CHARBEL

CHARBEL

LEBANESE MARONITE SAINT

MARONITE LEBANESE HERITAGE CENTRE

MARONITE EPARCHY OF AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY 2005

SAINT CHARBEL

We are happy to present this biography of
SAINT CHARBEL

on the occasion of the visi to the Maronite Eparchy of Australia of the relics of the three Maronite Lebanese Saints.
This is the first time, in the history of the Maronite Church, that the Saints’ relics have departed Lebanon’s shores.
Under the slogan of our Bishop and Pastor, Ad Abikaram, “New Horizons for New Times”,
the Relics Visit provides a unique opportunity for every family and every Maronite,
young and old, to better know Maronite spirituality through the life and works of the Saints.
May all of us accept this invitation to renew our faith,
and our connection with our Maronite heritage and culture.

PROLOGUE

On 11 May 1950, 49-year-old Mountaha Daher Boulos made her way to a humble shrine perched on the topmost point of Mt Lebanon in search of a miracle. As a one-year-old infant, Mountaha had suffered a malignant fever which had left her with a prominent hump on her left shoulder. After several failed efforts at treating the deformity, Mountaha had given up on it as being hopeless. Yet, on this day, hope had found new life in her heart. However, it was not to cure her deformity that she journeyed to the shrine at Annaya. She merely wished to pray for her orphan nephews and for herself, asking only that her eyesight would endure long enough to enable her to support herself as a seamstress.

Four days later back in her own house, she awoke at 4:30 am to begin her day and started to dress. When she looked in the mirror, she witnessed a miracle. The ugly hump on her shoulder had vanished.

This is but one of the many miracles that have been attributed to Saint Charbel whose tomb attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. The barren little spot, that otherwise would most likely have been neglected by the rest of the world, teems with humanity. Some approach it by their own power, others have to be carried to it. The blind, the lame, the sick, the infirm, the dying and even the healthy – they all come with hope and a prayer.

CHAPTER ONE

JOY AND PAIN

In northern Lebanon, sheltered by tall cedar forests and some 4,800 feet above the Mediterranean, there is a small town named Bkaa-Kafra. In this town, on 8 May 1828, a farmer named Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and his wife Bridgit welcomed their youngest child, Youssef (Joseph), into the world. These were hard times for the Christian citizens of Lebanon because many of them, including Antoun Zaarour, had been forced into hard labour by the Turks. As part of the forced hard labour, Antoun was obliged to transport his harvest by donkey to the Turkish Emir. On 8 August 1831, on one such journey far from his home, Antoun contracted a high fever and died.

Youssef, then age three, and his four older siblings, John, Beshara, Cowny and Wardy, were left without a father, and young Bridgit was widowed. In keeping with the customs of those times, the family of Antoun was placed under the guardianship of Antoun’s brother, Tanous Zaarour Makhlouf.

Tanous Makhlouf and Bridgit ensured that the children received a proper religious education in the Maronite tradition. They attended Mass regularly and learned to pray and fast. Youssef studied at the parish school. After school, he took care of the family cow. He spent a great deal of time in the pastures against the backdrop of lofty mountains and fertile valleys. The religious environment and inspiring landscapes inculcated a profound spirituality in the young Youssef. Even at an early age, he would often forsake the company of his friends and retreat to the seclusion of a cavern located on the outskirts of town to meditate and pray.

Youssef was also influenced and impressed by his maternal uncles Augustin and Daniel al-Shediyaq, who were hermits at the monastery of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya in the Qadisha Valley (also called the Valley of Saints). He would visit them, turn to them for guidance and follow their example. His Uncle Tanous wanted Youssef to continue working with him, and his mother hoped that he would marry. They were therefore concerned about the influence that August and Daniel had on Youssef, fearing that he also would turn to a religious life.

One morning in 1851, their fears were realised the Makhlouf family awoke to discover that Youssef was missing. Soon the whole village joined in investigating the disappearance, and after a long search learned that Youssef had fled to the Monastery of St Maroun Annaya, near the town of Ehmege, which was located at some distance from the town of Bkaa-Kafra. As long as Youssef was a minor, he could not pursue his vocation. However, having attained majority he was no longer restricted.

CHAPTER TWO

ON THE ROAD TO THE HEIGHTS

The monastery that Youssef entered was conducted by the Maronite Order of St Anthony of the Desert, Father of Monks. The Maronite Order consists of three different branches, being the Lebanese Order, which is the mother branch; the Aleppins; and the Antonines. The branch that Youssef joined was the Lebanese Order.

Upon being admitted to the novitiate, Youssef changed his name to Charbel. This was the name of an early Christian martyr who had suffered martyrdom in 107 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Trajan. The change of name signified that Youssef had renounced the world and all its claims upon him. He now served only one master – the Divine Master, and would henceforth dedicate his life to Christ. When his family learned of his admission into the monastery, they hastened after him in the hope of persuading him to change his mind and return home to them. However, their pleadings were to no avail.

Two years after his novitiate, the monastery council, under the patronage of its Superior, considered and approved Charbel’s request to become a monk. At Mass on 1 November 1853, he took his monastic vows in the presence of the Superior, the Novice Master and other monks of the monastery. These people represented his monastic family. Having renounced the world and all its ties, it was befitting that no member of his biological family was present at this momentous occasion.

During Mass the novice affirmed to the Superior that he was ready to observe all his vows. He then took the monastic oath, vowing, “I, Brother Charbel, promise Almighty God, in the presence of my Most Reverend Father General, to commit myself to obedience, chastity and voluntary poverty until death, according to our Rule and Order.”

After pronouncing his vows, his hair was cut to show his dedication. He was then dressed in the black monastic habit, the angelic cowl [hood], the belt of the Order, the tassel and the habit. Each of these has its own special meaning and is an important symbol in the novitiate’s transition to monkhood.

The black garb means that the monk has withdrawn from the world and all things worldly. By wearing the habit – the cloth of the poor – the monk proclaims his poverty. The angelic cowl is what the angel gave to Saint Anthony the Great. It symbolises the purity of the monk, who has forsaken the world and renounced his desire for marriage and children. By wearing the cowl, the monk proclaims his chastity and celibacy – his total commitment to the will of God. The belt symbolises the monk’s fidelity and chastity. The black tassel reminds us of the whip used to scourge Jesus. Every time the monk touches the tassel, he says “With your pain, O Jesus Christ.” The robe symbolises the plea to God to protect the monk. It means that the monk is in God’s care.

CHAPTER THREE

THE LURE OF THE CLOISTER

As we have seen, from an early age Brother Charbel had walked in the shadow of God. In his early years, at an age when most young men like nothing better than to socialise with their friends, Youssef had preferred the solitude of a secluded cave where he could commune with his Maker. Neither the love of his uncle nor his mother was sufficient to deter him from renouncing his home and his family. Two incidents exemplify his renunciation of this world.

Soon after he became a monk, his mother, Bridgit, came to the monastery and begged to see her son. One can imagine how eagerly a son would welcome the sight of his mother’s face and the sound of her voice. Brother Charbel, however, refused to meet with her. In agony, Bridgit asked of him, “How can you deprive me of the sight of you, my dear child?” To which he replied, “We shall see each other for all eternity in heaven, God willing.”

When his brother John passed away in 1897, Brother Charbel refused the inheritance which had passed on to him saying, “I have abandoned the outside world. My brother John died this year, but I was dead to the world at the moment I left Bkaa-Kafra to enter the monastery in 1851. Like the dead, the monk can neither take nor give.” Brother Charbel chose to impoverish himself in this world in order to enrich himself in the next.

As a monk, Brother Charbel learned and followed the rules of his Order to the letter, including:

• He must say Mass and visit the chapel frequently night and day.

• He must pray, meditate and read the Holy Scriptures.

• He must do manual labour as a powerful remedy for many temptations, as a proof that he is not deserting his human obligations and in accordance
with the stern injunction of Saint Paul: “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.”

• He must live a life of strict poverty.

Brother Charbel ate only one meal daily, and that too generally consisted of the leftovers from the meals of the other monks. He never ate meat or any delicacy and even though he tilled the fields and took care of the vineyards, he never tasted the fruits of his labours. He saw to it, however, that his guests were served honey, grapes and the other garden fruit which he denied himself. He slept on a mattress stuffed with oak leaves, and his coverlet consisted of a piece of felt. His pillow was a wooden log covered with black cloth. He wore a hair-shirt and made no concession to the harsh, cold winter weather. More than one person describes how he celebrated Mass, shivering and chilled to the bone.

In addition to the many penitential exercises that he undertook, Brother Charbel engaged in constant manual labor. When working in the fields, he would choose the most difficult tasks for himself.

CHAPTER FOUR

CALLED BY NAME

After receiving his habit, Brother Charbel was assigned to the Monastery of St Cyprian at Kfifan in order to study for the priesthood. While in this institution, he learned the Syriac and Arabic languages and took the customary ecclesiastical courses in dogmatic and moral theology. His teachers, Father Nemetallah Kafry and Father Nemetallah Kassab Al-Hardini, were renowned for their knowledge and piety. Under their tutelage, Brother Charbel distinguished himself as a leader in his studies.

On 23 July 1859, Brother Charbel was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph Madrid upon the order of the Patriarch Paul Massad. Immediately after his ordination, he joined his brother monks in the Monastery of St Maroun. This monastery was located in a desert region, isolated from the world, and at an altitude of 3,600 feet above sea level. He spent the next fifteen years of his life here, practising poverty, chastity and obedience. He divided his time between prayer and labour in the fields. Farm work provided subsistence for the community. It was customary for him to spend entire nights in fervent prayer. On more than one occasion, his brother monks found him still deep in meditation when the first light of dawn broke. He endeavoured to attend all the Masses of the community and was the first to enter the chapel and the last one to leave it.

        During his last year at the monastery, an incident occurred which not only reflects on Father Charbel’s piety, but also presages the numerous miracles that were attributed to him after his death. It so happened that, one day, on finding his supply of oil low, Father Charbel requested a monk named Brother Francis to refill his lamp. Brother Francis, however, failed to comply with this request. Knowing this, one of the servants decided to play a practical joke on Father Charbel. He secretly filled the lamp not with oil, but with water.

        Unaware of what had transpired, Father Charbel continued to burn his lamp and noticed no change in the intensity of the light it provided. However, lost in prayer, he failed to put out his light at the sound of the curfew bell, a practice that had been ordered by the Superior. Attracted by the glow of light in the otherwise dark monastery, the Superior, Father Elias, severely chided Father Charbel for his disobedience. True to his humble disposition, Father Charbel made no excuses, nor offered any justification. He simply knelt before Father Elias with his hands crossed upon his breast in an act of contrition. When the servant learned of this, he informed the Superior that the lamp contained nothing but water. Father Elias examined the fuel and even rubbed some of it on his beard. When he realised that it was indeed water, Father Elias became convinced of Father Charbel’s saintliness. He knelt before his spiritual son, apologising and begging for a blessing.

        Father Charbel always regarded himself as the least of the community and was always ready to wait upon his brother monks. He would habitually choose for himself the most laborious tasks, saying to his Superior, “If you judge me worthy, give me the heaviest and most humiliating work.”

CHAPTER FIVE

ENTER AND SHUT THE DOOR

In accordance with the Maronite rule, the major houses of the order generally have, nearby, a place of solitude called mahbass or hermitage. The hermitage typically houses a hermit and another brother who helps him with domestic work. The hermit’s life is even more austere than that of the monks, after the example of St Anthony the Great and the other Fathers of the Desert. Approximately one half-mile distant from the Monastery of St Maroun, there was a hermitage named after Saints Peter and Paul. It was built on the summit of Annaya, at an altitude of 5,200 feet above sea level. Not content with giving up the world and his possessions, Father Charbel yearned to deny and distance himself further from worldly possessions, and requested to live in the hermitage. Father Charbel entered the hermitage in 1875, and it was here that he would spend the last 23 years of his life. Accounts of those who came into contact with him during this time provide some insight into the kindness, piety and compassion of Father Charbel.

One of the nearby residents recounts that at age ten, he used to serve Mass for Father Charbel. One day, he accepted a handful of nuts from the hermit while the latter was kneeling in prayer. After about three hours, the little boy came back for more and found that Father Charbel was still absorbed in contemplation.

Another resident, named Maroun Peter, tells the story of a snake who used to take food from the hands of Father Charbel. After feeding it, the hermit would send it away in peace, ordering it not to touch anyone. One day, Maroun’s father went to the hermitage carrying a shotgun. Unaware of the history of the snake, he shot it. This greatly saddened Father Charbel who asked of the man, “Why did you kill this poor creature when it did not harm you?” It is easy to gauge how deep must have been Father Charbel’s kindness towards his fellow humans when he felt so much compassion towards as despised a creature as a snake.

At one time, some people who were raising silkworms asked Father Charbel to bless some water in order to protect the silkworms against rats that were destroying them. Father Charbel blessed the water and then sprinkled it on the silkworms. Those present testify to seeing all the rats and even some snakes immediately scurrying away from the premises, trying to leave as fast as they could.

During one particularly hot season, an army of locusts invaded Lebanon and destroyed the vegetation. As they were making their way to the monastery fields, the Superior asked Father Charbel to pray on behalf of the community. The hermit stood on the roof of the hermitage, blessed some water and sprayed it in the form of a cross. Although all the surrounding lands were destroyed, not a single locust entered the monastery fields.

CHAPTER SIX

THE LAST DAYS

Well into his 70th year, Father Charbel enjoyed good health. However, on the morning of 16 December 1898, at the solemn moment of Consecration during Holy Mass, he felt an acute pain in his chest. Father Makarius, his companion, carried him to his cell after removing the Mass vestments. Father Charbel rested only a short while and then returned to the altar to finish the Holy Sacrifice. When he reached the part of the Mass that is accompanied by the supplication beginning “O Father of Truth”, the pain returned. For a few moments he remained motionless, with the Host and Chalice held aloft in his hands until his fellow hermits pried open his fingers and removed the Sacred Species. Father Makarius once again carried him back to his cell. This would be the last Mass that Father Charbel would celebrate, and he was destined to leave it unfinished.

The pain that attacked Father Charbel was actually the beginning of paralysis. For eight days, Father Charbel endured his suffering with the calm patience and acceptance of God’s will that had exemplified his life. Throughout, he constantly invoked the Holy Names of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and the Apostles Peter and Paul. He also kept repeating the last invocation of his last Mass, “O Father of Truth…”.

Father Makarius and Father Michael Abi-Ramya of Ehmege assisted him by spiritual readings and administered the last rites to him. Even though his body was failing him, Father Charbel’s will, discipline and commitment to his faith remained as strong as ever. He refused the nourishment that was offered him because it contained butter and it was now the period of abstinence preparatory to Christmas. On Christmas Eve 1898, Father Charbel’s soul was called up to heaven.

When the hermits removed his garments following his death, they found further proof of his love of penance – there was a prickly horse hair-shirt next to his skin, and his loins were girded with a rough cord.

According to the custom of the community, Father Charbel was buried in the cemetery of the monastery clothed in his religious habit, and without a coffin. His funeral reflected the monastic simplicity of his life. There was a sense of veneration during the funeral and all those present felt that they were burying a saint. It was also reported that several people observed a light flickering around his tomb on the night of the burial.

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE MIRACLES OF THE BURIAL

Father Charbel’s body was interred in the Cemetery of St Maroun, Annaya, without embalming, and clothed only in his monastic tunic. As stated earlier, his body was placed in the earth without the protection of a coffin. It is important to remember this, because three months after his death, following reports of mysterious happenings, Father Charbel’s tomb was opened. Those present witnessed an astonishing spectacle. Father Charbel’s body was in perfect condition, just as it had been when he died. His remains floated on the water which had saturated his grave. Despite this, however, his burial garments were intact.

Father Charbel’s body was removed and placed in a wooden coffin. It was then laid in the corner of the monastery where the Holy Sacrifice was celebrated daily. The body was segregated in order to ensure its preservation and to make it more accessible for observation in the event of any supernatural manifestations in the future. After it had been exhumed, Father Charbel’s body appeared to be constantly perspiring and bleeding. In fact, the odour of blood could be sensed around it. The monks would change its garments and wash it frequently. However, the stain of blood remained on the alb. The post mortem bleeding and perspiring was an extraordinary phenomenon, completely contrary to the laws of nature and no adequate scientific explanation for it could be found.

Some twenty-three years after Father Charbel’s internment, Doctor Elias Honaisi visited Annaya and stated, “I saw the remains of the servant of God, Charbel, in the monastery of St Maroun, Annaya. Approaching the coffin where the body is laid, I detected the odour of blood – an odour common only to living bodies.

Examining the body with keener attention and scrutiny, I observed the secretion of some substance through the pores. Considering the number of years since his death, this phenomenon appears to me as completely out of the ordinary course of nature and cannot be adequately explained scientifically. I have repeated these investigations several times, and each time witnessed the same phenomena.”

On 24 July 1927, the remains of Father Charbel again underwent burial in the presence of many people. The body was garbed with Mass vestments, and his head was covered with the monastic cowl. The body was laid in a new wooden coffin which was covered on the exterior with sheets of zinc. Two official documents bearing authentic statements concerning Father Charbel were encased in a zinc tube and placed in the coffin with the body. One statement was signed by the ecclesiastical commission and the other by the medical commission which examined the body. The casket was then secured with the seal of the commission and deposited into a new grave especially prepared in the wall of the monastery crypt.

Decades later, one cold evening in February 1950, the Superior, Father Younes, sat dozing before a fire just before retiring for the night. Suddenly, he felt an invisible hand on his shoulder and a voice commanded him, “Get up and go to my tomb.” At first he dismissed it as a dream, but a little while later, he felt a tug at his elbow and heard the voice commanding, “Arise, I said to you, and go and open my tomb.” Once again, he shrugged it off as a dream, but again, he felt an insistent tug on his elbow and heard the voice saying, “You must open my tomb. I am Father Charbel.” By this time, Father Younes was thoroughly shaken, so he summoned two Brothers and related his experience to them. Together, they went to Father Charbel’s tomb and noticed seepage from the tomb. Afraid that damage would occur to the grave from this moisture, the Superior ordered the tomb to be re-opened on 25 February 1950.

When the tomb was re-opened in the presence of many witnesses, it was discovered that the seepage consisted of a mixture of perspiration and blood – a phenomenon which, as stated previously, was contrary to all laws of nature. Furthermore, not only was the body intact, it was as soft, pliable and warm as a living body. Once again, the tomb was sealed. It is notable that during these proceedings, an amice was used to wipe the face of Father Charbel. Subsequently, his likeness was found to have been imprinted on the amice – similar to the impression of Jesus Christ on the Shroud of Turin.

Upon hearing of these wonderful occurrences, pilgrims from all over the countryside, including many of the Islamic faith, began flocking to Fr Charbel’s tomb. Among them was a blind Moslem who had travelled from Damascus. He scratched the marble of the tomb and whispered, “Charbel, Charbel, do not disappoint me. You have appeared to me in Damascus and told me to come here. You must cure me.” His faith was rewarded and he gained his eyesight.

CHAPTER EIGHT

OTHER MIRACLES

The Miraculous Cure of the Baby

Reverend Michael Abraham d’Assemani, former parish priest of the Sacred Heart Church in Michigan City, USA, travelled to Fr Charbel’s tomb in September 1950. He recounts an incident that he witnessed. A mother placed her child, who was terminally ill from pernicious anaemia, on the floor near Fr Charbel’s tomb. Imploring God through the intercession of his servant, Fr Charbel, she prayed and wept. She heard a voice saying, ‘Fear not, mother, God has heard your prayer. Arise and take up your boy. He is cured.’

The Miraculous Cure of Sister Marie-Abel

Sister Marie-Abel, aged 37, had been bed-ridden from the ravages of an ulcer which had plagued her for 14 years. The ulcer had affected her liver, gall bladder and kidneys and, despite two operations, her condition continued to deteriorate. Her right hand was paralysed and she could only walk with the help of a cane, or with the help of a sister. Having heard about the miracles of Charbel, she started praying to him, saying, “If you wish to cure me, appear to me in my dreams.” That very night, she saw him standing near her bed with uplifted hands. At another time, she dreamt that she was praying before the altar when suddenly all the candles were lit and she saw Fr Charbel, with his hands raised in blessing. On 11 July 1950, accompanied by three sisters, she travelled from her convent in Bikfaya to Fr Charbel’s tomb. Upon arriving at St Maroun’s Monastery, she saw a large crowd of people afflicted with various diseases. She went up to the tomb and touched it. “As soon as my hand touched the stone of the tomb,” she relates, “I felt a current running through my spine.” After the recitation of prayers, she was carried to a room and laid on a bed to rest.

That evening, she asked her Superior to allow her to spend the night at the tomb. The Superior refused, saying, “The crowd is too dense. Put off your visit until later.” Unable to spend the night at the tomb, Sister Marie-Abel prayed, “Father Charbel, you are a monk and I am a nun. You know how the religious are bound by the vow of obedience. I have to accept this soft bed in a private room instead of spending the night near your tomb. See what you can do for me.”

In the morning she was carried to the tomb, where she assisted at three Masses. After three hours of prayer, she was invited to go for a cup of coffee. However, she refused to leave the tomb without being cured. She thanked those who had carried her to the tomb saying, “I thank you. I shall not bother you again, for I will leave on my feet.” Her eyes fixed on the tomb, she noticed that the name of Father Charbel, engraved on it, was bathed in perspiration, and the drops sparkled like pearls. Believing that the mysterious drops were a gift from Fr Charbel to her, she soaked them up in her handkerchief and applied them to the afflicted parts of her body. “What happened,” she says, “I do not know. What I am certain of is that I suddenly rose to my feet and walked in the presence of the Sisters and the crowd near the tomb. All eyes were fixed on me in astonishment. Then the cry arose, ‘Agibi! Agibi! A miracle! A miracle! God be praised for His mercy.’ The monastery bells pealed forth to the honour of Fr Charbel and the surrounding churches echoed the same refrain of joy and thanksgiving.”

The Miraculous Cure of Maroun Azouri

Maroun Azouri, a young Lebanese soldier, had suffered a serious leg injury during the Palestinian War. The leg had been completely crushed and had to be amputated. The young man who had heretofore been strong and renowned for his courage, became a cripple who was forced to move around on crutches. In his anguish, he turned to Fr Charbel and prostrated himself at the tomb at St Maroun’s Monastery. A continuous vigil of three days and three nights followed. What happened next was a miracle.

Some days later, an assigned guard stood on duty at the Ministry of Public Defence. Suddenly a young man advanced toward him. The man’s footfall was sturdy and firm. As he neared the guard, the man quickened his pace. At first, the guard did not recognise the approaching figure. Then he heard, “I am Maroun Azouri, your army comrade.” The guard was stupefied with amazement for he remembered Azouri as being crippled for life. Now, however, Azouri not only stood before him, his leg fully restored, he bodily lifted the young guard, demonstrating that his strength had also been fully restored. Soon the news of the miracle spread through the town and joyous celebrations followed.

CHAPTER NINE

BEATIFICATION AND CANONISATION

These are but a few of the many miracles attributed to the monk and hermit, Father Charbel. In 1965, on the last day of the Second Vatican Council, Father Charbel was beatified by Pope Paul VI. In 1977, the hermit of Lebanon was declared Saint by the same Pope—the first Saint of an Eastern Church to be canonised by a Roman Pontiff.

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