On the third Friday of Lent, March 13, the parishioners of the Sacred Heart of Jesus--in Tla’ Ali, northwestern Amman, gathered on Mount Nebo in Madaba for a spiritual retreat which focused on reconciliation and love for God and others. The meeting started with a morning prayer during which prayers were said pleading for the attainment of mercy.

Then, parish priest Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader delivered a lecture during which he explained the essence of the Lenten season, and referred to this year's message by His Holiness Pope Leo regarding love for the poor (Dilexit Te)." He noted that Lent is not merely a time of abstaining from food but rather a school that teaches forgiveness and a practical call to love enemies through concrete steps, namely listening before passing judgements, remembering shared sufferings, and performing daily prayers. He associated his explanation with Mount Nebo, a place of hope and promise, by inviting the participants to transcend borders towards a promise of peace that begins in the heart.

During the lecture, Fr. Bader recalled Saint John Paul II's visit to Mount Nebo in 2000, and called for unity with him in prayer for peace. He also made a reference to Pope Francis' encyclical "Dilexit Nos" (He Loved Us) on devotion to the loving Heart of Jesus. Later, the faithful proceeded to the church while reciting the Holy Rosary and then continued to the Mosaic Church, where Fr. Ya’coub Dainouti celebrated Holy Mass during which special prayers were offered for the grace of peace in the Holy Land, for the suffering East, and for the perpetuality of stability in the land of the baptism. In his homily, Fr. Ya’coub stressed the importance of love and forgiveness during the Lenten Season, and urged the parishioners to consolidate their relationship with God during this blessed time.

The Holy Mass concluded with a Marian hymn followed by a meal that reflected a sense of communal love.