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.