2024-07-24 00:00:00
Every July 24th, Saint Charbel Makhlouf, a Lebanese priest, ascetic and religious who belonged to the Maronite Catholic Church – Eastern Church dating back to the 5th century, today one of the 24 Churches, is celebrated.independent” (in their own right) make up the Catholic Church-.
Saint Charbel was the first saint from the East to be canonized after several centuries (no member of the Eastern Church had been canonized since the 13th century); and he is one of the most beloved saints in the Spanish world, especially in Mexico.
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Maronite monk and priest
Saint Charbel, whose original name was Youssef Antoun (Joseph Anthony) Makhlouf (Majluf), was born in Beqakafra, Lebanon, on May 8, 1828. He lost his father at the age of three, so he was left to care for him alone. his mother. She married a Maronite priest again – in the Maronite rite priests are allowed to marry – which would eventually have a very positive effect on the saint.
In general, the Makhloufs were a family marked by faith and piety – two of Youssef’s uncles were hermit monks – thanks to which the saint was able to grow up in a religious environment, surrounded by authentic spirituality.
At the age of twenty-three, Youssef left his mother’s home and entered the monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouq as a candidate, later taking the name of the famous Syrian martyr: Charbel.
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The young monk made his solemn vows in 1853 and was ordained a priest a few years later, in 1859, and was incorporated into the regular clergy under the patriarchate of Paul I Peter Masad (Maronite Patriarch of Antioch from 1854 until his death in 1890). .
Almost immediately, Father Charbel would be sent to the monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, located in the mountainous heights of Lebanon, at 1067 meters above sea level.
To hear God’s voice better
Father Charbel lived in San Marón for fifteen years, being a model monk, dedicated to prayer, apostolic and spiritual studies.
It will be years later when he finds the call to life in solitude and begins to live as a hermit. To do this, because of his canonical status, he needed special permission. The saint would receive the expected authorization on 13 February 1875.
From that day until his death in 1898, Saint Charbel was dedicated to asceticism, penance, manual work and prayer. This included a prayer regime with the main and middle hours of the Liturgy of the hours (at seven different times of the day) -, and, naturally, the daily Mass. Saint Charbel ate only once a day and spent most of his time in silence. Eventually he would interrupt his hours of meditation to receive the many visitors, who were attracted by his reputation for wisdom and blessing. People of all kinds came in search of spiritual advice, a promise of some prayer or, directly, in search of some miracle – Saint Charbel earned a reputation as a miracle worker for the miraculous cures that occurred among those who went to him.
universal man
Saint Charbel died on December 24, 1898. He was beatified by Pope Saint Paul VI on December 5, 1965 during the closing of the Second Vatican Council. Years later, Paul VI himself would canonize him on October 9, 1977, in the context of the commemoration of the World Synod of Bishops.
The devotion to Saint Charbel is spread within and beyond the borders of Lebanon, even in very remote territories, with very different cultural forms. Proof of this is the strong respect he enjoys in Mexico, and elsewhere in Latin America. In that sense, San Charbel is a very real “bridge” between East and West, a link established by the Holy Spirit.
Link between East and West
The case of devotion to Saint Charbel in Mexico is a very special one. This is mainly due to the Maronite immigration to that country – which began in the 19th century – as well as the significant number of miracles attributed to the intercession of the Lebanese saints.
These deserve special mention: it is said that the Church has recorded and investigated a number exceeding two ten thousand. Some of these even had media influence.
Saint Charbel Makhlouf, pray for us!
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If you want to know more about Saint Charbel, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Charbel_Makhlouf.
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