lebanese family club

After 16 years in the Monastery, Charbel asked his superiors for
permission to live in seclusion as a hermit where he later lived for
23 years in sacrifice and solitude in his cell. He prayed without
interruption. He celebrated Mass behind a grill to avoid any
contact with the outside world.
During his time a terrible plague of grasshoppers that devastated
fields and destroyed crops, caused thousands of Lebanese to die of
starvation. When the clouds of insects darkened the horizon, the
father superior asked Charbel to bless the water and all the fields
touched by this water were left alone. Both Christian and Muslims
in the area trusted Charbel who died on 24 December 1889 on
Christmas eve while he was celebrating the holy Eucharist.
5 months later a stream of bright lights was seen shining on
Charbel’s grave in the middle of the chapel. This was no surprise
to the father superior as he considered Charbel a saint while he was
still alive.
The grave was dug and opened, the body was intact but with
blood and Charbel looked as if he was sleeping. He was later put
in a stone grave to prevent his body from the curiosity of people.
In 1927, the walls of the grave started leaking, the grave was
opened again and the body was intact, flexible and coated with a
mysterious substance. A great number of miracles happened every
time the grave was opened.
In 1950, the grave was opened again where the body was still
intact and Charbel looked alive completely without decomposition.
Charbel was beatified in 1965 and canonised on the 9th October,
1977.
May St Charbel’s prayers be with us always.
Amen.