Patriarch Al-Rai: Nations are not preserved by weapons, but by a living conscience

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai presided over Sunday Mass and the occasion of the 60th World Day of Social Communications at the Church of Our Lady in the Patriarchal Seat in Bkerke, assisted by Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Antoine Aoukar, Head of the Episcopal Committee for Media Bishop Mounir Khairallah, Secretary General of the Patriarchate Father Fadi Tabet, Private Secretary to the Patriarch Father Camilio Mikhail, Secretary General of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon Father Jean Younes, Director of the Catholic Center for Information Monsignor Abdo Abu Kasem, Head of Caritas Lebanon Father Samir Ghawi, Head of the Youth Pastoral Office Father George Yarak, and Father Antoine Atallah, with the participation of a number of bishops, priests, and nuns, in the presence of Minister of Information Lawyer Dr. Paul Morcos, Director of the Media Office at the Republican Palace Rafiq Shalala, Syndicate of Editors Joseph Al-Qassifi, Head of the Maronite League Engineer Maroun Al-Helou, Head of the Maronite General Council Engineer Michel Matta, Secretary General of the Maronite Foundation for the Spread of the Faith Hayam Al-Boustani, Chairperson of the Board of Directors and General Manager of "Tele Liban" Dr. Alissar Al-Naddaf Geagea, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager of "Télé Lumière" and "Noursat" Jack Classi, President of the World Catholic Union of the Press - Lebanon Maggie Makhlouf, Consul of the Republic of Mauritania Elie Nassar, and a number of media representatives and journalists, in addition to the Al-Hanain Association headed by Adib Hanin and a crowd of dignitaries and faithful.

After the Holy Gospel, Patriarch Al-Rai delivered a homily titled: "'Yes, that you love one another, as I have loved you' (John 13:34)," in which he said: "How great are these words and how simple they are at the same time. It is a small Gospel in size, but an endless sea in its meanings. It is the Gospel of love, the new commandment that Jesus left to his disciples before his passion, as if he were handing them the essence of the entire Gospel, and the essence of all Christian life. In those final moments, Jesus did not command them with authority, nor with power, nor with earthly greatness, but he commanded them with love: love that forgives, love that endures, love that always gives itself for the other. For Christ did not love with words, but with action. He loved man to the end, to the cross, and to complete self-sacrifice. This is the Gospel of today: the Gospel of love that does not fall, love that builds, love that changes man and the world. Because man can live by force for a time, and by interest for a time, but he cannot truly live except by love. That is why the Lord said: 'By this everyone will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another' (John 13:35)."

He continued: "I am pleased to welcome you all, with a special greeting to His Excellency the Minister of Information, to the male and female journalists in this celebration in which we commemorate the 60th World Day of Social Communications. We offer this holy sacrifice for your intention and for the success of the mission of social communications, and we pray with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and the Church, that media may remain a space for encounter and truth, and a service to man, not a tool of division or misinformation. At the beginning of this liturgy, we listened to the word of our brother Bishop Mounir Khairallah, Bishop of the Diocese of Batroun and Head of the Episcopal Committee for Media, may he be thanked, regarding the content of His Holiness the Pope's message for this day, which is titled: 'Preserving Human Voices and Faces.' And we welcome the dear Al-Hanain Association headed by Mr. Nadim Hanin, and we wish them continued unity and cooperation in their lives and projects."

He said: "'Yes, that you love one another, as I have loved you' (John 13:34). This is the new commandment. What is new in it is not just the word 'love,' because mankind has known love since ancient times, but the true newness is this standard that Jesus set: 'as I have loved you.' This is what is new! How did Christ love us? He loved us without conditions. He loved us despite our weakness and sins. He loved us to the point of giving himself for us. He loved us to raise us up and save us. Therefore, love in Christianity is not merely an emotion, nor is it just beautiful words, but it is a life stance. Love is that I accept the other, that I forgive him, that I carry him in my prayer, that I support him, that I see him as a human being with dignity and value. Christ did not ask his disciples to surpass one another, but to love one another. Because love alone builds community, builds the Church, and builds man from within. Love changes man, love heals wounds, love restores trust, love extinguishes hatred, love creates peace. That is why the commandment of the Lord Jesus remains new in every age, because no matter how advanced the world becomes, it remains in need of love. For man without love becomes a hardened heart, and society without love becomes a battlefield, and the nation without love becomes a place of fear and division. For a man to love in a time of divisions and hatreds, this requires a great heart and great faith."

He added: "Lebanon today needs love more than ever. The love of the homeland in the hearts of citizens is what builds and embraces the nation, and makes its children united, working for it and in its service. Lebanon is not built by corruption, nor by hatred, nor by selfishness, but by love, by transparency, by morality, and by honesty. But we say we live today in difficult circumstances, under continuous attacks and violations, and under an increasingly ambiguous reality. Enough hatred, let us love. Through love we meet, through love we reconcile, through love we forgive, and through love we build a nation in which man feels security, dignity, and belonging. We are children of love, not children of hatred. We are children of life, not children of war. That is why we adhere to the culture of peace, saying: no peace without love, no to war, yes to peace. Peace alone preserves man and the nation. And there is no peace without love, and no nation without love among its children, and no future can be built if hearts remain immersed in fear, division, and tension."

He said: "Nations are not preserved by weapons, nor protected by force, but are preserved by a people who know how to love, how to meet, and how to put the common good above narrow interests. Nations are preserved by a living conscience, protected by sincere hearts, and built by love that makes a man see in his brother a partner, not an adversary, and a brother, not an enemy. The Gospel of today calls us to love one another as Christ loved us. This speech is not only for individual relationships, but also for national life. For to the extent that we are able to love, meet, forgive, and put the interest of the nation above all considerations, to that extent we can build a true nation in which man lives in peace, tranquility, and dignity. Nations do not live by fear, but by trust. And they do not live by division, but by encounter. And they do not live by hatred, but by love. Therefore, in the midst of all the anxiety, waiting, and ambiguity we experience, our faith remains firm that love alone is capable of saving man, rebuilding the nation, and opening the door of peace. Love alone remains, and by love we live. With love, we entrust this nation to God, asking Him to preserve it from evil and division."

And Al-Rai concluded: "Let us pray, dear brothers and sisters: O Lord, You who gave us Your new commandment, plant Your love in our hearts, and remove from them all hatred, fear, and division. Teach us to love as You loved us, to forgive, to meet, to build peace. Bless our nation Lebanon, and grant it the grace of tranquility and stability, and keep away from it wars, divisions, and evils. And make us witnesses of Your love in this world, so that all may know that we are Yours, because we have love for one another. So we raise glory and thanks to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, Amen."