Advent letter from Nazareth

Nagham

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." - Luke 1:30-33 NIV

"I feel proud to be a girl from Nazareth, where the annunciation took place, where Jesus Christ spent his childhood...I feel I am a bridge, a link to share with you this lesson about Christ of Nazareth, my town and I feel very honoured." -Nagham Helou, 11

My name is Nagham Helou. I am 11 years old and I live in Nazareth with my father and mother and my brother Shadi who is seven. Mum teaches music at a school. My father teaches at a school for children with speech problems and dyslexia. My grandfather, my Mum's father, is Maroun Ashkar who has written 25 songs for Nazareth. (My name Nagham means tune and my mother's name Aihan means melodies.) My grandma is a wonderful person, human in all its meanings. My other grandma is an excellent cook, and she is the one who cooks daily for us.

I am in the 5th grade at St Savior Greek Catholic school. My family is Maronite Catholic, and my school is coeducational (both boys and girls). There are 40 children in my class out of whom seven are Muslims. Our relations are very friendly, like brothers and sisters. We have a common link that is based on human bonds and not our religion or faith.

Religion at school is taught in a traditional way. Sometimes we watch videos about saints who did not know God and how they came to love God. We call our religion lesson, a meeting, an encounter. We speak of ways in which God helps us to know God better. We learn to give to others. It is not always easy for me to be good or to do good. I feel the message of the annunciation is for all. A woman gives life, and Mary was chosen by God to give life to Jesus, the Saviour. It is so important. She was good and was treated with honour.

I am the head of the student council in my class. School is sometimes nice and at other times not so nice. Exams are difficult. We have responsibilities, but we also have relaxed trips and camps. I feel proud to be a girl from Nazareth, where the annunciation took place, where Jesus Christ spent his childhood. Most of the people in Nazareth love Nazareth. Once there were many Christians in Nazareth. Now there are more Muslims. The role of the Christians is small but I am sure that it is important. People do not understand Islam properly. God is one, and we are all one people. I know that Jesus loves us all. It is as if the message of Christ has been planted here in a field that has been taken care of, watered, and bloomed all over, giving us another kind of spiritual food. Because of the Holy message coming out of Nazareth, Nazareth has become a sacred city. The Church of the Annunciation is a big church where every country that respects Mary, the mother of our Lord, has offered a painting or a wall decoration picturing Mary as they imagine her. Nazareth is special because every spot, every single dot of dust, reminds us that Jesus was there. It has a spiritual meaning for all.

My interests are poetry reading and writing as well as drawing. I love swimming and the computer. I would love for American and Canadian children to come and visit us in Nazareth and learn about our food, games, and plays. I would also like to come and see your country. We have different cultures and heritage. I feel I am a bridge, a link to share with you this lesson about Christ of Nazareth, my town and I feel very honoured.

Closing Prayer

God, we are thankful for your message to Mary in the Nazareth of long ago. Our ears
and hearts are open to hear your message of love and life today. We pray for our new
friend Nagham, her family, and the town of Nazareth as they continue to live, work,
and love there today. Amen.