#saint charbel

[marsellabarsoum]

Youssef Antoun Makhlouf was born in 1828, in Bekaa Kafra (North Lebanon). He had a true Christian upbringing, which had given him a passion for prayer. Then he followed his two hermit uncles in the hermitage of the St Antonious Kozhaya monastery and was converted to monastic and hermetical life.

In 1851, he left his family village and headed for the Our Lady of Maifouk monastery to spend his first monastic year, and then he went to the St Maron monastery in Annaya, where he entered the Maronite Order, carrying the name Charbel, a name of one of the Antioch church martyrs of the second century. On November 1st. 1853, he exposed his ceremonial vows in St Maron’s monastery - Annaya. Then he completed his theological studies in the St Kobrianous and Justina monastery in Kfifan, Batroun.

He was ordained a priest in Bkerky, the Maronite Patriarchate, on July 23rd, 1859. He lived 16 years in the St Maron's monastery ��� Annaya. From there, he entered, on February 15th, 1875, the St Peter & Paul hermitage, which belongs to the monastery. He was a typical saint and hermit, who spent his time praying and worshipping. Rarely had he left the hermitage where he followed the way of the saintly hermits in prayers, life and practice.

St Charbel lived in the hermitage for 23 years. On December 16th, 1898 he was struck with an illness while performing the holy mass. He died on Christmas' eve, December 24th, 1898, and was buried in the St Maron monastery cemetery in Annaya.

Few months later, dazzling lights were seen around the grave. From there, his corpse, which had been secreting sweat and blood, was transferred into a special coffin. Hordes of pilgrims started swarming the place to get his intercession. And through this intercession, God blessed many people with recovery and spiritual graces.

In 1925, his beatification and canonization were proposed for declaration by Pope Pious XI. In 1950, the grave was opened in the presence of an official committee which included doctors who verified the soundness of the body. After the grave had been opened and inspected, the variety of healing incidents amazingly multiplied. A multitude of pilgrims from different religious facets started flocking to the Annaya monastery to get the saint's intercession.

Prodigies reached beyond the Lebanese borders. This unique phenomenon caused a moral revolution, the return to faith and the reviving of the virtues of the soul.

[archivist-crow]

On this day:

THE AFTERDEATH OF A SAINT: LEBANON'S HERMIT

On October 9, 1977, Charbel Makhlouf, a monk associated with miracles, was canonized. Born in 1828, Charbel lived in a monastery hermitage in Lebanon. Sleeping on dried leaves with a goatskin cover and a piece of wood for a pillow, the monk rarely spoke, ate only vegetables, fasted regularly, and refused to touch money. He once rescued fellow monks from a poisonous snake by asking the snake to leave. The hermit died while giving Mass on Christmas Eve, 1898.

Brilliant lights appeared around Charbel's grave and shone brightly for forty-five days. After heavy rains flooded the gravesite and pilgrims tried to steal pieces of his remains, the grave was reopened. His fresh-looking body was floating in mud. It was washed, redressed, and placed in a wooden coffin in the monastery chapel. Soon after, an unusual liquid, possibly a mixture of blood and sweat, began to seep out of the body. The clothing had to be changed twice a week, and strips of the soaked fabric were said to have an extraordinary healing abil-ity. Sister Maria Abdel Kamari, a nun who had been near death and bedridden for fourteen years, prayed at his tomb and experienced an almighty surge of energy that cured her completely.

In 1927, doctors examined Charbel's body. Documents declaring it free from decomposition were placed inside a zinc tube. The tube and Charbel were entombed in a wood-lined zinc casket behind bricks in one of the monastery walls. In 1950 liquid soaked through the wall. Opening the tomb revealed Charbel, looking peaceful. The clothes and zinc tube had rotted, and an oily fluid lay three inches deep inside the coffin. It was removed and dispensed. The grave was opened three times prior to 1956. Charbel's body "still has its flexibility as if it were alive." The body began to decompose in 1965, after beatification.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[dramoor]

~Feast Day July 24th~

[dramoor]

“Confront evil with love, but do not use love as an excuse to avoid confronting evil; Do not be afraid, evil will destroy itself.”

~St. Charbel

(Image via catholicnewsagency.com)

[myremnantarmy]

𝑺𝒕. 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒆𝒍 𝑷𝑹𝑨𝒀 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑼𝑺.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (July 24)

On July 24, the Catholic Church celebrates the life of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a Maronite Catholic priest, monk, and hermit who is known for working miracles both during his life and after his death.

On the occasion of his beatification in 1965, the Eastern Catholic hermit was described by Pope Paul VI as “a new, eminent member of monastic sanctity who, through his example and his intercession, is enriching the entire Christian people.”

Born into humble circumstances in Lebanon on 8 May 1828, Yussef Antoun Makhlouf was the youngest of Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and Brigitta Elias al-Shediyaq's five children.

Antoun, who had been taken away from the family and forced into hard labor, died when his youngest son was only three.

Yussef studied at the parish school and tended to his family's cow.

Engaged in prayer and solitude from a early age, he spent a great deal of time outdoors in the fields and pastures near his village, contemplating God amid the inspiring views of Lebanon's valleys and mountains.

His uncle and guardian Tanious wanted the boy to continue working with him, while his mother wanted him to marry a young woman.

Yussef had other plans, however, and left home in 1851 without informing anyone.

Yussef would become “Brother Charbel,” after making a pilgrimage on foot to his new monastic home.

In this, he followed the example of his maternal uncles, who were already living as solitary monks at the Hermitage of Saint Paul in the Qadisha Valley.

Charbel took his monastic vows in November of 1853, during a solemn ceremony that was closed to the public and off-limits even to his family.

He subsequently studied for the priesthood and was ordained, returning to the Monastery of St. Maron.

The priest-monk lived and served in the monastery for 19 years, showing great devotion to the life of prayer, manual work, and contemplative silence.

Charbel's superiors observed God's “supernatural power” at work in his life, and he became known as a wonder-worker even among some Muslims.

In 1875, he was granted permission to live as a solitary monk in a nearby hermitage dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.

Rigorous asceticism and a profound union with God continued to characterise the monk's life for the next 23 years.

Deeply devoted to God's Eucharistic presence, he suffered a stroke while celebrating the Divine Liturgy of the Maronite Catholic Church on 16 December 1898. He died on Christmas Eve of that year.

St. Charbel's tomb has been a site for pilgrimages since his death. Hundreds of miracles are believed to have occurred through his intercession with God, both in Lebanon and around the world.

Pope Paul VI beatified him on 5 December 1965 and canonised on 9 October 1977.

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Charbel Makhlouf

1828-1898

Feast day: July 24

Saint Charbel, born in a small village in Lebanon, to a poor religious family, entered the Maronite Monastery of St. Maroun, (A Lebanese Maronite order) at 23 and was ordained a priest in1859. He served there for 16 years, then retired to the hermitage of Sts. Peter and Paul. Charbel lived a severe ascetic life of prayer, mortification and self-denial and had a remarkable devotion to the Eucharist. He had a massive stroke while saying Mass on Christmas Eve and died 7 days later. For 45 days a bright light surrounded his tomb. The monks exhumed his body and it was found incorrupt. For approximately 62 years a viscous liquid came from his body. Many miracles are attributed to his intercession.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[leroibobo]

saint charbel al-rahawi church in maad, lebanon was built in the 6th century on the ruins of a roman temple, and in its current form in the 12th century. it contains various roman, byzantine, and crusader period elements. the frescoes around the church, which portray various bishops and saints as well as the dormition of mary, are some of the many frescoes you can find in medieval churches in the region. (the alt text contain some more detailed descriptions.)

[algunasfloresdespertaron]

found god in ; a certain stare, cafe de olla, saint charbel, sleep. & grace , regret & unbearable grief wbuuu

[opencommunion]

Hey, I have lebanese heritage and recently found out my family was maronite. I don't know anything about maronites, though, besides some basic history, and I want to learn more as part of my reconnecting journey. Do you have any tips on how I can do that? God bless you, thanks in advance

welcome!!! I'm so happy you asked because I had a somewhat similar experience -- I was aware we were maronite but only a few members of my extended family were active churchgoers, so I didn't know much until I started researching on my own as an adult first and foremost, if you're lucky enough to live near a maronite church, don't hesitate to drop by for a service and introduce yourself!! for maronite clergy in the diaspora, helping people reconnect is like 90% of the job lol. and the liturgy is the heart of our tradition, it's what differentiates us from other churches in the catholic communion, so immersing yourself in it brings an understanding of aspects of the faith and culture that can't fully be conveyed otherwise. but if you don't live near a church, no worries!! a lot of churches livestream services and have youtube channels where you can watch past streams: Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral St. Anthony of the Desert Church St. George Church ... and many others

my #1 book recommendation is Captivated by Your Teachings: A Resource Book for Adult Maronite Catholics by Anthony J. Salim. sadly I can't find a pdf but if you can only buy one book it should be this one imo the essays linked here, especially Seely Beggiani's series on the sacraments, are also a great place to start Seely Beggiani's Early Syriac Theology: With Special Reference to the Maronite Tradition is another personal fav of mine bc it goes deep into the early theological underpinnings of our liturgy. Beggiani also wrote a more straightforward breakdown of the liturgy in The Divine Liturgy of the Maronite Church: History and Commentary The Hidden Pearl is an academic organization for syriac studies in general, but with a strong maronite slant. their website is kind of a pain to navigate but worth the trouble -- lots of free books, articles, and videos. they also have lectures up on youtube

Beth Mardutho is another syriac studies group with a massive digital library and an online journal the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light, a monastic community in the US, also have a YT channel. a couple years ago they hosted a webinar series for lent that I really enjoyed. my favorite was the session on the divine office learning about our saints can also be fruitful. the most famous are st maron (of course), st charbel, and st rafqa (my fav). some saints that weren't maronite themselves but are particularly revered in our tradition are st ephrem the syrian, st isaac of nineveh, and st jacob of serugh. this directory of syriac saints is also fun to browse

the version of the bible we use is the peshitta. I often refer to this site which lets you compare the peshitta NT side by side with various other translations. I especially love the lexicon search function

have fun, and hmu if you have any more questions or just want to chat!

[silvestromedia]

Miraculous Healing Saint /

[catholicpriestmedia]

"Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Pray for Us!" #SaintoftheDay #OraProNobis

📷 Saint Charbel Makhlouf Sacred Icon by Christine Habib el Dayé / Maronite Heritage. #MaroniteSaint #Catholic_Priest #CatholicPriestMedia

[angeltreasure]

Catholicism Masterlist

NOTE:::: Items highlighted in red are my favorites for learning Catholicism.

Books for Learning Catholicism:

The Word on Fire Bible

Catechism of the Catholic Church second edition (pdf here)

Catholic Faith Handbook For Youth by Brian Singer-Towns and other contributors (pdf here)

Books About Prayer:

The Liturgy of the Hours by Word on Fire

The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort

The Rosary for the Holy Souls in Purgatory by Susan Tassone

10 Wonders of the Rosary by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC

The Memorare Moment by Rev. Francis Joseph Hoffman

Blessed Sacrament Prayer Book edited by Bart Tesoriero

Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on Holy Mass by Pope Benedict XVI

Meet the Witnesses of the Miracle of the Sun by John M. Haffert

Our Father: Spiritual Reflections by Pope Francis

The Prayers & Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica, introduced & edited by Raymond Arroyo

Books About Saints:

Lives of the Saints: For Everyday in the Year by Fr. Alban Butler

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul by St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Send Me Your Guardian Angel by Fr. Alessio Parente

Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco: From Saint John Bosco's Biographical Memoirs by St. John Bosco

Saint Charbel by Paul Daher

Mornings With St. Thérèse by St. Thérèse Editor: Patricia Treece 

The Secret of Mary by St. Louis de Montfort

The Confession of St. Patrick by St. Patrick

Saint Rafqa the Lebanese Nun (1832-1914) Teacher of the Generations and Patron Saint of the Suffers Father Elias Hanna (L.M.O.)

Rediscover the Saints by Matthew Kelly

Other Books:

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

7 Secrets of Confession by Vinny Flynn

Our Grounds for Hope by Archbishop Fulton Sheen

How to Share Your Faith by Bishop Robert Barron

How to Discern God’s Will for Your Life by Bishop Robert Barron

An Exorcist Tells His Story by Gabriele Amorth

This Is My Body by Bishop Robert Barron

Apps:

EWTN

Relevant Radio

Formed

iBreviary

CatholicTV

Mass Times for Travel

Websites:

EWTN

Relevant Radio

The Divine Mercy

Word on Fire

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

Some social media:

Bishop Robert Barron

Divine Mercy

Breaking in the Habit

Sensus Fidelium

EWTN

Sacred Music:

Harpa Dei

Floriani

Groups:

The Association of Marian Helpers

Rosary Confraternity

Brown Scapular

Adoration Sodality of the Most Blessed Sacrament

What really happens at a Catholic Mass, short film

— —- —— — —- —— — —- —— — —- ——

This is by no means a complete list because I keep reading more books and finding new resources as a pilgrim in this life. Maybe you’ll find something here to help you grow in faith. May God bless you abundantly.

[dramoor]

“Christ is the way; remain firm in Christ and follow the way, and do not let anything move you away from Him.”

~St. Charbel

[myremnantarmy]

𝐒𝐭. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐥..𝑷𝑹𝑨𝒀 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑼𝑺!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (July 24)

On July 24, the Catholic Church celebrates the life of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a Maronite Catholic priest, monk and hermit who is known for working miracles both during his life and after his death.

On the occasion of his beatification in 1965, the Eastern Catholic hermit was described by Pope Paul VI as “a new, eminent member of monastic sanctity who, through his example and his intercession, is enriching the entire Christian people.”

Born into humble circumstances in Lebanon on 8 May 1828, Yussef Antoun Makhlouf was the youngest of Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and Brigitta Elias al-Shediyaq's five children.

Antoun, who had been taken away from the family and forced into hard labor, died when his youngest son was only three.

Yussef studied at the parish school and tended to his family's cow.

Engaged in prayer and solitude from a early age, he spent a great deal of time outdoors in the fields and pastures near his village, contemplating God amid the inspiring views of Lebanon's valleys and mountains.

His uncle and guardian Tanious wanted the boy to continue working with him, while his mother wanted him to marry a young woman.

Yussef had other plans, however, and left home in 1851 without informing anyone.

Yussef would become “Brother Charbel,” after making a pilgrimage on foot to his new monastic home.

In this, he followed the example of his maternal uncles, who were already living as solitary monks at the Hermitage of Saint Paul in the Qadisha Valley.

Charbel took his monastic vows in November of 1853, during a solemn ceremony which was closed to the public and off-limits even to his family.

He subsequently studied for the priesthood and was ordained, returning to the Monastery of St. Maron.

The priest-monk lived and served in the monastery for 19 years, showing great devotion to the life of prayer, manual work, and contemplative silence.

Charbel's superiors observed God's “supernatural power” at work in his life, and he became known as a wonder-worker even among some Muslims.

In 1875, he was granted permission to live as a solitary monk in a nearby hermitage dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.

Rigorous asceticism and a profound union with God continued to characterise the monk's life for the next 23 years.

Deeply devoted to God's Eucharistic presence, he suffered a stroke while celebrating the Divine Liturgy of the Maronite Catholic Church on 16 December 1898.

He died on Christmas Eve of that year.

Charbel's tomb has been a site for pilgrimages since his death.

Hundreds of miracles are believed to have occurred through his intercession with God, both in Lebanon and around the world.

Pope Paul VI beatified him on 5 December 1965 and canonized on 9 October 1977.

The pope had earlier hailed the Lebanese Maronite saint as an “admirable flower of sanctity blooming on the stem of the ancient monastic traditions of the East.”

Charbel is the patron saint of Lebanon.