St Charbel is the first saint to be canonized from the Lebanese Maronite Order (LMO). Not a great deal is known about his life, mainly because he lived a hidden life in the silence and solitude of his hermitage. But he is a saint who continues to aid the faithful through his miracles. But the little that is known about his life continues to inspire all the faithful, not only the Maronites.
St Charbel was born Youssef Makhlouf on May 8, 1828, in Beka’-Kafra to a poor Lebanese family. He was the youngest of five children. He was a little shepherd, and was brought up in a house of prayer, where his mother would raise her hands outstretched in prayer. His father was also a pious man, but died when Youssef was only 2. But the family was supported by their uncle, and the Christian atmosphere of Mass, prayer and Saint stories was maintained. The young Youssef was also influenced by two other uncles who were hermits, who he would visit often. They would often tell him, “All here below is nothing, the world is vanity, and life is short. The true beauty is God, near Him there is true happiness. Wisdom is to not find oneself with empty hands at the supreme hour.”
By the age of sixteen, Youssef had completed his basic schooling. Even at his young age, Youssef had a reputation for a strong and persevering devotion and Christian spirit. He would regularly hide himself in cave where his spent time in prayer and in devotion to his love, the Blessed Virgin Mary. He would serve every morning at Mass, and from there he received his call from God to devote his life to God in the monastery.
At 23 years of age, he left silently one morning from the comfort of his home, and underwent a day’s journey to the monastery in order to become a monk. There were those who tried to convince him to return to his home. Among them were his uncle and tutor, Tanios, but he was unsuccessful. His mother also went to see her son at the monastery. She met the young novice in the chapel and said to him “is it thus my son, that you deprive me of seeing you?” to which he answered “If God wills mother, we shall see each other for eternity in Heaven.” His mother feared that he would not be able to persevere in the new life he adopted. She left him with these words: “Well then, if you should not become a good religious, return with me to the house!”
A week later, Youssef was given the habit to wear. He chose the name of Charbel, after a famous martyr of the Antiochene Church who died for his faith in 107 under the roman emperor Trajan.
St Charbel was an exemplary student and monk. He studied at Cyprian at Kfifan. There he studied Syriac and Arabic, dogmatic and moral theology as well as philosophy. He was taught by many fathers of the Order who were renowned for their earning and holiness. Among them is the now Saint Nehmetallah Kassab Al-Hardini, who would have had a greater influence and impression on Charbel than anyone else. He surpassed all other students in the study of theology, and likewise in the monastic life, where he kept strict adherence to the vows of poverty, chastity and most notably, obedience. He advanced in virtue, but was also very silent and prayerful.
On July 23rd, 1859, he was ordained a priest, and was sent to the isolated monastery of St Maroun at ‘Annaya in Jbeil (Byblos). Not only was he strict in his vows, but also seldom ate and drank, and practiced austere mortification in his clothing and work. He was very happy to live in the silence of the monastery.
After 23 years in the monastery among society, he was permitted to join the hermitage of Sts Peter and Paul in the mountains of ‘Annaya. This was the great desire of his life, to follow the great examples of the Saints like St. Benedict who stated the way to perfection and imitation of Christ I through work and prayer. He was now following in the steps of two great hermits, St Anthony, the first hermit, and St Maroun, father and founder of the Maronite church. He entered in 1875.
He was even stricter and showed greater mortification. He prayed endlessly. He is known as the patron Saint of the Divine Liturgy of the Mass. This is because he would prepare for his morning Masses for hours in prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and hours in thanksgiving after finishing Mass. His work also in the hermitage was also very strict and he stayed hours without stop in the fields. He would only spoke if ordered to speak by either his superior or fellow monks. He would only stop work and eat if ordered to, and even then, he would only eat leftovers. He wore a hair shirt and slept on the hard ground, but never complained. His perseverance in the life of austere asceticism was remarkable, and God worked miracles through him, such as reading people’s hearts in confession. He would pray many rosaries throughout the usual course of the day, and would rarely sleep.
Father Charbel lived in the hermitage for 23 years. Although he was not dressed in the most fashionable clothes, his soul was constantly dressed in the state of grace. Although his body was now old and close to death, he lived as though he was already in the joys of Heaven. He lived on earth with his body, but he lived in heaven with his mind, heart and soul.
During his daily celebration of the Mass, he would always be heard saying the words of elevation, “O Father of truth, behold thy Son, A sacrifice which is pleasing to thee.” He would also say with utmost reverence “You have united O lord, Your Divinity with our humanity, and our humanity, with your divinty, Your life with our mortality, and our mortality with Your life. You have assumed what is ours and you have given us what is Yours, for the life and salvation of our souls. To you be glory forever.” On December 16th, while saying these very words during the sacrifice of the Mass, Father Charbel was struck down with paralysis. He was bedridden for a whole week, but he refused to stop prayer. He continued praying the rosaries with greater affection and devotion. He would continually say the names of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and continually recited the priestly prayer “Father of Truth” of elevation of the Blessed Sacrament at the Mass, which he was forced to interrupt. With these words, he submitted his life to God. He received to sacrament of Extreme Unction in his final hour. He died on December 24th, 1898.
After he died, St Charbel’s body was placed on a hair mat. Although dead, he looked as though he was still living and in deep prayer, with his eyes were closed as though he were meditating. No one had clearly seen his face up till then, for he always worked, spoke and lived his whole life facing the ground. Such was his quest to remove all opportunities to be tempted by vision. But no one had ever seen his eyes, for even at his death they were closed.
The hermitage had that night seen crowds of people from neighbouring villages, even amid the heavy wind and snow. There was no way they could possibly bury St Charbel at the monasteries cemetery the very next day, which was custom. The heavy snow blocked all roads. But the next day, Christmas day, just as the pallbearers assembled with the monks to take the coffin to the monastery, the wind and snow suddenly ceased, and the clouds cleared up. They were able to relocate the body with much ease. The change of weather was miraculous; no doubt achieved by God through the intercession of St Charbel.
For a while after his death, St Charbel’s grave would be illuminated with a very bright light, and his body elevated from the unsealed coffin. The saying therefore is true: “you can’t keep a good guy down.”
That Christmas day, people were saying that just as the world celebrates the Birth of the Lord Jesus, Heaven was celebrating the birth of St Charbel into eternal life with Him.
His body has been exhumed several times and found to be incorrupt for over 50 years after his death. His coffin had even leaked blood and even after it was relocated to a coffin sealed with zinc, water would still leak through the walls.
Up till 1950 there had already been 1200 miracles performed through St Charbel’s intercession. Favors and miracles were attested to by Catholics from the Middle-east, the Americas and Europe, and also by orthodox, Muslims and Druze. Now there have been hundreds, maybe even thousands more.
St Charbel is definitely a Saint not only for the Maronites to be proud of, but for the Catholic Church as a whole to be proud of. He exemplified Sanctity in whatever he did. He was an imitation of Christ. Never did he let one moment pass without giving glory to God. His daily martyrdom reminds us of the suffering one must endure in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. His daily prayers remind us also that in order to live with God in the next life, we must be one with Him in this life. In his silence, we are better able to understand his prayer. In his humility, we are better able to understand his greatness and worship. We do not adore St Charbel, nor do we worship him, but we honour him, and thank the Divine king for giving him grace for his journey.
May we one day reach the sanctity and joy that was typified in St Charbel. His sacrifice and mortification reminds us of the Divine command given by Christ: “Be ye perfect, as Your Heavenly Father is perfect.”
Catholic Resources
St Charbel is the first saint to be canonized from the Lebanese Maronite Order (LMO). Not a great deal is known about his life, mainly because he lived a hidden life in the silence and solitude of his hermitage. But he is a saint who continues to aid the faithful through his miracles. But the little that is known about his life continues to inspire all the faithful, not only the Maronites.
