Charbel Makhluf

Saint Charbel Makhluf, O.L.M. (or Sharbel Mak- the monastery. [1] ,May 8, 1828 – December 24, مار شربل :louf), (Arabic 1898) was a Maronite and priest from Lebanon. During his life he obtained a wide reputation for holiness and he has been canonized by the Church. 1.3

In 1875, Charbel was granted by the of the 1 Life monastery the privilege of living as a hermit at the Her- mitage of Peter and Paul, a chapel under the care of the monastery. He spent the next 23 years living as a 1.1 Orphan and shepherd solitary hermit, until his death from a stroke on 24 De- cember 1898.[3] He was born Youssef Antoun Makhluf on May 8, 1828, one of five children born to Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and Brigitta Chidiac. They lived in the village of Bekaa Kafra, possibly the highest in the Lebanese mountains. 1.4 Death and miracles His father, a mule driver, died in August 1831, return- ing from corvée for the Turkish army, leaving his wife a Charbel was interred at St. ’s Monastery on Christ- widow to care for their children. Later she remarried a mas Day of that year. It was reported that, during the man who went on to seek and became the transport of his corpse, the inclement weather conditions priest of the village.[2] hindered the pallbearers in carrying out their duty. The young Youssef was raised in a pious home and quickly became drawn to the lives of the saints and to the hermit life, as was practiced by two of his uncles. “Father Charbel died on the eve of Christ- As a young boy, he was responsible for caring for the mas; the snow was heavy. We transferred him family’s small flock. He would take the flock to a grotto to the monastery on Christmas day. Before we nearby, where he had installed an icon of the Blessed Vir- moved him, the snow was falling rapidly and [2] gin Mary. He would spend the day in prayer. the clouds were very dark. When we carried him, the clouds disappeared, and the weather cleared.” Statement by George Emmanuel Abi- 1.2 Monk Saseen, one of the pallbearers[4] In 1851, Youssef left his family and entered the Lebanese Maronite Order at the Monastery of Our Lady in A few months after his death a bright light was seen sur- Mayfouq to begin his training as a monk, later transfer- rounding his tomb. The superiors opened it to find his ring to the Monastery of St. Maron monastery in Annaya, body still intact. Since that day a blood-like liquid flows located in the Jbeil District near Beirut. Here he received from his body. Experts and doctors are unable to give the religious habit of a monk and took the name Charbel, medical explanations for the incorruptibility and flexibil- after a Christian in Antioch from the 2nd century. ity. In the years 1950 and 1952 his tomb was opened and He made his final religious profession in the Order on 1 [5] [2] his body still had the appearance of a living one. The November 1853. official site[6] mentions: In this century his grave has been The young monk Charbel then began his study of opened four times, the last time being in 1955, and each philosophy and theology at the Monastery of Saints time “it has been noticed that his bleeding body still has & Justina in Kfifan, in the Batroun District its flexibility as if it were alive extquotedbl; no mention- of Lebanon, to prepare himself for receiving Holy Or- ing of later openings. The Catholic Tradition website[7] ders. Among his professors at the seminary was Father says: Father Mahfouz, the postulator of the cause, Nimattullah Kassab, who was himself later also declared certified that in 1965 the body of Charbel was still a saint. He was ordained six years later, on 23 July preserved intact with no alteration. In 1976 he again wit- 1859, in Bkerky. He was then sent back to St. Maron nessed the opening of the grave; this time the body was Monastery, where he lived a life of severe asceticism in completely decomposed. Only the skeleton remained.

1 2 4 REFERENCES

2.1 Miracles

Among the many miracles related to Saint Charbel the Church chose two of them to declare the beatification, and a third for his . These miracles are:

• the healing of Sister Mary Abel Kamari of the Sa- cred Hearts

• the healing of Iskandar Naim Obeid from Baabdat

• the healing of Mariam Awad from Hammana.[9]

Statue with prayer requests at the Mexico City Metropolitan • Nohad El Shami: Cathedral A great number of miracles have been attributed to Saint Charbel since his death. The most famous one is that of Nohad El Shami, a 55-year-old woman at the time of the miracle who was healed from a partial paralysis. She 2 tells that on the night of January 22, 1993, she saw in her dream two Maronite standing next to her bed. One of them put his hands on her neck and operated on her, relieving her from her pain while the other held a On December 5, 1965, Paul VI presided the pillow behind her back. When she woke up, Nohad dis- beatification of father Charbel at the conclusion of the covered two wounds in her neck, one on each side. She . The Pope said: “A hermit was completely healed and recovered her ability to walk. of Mount Lebanon is enrolled in the number of the She believed that it was Saint Charbel who healed her but blessed… a new eminent member of monastic sanctity did not recognize the other monk. Next night, she again has by his example and his intercession enriched the en- saw Saint Charbel in her dream. He said to her: “I did tire Christian people … may he make us understand, in the surgery to let people see and return to faith. I ask a world largely fascinated by wealth and comfort, the you to visit the hermitage on the 22nd of every month, paramount value of poverty, penance and asceticism, to and attend Mass regularly for the rest of your life”. Peo- liberate the soul in its ascent to God.” ple now gather on the 22nd of each month to pray and On 9 October 1977, Pope Paul VI presided the celebrate the Mass in the hermitage of Saint Charbel in canonization of Blessed Charbel. At the time Bishop Annaya.[12][13][14] Francis Zayek, head the U.S. Diocese of St. Maron, wrote a pamphlet entitled “A New Star of the East.” Bishop Zayek wrote: “St. Sharbel is called the second St. 3 See also Anthony of the Desert, the Perfume of Lebanon, the first Confessor of the East to be raised to the Altars accord- • Maronite Monks of Adoration ing to the actual procedure of the , the honor of our Aramaic Antiochian Church, and the model • List of Catholic saints of spiritual values and renewal. Sharbel is like a Cedar of Lebanon standing in eternal prayer, on top of a moun- tain.” The bishop noted that Sharbel’s canonization plus 4 References the beatification causes of others prove “that the Aramaic Maronite Antiochian Church is indeed a living branch of [1] Catholic Hierarchy “Order of Lebanese Maronites” the Catholic Church and is intimately connected with the trunk, who is Christ, our Savior, the beginning and the [2] Monastery of St. Maron “Saint Charbel” end of all things.” [8][9] [3] Hovannisian, R & Sabagh, G.; Religion and culture in As a member of the Lebanese Maronite Order and as medieval Islam', Cambridge University Press, 1999, ISBN a Saint of the Maronite rite, St Charbel is an exemplar 978-0-521-62350-6 p113 of the Maronite expression of Catholic holiness and val- ues. As a Saint of the Universal Church, St Charbel [4] Awad, Mansour (1990). Three Lights from the East: A Bi- Makhlouf’s example of virtue and intercessory power is ographical Account of the Lives of Saint Sharbel Makhlouf, Father Nematallah Hardini, Blessed Rebecca Rafka Er- available to Catholics of all backgrounds. Faithful to his Ryies. Norman Ferris (private publication). Maronite spirituality, St Charbel became a Saint for the Universal Church.[10][11] [5] “St. Charbel Makhluf”, the Byzantine Forum 3

[6] http://www.charbel.org/saint/charbel/miracles/

[7] http://www.catholictradition.org/Eucharist/charbel7.htm

[8] Faulk, E; 101 Questions and Answers on Eastern Catholic Churches, Paulist Press, 1 March 2007 ISBN 978-0-8091- 4441-9 p67

[9] “Beatification and Canonization of Saint Charbel”, Saint Maron Monastery

[10] Maronite History Project

[11] “St. Sharbel Makhluf”, Saint of the Day, American Catholic

[12] A Living Miracle, Hardyart.com

[13] Nohad El Shami, Marcharbel.com

[14] “Miracles”, Charbel.org

5 External links

• Saint Charbel Official Website • Saint Charbel Official Application (Android)

• Saint Charbel Official Application (iTune) • Saint Charbel.com English site

• A spiritual way (French website) • (belorussian website)

• (russian website)

• “St. Sharbel Makhluf”, Saint of the Day, American Panoramic Photo of The Church and Monastry of Saint Charbel Catholic Annaya - Lebanon

6 Photos

Panoramic Photo of The Church and Monastry of Charbel Makhluf Annaya - Lebanon taken in winter by Paul Saad. 4 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1 Text

• Charbel Makhluf Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charbel_Makhluf?oldid=624914224 Contributors: Psi-Lord, Hardy, Kaihsu, Dimadick, Gentgeen, Necrothesp, Sam Hocevar, Lifefeed, Man vyi, Caeruleancentaur, Roadking, Garzo, Eternalsleeper, Brendan- conway, Deansfa, Cuchullain, Amire80, Vegaswikian, DoubleBlue, FlaBot, Jaraalbe, YurikBot, Briaboru, Neilbeach, BOT-Superzerocool, Hide&Reason, SmackBot, Vanished user fij2093ju5mf8j23romsg, Filius Rosadis, Hmains, Betacommand, Carl.bunderson, Colonies Chris, ,Gorog, Angeldeb82, Yellaban, Thijs!bot, Emoxer, PhilKnight ,דניאל צבי ,Konstable, MLeb, Squamate, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, Chrisch59 Magioladitis, MartinBot, Linaduliban, CommonsDelinker, ConservativeDC, Skier Dude, Geekdiva, Idioma-bot, VolkovBot, Majoreditor, Kyle the bot, ANB, Puronthego, Katimawan2005, Cmcnicoll, Bitbut, AlleborgoBot, Elie plus, Lucasbfrbot, Chuck56, Jc3schmi, Light- mouse, Gr8opinionater, Benkenobi18, 47of74, PipepBot, Riccardo Riccioni, Thingg, .cormier, MystBot, Good Olfactory, Addbot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Ptbotgourou, Bulgab, Roltz, AnomieBOT, Elvis214, Xqbot, Shadowjams, AridaC, Urjouan, Jschnur, MastiBot, Full- date unlinking bot, Yunshui, the Monk, RjwilmsiBot, Annalynmj3, EmausBot, Rafqa, ZéroBot, Hardyart, ClueBot NG, Man- nanan51, Helpful Pixie Bot, BG19bot, Xuandy, ChrisGualtieri, Eddymou, Periglio, VIAFbot, Basho 31, PadreCanu, Romtam, Cksaad and Anonymous: 88

7.2 Images

• File:Charbel.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Charbel.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: www. st-charbel.fr Original artist: Unknown (Old Photo) • File:Gloriole_blur.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Gloriole_blur.svg License: Public domain Contrib- utors: Own work Original artist: Eubulides • File:Pan_Annaya_Church_And_Monastry.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Pan_Annaya_Church_ And_Monastry.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: paul saad • File:Pan_Annaya_in_Winter.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Pan_Annaya_in_Winter.JPG Li- cense: CC-BY-SA-4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: paul saad • File:Statue_of_Saint_Charbel.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Statue_of_Saint_Charbel.JPG Li- cense: CC-BY-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Quadell using CommonsHelper. Original artist: Original uploader was Eternalsleeper at en.wikipedia

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