This glorious year, the cave of Bethlehem was embedded in the "hollow" of the altar of the Our Lady of Seeds Chapel at the heart of Antonine University, where God, our strength, incarnates every day in the Divine Liturgy.

The floor of the cave represents the Lebanese flag. The red Christmas flower symbolizes the boundless divine love, combined with white, as a symbol of the resurrection of our Lord, which we hope will also generate the long-awaited revival of Lebanon. The Christ lies on the branches of the cypress and cedars, rising like the resilient Cedar of Lebanon as if He was born from it and Virgin Mary.

We need Jesus to be born in our homeland so that our cedars continue to praise the glory of the Lord during spring and always.
On the altar are loaves of bread that symbolize Jesus Christ, "The living bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die". On another hand, this bread means that our homeland, Lebanon, is hungry for justice and is yearning for freedom, peace, and stability.

Only Jesus can satisfy our hunger and fulfill our needs, whether they are spiritual or physical. From the top of the cave, a hanging star is pointing to the real light, guiding us to Jesus, the light of the world. The roof of the cave is surrounded with white snow, the symbol of pure hearts preparing to receive the King of Peace, eager to be filled with His peace and presence that will soothe their anxiety. On both sides of the cave are two bright candles, symbolizing the prayers that every believer holds in their heart. In front of the cave, there are Lebanese homes where the lights are dim, as the people wait for the heavenly newborn to arrive in peace and spread light, warmth, joy, tenderness, and safety so that their hearts wear the colors of the bright sky. The Love of the Lord will fill Mankind with hope...

Hallelujah! Jesus is born!