

He added, "Oh, my God, many things have been happening to me since I came to Deir-El-Kamar."

I said, "Do not be afraid.  God is revealing Himself to you."

Evening came, and morning followed--the third day.

---

[1]  The box is the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle contains the Blessed Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament is Jesus Christ.

[2]  The Chapel

[3] Who is the principle of everything? Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. Ahmad felt the presence of the principle of everything but he understood nothing.

The Power of the Confession

The next day, I took Ahmad from his apartment to the project and he was very quiet.  He came to me and said, "Two hours have gone by and I am hesitant.  Shall I talk to you or not?"

"What's the problem Ahmad?" I said.

He answered.  "Yesterday, after you left me, a person came to me in my dream. He was illuminating."

I asked whom this person was, to which he replied, “I don't know.  I couldn't look at his face because of the bright light.  But, I saw his sandals.  They were honey-colored and they had a ribbon. The minute he put his leg on my bed, he kicked me."

 I said, "He kicked you?  Was it a nightmare?"

"No," he answered, "It was the most beautiful night I have ever had in my life.  There was great peace. His voice was like thunder, like an echo, like a light murmuring sound."

I understood immediately that these expressions are biblical: the thunder, the echo, and the light murmuring sound.  This is how the prophets experienced the presence of God.  I understood that the Lord Jesus talked to him in his dream.  But, I didn't tell him so.  I asked him, "What did he tell you?"

He replied, "He asked a question.  ‘Why did you open your heart?’ and I answered him, ‘Because I felt at ease with him.’  He said, ‘Don't tell anybody the sins you mentioned.  Stay with him and do whatever he tells you. And don't argue him.’"

I had tears in my eyes when I heard this man's experience.  I then invited him to an evangelical evening that was planned that evening in Deir-El-Kamar.  He answered that he would come.

So he went with the apostolic team to the evangelical evening and he argued with them, asking, "Why do you talk more about Jesus than you do about God?"

I said, "Ahmad, do not argue.  Take the bible and God will answer you."

Ahmad took the bible and he opened it.  It was John 1:1,

        ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was

        God.”

I explained that it means that Jesus is God.  He was greatly shocked, and then he said, “From now on, I want to make Jesus the Christ the priority in my life."

Evening came, and morning followed--the second day.

The Power of God's Word

My friend arrived with the bobcat.  He had a Muslim foreign worker with him, named Ahmad, aged 35 years, who was the father of eight children.  My friend told me to keep Ahmad with me as long as necessary.  He asked me only to provide a place for Ahmad to sleep.

My friend went back home and Ahmad started to clear and grade the land.  He began to dig and split up the pathway.  At the end of the day, Ahmad looked at me and said,

"I feel at ease with you," to which I replied, “I haven't spoken to you, and you don't even know me, so how can you feel relaxed and at ease with me?"

He replied, "I don't know how, but I feel a sense of relief and I am relaxed with you."

And there Ahmad revealed everything he had in his heart and he told me about an experience he had three years before.  He said: "One day I was working on the bobcat to wipe out a heap of rubble from a yard of a convent.  I caught a glimpse of a book in the debris.  I turned off the machine and I got down from it and headed towards the heap of rubble.  I picked up the book, dusted it off and opened it.  I read a passage from it, and I immediately felt strength coming into my body.  From that point on I was freed from a sin I was sinking in."

I asked him, "What was the book?"

He answered, "The bible."

I told him that I had a bible in the car and asked if he would like to read a passage from it.  He was eager to do so.

I told him to take the bible, to close his eyes and pray first, and then to open it and I would read it to him.

He prayed and then opened the holy bible to a passage from St. Paul's message to the Corinthians.   I read,

 “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

I was reading this when Ahmad began to cry.  Spontaneously, he confessed all the sins he had committed in his life.  I left that man liberated from his old sins and I went back to the church.

Thus evening came, and morning followed--the first day.