Dancing ... singing ... and also acting ... these little artists are preparing for Christmas! The stage for the Festival of Talents was set up at the John Paul II Foundation in Bethlehem.   Sister FAYEZA AYAD Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus "We take advantage of the fact that Christmas really brings peace in our hearts to share the joy of Jesus that is born within us and bring peace to the whole world at this time when we really need it". Even the youngest show that they don’t lack the talent, even more when it comes to celebrating Christmas of the Lord! 
BISHARA MARZOUQA
 student "It is really very beautiful because Jesus was born here, in the City of Peace! I was born in the City of Peace! It's wonderful! I am very happy and I thank all those who have helped me to do what you have just seen! ".   Living stones of the Holy Land that behind the Christmas lights suffer for the political and social problems of the place where they live ...   Fr. IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm Vice-President of the John Paul II foundation "This is the second festival promoted by the John Paul II Foundation in which children participate. During the year we teach these children music, dances, languages, many things and before Christmas they make this party. The children of Bethlehem, as you all know, need a smile, a party, to feel like children and I think this party has become for them, their party ".
  And so, even in the midst of difficulties, the children of Bethlehem learn to love and to be proud of the land in which Jesus was born ... And precisely for this reason, the attention of the Church - and of the Custody of the Holy Land - in regards to the local Christians is constant. Last Saturday, another event, which involved the youth this time, had the purpose of preparing the boys for the Lord's Christmas.  120 young people gathered from Nazareth, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Jericho, Beit-Jala and also from here, from Bethlehem.  The day began with a morning of reflections on the theme: "Lord, in your Light we see the light".   Fr. IMAD KAMEL, ofm Responsible Pastoral Youth Holy Land "It is a very important theme for today's young people because without the Christmas of Jesus, which is his presence in our hearts, we can not understand many things in our lives. We have this light of God ... He said I am the light of the world, then we want this light to enlighten our life, our history, to make us see good everywhere ".
  After the boys had the opportunity to pray in the cave of the Basilica of the Nativity ..... In front of the star that indicates the place where Jesus was born, they knelt and expressed their intentions.   The group then went out in procession to the Shepherds’ Field, where, with the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Confession and Mass, presided over by the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Pattorn, this spiritual journey ended.