From the Coptic Orthodox Church to the Whole World

Do You Know What Path the Family Took?

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

"Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you..." (Matthew 2:13). With this verse, Matthew the Evangelist revealed in the second Chapter the Holy Family’s refuge to the land of Egypt, an escape to this country holding a historic, geographic and cultural importance, according to His Holiness Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Mark Tawadros II. But why fleeing? What is the path the family has taken?

Matthew the Evangelist mentions the reason for Jesus’ fleet to Egypt in the same chapter and the same verse, when he said, “Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13). This boy, who almost suffered the same fate as the rest of the children of Bethlehem whom King Herod ordered to kill after failing to find Him through the Magi, for “having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.” (Matthew 2:12)

Joseph obeyed the angel and took his family to escape from Herod's tyranny, despite the hardships and dangers of travel at that time. Since the early centuries AD, the entry of the Holy Family to this country became a celebration of the Coptic Orthodox Church with the Fraihi rite on the 24th of the month of Bashans of the Egyptian calendar or the first of June of each year.

Psychosocial Support Sessions within the “Connecting Hearts and Minds” Program

Amidst the escalating daily challenges and pressures caused by the crises casting their shadows over Lebanon and the region, the Diakonia and Social Service Department – Lebanon’s Office at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues to organize the “Connecting Hearts and Minds” program in cooperation with “Tearfund” organization. The program aims to empower participants and help them overcome difficult living conditions with much hope.

In Kfeir – Hasbaya district, South Lebanon, the “Connecting Hearts and Minds” sessions became more than just gatherings for women. They became moments of breathing in the middle of heaviness… moments where women could speak, listen, cry, smile, and simply feel that they are not alone.

The sessions were implemented by trained volunteers from the community, these sessions created a warm and safe space where participants shared stories of resilience, fear, exhaustion, hope, and everyday struggles carried silently for too long.

Based on the important role of the family in building society, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), through its Diakonia and Social Service Department – Syria’s Office, continues to implement psychosocial and awareness raising programs that aim to strengthen positive parenting skills and effective communication between parents and children.

Within this framework, MECC team organized five- day educational awareness sessions as part of the Safe Family Program for caregivers of the students previously targeted in 9th grade remedial classes in the city of Jaramana and its surrounding areas.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has launched "Light of Hope," a new bulletin series dedicated to documenting the ongoing ordeal in the Middle East, with a primary focus on the catastrophic situation in Lebanon. This publication serves as a "cry" for the people of the Antiochian Levant who have endured decades of pain.

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

It is the day of the founding and birth of the Church, the day on which it was entrusted with its mission: a community of missionaries and witnesses. The disciples accepted the word of the Lord with great joy to preach it around the world in one language, the language of God... It is the day of Pentecost, the memory of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles who were gathered with the Mother of God in Zion, Jerusalem, following the ascension of Jesus Christ into the heart of the Heavenly Father. It is the celebration of renewal that guides man from darkness and sin to light and chastity. This divine light was mentioned in the Bible of John in chapter 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Church Families celebrate this divine event fifty days after Easter, each according to its rite and belief. According to Acts 2: 1-11 "And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim…" With the Pentecost, the Church ends the third stage of the New Testament. The first would be the stage from the Annunciation to the Cross, the second, from the Cross to the Resurrection, and the third, from the Resurrection through the Ascension to the Pentecost.

MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Participates in the Ceremony at the Head of an MECC Delegation

On the occasion of the launch of the two books on the Second Vatican Council and the Analytical Index, the Missionary Society of Saint Paul in Lebanon held a ceremony to present the books, and honored the Dean of the Association Father George Baliki, the Paulist. The event took place on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena in Jounieh, Lebanon.

Attendees were His Beatitude Patriarch Joseph Absi, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), represented by His Eminence Metropolitan Cyril Salim Bustros, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, represented by His Eminence Bishop Elias Nassar. As well as, attendees were the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, MECC Executive Committee Member Lawyer Professor Ibrahim Traboulsi, and the Coordinator of the "Dialogue, Social Cohesion, and Human Dignity" Programs at MECC Professor Laure Abi Khalil, along with Bishops, General Superiors, Priests, Experts, and guests.

Produced by MECC

“Ecumenical Horizons” is a weekly program that features spiritual, cultural, intellectual, educational, youth and environmental topics.

Unprecedented since 1983, the adoption of a new feast for trial use in the ‘Revised Common Lectionary’ marks a historic milestone in Christian ecumenism and Liturgical attention to the doctrine of Creation. The ‘Feast of Creation in Christ’ is a fruit of nearly four decades of ecumenical celebrations inspired by an ancient Eastern Orthodox tradition, developed further through a multi-year Theological process of various Christian global bodies.

The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT) has officially adopted the festival of ‘Creation in Christ’, also known as ‘Feast of Creation’, by adding it to the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for a three-year period of trial use. As the lectionary shaping the calendar of many Protestant Churches, this is a historic breakthrough in Christian ecumenism given its inspiration in the Eastern tradition.

The enhanced version of this feast, which will begin to be celebrated in September 2026, is the fruit of a Theological process with the participation of various Christian global bodies in recent years. By expanding the feast’s Theological symbolism with a rich set of Biblical Readings, this proposal elevates the doctrine of creation to a more prominent position within Christian worship, filling a gap in the Liturgical calendar of Churches who previously did not celebrate Christ's role in the creation of the world.

Solidarity with Displaced Families and Hosting Shelters

Based on the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)’ commitment to follow up on the field the humanitarian response in Lebanon amidst the repercussions of the war in the country, the team of the MECC Diakonia and Social Service Department – Lebanon’s Office made field visits to the Municipality and to the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Prophet Elijah – the Episcopal Vicariate in of Deir El Qamar.

These visits aimed to assess displacement situations and identify the most urgent humanitarian needs of affected families, as well as to distribute vouchers to internally displaced people in Deir El-Qamar and deliver first aid kits to collective shelters and displaced communities.

Distribution of First Aid Kits to Collective Shelters in Lebanon

As part of strengthening emergency preparedness and support frontline community response efforts, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) distributed 216 first aid kits to municipalities across Tyre, Saida, and Marjeyoun Districts as well as collective shelters hosting IDP’s in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, namely Deir El Amar, Ajaltoun, Rabwe and Rawshe/Lebanese University.

The kits were provided to areas hosting displaced families, collective shelters, and villages facing challenges in accessing healthcare services and medical supplies. In many of these communities, municipalities and local actors remain the first point of support during emergencies and periods of instability.

In a powerful act of solidarity with the people of South Lebanon, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) organized a humanitarian convoy to the hard-to-reach villages of Marjeyoun District, where communities continue to endure isolation, uncertainty, and limited access to essential services.

With the generous support of Tearfund, Danmission, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Church of Scotland, and in coordination with the Lebanese Army, the convoy delivered 595 hygiene kits and 1,040 food kits to vulnerable families in Bourj El Moulouk, Kleyaa, Jdeidet Marjeyoun, and Ibl El Saki.

This convoy was not merely about aid. But it represented presence in times when people feel forgotten, dignity when hardship becomes part of daily life, and a reminder to every family in the South that they are not alone.

In-Kind and Relief Assistance Alleviating the Burden of Crises

Amidst the difficult circumstances that Lebanon is passing through as a result of the war’s repercussions in the country, the will to live remains stronger, and the commitment to hope remains a light, strength, and consolation despite all challenges. In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues its “Light of Hope” campaign, which it launched in response to the humanitarian situations in Lebanon, in order to heal the wounds of the neediest people and stand by their side.

In light of these events, the Diakonia and Social Service Department – Lebanon’s Office at the Middle East Council of Churches worked to secure and distribute new assistance to support displaced families and collective shelters in various Lebanese regions.

On one hand, the Diakonia Department provided cleaning kits to a shelter in Ajaltoun serving around 280 people, as well as to another shelter at St. Joseph Church in Beirut serving more than 250 people.

On the other hand, diesel was distributed to collective shelters in Tyre, in order to ensure the continuity of essential services for displaced communities, improve living conditions inside shelters, and reduce pressure on municipalities.