BEIRUT, Lebanon, DEC. 12, 2011 (Zenit.org).- A group of Lebanese lay Catholics have formed a group called New Creation, with the objective of fostering devotion to Jesus. They took their name from a phrase in the Second Letter to the Corinthians: «So whoever is in Christ is a new creation,» (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The principal means they are using in their endeavor to help people develop a personal relationship with Christ is promotion of the Forty Hours Devotion, during which time there is continuous prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition.
«This initiative seeks an opening to create this relationship with Jesus through a direct encounter with Him in the Eucharist,» says Antoine Naanouh, the founder of New Creation.
«The Master teaches and the disciple learns, in silence, and then he can live and practice the Master’s teachings,» he added.
The first Forty Hours Devotion organized by the group took place Oct. 14-16 in the «Convent of the Savior» of the Trappist monks in Dlebta, Lebanon. Although 110 people had registered for adoration the actual number who turned up was more than 170.
A further period of Eucharistic adoration was held in November in the church of «Our Lady of Khassale» in Kobayat in the North of Lebanon, where more than 400 people participated in the event.
Naanouh commented that after the way in which so many people demonstrated their thirst for this devotion, his group coordinated the practice among various parishes. There will be two more sessions of adoration, in the regions of Kesserwan and Beirut before the end of the year.
Meanwhile New Creation will try and spread this practice through all the parishes of Lebanon.