Lebanon
The Cup of Independence
(1842 A.D. —- 2004 A.D.)
The leader rings the bell.
He blows out the third small candle.
The child asks:
What happened to the Maronites in the mountains of Lebanon?
The leader responds:
There were many attempts to impair their love:
1. Between 1842 A.D. and 1860 A.D., a great conflict erupted in the mountains of Lebanon.
In 1860 A.D., dozens of villages, churches, and monasteries were completely destroyed, incited
by the Ottomans, who were trying to break the Maronites’ spirit of independence. Ten thousand
Maronites were martyred. Among them were the Massabki brothers: Francis, Abed El-Moati,
and Raphael. They were martyred in Damascus on July 10th, 1860 and beatified by Pope Pius XI
on October 1st, 1926. Many Maronites were displaced and others emigrated.[26]
2. Between 1915 A.D. and 1918 A.D., the Ottomans blocked the roads to the mountains. One third of
the Maronites perished because of the Great Famine and diseases, and many others emigrated.[27]
3. After the First World War, Lebanon won its independence.[28] However, peace did not last very long.
Between 1975 A.D. and 1990 A.D., Lebanon experienced a destructive war. Tens of thousands died in
wars, and thousands emigrated.
These three major persecutions resulted in three waves of emigration from Lebanon to many countries,
especially the Americas and Australia. The Maronites defended their country with great courage, but in
1990 A.D., they were divided against each other and started fighting.[29]
The child says:
God says that when we are divided against ourselves and break the commandment of love, He will
deliver us to our enemies and scatter us over the earth.
The leader replies:
That’s exactly what happened. Their enemies invaded them, bombarded their cities and villages,
sent their leaders into exile, and put others in jail. The Maronites lost their independence and hundreds
of thousands left the mountains of Lebanon and emigrated. There was a need for reconciliation.
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