25/07/2026
BE IN THE KNOW | In Need of Miracles (Healing)?, Ask St. Charbel
1️⃣ A Life of Extraordinary Holiness
Born in Lebanon in 1828, St. Charbel Makhlouf displayed a profound love for prayer, silence, and God from his earliest years. At the age of 31, he was ordained to the priesthood and faithfully served his monastery for sixteen years. Seeking a deeper life of union with God, he later embraced the demanding vocation of a hermit, dedicating himself entirely to prayer, penance, and contemplation.
His lifestyle reflected remarkable simplicity and self-denial. According to The Maronite Monk by Jim Dunning, St. Charbel wore a hair shirt as an act of penance, slept on a straw mat using a wooden plank as a pillow, and ate only one modest meal each day, often consisting of leftovers from the monastery. Above all, he had an extraordinary love for the Holy Eucharist, spending long hours preparing to celebrate Mass and remaining in thanksgiving long after it had ended.
On December 24, 1898, St. Charbel suffered a stroke while celebrating the Divine Liturgy and died at the age of 70. Yet the remarkable events associated with his life did not end with his death.
2️⃣ Miracles After His Death
For approximately forty-five days after his burial, numerous villagers and fellow monks reported seeing an unexplained bright light surrounding St. Charbel’s tomb. Drawn by these extraordinary events, many pilgrims began visiting his grave to pray and to remember the humble monk whose holiness had deeply touched their lives.
Jim Dunning writes that those who knew him recognized the sacrifices he had quietly embraced throughout his life. They remembered his endurance through hardship, poverty, hunger, and cold, as well as his constant prayer, gentle spirit, humility, and thoughtful silence. Many villagers who had received the Eucharist from him testified to the profound impression his sanctity had left on them.
Four months after his burial, St. Charbel’s body was exhumed and was found to be remarkably well preserved despite the damp conditions and heavy rainfall. Witnesses also reported that a reddish fluid, described as resembling a mixture of blood and perspiration, flowed from his body for many years. According to historical accounts, his body remained largely incorrupt until 1927, almost thirty years after his death, becoming one of the most well-known signs associated with his sanctity.
3️⃣ The Continuing Intercession of a Saint
The Catholic Church has officially recognized dozens of miracles attributed to St. Charbel’s intercession, with some reports suggesting over 33,000 cases of healings and interventions from around the world.
4️⃣ Here are just a few remarkable examples:
Sister Mary Abel Kamari (1950): After 14 years of incurable intestinal illness, Sister Mary was declared a hopeless case by doctors. Following a night of prayer at St. Charbel’s grave, she was instantaneously healed — a recovery described as “a supernatural happening beyond man’s power to explain.”
Iskandar Naim Obeid (1950): A blacksmith blinded in one eye for 13 years due to retinal damage, Obeid dreamt of a monk who promised healing. The next morning, his vision was fully restored.
Mariam Awad (1967): Suffering from advanced throat cancer and severe respiratory distress, Mariam was instantly cured after a pilgrimage to Charbel’s tomb. She was able to eat, breathe, and speak without pain immediately after the visit.
Nohad El Shami (1993): After a stroke left her paralyzed on her left side, Nohad reported a dream in which St. Charbel performed surgery on her neck. Upon waking, she found two fresh wounds and complete healing.
Dafne Gutierrez (2016): A 30-year-old mother from Phoenix, Arizona, Dafne was declared legally blind. After receiving a blessing with St. Charbel’s relic at a local Maronite Catholic church, her sight was fully restored.
5️⃣ What’s most striking is how this Lebanese hermit monk, unknown to many outside the Maronite tradition, continues to transform lives across languages, nations, and cultures. These stories raise deep questions: How do we explain incorruptibility? How do we account for spontaneous healings in response to intercessory prayer?
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God bless!🙏
