This observance appears in the catholic calendar with liturgical color green .
Saint Charbel Makhlouf was a Maronite monk and hermit from Lebanon, revered for his profound asceticism, deep spirituality, and the numerous miracles attributed to his powerful intercession after his death.
Saint Charbel Makhlouf, born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf in Lebanon, was a revered Maronite monk and hermit who dedicated his life to profound prayer, rigorous penance, and severe asceticism, serving as an exceptional model of holiness and detachment from worldly comforts. After joining the monastic order and later living as a solitary hermit for 23 years, he became known for his deep spiritual life and unwavering devotion, embodying the contemplative ideal within the Church. Following his death in 1898, his tomb became a significant pilgrimage site, as numerous miracles and an unusual incorruptibility of his body, which reportedly exuded a blood-like fluid, solidified his reputation as a powerful intercessor and a beacon of divine grace, inspiring countless faithful across the globe.
Born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf on May 8, 1828, in the small, mountainous village of Bkaakafra, Lebanon, Saint Charbel was the youngest of five children to Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and Brigitta Chidiac. His family was devout Maronite Catholic, and from a young age, Youssef displayed an unusual piety and a profound attraction to prayer. He spent much of his childhood tending his family's small flock, often retreating to a grotto to pray, earning him the nickname "the saint." The deep spiritual roots of his upbringing, coupled with the rich monastic tradition of the Maronite Church, profoundly shaped his early spiritual inclinations. Despite his uncle's wishes for him to marry and manage the family farm, Youssef felt an undeniable call to the monastic life, a call so strong that at the age of 23, he left his home in 1851 to enter the Monastery of Our Lady of Mayfou, a Maronite monastery of the Lebanese Maronite Order. His unwavering commitment to a life devoted solely to God was evident from these formative years.
Upon entering the monastery at Mayfou, Youssef began his novitiate, adopting the name Charbel, after a second-century Antiochene martyr. He quickly distinguished himself by his fervent devotion, rigorous adherence to the monastic rule, and remarkable humility. After a year, he transferred to the Monastery of Annaya, where he made his solemn perpetual vows on November 1, 1853. His formation continued with studies in philosophy and theology, preparing him for the priesthood. On July 23, 1859, Charbel Makhlouf was ordained a priest at the patriarchal seat of Bkerké. As a priest, he continued to live a life of profound prayer and austerity, performing his duties with exemplary devotion, always seeking the hidden life with Christ. He served as an assistant priest at the monastery, celebrated Mass daily, and engaged in manual labor, always maintaining an inner silence and profound communion with God.
After sixteen years of communal monastic life at Annaya, Father Charbel felt an even deeper call to complete solitude and stricter asceticism. He sought and received permission from his superiors to live as a hermit at the nearby Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, a dependency of the Monastery of Annaya. In 1875, he embraced the life of a solitary hermit, dedicating himself entirely to prayer, fasting, and manual labor, living in extreme poverty and detachment from the world. His cell was sparsely furnished, and his diet consisted of meager portions. He wore a hairshirt and slept on the hard floor, practicing severe penances to mortify his flesh and grow closer to God. This hermitic existence was not one of idleness but of intense spiritual warfare and tireless intercession for the world.
For 23 years, Saint Charbel lived in the hermitage, a beacon of contemplative life in the Lebanese mountains. He spent his days in profound meditation, manual labor in the hermitage's garden, and fervent prayer, often remaining in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament for hours. He rarely spoke, and when he did, it was typically in brief, profound spiritual insights. His life was marked by extraordinary self-denial and unwavering focus on the divine. Stories from this period highlight his deep communion with nature, his simple yet profound wisdom, and his reputation for holiness that spread even beyond the hermitage walls. He was known to perform minor miracles during his lifetime, such as curing a madman by praying over him, though his public renown largely blossomed after his death. His life was a living testament to the power of detachment and single-minded devotion to God.
On December 16, 1898, while celebrating the Liturgy, Saint Charbel suffered a stroke. He lingered for eight days, enduring great suffering with profound patience and prayer, reportedly repeating the phrase, "O Father of truth, behold Your Son, Victim to appease You." He died on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1898, at the age of 70. Following his burial in the monastery cemetery, extraordinary phenomena began to occur. A bright, unearthly light was observed emanating from his tomb for several weeks, drawing the attention of villagers and authorities. This led to his body being exhumed four months later, where it was discovered to be perfectly preserved and flexible, showing no signs of decay, despite the damp conditions of the grave. Furthermore, his body reportedly exuded a mysterious, blood-like fluid, which continued for many years, even after subsequent exhumations.
The unusual state of his body and the luminous phenomena quickly led to a surge in public devotion and reports of miracles attributed to his intercession. Countless pilgrims began flocking to his tomb at Annaya, seeking healing and spiritual solace. The fluid exuded from his body was collected and distributed, leading to numerous documented healings, both physical and spiritual. The Church, recognizing the extraordinary nature of these events, initiated investigations. On December 5, 1965, Pope Paul VI beatified him at the close of the Second Vatican Council, proclaiming him a model of monastic virtue. Twelve years later, on October 9, 1977, Pope Paul VI canonized him, declaring him a saint for the universal Church. Saint Charbel Makhlouf stands as a powerful testament to the transformative power of a life wholly consecrated to God through prayer, penance, and solitude, continuing to draw millions of faithful to his intercession, making him one of the most revered saints in the modern Catholic Church, particularly in the Middle East and among Maronite Catholics worldwide.
In the austere life of Saint Charbel Makhlouf, residing in the Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, there was a constant need for oil to fuel the lamps, especially the one illuminating the small chapel where he spent countless hours in prayer. One day, during the bitter cold of winter, a fellow monk, Brother Elia, was tasked with refilling the lamp in the chapel. He approached Father Charbel, who was known for his profound devotion and somewhat unusual, yet deeply spiritual, practices, and asked for the oil. To Brother Elia's surprise, Father Charbel, with his characteristic humility and quiet demeanor, handed him a pitcher, instructing him to fill the lamp with *water* from the nearby well, not oil.
Brother Elia was perplexed, even a little irritated. "Father Charbel," he might have thought, "how can water light a lamp? Is this some test, or has the cold affected his mind?" Yet, knowing Father Charbel's deep sanctity and his unwavering obedience to God's will, Brother Elia, despite his bewilderment, complied. He took the pitcher, filled it with cold water from the well, and returned to the chapel. With a sigh of resignation, perhaps expecting only a sputtering flame or no light at all, he poured the water into the lamp.
To his utter astonishment, as the water filled the lamp, the wick, instead of extinguishing, burst into a brilliant, steady flame, burning just as brightly, if not brighter, than if it had been filled with the purest oil. The chapel was bathed in a miraculous light, illuminating the sacred space with an ethereal glow. Brother Elia stood transfixed, realizing he had just witnessed a direct manifestation of divine power, brought forth by the profound faith and obedience of Saint Charbel. This incident, whispered among the monks and later recounted to the faithful, served as a powerful testament to Saint Charbel's extraordinary spiritual gifts and his intimate communion with God, demonstrating that for a soul wholly surrendered to divine will, even the laws of nature bend.
October 9, 1977
Charbel Makhlouf is a new holy man of the East, included among the number of the saints by the Catholic Church: a monk and hermit, born and living in the Lebanon. A new eminent member of monastic sanctity, which is an integral part of the spiritual patrimony of the Christian East and West. A new flower of sanctity, born on the tree of the ancient monastic tradition of the East; a tradition which has produced so many saints, who have made the desert flourish with their virtues and their holiness.
Today, the Church invites us to contemplate the example of this Maronite monk, who lived in the Lebanese mountains, in the monastery of Annaya, and for the last twenty-three years of his life in the nearby hermitage, where he was called to a life of more profound silence, greater asceticism and more intense prayer. He was completely consecrated to the Lord in the practice of the evangelical counsels, in obedience, poverty and chastity, living in solitude and in union with God in contemplation, in order to attain the summit of the love of God and of his brethren.
It is in the contemplative life that Charbel Makhlouf found the way to the perfection of love. He was a witness to the power of prayer and penance. He was an example of the monastic life, lived in its most authentic form, in the spirit of the ancient Fathers of the desert. He was a model of humility and obedience, always ready to fulfil the will of God, even in the most difficult circumstances. He was a man of peace, who lived in harmony with himself, with God and with his neighbour. He was a man of joy, who found his happiness in God alone. He was a man of hope, who trusted in God's providence in every situation. He was a man of faith, who believed in God's word and lived by it. He was a man of charity, who loved God above all things and his neighbour as himself.
What is the message that Saint Charbel Makhlouf addresses to us today? It is a message of faith, of prayer, of penance, of humility, of obedience, of detachment from the world, of love of God and of neighbour. It is a message that invites us to put God at the centre of our lives, to seek him in everything, to serve him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. It is a message that invites us to live in conformity with the Gospel, to follow Christ, to imitate his virtues, to carry our cross daily, to renounce ourselves and to die to ourselves, in order to live for God alone.
Saint Charbel Makhlouf calls us to rediscover the true meaning of the contemplative life, which is a life of union with God in prayer and contemplation. He reminds us that true happiness is not to be found in the material goods of this world, but in God alone. He invites us to seek God above all things, to love him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. He reminds us that holiness is not a privilege for a few, but a call for all, a call to live in conformity with the Gospel, to follow Christ, to imitate his virtues, to carry our cross daily, to renounce ourselves and to die to ourselves, in order to live for God alone.
Saint Charbel Makhlouf is a model for all Christians, especially for those who are called to the contemplative life. He is a model for all monks and hermits, who are called to live in solitude and in union with God in contemplation. He is a model for all priests, who are called to serve God and his people. He is a model for all lay people, who are called to live in the world, but not of the world, to seek God in everything, to serve him with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind and with all their strength. He is a model for all those who suffer, who are sick, who are in need, who are persecuted, who are marginalized, who are oppressed, who are in despair. He is a model for all those who seek God, who thirst for him, who hunger for him, who long for him. He is a model for all those who desire to attain the summit of the love of God and of his brethren, to live in conformity with the Gospel, to follow Christ, to imitate his virtues, to carry their cross daily, to renounce themselves and to die to themselves, in order to live for God alone.
Let us pray to Saint Charbel Makhlouf, that he may intercede for us before God, that he may obtain for us the grace to live a life of holiness, a life of prayer, a life of penance, a life of humility, a life of obedience, a life of detachment from the world, a life of love of God and of neighbour. Let us pray to him that he may obtain for us the grace to put God at the centre of our lives, to seek him in everything, to serve him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. Let us pray to him that he may obtain for us the grace to live in conformity with the Gospel, to follow Christ, to imitate his virtues, to carry our cross daily, to renounce ourselves and to die to ourselves, in order to live for God alone. Let us pray to him that he may obtain for us the grace to attain the summit of the love of God and of his brethren, to live in conformity with the Gospel, to follow Christ, to imitate his virtues, to carry our cross daily, to renounce ourselves and to die to ourselves, in order to live for God alone. May the example of Saint Charbel Makhlouf inspire us to a deeper commitment to Christ and to the Church, and may his intercession obtain for us the grace which the Lord grants to those who dedicate themselves totally to his service.
Pilgrimages to the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, Lebanon, where Saint Charbel's tomb is located, are a prominent tradition, especially around his feast day, with many faithful seeking healing and spiritual blessings.
Saint Charbel lived and died at this monastery, and his tomb became a site of numerous reported miracles and the discovery of his incorrupt body after his death, drawing pilgrims from around the world to his burial place for intercession and veneration.
Veneration of blessed oil or cloths touched to Saint Charbel's tomb or relics, particularly the mysterious fluid reported to have exuded from his incorrupt body, is a widespread practice among devotees for healing and spiritual graces.
After his death, Saint Charbel's body remained incorrupt and reportedly exuded a blood-like fluid, which has been associated with countless miracles and healings, leading to the use of blessed oil and cloths as sacramentals.
Many faithful undertake novenas and specific prayers to Saint Charbel, especially for physical and spiritual healing, reflecting his reputation as a powerful intercessor for those suffering from illness or in need of divine intervention.
Saint Charbel is widely known for the numerous miracles of healing attributed to his intercession, both during his life and especially after his death, making him a patron for the sick and those seeking miraculous cures.
Special liturgies, Masses, and prayer services are celebrated in Maronite Catholic churches and other Catholic parishes globally on July 24th, his feast day, often accompanied by veneration of his image or a relic.
This tradition commemorates Saint Charbel's life of holiness, his profound spiritual contributions, and his canonization, providing an opportunity for the universal Church to honor his memory and seek his intercession.