The Monk, The Student

From Al Hardini's Beginnings.

The monastery of Kfifane was at Al Hardini's time the school of the Lebanese Maronite Order for the preparation to the Holy degree of Priesthood and the basics of the Syriac language and Law. Al Hardini attended there the Philosophy and Theology courses and he was an example of assiduity, willing to learn but also constantly observing the monastic rules. He was more distinguished than his fellow students and brothers, he often teached them the topics they were learning. He also worked in seaming, archiving and in the fields.

Monastery of Kfifane

He often repeated in front of his superiors that he was not qualified for Priesthood, but his superiors considered his fear to be rather an illusion, especially when they discovered his physical tiredness due to the excess of studying and praying and hard penance, so they sent him for a period of recovery to the monastery of Saint Moses Al Dawwar, and he obeyed with a deep monastic spirit.

The Call for Monastic Life

From Al Hardini's Beginnings.

One day as Youssef Kassab was visiting his brother the priest Alishaa at the monastery of Saint Antonios Kozhaya, he discovered the call for monastic life. Then he quickly left Hardine and came back to the monastery to become a monk. He did not choose monastic life to escape poverty or work with his father, but rather out of love for God.

Monastery of Saint Antonios Kozhayya

He joined the monastery of Saint Antonios Kozhaya around the end of november 1828 and took the name of Nehmetallah and he became known as "Al Hardini". He was sharply intelligent and used to watch his fellow novices to learn from them behavior and discipline. He worked hard to learn the monastic laws and rules, persevered on daytime and nighttime prayers and on the adoration of the holy Eucharist for hours, sometimes for the whole night. On several occasions he was ordered by his superiors to leave the church after several long hours of prayer and adoration, and he used to comply sadly with his superiors orders. He took his monastic vows on the 14th of November 1830.

He stayed in the novices monastery for around one and a half years, then he was appointed to the monastery of Kfifane with his friend: brother Athnasios Al Bkasini. When they had just left from the monastery and reached the windmill which is around five minutes of walking distance, Nehmetallah wanted to reach out to his pocket to pick up his rosary, but he found a pencil belonging to the monastery. So he left his friend and went back to his superior to return the pencil! but his superior told him to leave it with him, so he returned back to his friend and went on to continue his journey.

  

Between Hardine And Tannourine

Youssef Kassab was born in the village of Hardine in 1808, and on his eighth day he was baptized. His parents were christian maronites and were known of being from wealthy families, and they enjoyed a good reputation. They were well doers and pious, so he was fed with good virtues along with the milk and he was raised as a good christian. His brothers are: Assaf, Yaacoub, Father Antonios, the monk Father Alishaa and his sisters: Masihiya the nun in Hrash monastery, Marina the spouse of Sadek Kassab.

His Parents sent him to the school of the Lebanese Maronite Order at the monastery of Saint Antonios Houb, close to the village of Tannourine. He used to spend the night at his grandfather's house the Priest Youssef Yaacoub, and went to school during the day. He used to take with him three pieces of bread, he would eat only two of them and bring the third back home. The main topics he learned at school were catechism, the preparation to receive the Sacraments, syriac and arabic languages, arithmetics, calligraphy, service of the liturgy, psalms, service of the funerals, and regular liturgical songs.

Monastery of Saint Antonios Houb

He went back from school to his home village Hardine to help his parents in the field. He used to take the cows to graze with Yaacoub Jreij's widow: Sattout. He would often pretend to be tired and asked her to look for his cows as he would need to go for a rest. As he used to go for a long time, she noticed one day that he entered a cave, knelt down and prayed for long hours.

So all his early years were full of acts of praising for God, peacefulness and love for his family and friends, and the persistence on the acts of righteousness. He persisted to the holy mass and the different prayers and liturgies of the maronite church.