Christmas Novena Inauguration | Antonine University

  • Christmas Novena Inauguration

    15 December 2018

    President Michel Aoun and First Lady Nadia Chami Aoun attended the Christmas novena inauguration tonight at Our Lady of Seeds Chapel - the icon of Antonine University - on our Hadat-Baabda campus. Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi presided the novena ceremony alongside Paul Abd al-Sater, Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut. Bishops Boulos Matar and Semaan Atallah also provided their assistance, alongside Abbot Maroun Abou Jaoude, Superior General of the Antonine Maronite Order; and Father Michel Jalakh, Rector of the University. The University choir, led by the Secretary-General of the University, Father Dr. Toufiq Maatouk, interpreted their marvelous religious hymns during the ceremony, with the talented vocalist Ghada Shbeir.
    When the President of the Republic and the First Lady reached the University gates, church bells started ringing and Father Jalakh received President Aoun and his wife as they entered the Chapel amid the choir singing holy gospels.
    Deputies Nayla Mouawad, Ibrahim Kanaan, Alain Aoun, and Hikmat Deeb also attended the novena, alongside former MP Naji Gharios. Armed Forces Commander Joseph Aoun and former minister Damianos Kattar were also present. Finally, among the attendees were general managers and officers from security and military agencies, monks and priests, university trustees, deans, professors, and a crowd of believers.

     

    Blessing of the Patriarch
    After a few bible readings, Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi said a prayer to bless the occasion.

     

    Word of the Rector
    To close the novena, Mr. Bassam Barak gave a speech in which he thanked the President of the Republic, the First Lebanese, the Maronite Patriarch, and the attendees for their participation in this novena.
    In turn, Father Jalakh delivered the following speech:
    A human bore the child of God. A body held the son of God. The King of Kings was modest enough to become human. The Eternal was humble enough to be born in a cradle. Even if this is something the brain cannot understand, we stand today in awe as we realize His greatness has taught us hope.
    The Church divides the mystery of the birth of Jesus into six weeks and then dedicates a novena to it, during which not only the rhythm of waiting but also the warmth of hope intensify. Hope is not a negative expectation, but it means faith and persistence during difficult times. Today, we need hope, as our beloved Lebanon is facing difficulties and dangers on its borders and within its institutions.
    Mr. President, we trust that no difficulty can discourage you and that you derive your determination from your Christian faith. For this reason, you see greatness in people that no longer look at themselves with optimism and that no longer believe in their ability to alter the downward course of their present. You astonish everyone for seeing the possibility of reform when others see failure, for making plans for tomorrow when most of us are in despair and believe that the good days are over.
    As we contemplate the cave, we ask the child of God to teach us how to give up our selfish interests, perhaps even ourselves, for the sake of what we love, for the homeland we love, for our children whom we love, and for whom we should build a country as free as their dreams.
    Merry Christmas to you Mr. President. I hope that this Holy time brings you more determination and faith and that the Christmas star illuminates your way, allowing you to lead the country back to safety.
    Merry Christmas to His Beatitude, Head of our Church. We ask that you pray for the sake of the University and its people, priesthood, and children.
    Merry Christmas to each of the attendees, hoping that the Christmas spirit will visit the homes of all the Lebanese people, especially those who are suffering from poverty, those who are exhausted from working to secure a decent living, and those killed by unemployment as they cannot find a job. Merry Christmas to those who immigrate but leaves their hearts in Lebanon. Merry Christmas to those who live in Lebanon but feel the need to settle somewhere else. I pray with the assembled Antonine University community and our family present tonight to all the Lebanese people so that the Lord may rest His peace and security in the heart of everyone before, during, and after Christmas, and forever.

     

    Ceremonial Dinner
    After the Christmas novena rite, Antonine University held, in honor of the President of the Republic, the First Lebanese and the Maronite Patriarch, a ceremonial dinner.
    To commence it, Father Jalakh delivered the following opening speech:
    “It is a great joy for the Antonine family to be gathered around His Excellency the President of the Republic that the Antonins knew as a Great Commander, then as a former prime minister and now as a president. He was at all stages a friend to be proud of and a wise man who offered the best advice. It is indeed a great joy for us that he returned to Antonine University and that he sits with us on the eve of each Christmas. Years ago, he was also here and presented his message to the Synod about the Christians of the East and their fate in the region and Lebanon. He brought nobility and vision back to politics. It is with utmost joy that we welcome you, His Beatitude, and all of you to this holy novena. Cheers to joy and faith. Cheers to a better Lebanon”.
    He added, "Our University is devoted to building the talents of young women and men from different regions and backgrounds. We are similar to the Lebanon you want, Mr. President, as we believe in the coherence of knowledge and ethics, identity and openness, and realism in diagnosing problems with optimism in insisting on solving them. In the name of the University community, we raise a toast with you for Christmas. I welcome you in their name. We hope that the University will welcome you again on its podium so that everyone listens to you. Welcome to your University. You honored us with your presence and the presence of the First Lady. Welcome to His Beatitude and to each one of you who is present with us today. Merry Christmas".