Beirut: Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, led a Mass in celebration of the feast of Saint Charbel at Mar Haushab Square in Bqaa Kafra, where the revered Saint of Lebanon was born.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the event drew a large crowd of worshippers, religious figures, officials, and community representatives from across the country. This annual celebration has evolved into a significant national and spiritual gathering, uniting the Lebanese people around the principles of holiness, hope, and peace.
During his sermon, Patriarch Al-Rahi highlighted Saint Charbel as one of the Maronite Church's greatest figures, who rose from a small village to become a globally recognized saint, spreading Lebanon's name worldwide. He praised Saint Charbel's life of prayer, silence, asceticism, and obedience, emphasizing that the miracles associated with him continue to inspire millions of believers to follow Christ.
Al-Rahi remarked that the feast is not just a commemoration of Saint Charbel's life but a call for believers to be "good seed in the Lord's field" and to live as testimonies to the Gospel. He insisted that holiness is a universal calling, not limited to a select few.
Addressing the nation's challenges, Patriarch Al-Rahi asserted that the Gospel is integral to people's lives and that Christ's message is one of peace. He emphasized that Lebanon must adhere to its historical message of coexistence, dialogue, and openness. Al-Rahi insisted that Lebanon's future lies in choosing peace over war, as conflicts devastate nations and their people.
The Patriarch expressed that the Lebanese people are exhausted by conflicts and divisions and yearn for a future characterized by stability, security, and trust. He advocated for preserving national unity, strengthening state institutions, respecting constitutional laws, and working for the common good. Al-Rahi concluded that nations are built through reconciliation, solidarity, and cooperation, not through disputes or hate speech.