A: A portrait of Fr. Sharbel
I-Description
He was 160 cm tall (5ft-3 ); slim and slender body, straight back, long and
thin fingers, proportional neck and mouth, long refined nose, long hair
according to the tradition of the hermits, thin arms as a thumb.
His face was
round and fine, overflowing with bright light, marked by the severity of God,
and drew all hearts to it. His forehead was wrinkled, brimming with gaiety,
reported by the gentleness, tranquility and serenity of the heart.
His face
reflected the devotion and the love of God at all time, especially during
prayer. A heavenly light illuminated his face, because the Lord has become his
strength, his wealth and his permanent joy. His face was pale, light brown,
tanned from the sun. Due to the many mortification and the long vigil nights of
prayers, he became very slim, just skin and bones, but he used to walk quickly
even in his old age. He was very ardent in all his affairs.
His beard was
short and thin inclined to be blond in origin, and had Gray hair in the middle
and at the top sides; and he rarely washed it, so it became twisted from the
lack of washing and care. His hair in his majority kept black, almost until his
death.
II-Stories and Events
1 - Pale
When Fr. Moubarak visited Sharbel's
hermitage for the first time, he summoned all the hermits; Fr. Sharbel came and
sat opposite to him, his eyes downcast, his hands crossed on his knee; he did
not raise his eyes to look at him, nor at the brother who accompanied him; he
did not speak to them, nor asked any question, but he was answering briefly and
meekly to their questions. Six years later when they came for the second
visit, he behaved like the first time - in his presence, his attitude, his way
to sit down and talk; they noticed no change, only that he was pale. He was so
colorless, and if his interlocutor did not notice a twinkle in his eyes, he
would believe he was dead. His body melted like a candle in the Love of God, so
that he became skinny, thin and pale.
2 - His daily schedule
When the bell
rings early in the morning, we see Fr. Sharbel kneeling straight next to the
door, behind everyone, he remains in this position, holding his book in his
hand; the other hand rests on his chest, and his face turns toward the ground.
After the early mass, he goes to the
field, without a grace of period or distraction, with a rope and a pickax, until
sunset. But he doesn’t go due to his own desire but according to the order of
his superior or by the order of the landowner. He used to go, walking to his
work, in the near or far field, or in the vineyard, carrying his Rosary and
praying, looking neither right nor left, speaking with no one. If someone tells
him; "Praise be God", he would answer: "God bless you." When he arrives to the
place of his work, he at once, takes his pickax, and begins to work with a big
desire and lot of energy, like a wage-earner with a large payment that
increases, if he increases his work. He doesn't care, if the head of the work
is a priest, a brother or an employee, they all represent the authority, which
comes from God. He works with all his strength, a constant continuous hard work,
without taking a break or raising his head from the ground.
He puts all his energy into this work so
that the sweat drips from his forehead and from his clothes. He never raises the
hood to wipe his sweat but it was always tied.
Sometimes, he builds partition walls,
gathers the stones aside by his hands, cut the grass to isolate the ground in
front of the sewer. His hands chunked and became so dry from the hard work.
In the days of intense heat at the
time of harvest, like in the days of winter, he doesn’t raise the hood from his
eyes, and when the other brethren were sitting to rest, drinking cold water, and
hanging out together, he was sitting aside and alone; he does not speak or
drink, as if he was waiting impatiently to return to his job. If it hasn’t been
for obedience to the command, he wouldn't have rested.
When the bell rings for prayers, he
retires to a hiding place, kneeling on the stones, arms outstretched in prayer,
after this pause, he resumes his job, always in perfect silence.
If the head of the field delayed to
invite Fr. Sharbel and the monks to eat at noon, he would not afflict, nor say
we are hungry or tired; these words have never come to his mind, he has never
uttered them; if the stones in the field and the trees speak, Fr. Sharbel
speaks.
The only sound around him was the sound
of the hatchet when they came upon the stones or the echo of the stones that he
picked for the construction of the enclosing wall or when he threw a pile of
stones. The silence was his closest friend and his intimate companion.
The monks and the workers revered him
and respected his virtues and avoided to talk useless speech with him, no one
dared to joke around him, or talked with him about the incidents occurring in
the world, as he was not interested in them, nor care for what was happening in
the country, or in the matters relating to the Order's management, but his main
concern, in all, was only God, leaving everything to the Divine Providence.
He remains in the field until the
sunset, and if the supervisor kept working to a late hour, Fr. Sharbel remains
working in the same energy which he began the work, rather his enthusiasm
increases with more work. He never pointed out to the field's supervisor that
the time is already over; primarily, he never objected anything.
In the evening, he was gathering
grass and wood to form a large bundle and carries it on his back and returns to
the convent bending under the weight, holding the rosary in his hand and
praying.
The days when it was snowing and
raining, and that on Sundays and holidays in the summer, he never leaves the
Church or his cell.
3 - How does he eat?
Fr. Elias Ehmej
witnessed: In the evening, at the time of eating, his companion called him, he
came, his arms folded, head bowed, eyes lowered to the ground, while his hood
was up to his eyes. He remained upright till his companion told him to sit. So
he sat down on the floor after praying, pulled a foot above the other, the hem
of his habits covered his feet; still with arms crossed, as mentioned
above, waited for his companion to tell him: "Eat."
Then he put his plate of clay before
him, made the sign of Cross carefully and reverently as if he was in the church
then he began to eat, silently, quietly and decently. After eating, one of his
two companions ordered him to wash the dishes; he rose immediately, prayed and
performed the order.
I have heard that he was drinking the
water of the dishes (13)
which I haven’t seen it because he didn't make his mortification to show off,
but rather he did his best to keep it hidden; but sometimes we maneuvered to
steal a glance to some of his gestures... and if it happened that something fell
from the dish of a companion inattentively, or few crumbs were on the ground,
Sharbel took advantage to pick them up and eat them even with the dust.
(13-
He drinks the dish water, as the mother eats after her child!! The era of
Sharbel, was the era of poverty, the era of ignorance, regarding our evolving
era. The homes were from soil; without bathrooms, no water, no electricity and
no gas ... The utensils of the kitchen were from pottery; the plates, the
cookers ... while the spoons were from wood ... There were no soap for washing
... the yesterday soap... was the water of ash. Usually, they washed the dishes
with clear water; most of the food consisted of grains and vegetables cooked
with oil. Cooking was usually in a very big pot and laundry was done on the fire
wood...)
4 -
The secret of the existence of Lebanon
Nakhle
Shaker Kanaan said on 1897: I’ve known Fr. Sharbel since the summer of 1897
when I was 24 years old. At that time we used to visit some friends every summer
in a region of a high mountain. There were no big hotels, no cars, and no paved
roads. We used horses and donkeys for transportation. That year, my friend,
Shoukri Beik Arqash returned from Paris, after earning a graduate degree in law.
With him, I decided to go on excursion to Mayrouba to visit the dignitary
Beshara Al-Khazen ... then we headed to the high mountain of Al-Akoura and
Laqlouq. While we were at that mountain, we went to see the hermit, who was
already famous for his virtues and holiness in the region. We went down to
Ouwaïny ... and then we went to the hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, we
paused there to rest under an oak tree. There were already people camped for
several days waiting to get the blessing of the hermit. While our muleteer was
preparing the meal, a tall, thin monk came from the field, holding a sickle and
a load of grass, he greeted us with bowed head, we asked him for permission to
sit down and eat, with kindness and joy, he agreed. Then he started to
serve us, offering some grapes and water, without keeping our company. We
invited him to dine with us, but he excused himself cautiously and discreetly,
and he stammered: "Thank you, I already ate at the monastery." From his
conversation with Shoukri Beik, I still remember these words: "It is God, who
created us, he takes care of us: God is omnipotent; we live well without any
merit from our part. God be with you". As we were describing in detail,
the beauty of the vast landscapes laying at our feet, from the mountains to the
sea, the hermit replied: "This is God's gift to the Lebanese; this site is a
heavenly gift, it’s located here so we will be able to praise His Holy name.
Everything we possess belongs to God.” He didn't agree to receive from us
any gift or present. Sharbel was listening to the speech of Mr. Arqash on the
works of hermits and devotees in France, and then he said: "France is the
eldest daughter of the Church."
At this moment
the bell of the monastery of Saint Maron rang, announcing the Angelus, I asked
him to recite the prayer of the proclamation. He did this, followed by the
Litany of the Virgin and the cult of the veneration of Mary. We knelt in
reverence, repeating the prayer after him; he sang softly, lowered to the
ground, his head wrapped in his hood, and his eyes closed like an angel in human
form, transported by the Spirit into the sky...
When we left
the hermitage, he stood up with incomparable modesty and delicacy; his eyes
directed to a world beyond the cosmos, hands crossed on his chest, muttering the
words:"God be with you." I remember Shoukri kept talking about the
hermit and said: "These pious hermits on the tops of the mountains are the
secret of the existence of Lebanon by their purity and their righteousness.
5 - Sharbel behaves with simplicity
Moussa Moussa witnessed: One day I accompanied him while he was carrying on his
back thorny shrubs to build a fence around the vineyard. He saw on the ground a
small envelope of cigarette paper, with a picture of a knight on it, after a few
steps he turned back and pick it up. When he reached the hermitage, he deposited
the envelope along with other images and knelt to pray. I told him: "What are
you doing ? He replied: "It's St. George, and I am praying before his image."
I replied, laughing: "This is an envelope of cigarette paper." He gave it to me,
and I threw it away.
B: Sharbel, the Apostle (Mk 4:18; Mt 10)
1-Definition
Fr. Sharbel was neither a parish
priest nor a missionary, but whenever the opportunity arose to serve souls, he
responded joyfully. Sometimes, he heard the confessions of those who asked him,
from his fellow monks, priests, or other people; his advices were so useful and
extremely salutary.
When he was called to visit the sick and
the sorrowful, he was doing his best to console them and invite them to
surrender to the Will of God; at the same time he was praying for them and for
their patients. He was also praying for the benefactors and sinners, and carried
their concerns in his masses. He did not preach, but he was ready to lavish his
advices and guidelines to those who requested them. If the superior ordered him
to go and celebrate the mass for the farmers on Sundays and Holidays, he would
obey and the return to the monastery without talking with anyone. He willingly
participated in the funerals, in the neighboring villages, responding to the vow
of obedience, he walked directly into the church; but once people noticed his
arrival they rushed toward him to bless the water for them; while the superior
of the convent and the other priests went first to the house of the deceased,
and then returned with the body to church. After the funeral, he quickly went
back to the hermitage.
II-Stories and Events
1 - Joyful serenity
The priest Ramyah
witnessed: One day the hermit, Fr. Makarios, called me and in that time I was
still a layman, a resident of Al-Ouwaini near the hermitage. When I arrived, I
saw a man from Bqaakafra, the brother of Fr. Sharbel, accompanied by his wife.
They came to visit the hermitage and baptize their child. Fr. Sharbel talked for
only three minutes with his brother, systematically refusing to communicate with
his wife, yet the latter was all content despite the refusal of the hermit, for
all relatives of Fr. Sharbel and his family were Holy, sought holiness and
followed his example. The child who I was the godfather was baptized by Fr.
Makarios in the absence of Fr. Sharbel. After a long period, the woman returned
to visit the hermitage, through the road to Al-Ouwaïni she saw me after I have
become a priest, and said: "Your godson died, he told me before his death, take
me to my uncle, Fr. Sharbel, to see him". When she saw that I was sad and cried
over the death of her child, she told me:"He is blessed, he is in heaven." She
said this without shedding a tear.
2 - He refused to baptize
Eid Nakad witnessed:
Once, my mother took my brother Boutros to be baptized by his uncle, the hermit,
Sharbel. He didn't meet her face to face; he only said a few words from behind
the closed door of the hermitage, while she was standing there, without being
able to see him. He also refused to baptize the child, who received his baptism
at the hands of another hermit, a companion of Fr. Sharbel. Besides, he didn't
allow my mother, the daughter of his brother, to enter the church and attend the
holy mass. She followed the Mass then, through an opening in the closed door of
the church.
3 - Baptizing them
(Mt 28:19)
We have only two
baptismal certificates from the hands of Sharbel: "I, Fr. Sharbel of
Bqaakafra, have baptized Michael, son of Raphael Rizqallah Al-Shababi, on
December 8, 1873. Also Boutros son of Shallita, from Bqaakafra, his godfather
is Al-Khoury Michael of Shakhnaya, had received the Holy Baptism from my hands,
on September 7, 1887. Written, by Fr. Sharbel, the Hermit.
4 - Heal the sick
(Mt 10:8)
Once the Patriarch Boulos Massaad gave an order that they should send Fr.
Sharbel to Ftouh- Kesserwan, in Ghadress, to pray and bless the sick sons of the
dignitary, Salloum Al-Dahdah. This latter, had five boys of which three died of
tuberculosis and the two survivors were also afflicted.
The superior,
sent Fr. Sharbel to spend some time with them to pray for the children to heal.
He went there, accompanied by Abdallah Youssef Aoun. They remained there about a
month, until the two patients got healed. Upon his arrival, Fr. Ramyah came to
the hermitage, and asked him on purpose: "How are you? What have you seen on the
road? "He replied: "I went from here to there and I returned from there to here
again."
5 - To convert to God
(Is. 20:21)
One year, during the Holy Week, Fr. Elias Meshmesh, the superior of the convent
of Saint Maron Annaya, sent Fr. Sharbel to Kfarbaal, to the farmer-partners of
the convent, to help them fulfill their religious obligations during Lenten
season, because their pastor did not have enough theological knowledge. Fr.
Sharbel accepted gladly, and spent a whole week with them.
6 - He asked us to copy amulets
Youssef Khalifeh witnessed: Fr. Sharbel asked me and my brother Mikhael, who
became a priest, to come to the hermitage on Sundays to copy the charms of
Saints Anthony and Cyprian to offer them to those who asked him, so they put
them at their houses as a blessing. I continued to attend for four years; I was
at that time about 18 years old.
7 - My food, you do not know
(Jn 4:32)
Once he accompanied the monks to attend a funeral in the village of Meshmesh.
After the funeral, the relatives of the deceased invited the fathers for lunch,
except Fr. Sharbel, because they knew he would refuse and preferred to go back
to the convent.
8 -
Young man, arise! (Lk 7:14)
Fr. Elias Ehmej witnessed: My father
was afflicted with typhoid, and was treated by doctors, known by their medical
knowledge, but do not have any degree. His illness was so aggravated that they
have lost all hope of cure and stopped the treatment; he lost consciousness and
entered in agony. His relatives and brothers appealed to the Superior, Fr. Elias
Meshmesh, to order Fr. Sharbel to come and pray beside the patient. He responded
to the superior and came to our home during the night, many people were already
gathered in the house. Once he entered inside, he called three times my father
by name saying, "Risha" my father opened his eyes, Fr. Sharbel told him: "Do
not be afraid." He loved my father because he was a deacon and sometimes
served in his masses. He prayed and blessed the water, and then he sprayed it on
my father and gave him to drink. On leaving, he said: "There is nothing more
to fear." In fact, my father regained consciousness, he ate and drank.
Shortly afterwards, he had completely recovered and was able to leave his bed.
9 - Give him
something to eat (Mk 5:43)
Skandar Beik Al-Khoury witnessed: Once,
my uncle, the doctor, Najib Beik Al-Khoury, was sick and about to die. My
grandfather was also a doctor, and believed that my uncle was in a critical
situation and that there would be no chance of recovery. My grandmother then,
sent someone to Fr. Sharbel asking him to bless him, hoping he would be healed.
Fr. Sharbel told the envoy that he would come at night. The messenger
told him that the illness had been very critical and he should come immediately.
He then said: "I will go immediately, but I do not want people to see me".
Because of his humility, he didn't want to attract people's attention to
him.
When he arrived to their house, the
fever was already very high and the patient lost consciousness, he had the
typhoid. After praying Fr. Sharbel took a handkerchief soaked in holy water, and
passed it on his forehead. The patient immediately opened his eyes, after
several days of unconsciousness, and uttered two words: "Fr. Sharbel". His
mother said:"Kiss Fr. Sharbel's hand", he did. Fr. Sharbel addressed those
present, saying: "Praise God, the patient is cured, give him to eat."
They hesitated since the patient was suffering from typhoid, after which people
believed that food could cause the patient's death, but Fr. Sharbel insisted
to feed him and then he left. They offered him a meal he ate and recovered.
A short time later, his father, my grandfather, came back home and they told him
what Fr. Sharbel had done. He repeated: "More likely, he has no chance of life,
since he ate." But the child was healed, grew up and became a doctor himself,
and lived to the age of 85. He had treated Fr. Sharbel several times during his
lifetime
10 -Talitha, arise (Mk 5:41)
Another time, Fr. Sharbel was summoned to bless Jibrael Gerges, from
Ehmej, who was suffering from a serious illness. By the order of the superior,
he went to spend a night with him in prayer. God healed the patient through the
prayer of Fr. Sharbel.
11 -To pray for them (Mk 6:5)
Once the locusts invaded the region,
among other area also it attacked Ehmej. The rural guards came to the convent
asking the superior to send them Fr. Sharbel to pray for locusts to go away. He
blessed the water, sprinkled it on the grasshoppers so they retired. At the same
time, there were in the village some patients in one house suffering from
typhoid fever, they asked Fr. Sharbel to come and bless them, he replied that he
couldn't go without the permission of his guardian, because the superior has
entrusted him to the guard, the field guard replied: "How can I give you order
and you're a monk?" Fr. Sharbel said: "The superior has entrusted me to you and
I obey you. I go to places where you lead me." So the guard ordered him to go
and pray for the patients.
12 - Lazarus is dead!
(Jn 11:14)
Skandar Beik Al-Khoury witnessed: my paternal grandfather, who practiced the
profession of physician (according to popular treatments without permission),
was called to Amshit to treat a patient, who was the only son of a dignitary
family of Amshit called Jibrael Sleiman Abbas. My grandfather went to Amshit and
spent four or five days trying to heal the sick, using all means to cure him.
As he despaired of his recovery, he sent a messenger to his son, my father, to
tell him: "Go to the hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul and ask the hermit, Fr.
Sharbel to accompany you to Amshit to pray for the patient.” My father acted
immediately and arrived to the hermitage in the afternoon; he asked Fr. Sharbel
to go with him to Amshit and explained the mission he had to accomplish. At
first he hesitated, then he accepted in one condition that they must take the
permission from the superior, who was at that time, Fr. Elias Meshmesh. After
the approval of the superior, Fr. Sharbel prepared his lantern to light the way,
because he won’t leave his hermitage until nightfall to see no one and is seen
by anyone. That was his habit throughout his life as a hermit. He preferred to
walk telling his companions; Fr. Maron Meshmesh, Brother Elias Mahrini and the
muleteer: "I can't ride on the donkey, I'm scared to fall, and I am not
accustomed to ride on it." After a long journey, he said: "Let us be
obedient to the order given."Arriving at a location above Mahrin, Fr.
Sharbel stopped and seemed amazed. My father, who rode his horse about twenty
meters ahead of him asked: "What's wrong?”Let us hurry!" he answered, and
then he added: "Listen! Listen! They said he died!” My father stopped
his horse and said: "With whom are you talking, Fr. Sharbel?" He repeated:
"They said he died". My father replied: "Why do you say that? What are you
talking about?" At this moment he turned to my father and told him: "Recite
the Angelus, let's pray for the man because he died!" and he knelt and
prayed. Then my father, disconcerted, made the sign of the cross, dismounted his
horse approached Fr. Sharbel, with extreme reverence, and begged him many times
to continue his march, after he looked at his watch and marked the time when
Sharbel said the words indicated above. He repeated: "It is useless to go
there. It is no longer necessary to continue the way because the mission
which the superior has ordered is terminated, the patient died".
But since my
grandfather was insisted that the presence of Fr. Sharbel in Amshit was very
important and because my father didn't believe that the patient died, so he
insisted to continue the way. Then Fr. Maron told Fr. Sharbel: "Let's continue
our walk in obedience to the superior orders". After walking about one hour and
a half, they heard screams and wailing cries from less than half a mile from the
house of the sick person, the patient had actually died. At that moment, my
father began to question Fr. Sharbel on his ability to know the patient's death
in advance, while they were at least one and at a half hour afar from Amshit,
where they could not hear a sound or see the town, but Fr. Sharbel didn't say a
word and he continued his prayer. Arrived at home, my father inquired about the
time of his death, which coincided with the moment when Fr. Sharbel stopped on
his way to say: "They said he died!" Then my father told them what
happened on the road and they were astonished and regretted not having called
the hermit earlier. This news spread in Amshit and its regions. Following this
event, the people of Houjoula, Bachtilda and Aalmat, all Shiite Muslims, came to
Fr. Sharbel to receive his blessing; brought with them their patients, and asked
him for healing. As for Fr. Sharbel, I never heard that he mentioned this event
or others very similar, that happened through his intercession, and which the
people had spread.
13- The patient died!
Youssef, the son of Elias Antoun, from the village of Meshmesh was suffering
from a serious illness. The patient's parents asked the superior of the convent
to send Fr. Sharbel to pray for him, he went by the obligation of obedience;
arriving in the middle of the road, he paused silently about five minutes, and
then he told the messenger:"I am going back to the hermitage; it's
useless to go to Meshmesh because the patient has just died". Thus, the
patient died at the same time when Fr. Sharbel turned back to the hermitage.
14 - The Shiite Muslims rushed
(Jn 4: 39-42)
Once
the locusts invaded the fields of the village of Tourzaya; divided into two
parts one inhabited by Christians, the other by Shiite Muslims. The Christians
and the farmers of the convent came to Fr. Sharbel and said: "Please, Fr.
Sharbel help us." He sent them to the superior who ordered him to accompany the
residents. Then he blessed the water and sprinkled it, assisted by another monk.
The locust left the lands and property of the Christians and went to the
properties of Shiite Muslims, who rushed to Fr. Sharbel asking him to drive away
the locusts from their fields. So he continued to spray
their properties
with holy water. The grasshoppers abandoned the entire area which was sprinkled
with holy water.
C: Work and Prayer
I-Introduction
These are some of the monks' regulations, which were followed by Sharbel: The
monk must be silent, quiet and dynamic in his work. He does not seek out the
easy work and the pleasant things, leaving the less agreeable to others. Rather,
he should choose the unpleasant work, leaving the pleasant one to others; this
must be done in all humility. Also the monk must subject himself to the lowest
jobs in the monastery and its menial needs, to free himself from the egoism,
without which hell wouldn’t exist.
So Sharbel had
no ministry in the convent other than the Mass, the prayer and the work in the
field. He devoted himself, to pick up stones, to build walls to support plots.
Before he entered the hermitage, he helped the goatherd to pasture the goats and
take care of them. He also worked earnestly and lovingly, with the brothers and
the servants in the field and the vine, as if he was sentenced to forced labor,
although he was a righteous priest. He never looked around or took a break
unless to make the sign of the Cross repeatedly; while working, he prayed
constantly. If he wanted to pass some free time, he would collect stones in the
vineyard.
He
never apologized from working in the field, neither in cold nor in heat, rather
he remained in the field till his brother told him to stop working, or till
the bell rang for prayer, then he asks permission to leave to church for the
Liturgy of the Hours, or he would kneel down on the stones and pray. When they
ordered him to carry a load of thorny bushes or other objects, he contributed
more than he could, without saying a word about it, whether it would be
difficult or easy.
He never complained or got angry, but he always stayed in the same mood; he
never took a break, instead he hated to rest; he didn't like to sleep but loved
the mortification and the work. All his monastic life was a constant prayer,
work and silence. If the servant of the monastery asked him, for example, to
take the plow to another place, he would do it without hesitation.
1- He carried it on his back
Fr. Hassrouni witnessed: Sharbel did not come out of the church
unless he summoned by his companion Fr. Makarios; either to sleep or to
flatten the rooftops and plow them ... And when the snow accumulated the monks
went with the workers to cut the branches of the oak from the hermitage's
woodland to feed their goats. After the goats stripped the leaves from the
branches the hermits took the ropes and brought the branches into the hermitage
and the vineyard; so Fr. Makarios packed the bundle and Fr. Sharbel carried it
on his back.
2 -
He went to church to pray (Mt 14:23)
Semaan Ghana witnessed: In the year 1880, Fr. Elias Meshmesh called me to build
a furnace at the convent of Saint Maron Annaya. When I asked him for some
workers to help me in the construction, among them he sent Fr. Sharbel, he
worked with me for six days, during which he was a model of perfection. At the
beginning of the work he asked me: "What should I bring to you, Master?"
I replied: "Stones, small sharpening stones and clay". He started to hand them
to me with lot of diligence and energy; thereby lifting the heavy stones on his
chest to put them still higher on the scaffold; as for the small sharp stones,
he was dragging them by his hands, so that the blood was flowing under his
nails. I told him: "No! no! My master, be careful, don't wear yourself out, go
slowly." He said nothing to me, but continued his arduous work. At this rate, he
spent with me a whole week without uttering a single word, or asking any
question-but this: "What can I do for you?" I felt sorry for him and I
did my best to facilitate his work. During our breaks, he always ran to church
to pray.
3 -
Straight to church
As the bread was baked at night, in
exchange between the monks, Fr. Sharbel also was doing this service like the
other brothers. So he comes from the hermitage to the monastery in the evening,
goes straight to church and stays there until midnight till the dough is
fermented. Then the brother responsible for baking calls him to help his fellow
brothers, and he doesn’t leave them until the bread finished. Then he returns to
the hermitage, where he celebrates the Holy Mass.
4 - He didn’t leave any opportunity
He worked with the monks in the fields, before he entered to the hermitage, so
when he brought for them the meals from the monastery, he gave the utensils to
the cook to fill them, and went to Church to be alone before the Blessed
Sacrament; seizing every opportunity to go either before the Blessed Sacrament,
or to work.
5- He remained silent
(Mt 5:11-12 & 41)
Fr. Ephrem Nakad witnessed: Most of the monks in the monastery were from
Meshmesh only Fr. Sharbel was from the area of Jebbeh (North). Whatever they
gave him to work, he did it quietly and never said no to anybody nor
complained; none of them had pity on him, nor he had pity on himself. The chef,
Francis, who was the brother of the superior ordered him to do the hard work and
abused him. Fr. Sharbel obeyed him as he obeyed his superior, even though
Sharbel was a priest and the latter, a deacon.
When he returned from the field, his back curved, often laden with a heavy
bundle of wood, Brother Francis ordered him to provide water or to perform some
other tasks. Once, he told him to water the plants with a bucket; he carried,
the whole day, so much water that the skin of his hands was completely scraped.
6 - The stones touched his skin
Fr. Ephrem Nakad witnessed: One day in the field, I was putting a load of stones
directly on his back; he wasn't using a protective cloth on his back. He
continued his work until his habit and his shirt were torn and that the stones
touched his skin. I pitied him especially because he was a priest. He went to
the supervisor and told him gently and softly: "Look at my habit". The
Superior then ordered for him, a new one.
7 - What do you want me to do?
He was a monk of work, prayer and silence; Youssef Suleiman witnessed: we, the
farmer-members who worked with the monks in the field, we don’t remember that we
have ever heard him uttered a word except, "What do you want me to do?"
He used to say this term, with a soft voice, while standing in front of the
headman, arms folded and head bowed.
8 - He makes the sign of the Cross
Fr. Ephrem Nakad witnessed: He went with us, the novices, to the field as one of
us; I was cultivating on the ox and he was plowing behind me, stopping from time
to time to make the sign of the cross, due to the novice regulation; whenever
you start a job, make the sign of the Cross and offer this work to God,
saying:" My Lord and my God, I'm giving you my heart and my soul with this
work; my God give me strength to do it according to Thy Will and to glorify Thy
Name." Maintaining a deep silence; he talked neither to me nor to others;
if he is asked about something, he would answer only with yes or no, or with
some brief and precise words, as usual.
D: The poverty of Sharbel
(Mk 10:21)
I-Introduction
The rule of the monks said: “The monk must have no personal possessions”. So his
hands had never kept money like silver or gold; to
observe the vow
of poverty, he used the simplest of the things and never threw anything, small
or large, even a stem of vegetable; if he saw a grape from a vine or a piece of
bread on the road, he would pick them up and put them in the kitchen. He was as
poor as a beggar, even a poor man wouldn't have accepted his food, his bed and
his clothes; he considered all the things of the world like dust trampled under
the feet.
The real poverty, however, was his dispassionate and plain appearance, although
he was very wealthy of the divine gifts and of the highest virtues. He as well,
was detached from his parents; that he never visited them his whole life; he
never spoke or asked about them; when his brother visited him once or twice a
year, he met him for a short time and due to the order of his companion. He was
divested from his will; not only in matters concerning the rule, but in all
things, as if he was stripped of his will. Despite his intelligence he never
showed it, neither in words nor in writing; he never uttered with words like;
this is for me, this is for us or for the convent.
He worked with all his strength in every task, and prayed in the church with
extreme fervent; when his companion ordered him to leave this work for another
one, he directly obeys; as a shadow walking beside his source; and this was the
ultimate self-renunciation. Rich with love for God, his heart was not related to
anything in this world at all; as though he did not exist in this world, but in
the world of God. Due to the monks regulation; he wasted no time in idleness; as
often as he could he prayed for the poor and the dead; avoiding laziness for not
falling into the traps of the devil. So he was very attentive to the time; and
he didn't leave, even the slightest opportunity, without a useful task for the
Order and a good profit for eternal life; knowing for sure that the time was
given to us to be holy; when he had no work to do, he devoted himself to prayer
and meditation.
II-Stories and Events
1 - Take this!
When he attended a funeral and they gave him money, he handed it to the superior
immediately after his arrival to the monastery, saying this quote: "Take
this", “this” was either a pound or an Ottoman piaster. In general, the
priests were given three Ottoman piaster (=5 pennies), Fr. Sharbel was given a
pound (=20to25 pennies), yet he couldn’t distinguish the currency. If he did not
find the superior in his room, he would put the money on a tray of pasture under
his bed.
2 - Take this devil away from me!
Once,
Fr. Sharbel accompanied the monks of the convent at a funeral. Each of them
received three Ottoman pilasters. After returning to the monastery, Fr. Sharbel
went directly to give them to the superior who told him:" keep them with you,
Perhaps you'll need to buy a handkerchief or other things." He obeyed the orders
of the superiors. But at night, unable to keep them, he carried them to the
superior saying: "Take them; I don't want to keep this devil with me."
3 - Give them to Fr. Makarios
Fr. Hassrouni witnessed: I was at the convent of St. Antonios Kozhaya, in July
1898, and Fr. Antonios Alwen, who had pronounced his vows recently, was there in
that time. After I left the convent, I told one of my relatives about the
virtues of Fr. Sharbel. The latter, gave me a quarter of Ottoman pound to send
it to Fr. Sharbel, to say a Mass for his intention. I took the alms and came to
the hermitage, when I met Fr. Sharbel, I said:" Please take this money to say a
Mass for Brother Antonios Aito. He said: "Give it to Fr. Makarios.” I
replied persistently: "He beseeched me to hand it to you, so I can't give it to
another person!" He stretched out his hand, closed his eyes looking at the
ground, so I placed the money into the palm of his hand. As soon as it touched
his hand, he walked towards Fr. Makarios, called him with the most unusual
voice: “Fr. Makarios! Fr. Makarios! Take this money." His hand still
stretched away from him, as if he was carrying a scorpion, and he gave him the
sum of money without knowing how much it was.
4 - At dawn
Fr. Ignatius Meshmesh witnessed: Once he came to me in the morning, I was at
that time the Superior of the convent, he gave me money and told me that some
visitors gave him four Ottoman piaster, and told him :" Buy with this money,
your personal necessity." He told me how the enemy tempted him the whole
night and urged him to keep the money for himself and that he had overcome him
by the grace of God. I told him: "Do you need anything?" He said: "If
you want, I need some tissues to use them as towels." I gave him four black
handkerchiefs.
5 -
Don't let me see the money (Mk
10: 23-25)
Hawshab Nakad witnessed: The mother of Wardeh, who is the niece of Fr. Sharbel,
owned a silver helmet that women put on their heads for good-looking. After her
death, her daughter Wardeh sold it at 300 dollars, the equivalent of two Ottoman
piasters gold. She brought the money to her uncle, Fr. Sharbel, asking him to
offer Masses for the repose of the soul of her mother. He refused to take the
money, addressing his niece from inside the cell, without seeing her face and
saying to her: "Give the money to the Father Superior." She replied: "I want to
give it to you, so that you offer the masses." He replied: "I mark it in my
notebook, and I offer masses, but the money I don't take. Go and give it to the
superior and don't let me see it." So she obeyed him.
8 - Put the vow
money on the shelf
Fr. Nehemtallah Nehme witnessed: Once two of his secular brothers visited him
and offered him some Turkish money, but he refused. After much effort to
convince him and after insisting that this money is a vow to the hermitage, he
accepted saying: "Put the money on the shelf! Without looking at the
money. One day I visited him at the hermitage, he told me: "My two
brothers came to visit me and left this sum of money to the hermitage. It is on
the shelf, take it." I took it and counted eight Ottoman piasters
E: The clothing of Sharbel
I-Introduction
The monk's regulation required that: "The clothing, mattress and blanket must be
suitable to the monk's vow of poverty." At this level, he dressed as the lowest
of the poor and the smallest of the novices. He had never worn a new habit, but
he was humbly seeking to use the clothes left behind by his brethren, the
cast-off ones. He used to wear a monastic habit, worn, patched, woven from thick
threads, faded, reddish since it lost its color. However, it was always clean,
because he washed it with his hands; he even patched it without much care, by
making every five centimeters a stitch. In the summer and winter he wore the
same habit, and kept it until it gets worn, so he was given another one.
His belt, like
other monks, was from leather, but scratched by stones and bushes; his trousers
were black, his shirt woven from the calico, his vest cut from an old monk's
habit. On the top he put on his monastic habit; he never wore socks, despite the
freezing cold. He put the cape in the Church and outside the chapel, and took it
off while working...
He always wore
his hood in summer and in winter, day and night, except for the Masses,
according to the liturgy; the hood covered his whole head, his eyes as his ears,
also a part of the cheeks and neck. His shoes were worn and patched, known as
the old monastic shoes. His hand-towels were made from calico, known as napkins.
II-Stories and Events
1 - No red stripes
Fr. Sharbel asked the shoemaker who added red stripes on the shoes, according to
the monastic habit at that time, to eliminate them from his shoes.
2 - To patch them
Fr. Francis Al-Sirini witnessed: I had been entrusted the wardrobe for some time
in the monastery of Saint Maron, during the triennium of Fr. Ignatius Meshmesh
who ordered me to go to the hermitage, to check the clothes of the hermits and
see what they need. I went into the cell of Fr. Sharbel, in which I have found
nothing that could be worn, so I ordered him to get rid of these shabby clothes,
then I started to tear them in front of him, he asked me to leave them for him
so he can patch them and keeps them, as a sign of poverty.
Then the
superior told me to prepare two new clothes for him.; as I gave them to him, he
apologized for wearing the new cloak, and asked me to beg the superior to send
him an old one, suitable to the nature of his work; also he asked not to send
him shirts since he instead wore the Cilice and a vest made from a monastic old
habit to hide the Cilice underneath.
3 -I put it
on the ground under my sleeping mat.
Fr. Hananya Al-Jaji witnessed: I went one day to visit him, and I found him
washing his clothes, rubbing them under his feet, seeing the Cilice shirt in the
laundry, I told him:" What’s this? "He replied: "I put it on the ground under my
sleeping mat", trying to hide his virtue before me.
4- Give me the clothes that fit my life!
Once he came to Fr. Rookie Meshmesh wearing very shabby clothes, and said:
"Let me live as I dress, or dress me as I live." I think he meant:
Either send me to the hermitage which suits the dress I wear, or please give me
a better coat to wear when I go with you. The superior entered directly into his
cell, took away his habit, and clothed him with it, then he told him: "You can
wear it”, but it was large.
5 - Why do you neglect yourself?
Moussa Moussa witnessed: Once, I saw him wearing torn shoes, I told him: "Why do
you neglect yourself like that? You must order suitable shoes, because your feet
are like those of a camel!" He did not answer.
F: His mat,
his sleeping and the furniture of his cell
I-Introduction
1 - The monastic cell of Sharbel
It is located in the western part of the convent; its length from the east
corridor to west wall is 325cm; its width from north to south is 225cm; its
height is 300cm; the roof is made of simple wood, mixed with logs and soil. It
has a window in the west wall, and the ground is covered with stone. The door to
the east is overlooking the door and the window of the church and facing the
main altar.
2 - His cell at the hermitage
Its length from east to west reaches 3m; its width from north to south is 210cm;
its height is 240cm. The window to the south consists of simple wood and two
shutters always closed with a black curtain, where nobody could see him from
outside, and he couldn't see through it except the mountain of Ehmej and the
rugged hills. In the eastern wall, an opening is recessed, resemble to a cabinet
where he put his lantern oil. Its ground is paved with stones from the
mountain; its walls are made of stones and plastered inside with clay. The roof
is very simply made of wood. The door had a worthless wooden bar, and provided
from outside with a handle made of wood.
His cell was
almost empty, always opened, blackened with smoke; and had a bed of wood under
which he placed a wicker tray where he deposited his spiritual and theological
books; also there was a pitcher of drinking water. No one was allowed to enter
his cell except rarely, or secretly without his permission.
3 - His mat
His mat was filled with gall and oak leaves and with barks. It was wrapped in a
sort of carpet woven from goat hair. The whole thing was covered with an old
felting. His pillow was a piece of wood wrapped with a black piece of cloth. At
this very hard bed with no soft mattress and no blanket, he slept in summer and
in winter; this shabby bed was laid over two planks, raised two margins above
the ground and connected with a piece of blanket. Most often he slept on the
ground.
4 - His Sleeping
He never stayed up at night with the monks; his sleeping was after the Compline
and other prayer, about half past eight; he woke up at midnight for the prayer
service, according to the hermit's rule, after which he never went back to
sleep, except sometimes to rest for an hour, then resumed the meditation and
prayer. He never slept during the day, and never played games (playing card,
etc.) in his life.
II-Stories and Events
1-Exhausted from sleepiness (Mk
4:38)
Fr. Elias Ehmej witnessed: I realized that he was exhausted by the constant long
vigils; sometimes, while he was kneeling upright on the floor, sleep overcame
him; he bent his head to one side, his body bent more forward so that it touched
the ground. Then suddenly he sat up quickly; overcoming his physical weakness,
looking up and sighing from the depths of his heart. Nobody had ever seen him,
resting during the day, closing his eyes on the shadow of a tree.
2 - The woolen pillow
(Mt 8:20)
His cell had no lock or key; once, while Fr. Sharbel was working in the field,
Brother Boutros Al-Fraidiss took advantage to enter his cell; he took the
pillow, consisted from a piece of wood, threw it away and replaced it with a
woolen cushion. When Fr. Sharbel came back to his cell and noticed the change in
his pillow, he went to Brother Boutros, begging him to take the woolen pillow
and bring back his piece of wood; he insisted, until his wish was fulfilled.
G: Sharbel's food
A-Introduction
1 - In the Convent
When Fr. Sharbel,
was in the monastery, he ate with his brothers in the refectory twice a day; he
never complained if the food was delayed, and he never asked the chef for a
special meal, or disgusted other food, but rather he requested the waste of the
food and the crumbs, because of his humility and his satisfaction from the
minimum necessary. His meals consisted from some pieces of burnt and undercooked
bread, or the leftovers in a cooking pan. During the meal he ate slowly and
carefully; didn't speak to anyone as if he was in the church; lowering his eyes
as if he was meditating. He never said:" I do not eat this dish because I'm
sick." He never spoke about food or said this is delicious or tasteless, or this
is sweet or salty. He often washed the dishes and kitchen utensils, and drank
the rinse water. He used clay pots and forks made of wood. He never ate
outside the convent except in the field at the time of work; he used to eat the
leftovers of his brothers, as well as the leftovers of the workers who helped
the monks in tilling the soil. Moreover, he never ate anything more than the
main dish; nor food, or drinks or fruits; he took no alcoholic beverage or
coffee, and kept no food with him, in his cell. Therefore, he ate for necessity
only, and not for pleasure; he was in this world without belonging to it,
detached from everything that exists; all his desires and his feelings were
directed toward God.
2 -In the Hermitage
He ate only once a day, after
the prayer service in the afternoon. His food was consisted from salad with
olives and potato skins; which he washed, cooked and then ate. When he came to
the monastery to get supplies, he began to choose for himself the moldy bread,
that often had being thrown to the dogs, and offered his companion the good
bread and the good food; while eating the leftovers from the day before. He
never ate meat, his food was always prepared with oil, except during major
festivities like Christmas, Resurrection, St. Anthony feast day, Saints Peter
and Paul the patrons of the hermitage, then the food was served with butter. The
hermitage had a vineyard, where the hermits worked; they picked up fruits,
grapes, figs and pears... then, they conveyed the fruits to the monastery, and
offered them to the visitors. Fr. Sharbel assumed most of the work of picking
fruit depriving himself from them, refraining from taking refreshment. He didn't
eat unless his companion told him to eat; then he ate only what Fr. Makarios
offered him. In addition, he filled the jar for his companions, from the source
of Annaya, a half hour away, while he drank from the hermitage's Well, only
during his one meal.
II-Stories and events
1 - The bread
is on the window (Jn 4: 31-34)
Fr. Ephrem Nakad witnessed: When we came
back late at night from the field, Brother Francis gave him for dinner only
four slices of bread, which he put under his armpit, entered the church and
placed them in front of the window. Then he knelt down to pray and stayed there
for a long time, more than one and a half hour and sometimes fell asleep. When
we came at midnight, Brother Francis entered the church to ring the bell,
announcing the prayer service, he found that the breads were always before the
window and brought them back to the pantry. Thus Fr. Sharbel had forgotten his
hunger before God. I cannot say if he abandoned the bread on purpose or he
forgot it, however he had left it so many times. He often had only one meal per
day, despite his exhausting work. He wasn’t left without work for a minute;
they didn’t let him stay in the church, following the desire of his heart to
pray there.
2- He ate no grapes and drank
no water
Fr. Ephrem added: At the time
of our novitiate we came to the monastery to help with the harvest; thirsty as
we were, we set forth on the grapes to quench our thirst; calling, in vain, Fr.
Sharbel to join us, he turned his back and went away.
Fr. Hananya Al-Jaji continued:
Sometimes, I was with him in cultivation, he was helping us; he never drank
water in spite of the high temperature, while we kept drinking because of the
heat and the fatigue, also he never got refreshments in summer.
3
- To visit the Holy Eucharist
Semaan Gata
witnessed: Since I was assigned to work in the pantry, in the convent, the
Superior had allowed me to eat in the refectory with the monks. Fr. Sharbel came
only once a day to get three thick slices of bread cut them into small pieces
and mixed with his food. Once his neighbor had finished his eating, he took his
plate to wash it, then he poured the rinsed water into his plate and drank it in
order to castigate himself and for mortification. While we had our siesta after
lunch, Fr. Sharbel always went to church to pray before the Blessed Sacrament;
the same thing he did during the breakfast, as he ate only once a day.
4 - Bulgur with butter
Shibley Shibley
witnessed: If by chance, he ate in at the monastery, in winter time, he took the
last place at the table. I remember when they wanted to be decent with the
Superior in the monastery; they cooked him a dish of crushed wheat with butter.
When it happened that Fr. Sharbel was in the convent on a rainy day, the Fr.
Superior tried, in vain, to invite him to his table, so he told me: “Take a bit
of this dish, of Bulgur to Fr. Sharbel.” I took it, and put it before him, but
he didn’t touch it.
5 - Without oil
Gerges Sassine
witnessed: Once I saw him carrying some edible plants and wild herbs for cattle
only, I warned him saying: "Master, these herbs are not edible!" He replied:
"It doesn't matter." Then he chopped it all together, mixed with some salt
without oil. Meanwhile, Fr. Makarios arrived and as usual, he began to prepare
the meal; he asked Fr. Sharbel: "Have you added any oil?" He replied: "No, it
doesn't matter, we can eat without oil." It was during Lent, so he ate the
grass that cattle eat.
6 - Two days without food
(Lk 4:4, Mk 8:2)
Maron Abbud Witnessed: When
Fr. Sharbel was in the convent, it happened that I helped the monks in the
field, and he was working with us, he ate only when the head of the field told
him to eat, applying the law of the novice: “Do not eat every day without the
permission of the person in charge, then take what he gives you, withdraw alone
and eat.” Fr. Boulos Al-Sebrene added: Quite often, when Fr. Makarios came to
the monastery to meet some of the work by the obligation of obedience, we
insisted that he remain with us, however, he replied: "I want to go back to the
hermitage to feed Fr. Sharbel." Once I asked him: "He doesn't know how to eat by
himself that you have to leave every time to feed him?" He replied: "He won't
eat under any circumstances if I do not call him and bring him food by hands",
if we leave him two days without calling him to eat, he wouldn't ask for food
nor eat by himself.; Fr. Ignatius Meshmesh confirmed: "This is a well-known
incident."
7 - The burnt bread
When Fr. Makarios
went down to the convent to help in baking bread, he picked up the burnt or
undercooked bread, saying: "This is for my Master!" meaning Fr. Sharbel, who
himself did the same thing whenever he came to the convent; seeking for
mortification. Also Shibley Shibley witnessed: He asked me to gather the burnt
bread for him to store them for later.
8 –Three grapes
Brother Francis
Kartaba witnessed: I saw him eating purslane salad, contained lot of dried
stems, full of seeds, and had only few leaves. He dipped a piece of bread in his
wooden plate picked up all the burnt crumbs, before he took another loaf. Once I
saw him eating from this salad only, another time he was eating crushed wheat,
Bulgur, cooked with tomatoes. In summer, when he finished his food, his
companion ordered him to eat grapes; he ate only three or four grapes.
9 - The stems of purslane and parsley
Fr. Alwen said: Once
I was with my fellow novices working around the hermitage, we had the idea to
prepare "tabboule"; so we plucked the parsley and purslane and threw away the
stems. Fr. Sharbel picked them up, chopped and mixed them with oil and salt and
began to eat; this happened at my sight.
10 - Willingly
Fr. Makarios told
him: "My brother there is no more food for you, except this little bit that I
left for the cat on her plate, because I've forgotten you." He replied:
"Father, I do not mind. I will willingly eat the portion reserved for the
smallest animal."
11 - An oxidized metal box
Fr. Boulos Al-Sebrene
witnessed: Once, I went to the hermitage, I saw Fr. Sharbel after dinner, he got
up took the plate of his companions and his old wooden plate, washed them,
poured the rinsed water into a small oxidized metal box and carried it to his
cell. I asked Fr. Makarios, his companion: "What does Fr. Sharbel do with this
dishwater?" He replied: "He will drink it, he always does this." I wondered how
he could live in this state and this kind of food.
12 - Moved to tears
Fr. Semaan Abi-Beshara
witnessed: Once, I sat down at lunch with Fr. Sharbel and his companion Fr.
Makarios, the food was consisted of potatoes stew. I saw Fr. Sharbel took the
burnt bread, and the crumbs, put them carefully in his wooden bowl. I took pity
on him and moved to tears, then I said to myself; while this hermit undergoes
arduous austerities, we the monks choose the tasty dishes and the comfortable
bed.
13- He didn't taste a single grape
Fr. Boulos Al-Sebrene testified: When the
Superior of St. Maron monastery, sent me to pick up grapes from the hermitage’s
vineyard, Fr. Makarios ordered Fr. Sharbel to accompany me and pick up grapes
for me. I never saw him tasted a single grape. When I found him alone in the
hermitage, I asked him to help me to pick up some grapes; he gave me no answer
and waited for the order of his companion.
14 - Nobody asked me
While the monks were
working in the vineyards, with other workers, they had lunch together and forgot
to call Fr. Sharbel, also the next day he ate nothing. Having realized this
matter, the Superior called him and said: "Have you eaten today?" He replied:
"No". The superior continued: "and yesterday, did you eat?" He replied:
"No." He asked him: "Why?" Sharbel said:"Nobody asked me." The
Superior ordered to bring him food right away, and asked the monks: “Why haven't
you called him to eat?” They answered: “We forgot.”
15-Go and pray
Fr. Nehemtallah Meshmesh
testified: One day I was present at the time of their meal and I asked Fr.
Sharbel to eat, he answered: "I do not eat as I wish", he was waiting for
the order of his companion. Fr. Boulos Al-Sebrene added: When they finished
eating, Fr. Sharbel folded his arms, bowed his head and asked his companion: "Father,
what do you want me to do now?" He replied: "Go and pray."
17 -The provisions abounded
(Mk 6:30-44)
Youssef Khalifeh
witnessed: When the provisions of the monastery had gone low, a monk came to
inform the Superior about this matter, he called Fr. Sharbel and asked him to
spray the storage box with holy water and pray, he obeyed and it overflowed with
wheat. In another year, it happened that the provisions were finished, the
Superior summoned Fr. Sharbel, the hermit, who prayed, blessed and the
provisions increased. This phenomenal event occurred many times; the oil barrels
were empty, by the prayers of Sharbel they got filled again.
H: The Sobriety of Sharbel
I-Introduction
He lived soberly in
the situation in which he was found, seeking only to please God. Wherever his
superiors sent him, he found peace and joy; he didn't mind if he swept, cooked,
dug or did other work, if in all these services he could please God.
His companion took care of him spontaneously, and supplied him with the
necessary; he gave up even on everyday necessities and ordinary things,
accepting the poorest and the most difficult ones. Pure as a child, he fled the
snobbery, the disdain and flattery. With his colleagues, he was lenient and
righteousness; he was never unjust towards others except himself, applying the
arduous austerities. He never boasted of a case and did nothing on his own
initiative; neither at work nor in praying for long hours before the Holy
Eucharist; returning all these to his vow of obedience. He was stable in his
sobriety, diligent in his mortification; happy to fulfill it until the last
breath of his life. He never complained during his life; he was of the utmost
modesty in eating, drinking, and in clothing. He interfered with no one and took
no initiative in relations with others, except whatever the vow of obedience
ordered.
II-Stories and Events
1-Oh! Superior General
During his term as Superior
General, Fr. Mubarak Al-Matni visited the convent of Annaya. He took the
opportunity to have lunch with the monastic students; they prepared the meal for
him near the hermitage. Fr. Sharbel, the hermit, came to greet him, so the
Superior General told him: "Fr Sharbel, you will be with us today for lunch, we
will offer you a very good meal." Fr. Sharbel replied: "We pronounced the vow
of obedience in difficult things, and this is very easy! Obedience in this
matter is very good." Fr. General believed that Fr. Sharbel is going to eat
what will be presented to him at the table. At lunchtime, the Superior General
called Fr. Sharbel; he came with folded arms, so the Superior asked him: "Would
you have lunch with us?” Perplexed, the hermit began to rub his hands, and then
replied softly with reverence: "Father General! Father General!" On one
hand, he didn't want to oppose his order, rather his desire; on the other hand,
he didn’t want to eat the food prepared for the Superior General and his
companions. The Father General noticed his hesitation and let him have his way,
so he came back to his hermitage.
2
-Look what your deacon is giving me!
Shibley Shibley
witnessed: Handkerchiefs were presented to the hermitage as votive offerings.
Once, Fr. Sharbel brought a lot to the Superior who told him:
"Give them to the deacon.” He gave them
to me, while looking at the Superior and saying: "Master, can you give me a
handkerchief, to wipe my hands with it? He replied: "They were all with you,
why didn't you take for them? He said: "I do not take anything without your
permission." The Superior told me:"Give him one." I chose for him a new one.
He smiled and told the superior: "Look what you deacon is giving me!" He
replied: "Choose what you want." He took the most unpretentious ones.
I: The intelligence of Sharbe
I-Introduction
He had the appearance of stupidity and naiveness, but in reality, he
was perceptive, intelligent and honest, unequivocally and frankly talking; when
asked he answered clearly and concisely, pretending to be stupid and apathetic.
He never uttered except with the necessary words that could strengthen the
brotherhood and serve the salvation the soul.
His conversations always focused on theological subjects; motivating all his
works for the eternal salvation; his opinion on theological matters was prudent…
He was quick-witted, in spite of his absolute silence.
As for his ingenuity, it was reflected in the precision of his work, putting
everything in its proper place; in spite of his excellent understanding and the
strength of his knowledge he made himself a slave to all. In his mortification
and the mastery of his instincts, he reached a level that is found in the Psalm
of the prophet David: “I became as a beast before you, but I am each day with
you.” He was humble, in his heart and his intention, with only one goal: God.
He wasn't stupid and dispassionate, but he was gifted with the wisdom of the
Saints. He didn't commit a single mistake, that his superiors and his colleagues
could blame him for, because he offered no opportunity for them to find any
blemish in his behavior. His remarkably accurate attention to the regulations
shows that he had perfectly understood their meaning.
His "Spirit word" was sublime, because he was heading towards perfection by
the ideal way from which he never moved away a step. In his lifestyle, he put
everything in its proper place, not uttering a single word inadequate. His
wisdom protected him from detestable superstition and exaggeration. He was a
knowledgeable man, who had completed his studies in Kfifane, even though he was
from outer appearance as a naive person.
As for the frequent and increased austerities and the oppression of his body;
they caused him no disease, which proves that they were exercised wisely. He was
a serious and discreet person, balanced in his behavior which imposed his
respect and his esteem to all those who knew him; he had never been "a stumbling
block" for anyone rather they all considered him a Saint and asked for his
blessing. He was wise, not by the wisdom of this world, but by a supernatural
wisdom... Superiors and monks were often advised to follow his example.
II-Stories
and Events
1 - Ask and you will be given (Mt 7:7)
Fr. Youssef Ehmej witnessed: Fr. Sharbel had an inflamed and iron Will that made
him the master of his inclinations and his emotions; he told me: "My brother,
life is illusory, God knows our whole being, those who ask for his grace with
confidence, will not be disappointed. Ask him to give you all what you need."
During the whole time I've spent at Saint Maron, neither I nor the superiors or
monks, recognized any mistake in his conduct. He desired to be asked to
serve, not only by the superiors and brethren, but also by the workers of the
convent and the servants; for example, if someone asked him to convey the
plowing machine elsewhere, he would carry it immediately. I myself witnessed
numerous incidents of this kind. I never heard that anyone had complained about
him or accused him for any reason; his superiors and his brethren respected and
appreciated him and asked for his prayers in sickness and in sorrow. His piety
left a great influence on his fellow man.
2 -We have no thieves
Once, a man came to the convent on Sunday to attend the Mass where the
farmer-members and other people gathered all Sundays and holidays; he left his
stick near the door and entered the church. At that time Fr. Sharbel was not
yet in the hermitage. After the Mass, the man couldn’t find his stick, he
yelled, raising his voice and cursed. Fr. Sharbel left the church and said
softly and sweetly: "My brother, my brother no one yells in the convent."
The man replied angrily: "They stole my stick, are there thieves in the
monastery?” Smiling, Fr. Sharbel replied calmly: "No my brother, we have no
thieves. Look at this basin stone, at the entrance of the monastery, it stands
here since it was built, nobody stole it." Ashamed, the man silenced and all
those present laughed because the basin was a large stone, weighing over a ton,
more than twenty people wouldn't be able to move it.
3 - An ingenious Master
It was accustomed among the monks or peasants,
when a clumsy or stupid brother helped them, to go and complain to the Superior,
saying: "Please, Father Superior, don't send us this or that brother because he
is in his work more of a hindrance than useful. As for Sharbel, nobody ever
complained about him, or about incompetence in his work; his intelligence was
remarkable in all his work; his wisdom was reflected in its greatest
splendor, through the transparency of his consciousness that reached the peak of
the sublimity in his virtues, leaving no way to be said that he had the
slightest hallucination or the minimum illusion. His whole behavior was an
expression of wisdom. It is true that he had no professional education, but he
was ingenious in spiritual subjects, where the monks of the Order, the most
known for their knowledge and experience, were failed.
J: The library and the
culture of Sharbel
I-Introduction
1 - His books
He derived his meditations from the following books: "Flash in Mind", Preparing
for Death of Saint Alphonsus Ligoury, Confessions of Saint Augustine, The
Christian Perfection, Moral theology, Imitation of Christ, a book that he was
very passionate of reading it. He also read many other books: The theological
books, Monks' Garden, Biography of St. Anthony the Great, The Monastic Lamp,
Spiritual interpretation, The Holy Scriptures. There was nothing in his room,
except the regular mat, and his prayer and meditations' books.
Also from the books that he read: the Ladder of virtues, of John Climacus;
Anchoritic, of St. Basil, St. Ephrem Memri, Excerpts of St. Isaac the Syriac of
Nivine, Memri of spiritual Sage in the monastic life, of John Daliyati; Contempt
the vanity of the world, the Master Didoxe Stalleh, from St. Francis Order, and
for Fr. John Eusebius Nirmubarak the Jesuit, The Balance of time and the trap
for the eternity of man. Also, The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Ligoury,
the Martyrology, the novice regulations, Rules and Constitutions of 1732.
And transcripts found in the library of the monastery Annaya: Part eight of
the Science of theology in legislation, the biography of the saints, of Jesus
and Mary and the Synod, Daily practice in the eternal truths, Monastic
discussion; topics came under the form of ask and answer, and sermons about the
Virgin Mary, the interpretation of the Breviary, and untitled book about
the explanation in honor of the name of Jesus, and on the cautiousness from the
wicked , also mentioned the death, the judgment and purgatory, and the
Magnificat of Virgin Mary ,and the Hell and the Confession, and another untitled
book , meditation on the passion of Christ, and The spiritual war, and the
History of Times or the history of the Muslim by Patriarch Estephen Al-Douaihi,
and the Divan of the Maronite Bishop Germanos Farhat Halabi.
2 - His education
Fr. Sharbel was a man of pure holiness, we took him as naive, but in the
spiritual level, he was expert and well-educated, smart, fluent in moral
theology and the principles of the Syriac language, which he translate into
Arabic, in addition to his knowledge in Arabic language. He was judicious and
convincing in his answers; because in moral theology and spiritual things, he
belonged to the school of the famous Fr. Al-Kafri. In the theological
discussions with the priests, he spoke voluntarily about spiritual topics,
especially regards the soul and the sacrament of reconciliation, in which he
talked freely from the fullness of his heart inflamed with spiritual and divine
matters.
II-Stories and Events
1-Religious discussions
Fr. Alouan witnessed: During his presence at the convent, he was helping in
the bakery, all day long, while discussing about theological issues that were of
great benefit. He was more relevant in his answers than others; where the
accuracy of knowledge, breathed with the sweetness of the expression and
combined with the virtue of humility. In this also, he did not answer if he
hadn't been asked to reply. He exchanged with us, religious discussions that
demonstrated the depth of his faith; quoting verses from the Holy Bible and from
the Scriptures, asking us to find another verse which must begin with the last
letter of his quote, then he explained its meaning.
2 - Read this chapter
Fr. Andari testified: I have personally met Fr. Sharbel in September
1898, in the hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, on the occasion of my visit to
the monastery of Saint Maron Annaya few months after my solemn vows; I was
accompanied by Fr. Ibrahim Al-Haqlani
"[14],"
my classmate, who later died in the reputation of sanctity. Upon our arrival, we
entered the chapel of the hermitage, where Fr. Sharbel was kneeling upright on a
piece of log, with reverence, without moving. We visited the Holy Sacrament and
prayed for a moment, while staring at him, still persisting in the same
attitude. Then we went into a narrow hallway that had a simple
stone-built oven; there we saw the other hermit Fr. Makarios Sawma from Meshmesh,
cooking in a pot made of clay. The hermits ate only once a day, in the
afternoon; the dish consisted of a seasoning of lentils, chick peas, beans,
cracked wheat, and other grains, a kind of soup called "Makhlouta".
He welcomed us, with a glowing face and a smile that shows his pure heart, like
the heart of a child. We sat on two curved stones which were at the bottom of a
stony arch; after he chopped the onion, he called Fr. Sharbel, we saluted him he
replied in a soft voice, barely audible, looking at the ground, uttering a
single word: "Peace." Then, Fr. Makarios gave him a metal pan in which he put a
little oil and the chopped onions, saying: "Take and fry the onions." He took
them without looking at us. Fr. Makarios brought a tray made of wicker on which
he placed two plates, a little bread and purslane, parsley, some bread, known as
“the loaves of monks”, some of which were in pieces, others burned, then he told
Fr. Sharbel: "pluck off the leaves of purslane."Then, he took the frying pan,
poured the contents into the clay pot, and then filled the two plates, while Fr.
Sharbel still plucking the purslane, putting the leaves on a plate and the stems
in the corner of the tray.
Fr. Makarios invited us to eat but we apologized and thanked him,
he turned to Fr. Sharbel and said: "Eat." Fr. Sharbel prayed and then began to
eat carefully, sitting on the floor, legs crossed, looking straight ahead him,
in silence. He ate the stems of purslane that others don't eat; he did not eat
the leaves seasoned with salt and oil.
Fr. Makarios went to the vineyard, and brought us grapes of the
highest quality. Meanwhile Fr. Sharbel finished his meal, residing in the same
position, arms crossed, head bowed, waiting for the order; so his companion told
him: "Go, visit the Blessed Sacrament and then come back to do the dishes." At
sunset we said goodbye, collected and very excited, we went back to the convent
amazed at what we had seen.
In the summer of 1898, I spent the holiday at the convent of Annaya
in the company of the brothers scholastic. One day, around 9:00am, we went to
visit the hermits, we found Fr. Sharbel in church, kneeling straight on the same
piece of wood, at the same place, as we saw him the first time last year.
While I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, I turned my eyes towards him I
saw him motionless as a statue, a rosary in his hand, eyes fixed on the altar, I
felt he was in total ecstasy; he didn't even pay attention to us. After we
prayed, we looked at him, hoping that he would look back, but he remained
motionless and did not look towards us. We then walked into the courtyard of the
church on the west side; while we were discussing and yelling. Fr. Sharbel
opened the door and stood in silence; watching us, arms crossed, with a smile on
his brilliant face, as if he wanted to tell us; do not make noise, not to
disturb my prayer in my solitude. We have taken in such veneration, went up to
him and asked for his blessing and the kissing of his hand. Whenever someone
approached him to greet him, he bent his right knee slightly, bent his body,
then he quickly touched with the tip of his fingers each of us, preventing us
from kissing his hand. He greeted us with a smile, repeating a single word in a
whisper: "Peace". We stood for one minute in front of him, in reverence, he
closed the door and returned to his prayer, we withdrew into the woods, west of
the hermitage, tiptoeing, whispering, not to disturb his prayer in solitude. We
were filled with joy and reverence for seeing him; but then I left my brethren
and returned alone to church, to see him again and talk to him, but I didn't
find him, I went into the hallway, he was not there, I looked all over the
hermitage, I didn't see him. Then I went up to the roof, and saw him sitting on
a roller, near the church wall, as if he was avoiding me, holding the biography
of Saint Anthony the Great. When I approached him, he handed the book to me
saying: "Read this chapter." I read it standing in front of him while he was
listening; as soon as I finished reading, he took the book, and without saying a
word he disappeared into the church. I thought, he had just given me this
passage, in order to avoid a conversation with me.
( [14]He frequently visited the patients
infected with smallpox disease, to console them and give them the sacraments.
He got this contagious disease and died in 1906.)
3-
Professor in Theology
He probably founded the
school of Annaya, where Fr. Antonius Meshmesh taught. Also Fr. Youssef the son
of Fr. Youssef Saad Al-Marouni from Meshmesh, who was born in1876, and was a
neighbor of the monastery of Saint Maron Annaya; he studied theology at the hand
of Fr. Antonios Meshmesh in the monastery itself, and pronounced his solemn
vows in May 31, 1898. Sharbel, himself, was teaching the priesthood students in
the monastery of Saint Maron Annaya.
4 - Never tired of reading the Bible
"La Croix" newspaper
wrote: Sharbel is a saint according to the Gospel; Christ was his only teacher,
Sharbel consulted Him and listened to Him. He was never tired of reading the
Bible and reflecting on the life of Christ. Sharbel is a living example for the
Gospel; he followed Jesus Christ and practiced the virtues due to the disciple
of Christ as: obedience, mortification, humility, love and prayer; that grew up
by the pure water of the Gospel.
K:
The Confession of Sharbel
I-Introduction
1 -Revealing thoughts
Sharbel revealed his thoughts daily in accordance to the law
:"Outside the confession, the novice must reveal his thoughts to his superior
or his novice master, every night if possible; he kneels before his spiritual
father, with humility and reverence, uncovering his head, kissing the ground...
and saying respectfully: Father, my heart is far from God ... I
am fully flawed and unworthy servant before God ... then he externalizes his
thoughts, both good and bad ... asking his spiritual father his advices and
guidelines that he must keep.
2 - The weekly
confession
He hated the sin and the causes that lead to it, even he hated to mention it.
All those who knew him, testified that he did not voluntarily committed a
venial sin. What was known to all, that in his life he had never thwarted the
Ten Commandments and those of the church; rather he suffered when someone
trespassed. However, every night he examined his conscience on all the acts of
the day, as the wise merchant; to discern whether he was a winner or a loser, in
the first case, he gives thanks to God, seeking more graces in order to increase
his efforts in work and thereby increase his gain and his merit. In the second
case, although the loss was minimal, he takes the resolution to heal the
existing weakness.
He confessed continuously, once a week, whether in his secular life or in his
monastic and priesthood life. He was smart and wise, without being scrupulous,
for he knew the true spirit very well and never rejected any good advice
throughout his life.
In the convent of Kfifane, he had two spiritual fathers: Fr. Nehemtallah Al-Kafri,
who was later elected as a Superior General, and St. Al-Hardini Nehemtallah,
also early in his anchoritic life, Fr. Alishaa was his spiritual father. After
the death of Alishaa, Fr. Libaos Al-Ramaty became his companion, later he
transferred to the convent of Qattara. Finally, Fr. Makarios Meshmesh
accompanied him till he died.
3-Serving the faithful
He got permission from the Patriarch Boulos Massaad, to practice the sacrament
of reconciliation… on February 20, 1863. But he heard only the confession when
his superior told him, because he was not appointed for the pastoral
ministry. Those who had come to him in order to confess and to listen to
his guideline, they testified and praised his zeal for their own good, and the
effective influence of his advices on their soul; as it penetrates deep into
the heart, and leaves a spiritual influence in the spirit. So they have all
praised his insight and his wise advices, for the construction of the others and
their progress in their spiritual life; and if necessary, he was not holding,
his advices from those who associated with him.
He loved a
lot the souls, and suffered for the perished ones; so he prayed for the sinners,
and gave them wholesome advice at confession, he strongly admonished them for
their sins, and gave them a strict penance. He heard the confessions of women,
only when the Superior ordered him.
II-Stories and Events
1 - Pour the hope in his heart
His example had a great influence over others, monks and laity: working his best
to sow the seeds of hope in their hearts. If a monk fell seriously ill, he would
ask the superior to send Fr. Sharbel to provide him with the last rites;
confession and holy communion ... to comfort him and pour into his heart the
hope and the expectation that he could depart from this world in the hope of the
resurrection; so he came and spent the night at the bedside of the patient, sat
on a chair, and did not leave him, except to recite the prayer service. When the
Superior ordered him to go and pray for a patient, he went willingly and with
joy.
2 - Alone among the monks
According to the calendar of Annaya: Brother Sarkis Ehmej died a natural death,
provided with the last rites in the presence of Fr. Youssef Issa and Fr.
Sharbel from Bqaakafra, on March 14, 1874.
3 - A wise counselor
Fr. Youssef Ehmej witnessed: He was smart and wise in his spiritual speech. I
remember that he once told me: "Never speak a word that could cause a sin, if
it is beneficial say it, or don't."
4-I felt a deep reverence after his advice
Fr.
Tabet Mubarak testified: When Fr. Sharbel left the church to return to his cell,
I stopped him, begging him to hear my confession he came back and told me "Follow
me." After the confession, I looked over inside the church where I saw
cracks in the ceiling and in the walls, that can cause the collapse of the stony
roof, so I told him: "Father, you spend all night in this chapel, this hermitage
is exposed to lightning, a thunder is sufficient to cause its collapse over you,
why don't you renovate it?" He replied: "Don’t care". I said:" I will
tell the Father Superior to restore it." He answered: "No! Don’t tell him, my
son, where I could find a more sacred place than this altar, to die over it?"
I felt a deep
reverence because of his response, the same feeling I had after listening to his
advices during the confession. Then he went back to his cell, and we left.
5 - He
met the qualifications of the confessor
Fr. Ramyah
testified: He was intelligent and very competent; he delighted the hearts of
those who confessed to him, by his advice and guidance. I myself have been
several times in his confessional, and now I wish with all my heart, that I get
the chance to find a priest like him to confess to him throughout my life;
because Fr. Sharbel had a unique ingenious memory, in which one might think that
he had an access even to the invisible world; as he remembered, even after a
long time, the situations that were presented to him by his parishioners.
Although he
was knowledgeable and accurate in guiding the souls, prescribing the medicine
according to the disease without mercy; he was capable to attract the heart of
the confessor, despite the apparent severity of his exhortations to the sin
committed, and the severe compensation he imposed. His personality combined all
the qualities of the Confessor; he was very relevant in his advice, his
questions and his admonitions; a judge perceiving in his spiritual theology an
excellent knowledge; a clever doctor who gave the right treatment; a loving
father who opened his arms to the sinner, and gave him the passion for
repentance and confession.
6 - Very Impressive
Skandar Beik Khoury witnessed: He listened to the confessions of men, only to
those who asked him; he usually sent them to his companion in the hermitage. His
instructions were very impressive, to all those who heard him in the
confessional, as my father told me; who, himself, in age of twenty-five, had
confessed to him, about seven or eight times.
L: Servant for everybody (Mt
20/28)
I-Introduction
The
law orders: “The gestures and works of the monks must be low and with degrading,
regarding to his brethren." So, when Sharbel obeyed this rule, his surroundings,
the secular and especially the monastic order, didn’t understand him; some
people disrespected him for his despicable clothes, and some of the monks
laughed at his naiveté and even some of them used to mock him for his arduous
austerities, including the one that put him water in the lantern. They talked
with him with anger and scolded him, to the extent that Sharbel who was known by
his utmost patience and his ultimate silence, he once said to the hermit
Makarios: "If I am stupid, be patient with me, for the sake of Christ."
He embodied
the example of Christian by his humility, trying to conceal his virtues and his
good deeds. He felt sad and began to tremble when others praised him. He was the
reflection of modesty, held aloof from people and brothers, preferring hiding,
isolation and silence; he was human, apparently, living in heaven, actually.
When he is
informed about something even if he wasn't at fault; he would kneel down with
folded arms, asking for forgiveness, bowing his head towards the ground, and did
not get up till he is ordered, due to the novice's regulation:
" If the novice
is admonished, he must Kneel down silently and quickly with folded arms, without
trying to justify himself and do not get up until the Superior orders him, so he
receives his blessing and goes to work."
He was so meek
and humble, more humble than a lamb, and more pleasant than a spirit flowing in
the body, yet he was the humility itself, never talked about himself, as
if he was dead from this world.
He humbled
himself till he faded, petered out completely if he could; he appeared without
a will, and somehow with no mind and no senses; despicable in his clothes, in
his food, in his sleep, in his kneeling, in his mat, in his cell, in his hard
work, totally forgetting himself.
He willingly
accepted the contempt of others; rather he felt happy if someone insulted him;
he wasn't embarrassed from his despicable habit, neither from his poor food, nor
from his miserable cell.
He always
looked for the smallest service, the least position. We heard him once saying:
I do not deserve to be among my brothers, or to achieve their dignity,
because I am inferior to everyone; his words are the evidence of his deep
humility. He considered himself entirely lower than all the monks, claiming
every pettiness and lowliness for him, forgetting himself totally. He behaved
as if he was a servant for all who worked with him in the field; choosing,
willingly, the modest services, such sweeping and washing the dishes; therefore,
these services weren't accounted for ordained priests. When the monks tried to
kiss hid hands and receive his blessing, he was doing his best to stop them.
II-Stories and Events
1 - Stranger
Fr. Maron Karam explained: The monk of the region, became dependent on his
district, and couldn't be transferred without the permission of the superior; so
the monk who was outside his region, considered himself a stranger, and some of
the monks told the alien one: "What have brought you here? No bread remained in
your country?" Therefore, Fr. Sharbel was a stranger in the province; he was
the only one in the convent, who came from northern Lebanon, from the region of
Jebbeh. Yet he obeyed, in an exemplary manner, all those who lived in the
monastery; monks and laymen gave him orders, to make fun of him or to joke, and
he never rejected any order. Nobody defended nor respected him, except the
Superior who became angry on those who tortured Sharbel or mocked from him. As
for Fr. Sharbel, he devoted himself to work, prayer and obedience, without
indignation against his mockers, he rarely spoke, only when he answered a
question. In this context St. Therese cried out: "What contempt, on the strange
shore, didn't you endure for me? I want to disappear from the earth and be the
last in everything, for You, O Jesus."
2 - God give me strength to obey
[15]
Hanna Al-Houssaini
witnessed: When my uncle, Abdel Ahad Al-Houssaini, was superior of the convent
of Kartaba, I was a deacon serving there. One day we came to St. Maron monastery
where the monks in Annaya and the workers were busy preparing a furnace. Fr.
Sharbel was taking care of the firewood, it was then, when Fr. Hanna Roukoz
Meshmesh turned to him and joked in front of all present: "We all decided to
throw you into the furnace for the lack of branches, because the human body,
fueling more than logs, and his flesh fed well the furnace, so the stone will
soon burn." As soon as, Fr. Sharbel heard this, he knelt down and said: God
give me strength to obey, which means I am ready to sacrifice my life, to
obey. Deeply moved, Fr. Elias Meshmesh, reprimanded him saying: "Shame on you!
Why are you joking like that with Fr. Sharbel? Don't you know that the Spirit of
God is upon him? May God grant us the blessing of his intercessory prayers."
Then Fr. Roukoz asked forgiveness from Fr. Sharbel who replied: God forgives
everyone.
([15]
According to the hermit, Fr. Youhanna Al-khawand, this expression means, it is
impossible! Used by the monks when they were asked to do something impossible! )
3 - I am a great sinner
Nobody was aware of his
presence, because he was attached to the life of isolation. When the visitors
asked for his blessing and his prayers, he gave them his blessing without
looking at them, saying: "Ask the Lord to give you according to your faith."
If someone told him: You are a saint, he got disturbed and said, "I am a
great sinner." At the Hermitage, he performed the lowest and the most humble
works. Though he was the Superior in the hermitage, he imposed himself to the
obedience of his companion Fr. Makarios, who was younger than him; he was the
one who washed the dishes and swept the floor. If it happened that the superior
admonished a monk in his presence, or warned him for something, even if he
wasn't at fault, he would kneel, according to the monks' custom, seeking
forgiveness and never got up until the superior asked him.
4 -The cat's leftovers
Fr.
Bernardes Ehmej testified: I am telling you a story that I saw with my own eyes
and I was deeply touched; I always remember this scene with great emotion,
respect and wonder. Fr. Sharbel was eating with his companion at my presence;
their dish was composed of cracked wheat cooked with chard leaves. After having
finished, Fr. Makarios wiped the pan with a piece of bread and threw it for the
cat, but the cat wasn't hungry, so she licked the remaining meal without eating
the bread. Meanwhile, Fr. Sharbel, who was washing the dishes, came back and
found the bread on a floor, he picked it up, passed it over his head and after
shaking the dust, he made the sign of the cross and ate it, without noticing my
presence, because he never raised his eyes. At that moment, I became aware that
he never looked at anyone, because he repeatedly asked, "Who are you?" Although
I answered him, he was asking me the same question in the second day, because he
never raised his eyes and looked at me.
5 -His homeland is in heaven! (Phil
3/20)
Fr. Youssef Ehmej witnessed: He liked to be despised by all. Throughout his
life, he kept his eyes lowered and he looked neither to his brethren nor to the
natural landscape. One day I was with Fr. Nehemtallah Meshmesh, holding
binoculars, looking towards Beirut; Fr. Sharbel came along, carrying a rope to
tie a load of wood, I told him: Take this telescope you can see Beirut very
close to you. He replied; "No, why should I care, about these things?"
Then he went to his work. Fr. Roukouz Meshmesh added, so I told him follow me
to the roof of the hermitage, he obeyed. I gave him the binoculars, to see
Beirut, he replied: Watch, by yourself! and he went back.
6 - Do not put him to the test
Hanna Al-Houssaini testified: I heard Fr. Elias Meshmesh warning the visitors of
the convent not to put Fr. Sharbel to the test, neither verbally nor
otherwise, saying: “This is a man of faith, the Spirit of God is upon him, so
respect him.” Fr. Elias liked and esteemed him, for his unique virtues. He once
said to me: Many times, I tried to dissuade Fr. Sharbel from practicing the
arduous work in the field, and to give him an easier job in the convent, for the
rest of his body, but he was immediately finishing the work in the monastery,
and going to the field.
7 - Insults
- Blessed are
you if they insult you and persecute you
(Mt 5:11)
Once he was
reciting the prayer service, when Fr. Ignatius Meshmesh called him and told him
rigorously: “Leave the prayer and come here.” He obeyed respectfully. He endured
the insults and the ridicules of others, sometimes with humbleness, sometimes
with patience and joy. For whoever humbles himself will be exalted, and the
humble of heart will find rest for his soul, and he of whom they say all evil
against him, his reward will be great in heaven; so Sharbel rejoiced and was
glad.
- Rejoice and
be glad, because great is your reward in heaven
(Mt 5:11)
Francis Kartaba
witnessed: As we collected the grapes in the vineyard of the hermitage, the
superior asked me to fill the jug from the well of the hermitage. When I got
there, I quickly tied the rope to the handle of the jug and carelessly threw it
into the well, without realizing that Fr. Sharbel was behind me watching me, so
he said: "My brother, St. Anthony chose the discernment, and you're throwing
the jag quickly, taking a risk to break it, and then it will be against
poverty." "I replied emphatically: "Go to your church! You’re living in the
hermitage, pretending to be a saint!" He answered politely and gently, head
bowed: "Forgive me, my brother, for the sake of Christ." Then he went to
church and I went to the vineyard.
-For in the
same way they persecuted the prophets before you
(Mt 5:11)
Brother
Boutros Meshmesh witnessed: One day, while I was plowing in the vineyards of the
hermitage with some other workers, I saw Fr. Sharbel in the process of raising
the vines while the cow was crossing; it happened that the cow trampled over the
vine and broke it, then, Fr. Makarios told him: “What are you doing?! Here is a
broken vine because of your negligence.” Immediately, Fr. Sharbel knelt down,
arms folded, and said: Forgive me for the sake of Christ! Praying and
asking forgiveness for his sin.
M: No one could hear his voice
(Mt
12,19)
I-Introduction
The law requires:
"The monk must keep the tranquility." So he spoke very rarely. We didn't hear
his voice except in reading the Bible, the words of consecration and in unison
prayers. He embodied the Rule; he didn’t converse with men, women or monks.
At work he spoke with no one; he sought no superfluous words with a visitor or a
muleteer, nor passed the time gossiping,
or asked about a particular person, but
if you asked him, he would answer politely, calmly and briefly. He spent the
evening in silent, but he was available to speak when asked about spiritual or
theological issue, so there he voluntarily abounded in his answers.
His life resembled that of cloistered
silence; his speech was dedicated to talk with God, and concentrated for
silence, isolation and meditation; he was a monk of work, prayer, and
contemplative silence that one might think he was from another world. At church
as in the hermitage, he was like an angel; no one could hear his voice.
II- Stories and events
1 - If necessary
Fr. Elias Ehmej testified:
Our rule requires mandatory silence after Compline, in the refectory and in the
church. During these hours, if the monks talked with Fr. Sharbel, he answered
only when necessary. The brethren followed his example, and presented him as an
ideal for novices, in his lifetime and after his death. From all the monks, none
could match his adherence to the rule.
2 - I have strayed from the path.
Fr. Ephrem Nakad witnessed:
Once he went to Meshmesh to a funeral and didn’t come back till evening, I asked
him why he came so late, he replied: I have strayed from the path, the fog
was too dense and I found myself in Houjoula, then I gradually found the way and
reached the monastery. I replied: "Haven't you met anybody?" He said: "I
met, many." I asked again: "Why didn't you ask for the direction?" He didn't say
a word. In fact, he wouldn't have asked anyone, even if he had lost his way.
How strange he was in his condition!
No anchorite or hermit had lived as he did; neither before nor after him. I
haven't met a person like him, among the monks, laity, priests and bishops. God
is wonderful in his saints! The case of this monk is very amazing!
3 -
Do you practice your spiritual obligations?
Once, his brother came from Bqaakafra
to visit him and rang the bell. Fr .Sharbel came to see who was ringing, the
visitor replied: "I am the brother of the hermit, Sharbel." he said: "Just a
moment, till I ask the hermit, if he wants to open the door." He went to his
companion and told him: "My brother is at the door, do you allow me to open
it?" He replied: "Of course, welcome him." During their meeting, he simply
repeated the same thing: "How are you?" Is everything all right? Do you
practice your spiritual obligations; you and your family? Shortly
afterwards, he dismissed him.
4 - As Saint Nester
Fr. Ephrem Nakad
testified: He was like St. Nester who, when he entered the convent found a
donkey near the gate, so he said to himself: "Nester, Nester, you and that
donkey are alike, if he can speak, then you can talk in the convent." From my
personal experience with Fr. Sharbel, I found him intelligent, knowledgeable in
moral theology, passionate for learning. However, he behaved like Saint Nester:
a donkey in his silence, a philosopher in his prayer and his lifestyle, a hermit
in the convent.
5 - Listening to the Beloved one (Lk10:39)
Although Fr. Sharbel
had been neither stupid, nor melancholic, nor from those who hate the
contact with people; he promised that his mouth doesn't utter a word, except to
praise God in resonant prayer, or to respond to the neighbor in a spiritual
matter. Therefore, he spoke very little and rarely took the initiative in
conversation, but his speech was almost always an answer. So he was
distinguished among the hermits, not only in his observance to the hermit's
rules, but also by his constant silence and his continuous work. He seemed like
a quiet contemplative monk rather than a Lebanese monk; all other hermits were
astonished from his great perpetual silence.
6- He didn't answer me
Moussa Moussa
testified: When I helped him to pull the thorny bushes and the tree stumps, he
didn’t utter a word and remained silence. When I was bored of silence in the
field, I talked to him, but he didn't answer me.
7-Nothing can entertain him
Moussa Moussa
witnessed: I befriended several monks and hermits, all venerable, but no one was
like Fr. Sharbel. The other hermits, the living or the dead, spoke with us when
we visited them; seeking entertaining news, and looking at our faces. On the
other hand, Fr. Sharbel spoke to no one, sought no distractions, and not even
looked at the face of a living creature.
8-
The people thought he was dumb
Fr. Sharbel was an
angel in human body, a philosopher without a philosophy, an ideal of holiness
and perfection. He had a tongue, but people thought he was dumb, as if he is a
little child in his mother's arms, with one difference, that we couldn't hear
his voice.
9- He rarely spoke
Fr. Alouan witnessed:
During the period I’ve spent at St. Maron, I saw in him only a silent man, who
lived in isolation, not only from people but also from the monks. He didn't talk
in front of me, so I can tell you stories about his life, and he never engaged
in anything that I could describe how he was dealing with people. He worked four
or five hours with the novices and remained silent, while they were talking
around him.
N:
Rejoice in my sufferings(Col 1,24)
I-Introduction
This what the law requires: "The monk must give thanks to God for the disease
more than the health, confident that it’s a test from the Lord for his own
good." Fr. Sharbel suffered from horrible stomach pains, worsened during the
snow season, yet he never complained or asked for treatment. Although he endured
this chronic colic, especially in winter, he never told anyone about his
condition, nor asked for a doctor neither put heaters in winter, though the
cold, in the hermitage of Saint Maron, was severe. He never said I am sick, but
endured his sufferings with remarkable patience, imitating the humility and
patience of Christ, concealing his troubles from others with discretion; what
happened to him either from God or men, he accepted with patience and
serenity. He didn't take a medicine or painkiller, even when the pain became
unbearable, but he kept repeating: "The will of God be done." He wore the same
habit in summer and winter, and did not approach the fire like other hermits;
instead, he spent his time praying in the church, mostly kneeling on the bare
ground.
His whole life
was molded with mortification, so his pure body got used to it, and it became a
shelter for him, where he relaxed after long years of ascetic practice; he
always wore the Cilice directly on the flesh and not over a flannel. Boutros
Moussa wondered how he could bear it, especially during the summer; he also put
a thorny belt of iron applied on the flesh.
II-Stories and Events
1- He captivated my heart
Fr. Hassrouni testified: Once, while we were plowing the vineyards of the
hermitage; me, Brother Elias Al-Mahrini, as the head of the field, the worker
Suleiman Al-Manzili, Fr. Sharbel and his companion at the hermitage, Fr.
Makarios; I noticed that Fr. Sharbel began to cling onto himself, bending his
back, his hands clutching his hips, groaning from a severe pain. I asked Fr.
Makarios: "What's wrong with the hermit? I see him in pain!" He replied: "He has
a severe renal colic." I replied: "Then, let him rest, and ask a worker to
replace him." Fr. Makarios replied: "He wants to abuse himself, in such pain
and hard work." In the afternoon, Fr. Makarios went to bring the lunch, while
Fr. Sharbel kept running behind three pairs of cattle, in spite of his
unbearable pain; then, he saw the cattle in front of me, about to trip over the
vine, he ran and saved it; his groaning increased which meant he had even more
pain. I told him: "Go slowly, Master I can stop the cattle." He replied in a
low, intermittent voice that captivated my heart: "My master, it will be
damage, on my conscience, against poverty", and he continued his work all
the day despite his pain.
2 -My eyes bathed with tears
Fr. Hassrouni witnessed: In May 1897, we were plowing the vineyard of the
hermitage, when we started breakfast, Fr. Sharbel continued to rebuild the walls
that surrounded the vine, I asked his companion, Fr. Makarios, to call him for
breakfast, he replied: "He eats in the afternoon." At lunchtime, he continued
his work on the walls, so I asked Fr. Makarios, out of compassion for his frail
health, to order him to come and eat with us, but his companion replied, saying:
"He will eat it later." In the evening, we brought the cattle to graze in the
woods, a moment later, I returned to the hermitage to drink, and then I saw Fr.
Sharbel eating the stems of purslane that he had picked up from the ground; my
eyes bathed with tears from this impressive scene, and I blamed Fr. Makarios,
saying: "Have mercy on the hermit; how do you let him eat the stems of purslane
after his hard work, and his painful illness." He replied: "He is happy with
what he eats, leave him alone." Then I told myself: "How far we are from the
virtues of this father? He really embodied all the virtues of the hermits in
Sketis (upper of Egypt) and far exceeds what is written in the book "Garden of
the monks" and the book "The Christian Perfection".
3 - I was deeply moved by compassion.
Fr.
Hassrouni witnessed: I saw him once, transporting woods on his back from the
depths of the forest to the vineyard; he was carrying a very heavy bundle and
ascending to the hermitage, I was deeply moved to pity, for this old man who was
over sixty-five. I blamed his companion, Fr. Makarios, who rapidly disposed of
it, saying: "He wants to subdue himself."
4 - Rice and butter in the hermitage!
Once Fr.
Makarios said: "You endure a pain in the kidneys let me prepare a rice soup
with butter for you; he replied in a low voice: "Rice and butter in the
hermitage? No, thanks"
5 -For the sake of Jesus Passion
Moussa Moussa witnessed: When I asked him why he had a small branch of the vine
tied around his head and a goat skin around his wrist, he sometimes replied:"
I have a headache; I put them for the sake of Jesus Passion!"
6 - No one was aware of his suffering
The hermits were prepared a meal from wild legumes, it seemed that one of these
herbs was harmful; Fr. Sharbel ate and fell sick without complaining, and nobody
was aware of his sickness and his pain.
7 - He stepped on the thorny bushes barefooted
Moussa Moussa testified: When he was in the hermitage, I saw him in torn
clothes, carrying a burden of thorny shrubs, stepping on it bare feet when he
tied it with a rope, so his feet bled because of the thorns.
8 - The wool socks
Once, the Superior gave him the instruction to wear socks, knitted on our
country with thick wool threads, to protect his feet from moisture, because he
was suffering from stomach pains. He wore them only a single time, out of
obedience, then he never put them during his lifelong.
9 - He warmed up for a short time
When it was very cold in winter, Fr. Makarios called him to come to the kitchen
to warm himself. Fr. Sharbel obeyed and went there for a short time, and then he
retired to sleep in his cell; while his companion was sleeping beside the fire,
because of the bitter cold inside the hermitage.
11-I shouldn't savor the sweets
Once, Fr. Makarios proposed to make him a hot drink with bitter herbs, as a
sedative for the pain he endured, he agreed in one condition, that he didn't
put sugar. Fr. Makarios replied: "But the herbs are very bitter, and it's
impossible to drink it!" Fr. Sharbel answered:"I shouldn’t savor the sweets,
and my Lord Jesus drank vinegar on the cross, when he was at the peak of his
thirst and suffering.
O: Everlasting peace
(Jn14:27)
I-Introduction
His courage was exceptional because it came from heaven and not from earth; in
all time we could see him amiable and cheerful, as if everything was going well.
He never grumbled about someone, or complained about a work, in summer or
winter. When lightning struck the rod of the hermitage, he wasn't moving from
his spot in the church where he was praying. He endured all the difficulties,
putting in front of him his supernatural goal. He was suffering from colic, that
sometimes assaulted him during the hours of manual labor, but he never groaned
rather he was repeating; O Jesus! O Blessed Virgin! When his companion,
Fr. Makarios told him to go to rest and pray before the Blessed Sacrament, he
always obeyed. If he was called, he stood and saluted with the usual greeting: Praised
be God; he stayed upright, arms crossed, till they order him to sit. He was
serene, serious, good-tempered, and gentle as a dove, rather he was the
docility, the kindness and the tenderness; anyone who looked at
him, spontaneously would love him; if someone annoyed him, he bore it with
patience and kindness.
II- Stories and events
1-
His heart and his mind are in heaven
(Mt 6/19-21)
He did not speak of
earthly things, nor asked about the income of the hermitage from the vows
offerings, or wished that the monastery will be richer, nor he was proud of the
richness of the convent in its territories or otherwise. He spoke neither about
family nor relatives or cared about their loss or wealth, he never asked about
them or about money, or livelihood. He underwent no work for the sake of
gratitude, and didn’t expect any help from anyone. He never looked for
compensation from the part of the superiors if he had been asked to provide a
service; his relationship with them was brief; if commanded he obeyed without
the slightest hesitation. He wasn't to be carried away by emotions of sadness,
or happiness; if a disaster happened to the convent, or to one of his fellow he
didn't grieve; nor he rejoiced if one of his brethren got a rank in the
priesthood, or any other gratifying things; he always kept the same mood in all
situations, confident in God, repeating the phrase: God provides, this is the
Will of God. He prayed for a plenty harvest season, but he showed no
affection for a good or bad one, saying: The Divine Providence provides.
He always said: Thy Will be done, what we have in this world? We are but
pilgrims to Eternity. In a word, his heart and his thoughts were directed
towards heaven.
2 - Pray for him
He showed a strong
faith in God; so when the parent of a sick person came to beg him, asking him to
pray for the healing of their patient, he sometimes replies: Your patient is
in a good health, pray for him, as if the will of God inspired him to say
these words of consolation. Other time, he replies: Plead and pray for him,
and he prays with them and urges them to trust in God. On other occasion, he
consoles them by advising them to have patience and surrender to God's Divine
will. Each time they mentioned to him about a patient, or needy or a person
in difficulty, he says: God provides, let's depend on Him, and if someone
asked him for a help, he would convince him to turn to God and plead Him for
the grace desired.
6 - The scattering of ashes
The hermits celebrated their masses separately, so Fr. Sharbel served the masses
of his companions, Fr. Makarios Meshmesh and Fr. Semaan Ehmej; however each
undertook to serve his mass every other day, because of to the bitter cold in
winter. Once, it was very cold and the snow accumulated very thick, Fr. Sharbel
served the two masses of his two companions, then they went after the masses to
warm up near the fire, while Fr. Sharbel was preparing to celebrate his mass.
The two hermits, after getting warm, surrendered to sleep, and suddenly the
stove bumped against the wall, leaving the embers and ashes scattered over them
so they woke up frightened, went directly to church, found Fr. Sharbel already
dressed for mass, standing before the altar, waiting that someone would come to
serve his mass. Upon their arrival, he showed no disappointment, nor said a
word; they considered that the incident of embers was a warning for them to go
and serve the Mass.
4- He worked for the monks’ comfort
He
was concerned only about the comfort of the monks and the welfare of the
convent; for he was convinced that with this contribute; he praises God and
works for the salvation of his soul. If he felt that one of his brothers, who
had been ordered to perform a job as baking bread, was tired and he needed to
rest or he should do other duty, Fr. Sharbel would ask permission from his
companion to replace him and did the job with pleasure even until midnight. He
never left his brethren till the mission is accomplished. To anyone who asked
him for a service, he replied: I am at your service, my brother.
P: No one could take away his joy (Jn 16,22)
I-Introduction
He was always gentle
and cheerful, happy in God, pleased in his condition, he neither grumbled nor
complained about anything, sober, patient, joyful; he knew nor boredom neither
weariness, nor sadness neither anxiety or fear; he practiced the austerities,
spontaneously, easily and happily, until the last day of his life. He was joyful
in all his work and always happy; practicing it constantly and persistently;
neither he hesitated on doing it nor grumbled.
He considered himself
a servant for all others; obeying with joy and lot of energy not only what his
superiors ordered, but also what the others asked him, including novices and
servants. He considered himself lucky, for each service he could provide for
others; he served with content the laborers who worked in the field of the
monastery, or in the vineyard of the hermitage. He completely accomplished all
services required from him, and was pleased to take over a brother in a hard
work.
When the superior
ordered him to go and pray for the patients, he went willingly and with joy, and
prayed for them asking God for their recovery and health. He had a zeal for the
salvation of souls, receiving kindly those who wanted to confess, doing his best
to bring them to conversion. If he was told about an unusual or funny event, he
would reply only briefly and with an amiable smile.
When he was lecturing about theological
subjects, he spoke in a friendly way, pursuant the rule: "the novice should
speak with kindness to all people.”
His gaiety
transferred to his surrounding; Bro. Boutros Meshmesh witnessed: "I felt great
pleasure when I was serving his Mass." Bro. Elias Al-Mahrini affirmed: I
participated with him in reciting the rosary; he was kneeling and praying with
enjoyment and warmth; which radiating from him and filling me. Fr. Hassrouni
added: in reciting the rosary with him, I felt when I was close to him, with an
unusual ardor invaded my soul, and with unknown pleasure, and Fr. Nehemtallah
Meshmesh explained: Silent as he was, he urged everyone to be silence, imposing
decency in the speech; everyone was happy to work with him. He put no value to
any interest that distracted him, or interfered in his love for God, joyfully
fulfilling all his obligations. He found no pleasure, or comfort or gaiety,
except in the mass and in prayer; in them he found full satisfaction.
II-Stories and Events
1 - More
pleasant than the pleasure itself
Al-Tannouri witnessed: After
my arrival to the hermitage, I showed Fr. Sharbel the permission, sent to him,
from the Superior General, to lecture me the retreat that was to precede my
priestly ordination, he told me: :" You are a master of Israel,(Jn3/9)
and you need someone like Fr. Sharbel to lecture you in your spiritual
retreat? But I am at your disposal in anything you want." When the retreat
came to an end, I hoped that it lasted more than one week. When I heard his
words, I felt as if I tasted a very delicious food and honey, because his
words pierced the rocks, and relented the iron, they were more pleasant than the
pleasure itself! That's why I decided to spend my vacation every year with
him in the hermitage until the end of his life. So I spent four years in a row
with him, and each time he welcomed me with an angelic smile.
2 - He replied smiling
Fr. Alouan testified:
Quite often, he accompanied us in the sowing of wheat, at the request of the
head of the field, and the approval of the superior of the convent. One day,
everyone, novices and laborers, after finished seeding a field above the
fountain, we had to go to another one, and then we had to move all equipment and
items necessary; me and the laborers, we were dealing with oxen and ploughs,
while the other novices, with Fr. Sharbel and the remaining workers had to carry
other cultivation equipment. Since we knew how obedient Fr. Sharbel was, we
decided to put his virtue to test; so we gathered the entire field's utensils
that we had; the hoes, the water jar, the jug, the seed's basket and the food's
bucket.
For fun, I asked Fr. Sharbel to carry
all these objects, he replied: "I am at your disposal." I began to put
the objects in his back, piece after piece, waiting for him to say, that's
enough, but he hadn’t shown neither reluctance nor he complained; accepting all
of these willingly. He put the picks on one shoulder, hung the basket on the
other one, the water jar in one hand and the bucket on his elbow; the jug
remained, so I told him: Carry it. He replied, "How I carry it?" I told
him: hang it on your finger, he obeyed. Few other items remained on the ground
that he couldn't carry, so he told me: put over my body, put more. The
novices laughed, seeing us laughing, he looked at us and said smilingly: "Woe
to those who overwhelmed people with heavy burdens, while not bothering
themselves, to move one of their fingers." Then he left with his burden
satisfied and happy, and we took the other utensils.
3 - With joy and pleasure
Fr. Sharbel had given
up his own will completely, even he abandoned it with disregard, pursuant to
Christ's words: “He who doesn't forsake everything and deny himself for my sake,
doesn't deserve to be my disciple." This means a true and total obedience;
that's why his obedience was blind; as a little child obeys his parents; he
always rushed to accomplish the order without questioning or denial, rather with
joy and gaiety. When he finished a work he stood up, arms crossed and said:
My father or my brother, my work is done, what do you want me to do now?
4- He used to say in jest
"La Croix"
newspaper wrote: Sharbel requested the hard work, from his superior; he
transported the stones and plowed the fallow land without the help of an animal.
His hourly rate wasn't less than ten hours a day, bearing the summer heat and
the winter cold. His hands became chapped, his ankles and his armpits were
ripped by the thorns, and he used to say in jest: I must become tough....
Q: Amazing love (Jn 1,13)
I-Introduction
He
expressed what he had in his heart, saying: My God, my heart belongs to you;
he offered this heart for Him entirely without ever being touched one day by an
earthly love; his soul kindled with the fire of God’s love ... The time he had
spent before the Blessed Sacrament was the best time for him; no wonder, because
the lover has a passion to be with his beloved and cherished in his attendance;
for the heart of man is where his treasure lies; that's what the book of
Proverbs mentioned.
He
chose the love for God over his body, sacrificing everything for God's Love;
that love drove him to a point that he liked to be despised and treated as if he
was nothing. Throughout his life he was never interested in acquiring the
satisfaction of a superior or the friendship of a fellow brother; he did nothing
for his own sake, but he offered himself entirely to God.
He served his neighbor through his prayers, without ever being concerned to be
praised; he never complained to the superior about one of his brethren or about
a worker, but he was kind with everybody; he replaced his brethren in the hard
work to allow them to rest, performing the most menial jobs and carrying wood
without being in charge by the superior order, but driven by his love for them.
Pursuant the novice's regulation: "He came to love God and the neighbor and not
to hate them; he came to suffer and be despised, not to be praised and to rest;
he came to serve not to be served." He prayed for the conversion of sinners and
the return of the perishable ones to the right path. Sometimes, especially on
Sundays and holidays, he was delaying his Mass, so the shepherds who came from
far away, could participate in the Eucharist.
II-Stories and Events
1 -
The family of Sharbel (Mt
12:46-50)
Once,
his brother and his sister came to visit him at the hermitage; his companion,
Fr. Makarios, told him about their arrival, he replied: You are my brother
and my sister, offer them food and drinks, then dismiss them to return to the
village, and tell them that I am praying for them to be Saved and to
be delivered from the snares of this world. He didn't meet them.
2
- Do you want to have lunch?
Fr.
Mubarak Massaad came to visit the hermitage at lunchtime, so Fr. Sharbel and his
companion asked him: Do you want to have lunch? He agreed, but the meal
was just enough for two persons. Thus Fr. Sharbel discreetly withdrew, leaving
for the visitor his portion. He ate the leftovers in the bottom of the pot,
though the hermits eat only one meal per day.
3 - Work for
food that endures to eternal life (Jn
6, 27)
Fr.
Sharbel prayed a lot for the conversion of sinners, and for the sick; giving
beneficial advices depending on the circumstances. I still remember the words he
once told me: Do not worry about the things of this world, but about the
eternal life and the Doomsday, for the one who will judge us, knows everything
and doesn't need anyone to tell him. He had a great compassion for the
souls in purgatory, especially those who have nobody to pray for them, he prayed
for them and invited others to pray for them.
4 - Out of pity for her
Fr. Elias Ehmej testified: Once during my childhood, I accompanied my mother, in
November to attend the Mass at the hermitage. On our way, it rained incessantly
that we were all soaked in water. When we reached the hermitage, I entered and
prepared the supplies for the Liturgy to serve the Mass for Fr. Sharbel. He
looked at me and saw me drenched with water from head to toe so he asked me
to go to the kitchen to dry my clothes, I didn't accepted, he took pity on
me, and brought me a pair of his shoes but I didn't use it because it was large.
At the beginning of the Mass he turned to us with the incense, so he saw my
mother standing at the door outside and participating in the Mass, bathed
in water; he took pity on her, and asked me to bring her inside to continue
her mass at the back of the church; I called her and she came in. This was
strange because he had never allowed women to enter the church, but he had
compassion on her because of the bitter cold and the stormy wind and he let her
enter.
5 - His love towards his brethren
One
of his most unique virtues was his love for his brethren, he denigrated no
person, but he performed his duties devoutly. He was strict on himself mild with
others; he spent a long period of his monastic life at St. Maron monastery in
Annaya, loved by all the monastic folk with all its diversity and variety; he
was remarkable for his impartiality and discreetness with others, and his
rashness for help in every unfinished work at the convent. The superior of the
convent at that time, Fr. Antonios Meshmesh said: "I have in the convent two
excellent monks, not only the best in our Order, but also in all the existing
orders in the Church, and they are: Fr. Sharbel and brother Elias Al-Mahrini."
7 - Like a
mother who cares for her baby
Fr.
Ephrem Nakad witnessed: In the past it was accustomed that when a monk was
getting old or sick and he had a monk at the monastery from his relatives or
from his village, the latter undertook to serve him. In the monastery of Saint
Maron there were many monks, and if one of them got sick or aged and he had a
monk to take care of him, Fr. Sharbel would only visit him as the other monks.
As
a mother who takes care for her child, he devoted himself, day and night to
serve the sick and elderly, with no relatives or friends from their village. I
remember there was at St. Maron monastery a monk named Moussa Ehmej, who was
sick, old and disabled, and he had nobody from his village except Fr. Alishaa;
already old and senile. Since Fr. Moussa got sick, Fr. Sharbel was responsible
for his service, and was sleeping on the floor beside him, in the night. One day
he came out of the cell of the patient and went directly to church to celebrate
the Holy Mass; I noticed that his habit was covered with spit on his back. I
called him saying: "It is shameful to celebrate mass with this habit", so he
changed it. Indeed, the patient was spitting all night without noticing that Fr.
Sharbel was sleeping on the floor beside him.
7-
Sharbel "the passionate lover"
His heart was in love with Jesus and felt no attraction to live without him, so
he kept repeating: "God is my love, and that's enough for me." He felt
neither pleasure nor joy or rest except in the church before the Blessed
Sacrament. In the days of snow and cold, when it was impossible to work outside
and there was nothing to do inside the convent; he spent his time conversing
with God in his prolonged visits to the Blessed Sacrament. He, who loves,
always thinks of his beloved and would like to extend his presence with him. Fr.
Sharbel liked to stay so long meditating in the Eucharist; rather all his life
was absorbed by God, because he was always thinking of Him. When someone spoke
with him, he was like awakened from a deep sleep, because even in his hard
manual work, he was always immersed in meditation in God.
8- Unlimited love
Fr.
Ephrem Nakad witnessed: He showed us, me and the novices from his village, no
special affection and refrained to contact us. Once the superior of the convent,
Fr. Elias Meshmesh asked him: "Fr. Sharbel, don't you feel more affection to the
novices who are from your hometown, than others, because it is a natural
inclination in men." He replied softly as usual: I don’t incline to them,
neither inward nor outward, because all the brothers are equal to me.
9- He didn't concern about us
Fr. Raphael Nakad witnessed: I went with Fr. Ephrem, both from Bqaakafra, to the
convent of Annaya to make our entry into the Order, believing that we'll be
happy and lucky to have Fr. Sharbel with us, so he would look after us, and be a
good company for us. Yet the opposite happened: he didn't concern about us nor
communicated with us; he showed us no particular affection, even though we came
from his hometown.
10- He wept over a Shiite (Lk 19:41)
Once Fr. Youssef Beiruty, entered the hermitage and found Fr. Sharbel crying
bitterly, striking his head with his hands with great regret, he asked him why
he is weeping, but he didn't answer; he insisted in asking him second and third
time, then he said: "I'll tell you, but it must remain confidential,
you don't tell anyone until after my death.” Today a man from Almatte
(Shiite) died, his soul went to hell. A moment later a gunshot was heard from
Almatte, and news of the death of a rich man who was in America, was spread.
14 - Even animals
-They will pick up snakes
with their hands (Mk 16:18)
Antonios Nehme testified: During the period of cultivation and pruning the
vineyards, I went with all the monastic folk, monks and workers, to the
hermitage to work in its vineyards. Suddenly, we saw a fearsome snake, we rushed
to kill it but we couldn't; the viper applied on the ground, uttering a terrible
and awful hissing; ones raising its head, other time its tail; unable to find a
way out, and overwhelmed with fear, I shouted: "Where is Fr. Sharbel? Call him."
We couldn't see him, because he was working alone in a slope of the vineyard; as
soon as he heard he came; when he stood in front of it, the snake froze in its
place, he said: Don't touch it; each one had something in his hand: one
stone, the other a pickax, a third a sting ... holding out his hand, he turned
to the viper and said: "Go out of here", so it crept in front of him, and
he kept waving his hand until it disappeared, then he returned to work. We
thanked God for saving us from this danger. Fr. Sharbel was used not to killing
any animal, nor a poisonous insect, not an ant or a scorpion; because of his
sensitive heart, and because he believed they are creatures of God and that God
alone could have their lives.
-The child plays with the viper (Isa 11:8)
Gerges Sassine witnessed: Once we were plowing a vineyard near the hermitage at
dinner time, we called Fr. Sharbel to eat with the hermits; a large snake
appeared and glided into the wall, we rushed ready to demolish the wall to kill
it: he stopped us, saying: I don't allow you to kill it, all creations
venomous or not, were created by God for a useful purpose; so we mustn't kill
it. Then he called out saying: Go out! O blessed! It emerged from the
wall, passed us and went through the door of the vineyard; we were about eight
workers, together with the hermits.
- The
wolf lives with the lamb (Isa 11:16)
Fr.
Semaan Abi Beshara witnessed: when I was a student, I spent a summer at the
monastery of "Our Lady of Maifouq" where I had to share the room with Brother
Bartholomew of Aito; I saw on the mattress and the bed lot of bugs, thin and
lean, they walked on my face and hands but did not bite me; I was surprised and
I asked brother Bartholomew about this strange phenomenon, he replied: "Don't
you see water in that bottle, Fr. Sharbel had blessed it ? Since I sprayed my
room with the water, the bedbugs have become thinner and unable to sting.”
- Poor thing!
Fr.
Gerges Sassine witnessed: There was a hive of bees near the hermitage, some of
them fell into a basin which was designed for watering; Fr. Sharbel arrived and
began to remove the bees, one by one with his fingertips and put them in the sun
to dry. One of them stung him, he pulled out the bee stinger from his finger,
then put the bee in the sun to dry and fly away, I told him: "My master, the bee
will die without its sting." he replied: "It's true, poor thing." Then he
went to church.
R: The freedom of Sharbel and his
audacity
I-Introduction
He
wasn't interested in anything in this world, or concerned about the specific
matters; rather he applied with care to fulfill his obligations, and never
sought to gain the consent of anyone in particular. In the observance of the
divine truth, he was of extraordinary boldness, without fear or favor, vis-à-vis
to others. He recognized no value to the dignity; but he was pleased with the
insults, indifferent to be praised or be despised, and famous in saying these
words: "The gifted person, is not the one who praises
himself, or
who is praised by people, but the one to whom the Lord gives his grace."
If a bishop or a dignitary visited
the monastery, he wouldn't come to meet them. In fact, he lived on earth, but
his thoughts and his heart were in heaven; inattentive to what was happening
around him, as if he lived in exile on earth; knowing that he belonged to the
heavenly homeland.
II-Stories and Events
1
- He wasn’t attached to anything
His heart wasn’t attached to anything; not even to his personal devotions or
spiritual obligations; following the command of obedience, he would abandon his
prayer services or any spiritual exercise, and maybe with joy. I remember for
example; one night, while he was praying with his companion in the church of the
hermitage, a messenger came and told him: "The superior is looking for you." He
did not hesitate at all; he stopped his prayer in unison, and went to the
convent at night. The superior asked him to bless the water and sprinkle it in
the goats, because they were diagnosed with gallbladder. Once the herd sprinkled
with holy water, they recovered. Then he went back to the hermitage, after he
took permission from the superior, because the latter, insisted on him to stay
overnight at the convent.
2 - From
where the sin can enter your soul?
He
worked silently in baking while the others sometimes joked; despise his
continuous silence, he didn't let any adequate opportunity passed without giving
a spiritual lesson, sealed with a profound wisdom not to hurt his neighbor; his
responses were unique, though insightful in understanding, not only in the
Order's situations but also elsewhere.
Once
in winter, while he was helping the monks in the bakery, the pastor Youhanna
Shehade from Meshmesh, came to the convent; he was the patriarchal vicar of the
region of Jbeil, an honorable person from a dignified family, very rich, famous
for his relationships with major people of his country, proud of himself, fat,
leading an easy life, not fully applicable with the simplicity of those days,
and the situation of the priesthood; his position was taken into consideration
in all the region of Kesserwan, Jbeil and Batroun.
When he came to the convent, he was wearing over his cassock, a thick fur coat
worn only by the princes and the nobles; he walked into the bakery, talked with
the monks; a conversation took place about the sin and its causes; he
congratulated the monks because they were far from the motives of the sin.
Meanwhile, Fr. Sharbel remained silent, as usual, listening to the dialogue,
his hands bore witness of his hard work, and his muteness pronounced the the
most expressive advices and preaching. Suddenly all turned to Fr. Sharbel,
because they heard him talking, not according to his custom, glancing over the
priest Youhanna, and a small smile on his lips: And you! From where the sin
can enter your soul? It couldn't reach you with this thick fur! All
laughed, exchanging winks, because they saw in those words, a significant moral,
and a subtle, wise lesson to the mentioned priest. Also, this meeting was a
proof that Fr. Sharbel in his retirement from the world, his silence and his
abstention from any conversation beyond the monastic matters; he had understood
from just a hint, or from a small word, what was happening among his
contemporaries; as if he wasn't satisfied with the priest opulence, that was
clear in wearing the fur, so he gave him this hint.
3-This is to be
announced where the day is a holiday
The debt was
accumulated on the monastery of Annaya, when Fr. Roukoz Meshmesh was the
superior (1865-1871), so they made the novices and the farmer-members work on
Sundays and holidays to support the monastery's economy. Once, the superior, Fr.
Roukoz Meshmesh, asked Fr. Sharbel to celebrated the solemn Mass, he obeyed
immediately; he is well- known in obeying in everything but sin; in this mass he
should announce, that a holy day of obligation, is coming next week; but, he
ended his mass without announcing the holiday. At the end of the mass the
superior told him: "You haven't announced the Ascension for next Thursday! Don't
you know that it's a holiday? Announce it tomorrow", since the farmers were
coming to the Mass. Fr. Sharbel replied kindly and humbly: "My master,
somewhere else is a holiday, those who do not take off on Sundays or holidays,
the feast do not be announced for them, this is done where the day is a
holiday." He was referring to the decision of the Superior, who made the
novices work on Sundays and holidays so that they could fulfill the various
tasks in the monastery, because this year the economy was bad. Fr. Sharbel
didn't take part in this work, yet no one dared to call him to work during these
holy days, out of respect for his virtue and his holiness. Therefore, he replied
with this speech in the church to defend the canon and the divine law, without
being afraid of anyone; thus the superior had grasped the intention of Fr.
Sharbel and realized his mistake; his words reported in a very gentle way, were
considered a critical sermon to the superior, who understood the meaning very
well, after which he declined to make the novices and the laborers work on
Sundays and holidays. The monastic folk considered that this observation was
from God's voice, and rejoiced in it.
S: A rightful worshiper
I-Introduction
- Toward his
Lord: He practiced to
perfection the rites of worship, required from a creature to the Creator; he was
profoundly committed to God's commandments. His heart and his hands were always
lifted up to God and testified the adequate reverence, with perseverance unto
death.
- Towards his
fellow men: He hurt no one,
neither violated the right of a person, nor bothered anyone; rather he
considered himself a servant to all, and a faithful servant to His Lord. He
carefully watched his solemn vows, which imposed the respect of all his
brethren. When he descended from the hermitage to the monastery, and they
gathered to greet him, and kissed his hand, he treated them courteously; he
venerated them with great kindness. He never hurt anyone; neither face to face
nor from a distance, neither in their properties nor in their reputation.
II-Stories and Events
1 - At church until everyone left
After Compline, he entered his cell, pretending to sleep when the monks slept,
but in reality he slept very little; as many testified, his room was lighted,
while he was sitting or kneeling praying in his books. He spent most of his
night in prayer, and was often seen at church, during the night, while all the
monks slept. He was entrusted to ring the midnight bell for prayer, so he came
before the monks to church; after praying the monks went back to sleep until the
bell rang for Lauds. Having completed the night prayer, Fr. Sharbel withheld
from sleeping, like the rest of his fellow monks; but he continued to pray with
the light of the Eucharist in the church, immersed in meditation, till dawn
appeared and the monks gathered for Lauds, then he stayed in the church until
everyone left.
2- Pray for the novices
In 1888, the superior of the convent of the novices in Naama, visited the
hermits, in the hermitage of Saint Maron, included Fr. Sharbel who was sitting
with his companions to eat. When he returned to Naama, he said that he asked the
hermit to pray for the novices.
3- When I was
ordained I died from this world (Mt 6:24)
Alishaa Nakad witnessed: When my grandfather, Hanna Zaarour, the brother of Fr.
Sharbel, passed away in January/25/1898; since he had no children except my
mother and the girl wasn't allowed to inherit from her father, except half of
his legacy, so the relatives of her father claimed that the second half is
theirs, considering that the brother of the deceased, is a monk and a hermit,
who under the Order's Law, does not inherit nor give inheritance. My mother
said: Indeed, my uncle Fr. Sharbel is the one who inherit the second half; so
she came to the monastery of Saint Maron Annaya, to tell him about the death of
her father, and ask him to give her a cession of the legacy of his brother and
her father. I accompanied her during spring, as we reached the hermitage of
Saints Peter and Paul, Fr. Sharbel was told that my mother came to meet him, he
didn't accept to see her, but he entered the church and closed the door. My
mother stood at the door of the church from outside, while he was inside the
church near the locked door, and he asked her, what does she want from him? She
told him about the death of her father, and asked him to give her a cession of
his share. She recounted to him that her father's relatives claimed half of the
inheritance. He told her in my hearing: "O my niece! I have no concern
left for this world! My brother died few months ago, but I have been died from
this world, since I have pronounced my solemn vows in the monastery of Saint
Maron Annaya forty-five years ago, and the dead person, do not inherit or give
inheritance! And this is the case of each monk, so you don't have any business
with me. I cannot give up on something I do not own." So we went back with
no result. Fr. Skandar Beik Khoury commented on this incident: This phrase
became a verse in that region, ran through the town, as a sign of Fr. Sharbel’s
impartiality, his justice and his sincere priesthood spirit.
4- He prayed for the souls in Purgatory
Brother Elias Al-Mahrini witnessed: Fr. Sharbel was multiplying the signs of
the Cross ...so I asked him: "My master, Fr. Sharbel, why do you multiply the
signs of the cross today, unlike your habit? Is it derives great benefit in
doing so? With beaming face, he replied: "Today is the Holy Souls’ Friday;
the sign of the cross holds a great treasure of indulgences that could be
transferred to help the poor suffering souls in purgatory, precisely those to
whom nobody remembers; every time you make the sign of the cross with faith and
you are in the state of grace, you obtain an indulgence. When you walk into or
out the church, anointing your forehead with holy water, making the sign of the
cross and you are in the state of grace, you obtain for every time an
indulgence. Every time you say, "O Mary!" you also obtain an indulgence. If,
for example, you make the sign of the cross twenty times a day, you obtain many
indulgences; if you offer these indulgences for the repose of one or more souls
suffering in Purgatory, you will profoundly relieve their pain, and you will
obtain abundant compensations for your deed! Does it cost you any fatigue or
effort? Of course not!
The man works in his property, irrigates
it from the sweats of his hard work, and waits a year or more to get some
harvest, if the harvest is plentiful, he will be overjoyed; It's better for him
to invoke the Virgin name, calling her with reverence: "O Mary!" hundred times a
day, so he will obtain many indulgences, without tiring, without
disturbance, and then he can continue his usual work. He even gets profit from
it and derives benefit for the repose of the souls in purgatory and shortens the
time of their suffering. He also finds behind this great name, a barrier against
any satanic temptation. If the man get used to make the sign of the cross and to
call the Virgin name, he would decline any sort of temptation, because the sign
of the cross is a way to expel the demons, and the name of the Virgin to
subjugate and defeat them into the abyss of their destruction.
If you see me grasping a permanent
devotion for the souls in purgatory, that's because in doing so, as if I owe
God, for the Bible says who gives to the poor, lends to God; who does not
neglect a reward for a glass of cold water given in his name, how could He
neglect the reward of a benefactor to a beloved soul who suffers;, and thus you
shorten the days of its expiation in purgatory, then
its salvation is guaranteed
T: A loyalty to the Beloved One
I-Introduction
Fr.
Sharbel had an angelic chastity as shown through his mortification and his
disinterestedness in regard of eating, drinking and clothing; as for his
threadbare habit, it's a striking testimony that spoke of his chastity; he even
hated every comfort in life. He practiced the asceticism to the point that he
became like a shadow, skinny and thin, nothing left in his body more than skin
and bones, so many people said; this is not the life of a human being, rather
it's the life of an earthly angel, who mortified his human nature.
He hadn’t raised his eyes toward a person, whoever the person might be,
but he always kept his eyes lowered to the ground, avoiding any contact with
people, devoting himself fully to the Creator; if he had to speak with a man, it
was only for few minutes, though he lowered his eyes, even if the man was a
monk. He looked down in an attitude of meditation inside and outside the church;
he didn't look at a woman, pursuant the rule: "The monk must completely
suppresses his senses"; there were no women in the hermitage or its surroundings
at all; he stayed away from them, despite the decency and simplicity of their
clothes, especially at that time; if he met some women on the main road, when he
was heading to the field or the vineyard, or carrying water from the fountain to
the convent; he would immediately change his way, and this became very
well-known in the neighborhood, even the women when they saw him from afar they
changed their way, out of respect for him
II-Stories and Events
1- The Sunday Mass
He
never allowed the women to enter the church of the hermitage, unless he knew
that they couldn't attend Sunday Mass anywhere else, then he allowed them to
access to the corridor beside the church. On the other hand, when some visitors
came to the church of the hermitage, in the company of women, he withdrew into
his cell and didn't leave it until all had gone.
2- Use of masculine gender
Maron
Abbud witnessed: I know that when some women came to ask for holy water, or
other services, he called them from the window of his cell by the masculine
gender: "What do you want? After knowing the reason for the visit, he sent them
to his companion. Gerges Sassine added: Once I went to the hermitage where I saw
a woman standing outside the fence, I asked her: "Who are you?" She replied: "A
woman from Bqaakafra, the sister of Fr. Sharbel, please tell him I want to see
him." I went in and told him, he replied: "Go and tell Fr. Makarios", so
he ordered him to meet her. He stood behind the closed door and said: "How
are you?" Then he retired to church, but I didn't understand why he
addressed her in the masculine gender.
3- Where is the Bey's daughter?
My
mother, whose father Mr. Rashid Beik Al-Khoury was the prefect of that region,
told me that she once went with her friends, relatives to us, to visit the
hermitage, and Fr. Sharbel knew about them from his companion. After visiting
the church, they went to the square in front of the hermitage to rest and have
lunch, and then they heard knocking from inside the closed door and calling:
"Where is the Bey’s daughter?" My mother replied: "It's me, what do you
want?” He opened a small window in the middle of the door, stretched out his
hand outside the window, without seeing her and gave her a plate of honey; this
was the only time that she heard the voice of Fr. Sharbel, despite her frequent
visits to the hermitage.
4- He blessed them
Once
I was in the hermitage where a group of men and women were in church, Fr.
Makarios came and asked the women to leave because Fr. Sharbel wanted to
celebrate the Eucharist. On leaving, the ladies asked for the blessing of Fr.
Sharbel, they stood outside the church, bowed their heads, covered with a sheet,
the hermit stretched his hand out the window and blessed them, then he
celebrated the Holy Mass.
5- The body is like a donkey
The
monks heard him always repeating these words: "This body is like a donkey; if
you satiate him, he will become ungrateful, and if you starve him, he will be
humble.
6- Put the bottle down and walk away
When women came to the hermitage asking for holy water, and Fr. Sharbel was
alone at the hermitage, he talked with them from inside, saying: Put the
bottle down and walk away. Then he took the bottle and filled it with holy
water, put it back in its place and disappeared. When a woman unexpectedly
encountered him on the way, he drew back and took a different path,
wandering among the thorns.
7- Until he is gone
Fr.
Hassrouni witnessed: The women felt a great esteem toward Fr. Sharbel, so that
when they knew, in advance, that they were in a place where he might pass, they
retreated until he is gone; I saw this with my own eyes. I remember one time I
was plowing, with the head of the field Brother Elias Al-Mahrini, and the worker
Suleiman Al-Manzili, south-west of the convent, when we saw some women returning
from the convent after Mass, and then they quickly ran away to hide behind rocks
and trees; I asked Brother Elias why they ran away, he replied: "Maybe they saw
Fr. Sharbel coming from the hermitage to the convent." I asked: "Why they feared
him?" He replied: "The ladies knew that the hermit avoids seeing women so they
hide, out of respect for him." Indeed, a moment later, we saw Fr. Sharbel
approached the convent, after he disappeared, the women continued their way to
their houses.
8- A temptation had harassed me
Once,
Fr. Sharbel stayed in the convent of Annaya-Laqlouq to celebrate the Mass, for
the head of the fieldwork, Brother Boulos Meshmesh; while this brother was
plowing the ground he heard Fr. Sharbel, who was a little further, screaming and
asking for help like a little child; he left his work, ran to see what happened
to him, found him safe, so he asked him: "What's wrong?" He replied:
"Nothing." As soon as the brother resumed his work, he heard him screaming
again, he approached him and said: "Are you crazy?" Why are you screaming? Tell
me! How can I help you!? What's going on?” He answered calmly and in a low
voice: "A temptation had harassed me, forgive me, and pray for me."
9 - Why this "crank"?
Fr.
Elias Ehmej testified: His love for God had wiped out from his heart any other
earthly love, even the love of the parents; he belonged to the Almighty and
devoted himself for His love, so he emptied his heart from the love of his
relatives. As I passed the Summer at St. Maron monastery in Annaya, with my
master Fr. Nehemtallah Al-Kafri; once I went to visit the hermits, arriving near
the shrine, I found a number of women waiting, they greeted me and told me: "We
have been waiting here for a long time, we came from Bqaakafra, which is a day
walk from here, to see Fr. Sharbel who refused to meet us." I replied: "Who are
you?" They said: "This is his sister, and we accompany her. We beg you to
persuade him to allow his sister, to kiss his hand, because since so long she
hasn't seen him, and she misses him so much." I was very touched so I hastened
the pace to Fr. Sharbel who was in church; I begged him to have mercy on his
poor sister, who came from afar, to quench her affection, even with a single
glance, to her brother. He replied: "No, I don’t go out"; then, I came
back saying: "Your sister is asking you, to stretch out your hand from the
window, so she will kiss it, after that she promised to leave." He said: "I
don't stretch out my hand from the window"; a third time, I told him: "Your
sister asks you to hold this handkerchief in your hand and pass it on the image
of Saints Peter and Paul, so it will be a blessing and a remembrance for her."
He replied: "Do it yourself and give her the handkerchief." I continued:
“Why this "crank"? why this strange behavior?” He didn't answer; so I put the
handkerchief on the end of a long stick, passing it over the portrait, placed
very high, and gave it to his sister, who returned to her town Bqaakafra, sad
with tears in her eyes. I myself was very surprised by this harsh behavior and
did not understand its meaning. After he left the church, I argued with him,
saying: "You shouldn't have sent your poor sister inconsolable, where is the
tenderness, where is the compassion?" He gave me no answer. As I understood from
his silence, that he had no place in his heart for earthly love, his heart beat
only for the Love of God.
10- Even his niece
Eid
Nakad witnessed: When I was ten years old, I accompanied my mother Wardeh, the
niece of Fr. Sharbel, to visit the hermitage, and I was sick; he took me by the
hand and led me inside the hermitage; he didn't meet my mother and her sick
friend, who came to be healed; rather he talked to them from behind the door.
Another time my mother went to the hermitage to visit her uncle, the hermit, he
spoke briefly with her from inside the hermitage and didn't see her. She
insisted to participate in his Mass, he allowed her to attend the mass through
an opening in the church's door; Wardeh said that when he raised the cup for
blessing, he lifted his eyes up to avoid seeing her.
U:
Prisoner [15]
of the Beloved
I-Introduction
He did
nothing on his own initiative, but in obedience to the authority that represents
God, and to deserve the reward entitled for the obedient person, pursuant the
law: "The monk must consider his superior as Christ." Therefore his obedience
was strangely astonishing, taking a practice not to start a work before
receiving an order; this obedience was literally blind; as the stick obeys the
blind. If the supervisor called him for any matter, he would instantly abandon
his work and obey without delay for a moment. I do not remember ever having seen
Fr. Sharbel showing any aversion or anxiety when he received an unusual order,
rather he was always in the same condition. He never apologized, neither for
healthy reason nor for other reason, even in matters in which was clear to
everyone that he should be absolved from doing them. He did not submit by
stupidity or habit, but by the spirit of devotion and virtue. The vow of
obedience was embodied in front of him, in all his life, practicing it as a vow
and a virtue; as if it had been his dearest wish to submit even his blood
pressure to the obligation of obedience; he excelled to his respect for God,
whatever happened in the church, he wouldn't turn right or left. As for his
respect for the authority, it was one of his ultimate goals; he was careful in
preserving the ritual of the Church, and its Sacraments; in a daily basis, he
celebrated, with his companion in the hermitage, all the religious processions.
([15] The
basis motive for the life of Sharbel is love. He obeyed his Beloved Jesus, and
all who represented Him, so he was captured by His Love. He had a deaf ear, and
a mute tongue to the world, he listened only to the Beloved one. He lived away
from women ... and from the beauty of the nature, to be faithful to his lover.)
II-Stories and Events
1 - Well done
Fr. Ignatius Meshmesh
witnessed: Once he put his dalmatic and began the Mass, and because all fathers
had already celebrated their masses, the superior stopped him, saying: "Wait,
because some people are on their way to participate in the Eucharist." He
complied, and remained standing at the altar about an hour, and then he called
me to serve the mass, and asked me if the people who would participate in the
Eucharist have already arrived, I replied: "Allow me to notify the superior
and ask his permission." He replied: "Well done." He stood up until the
superior came and told him to continue the Holy Mass.
2 – Ask Fr. Makarios
Fr. Nehemtallah Meshmesh
witnessed: When we asked him for a meal, he replied: "I don't know, go and
ask Fr. Makarios". If we wanted to eat grapes, he also sent us to his
companion; if a worker asked him for a bunch of grapes, he would reply "I
don't know, ask Fr. Makarios." He never gave even a grape
leaf from the convent's property of his own accord, and never asked permission
from his superior to give something to someone.
3 - He kept lifting his pick
Tannouri witnessed: Before my
ordination, I made a retreat in the monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya. Once,
while I was standing at the edge of the hermitage, I saw Fr. Sharbel plowing in
the vineyard, I felt sorry for him, and
asked Fr. Makarios, who was preparing
lunch near me, to call him to rest and eat. When the food got ready, his
companion called him: "Fr. Sharbel", but he didn't respond, so he called him a
second time, this time louder; when he heard he was lifting up his pick, so he
kept on lifting it waiting for the order; then when he asked him again to come
for lunch, he put down his pick and came.
4- He obeyed even the novices
While the novices
were working and the bell rang for prayer, they stopped and prayed without
calling Fr. Sharbel who continued his work; they asked him why he didn't pray
with them, he replied: "You didn't order me." They thought he was making
fun of them and got angry. The second day, they didn't call him to pray, so he
continued his work, then they realized that Fr. Sharbel doesn't do anything
without being ordered. In fact, the third day, when they ordered him to
participate in prayer, he left his work and obeyed.
5- As a joke
One day, Fr. Sharbel told his
companion, Fr. Makarios: "In the convent, they need wood, and here we have no
more, where should I go to get wood?" He replied angrily for the purpose of
kidding with him; go to the forest of "Mihal", which take three hours walking
from the hermitage. Fr. Sharbel then went to the hill above, cut woods and
carried them to the hermitage; he reached in the evening exhausted, bathed in
sweat and the burden on his back, so Fr. Makarios asked him: "From where did you
get the wood? Why are you so late, and very tired?" He answered him:" From
the mountain of Mihal, as you commanded me." Fr. Makarios replied:" Why have
you gone there, and the hermitage is surrounded by wood." He answered:
"Haven't you asked me to go to Mihal? You commanded and I obeyed." Fr.
Makarios was very surprised at the trouble he bore!
6- He doesn’t ask about the purpose
Mr. Rashid Al-Khoury,
the prefect of the region, requested Fr. Sharbel to come to Ehmej to bless the
water and sprinkle the places where locusts, at that time, were intensely
spread, because the hermit was well-known that, with his prayers, he could drive
away the grasshoppers. On this, the superior ordered him to go; without knowing
the purpose of this order and with no objection, he
headed toward Ehmej; once he reached
there, Mr. Rashid Beik asked him to bless the water, with the attendance of all
the villagers; he blessed it and turned back to the hermitage. At the harvest
time, as many as hundred people from the village of Ehmj mowed the crops of the
monastery, free of charge, out of gratitude for Fr. Sharbel.
V: His hope is a yearning
for the Beloved One
I-Introduction
His hope in God was firm, he looked at life in all its dimensions as scarp, and
his only concern was Christ. When changes occurred in the Order he expressed
neither joy nor disorder, nor he asked if an acquaintance in the priesthood, was
ranked in his position so he can depend on him.; he didn't distress because of
the changes in the hierarchy of superiors and officials, or the removal of
those who showed kindness toward him; whatever was happening in the Order,
didn't affect in his spiritual life or in his services; he was interested in
the affairs of the monastery, only as much as the vows of obedience ordered him
to do so; he showed no joy for material progress in the convent, or sadness for
a loss.
He
lived in the monastery and the hermitage as if he did not exist; all his
thoughts were turned to God; all his interests were devoted for the salvation of
souls and his own salvation; his only concern was to please God; for the sake of
this goal, he endured all the difficulties and the hardships, and bore the
extreme severity which he imposed upon himself.
II-Stories and Events
1 - More competent than me
He
never counted on men... I remember once he was surprised at a remark that the
consultant wanted to appoint him for the superiority, he said: "In the Order
many are more qualified and suitable than me. It's a noble gesture from the
Order to accept a lazy one like me."
2 - Work for the glory of God
Fr. Alouan witnessed: He performed his work to glorify God and obtain eternal
happiness; he kept saying: "Work for the glory of God, and your reward will
be eternal happiness." This hope, led him to despise the things of this
mortal life and practice mortification and asceticism; also he kept repeating
this sentence: This life is perishable, it cannot offer anything.
3 - The lights
of heaven are more beautiful
One evening a monk told him: "Look at the city of Beirut, how it shines with
lights." Without turning around, he answered: "The lights of heaven are
better and more beautiful." Then he returned to his cell.
4 -
Such things I do not know.
Once, his brother visited him to tell him about the situation in their home and
how was the harvest in this year, Fr. Sharbel replied: "These things I do not
know and I do not want to hear about it." After these words he took his ax
and went towards the vineyard. He was a man who lived only physically in this
world, and because his heart and his mind were in heaven, he wasn't influenced
by joy or by sadness.
W: A refuge for the faithful and
the poor
(Lk18:3)
I-Introduction
People were flocking to him, leading their children bottles of water at hands,
to pray for the kids, and bless the water so they could take it home; to heal
their sick, keep away disasters from them, protect their livestock and their
properties from diseases and epidemics, increase production and fertility in
their crops, and to sprinkle it in their houses. He welcomed them with
tenderness, compassion and sympathy, moved by their plight and prayed for them;
when he blessed the water, a strange power was emanating from it; he never took
any reward for it, nor accepted any offering, but he was doing all that for the
love of God.
The sick, disabled, afflicted, suffering flooded from all sides, seeking the
grace of God by his intercession, because they believed in his goodness and his
powerful prayer. Many Muslim women, from the vicinity of the monastery, put
their children at the door of Sharbel's hermitage asking for healing and
blessing; he never let down those who were seeking spiritual help; if someone
visited him in the hermitage, he would leave it astonished by his holiness,
influenced by his piety, comforted and happy by meeting him.
II-Stories and Events
1 - Silently
Youssef Suleiman witnessed: We all believe that he is a saint to whom we take
refuge in case of illness and distress; there are many who bear his name, as we
call after the name of Saints. I personally believe that Sharbel is a great
saint in heaven; he intercedes for us silently without realizing his blessings,
just as he did when he was still alive.
2 - All represent the image of Christ
Fr.
Sharbel didn't deal with people, but his love for them was known from
his prayers for the sick, travelers and the needy, and for all who asked for his
prayer. His heart was touched by pity and he interceded fervently to the Lord to
have compassion on his sick servants. As for his relations with his brethren in
the convent, in the hermitage, and with his acquaintance, it was clear for all
that his heart embraced all of them, equally without distinction; all represent
the image of Christ, so he respected them all.
3 - He offered him something to eat
He
was compassionate and kind to the poor, the sick and those who are suffering;
when they came to the hermitage, in cold days of winter, he brought them close
to the fire to get dry; he loved all people, rich and poor. Even though, he
didn't deal with the visitors except in spiritual matters, because such
responsibilities were entrusted to his companions; if it happened that someone,
poor or hungry, visited him in the absence of his companion, he would give him
his own small portion of food, while he remains without food. This compassion
towards the poor was within the limits of his capabilities; so if a poor man
came to the hermitage, he would ask his companion to offer him something to
eat. In winter when it was cold, he allowed the men to enter the hermitage
so they could warm themselves by the fire.
4 - I'm just a sinful man
For the people who asked for his prayer, he was replying: I'm but a sinful
man, may the prayers of the saints meet your demands." When someone asked
him for a spiritual grace, he always answered: "I am the least of people,
just a sinful man." When someone told him, you are a saint, he didn't
answer, but he trembled, shacked his head and frowned; he considered himself the
least of people and the greatest sinner.
5- Have faith in God
When
he was asked for prayer, he said quietly: "The prayer of the saints is with
you depend on God and he will take care of you", then he walked away from
them. When visitors asked him for his prayers and his blessing, he did so,
without looking at them and said: "Ask the Lord to give you according to your
faith."
6-
"You can be a saint!"
When someone asked him to
pray for him, he replied:" You also pray, what is the difference between you
and me? God listens to you as much as he listens to me." When someone told
him you are a saint, he replied:" We are alike, what prevent you from being a
saint?”
7
- He heals by his prayer
Whenever Mr. Rashid Al-Khoury,
prefect of Ehmej, fell ill, he called Fr. Sharbel to pray for his recovery
because he believed in his holiness; and this was the case for all the
inhabitants of the surroundings who solicited his prayers in case of illness and
distress. His devotion exerted a great influence on everyone; he healed from all
sickness by his prayer. Usually, when someone fell sick in Ehmej, people hurried
to Fr. Sharbel requesting holy water from him. Many were asking of his prayers;
and by his prayers the diseases and the misfortunes disappear. Patients who
couldn't go to the hermitage, they procured holy water from him, and obtained
recovery; every patient sprinkles or drinks from this holy water, recovers from
his illness.
X: His passion for prayer
I-Introduction
1 - In
confidential conversation with the Beloved
The
law orders: "He must go before the brothers to church and be the last one to
leave it." So when he wakes up, he immediately runs to church where he stays for
about five hour, kneeling straight until his knees got numb, not getting tired,
neither leaning , nor turning left or right. He prayed around the lectern with
his brethren, and participated, on time, in all the unison prayers in the
complete breviary; he recited it very carefully as if he stood in the presence
of a King, and in full ecstasy.
He
could be seen in sensory eyes, but he was absent from the senses; sharing all
the prayers in repeated prostrations and sometimes in mental meditation; his
verbal prayers had a special practice, spending in reciting them, three hours a
day; completing half of them in the daytime and the other half in the night; he
pronounced all his prayers, carefully, word by word.
During the day he was reciting fervently his offices, always kneeling; and if
there was nobody in the church during the choir prayer, he would say it alone in
a loud voice; as for the midnight prayer he always recited it without
tardiness.
He
sublimated in piety and holiness so he became an intimate friend for God and a
companion for the angels; his whole life was a life of contemplation, prayer and
liturgy; he did this with zeal and non-routine, with heartfelt love for God, so
that he was always united to Him in his thoughts and his heart; God abode in his
mind in his prayer, in his work, in his eating, in his sleeping. In short, he no
longer lived for himself but for God, no longer spoke about earthly things, but
about spiritual matters.
2 -
He loved the Mystery of Love
If
you love a person or a thing, you think of them, often speak of them and what
they do, and if you can frequently visit them and be with them you won't
delay. So it was with Fr. Sharbel, he was always silent, his thoughts always
turned to God, his Beloved; in his heart, there was no room except for
God. He outpaced other hermits by his nocturnal visits to the Blessed
Sacrament; every time we lost Fr. Sharbel, we found him in the church. Sometimes
he was seen before the Blessed Sacrament in complete Ecstasy: he sent out of
his heart deep sighing, showing his extreme love for the Lord, who is
concealed in the sacrament of the Eucharist. You could hear constantly, his
sighs, his nostalgia and his spiritual hum; his features soften the rocks,
and infuse on the onlookers the reverence and the veneration; his face always
overflows with a divine light.
3 -
Beloved of the Rosary
He was praying the Rosary kneeling upright motionless, his hands outstretched
on his chest, kneeling on a tray woven by his hands from the rough rods, covered
by a piece of black cloak. He persisted in this attitude, throughout the
duration of the Holy Rosary.
II-Stories and Events
1 - The
Scapular of Our Lady of Carmelite
Once, Fr. Sharbel reported to me his desire to send him a triangular
scapular representing Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, the Immaculate Conception and the
Passion of Christ, to hang it around his neck. I fabricated it and sent it to
him with a man from Arbet-Kozhaya, who was passing by the monastery of Saint
Maron Annaya; I requested him to ask Fr. Sharbel to mention three names of his
relatives in Bqaakafra, to ensure that he received the scapular; I also
expressed my desire to the messenger to bring me from Fr. Sharbel a blessing or
a relic. Returning from the trip, the man gave me a small paper folded without
an envelope, and said: "The hermit didn't send you except this paper." I opened
the paper and read these words written by his hand: Father Sharbel a hermit
of St. Maron Annaya, a monk of Kozhaya; you are asking for a blessing or a
relic. May the blessing of Saints Peter and Paul bestow upon you. That was
all he had sent to me and I was very pleased with this paper, which was written
by the hand of the hermit. The words were written in Arabic but the handwriting
wasn't so good. My superior, at that time, Mother Zeyarah of Ghosta advised me
to keep this paper, saying: "This paper is written by the hand of the hermit,
it's a relic, keep it with you." I rolled the paper into a small fabric; I sewed
it and hung it around my neck; later I gave it to my sister before her trip to
America so that it protects her from the dangers of the journey.
2 - It is I (Mk
6:50)
Fr.
Ignatius Meshmesh witnessed: Before I became a monk in the convent, I was a
deacon and a sacristan. One night I went to church at midnight to check whether
the pilot was still lit, I found it off and I began to grope in the darkness to
light it again, I bumped into someone and got scared, he said: "Do not be
afraid, it's I." I recognized his voice; this was Fr Sharbel kneeling in the
church, meditating at midnight.
3 -
What was happening around him?!
Brother Boutros Meshmesh witnessed: He was always absorbed by his mental
meditation, contemplating and immersing into heaven, especially during the
Eucharistic celebration. Anyone who saw him would realize that all his feelings,
his whole body, all his ideas were with God, so that he neglected every earthly
thing; because his mind was so focused on God, he forgot himself, as if he no
longer existed, in this world. He always maintained the silence and stillness,
so that he did not perceive what was happening around him. The question he asked
me while we were working in the vineyard, is an eloquent witness to this:
"How many pairs of oxen are plowing in the vineyards?" I answered: "Three.
You have been working all day with us and you don't notice how many oxen in the
vineyard?” He didn't utter a word.
4 - He
spoke with the angels to God
Tannouri witnessed: I watched him during his prayer, as if he was out of his
senses, rapt in God, oblivious to everything around him, people and things, so
he didn't realize there was someone who accompanied him in his prayer; when it
was my turn to answer, he continued the prayer alone...
I visualized him
in heaven; as if he was talking with God face to face, mouth to ear and heart
to heart; as if his body wasn't on this earth; however, his soul, I had the
impression that, it was united with the Angels, praising and glorifying God with
them.
5 -The Holy Week
If
the superior or the dispenser called him to help in the bakery, or to
participate in the joint Liturgy of the Hours in the Holy week, because he had a
good pronunciation and read fluently, he hurried to perform his work.
6 - Surrender to God
Youssef Abbud witnessed: One day, my son, Gerges was seriously ill, so I went to
the hermitage, and asked Fr. Sharbel to give me holy water, he said :"Sit
down now, may God help you." I repeated my request, he replied: "Calm
down, submit yourself to God, he will help you", and he didn't give me holy
water. So I went back sad and surprised by his refusal to provide me with holy
water, contrary to his habit. As I approached the village, I heard cries and
lamentations coming out of my house, and then I realized that my son was already
died. I remembered the words of Fr. Sharbel; "Sit down now and God will
compensate" and I knew why he refused to give me holy water; as if he was
inspired by the Spirit about the death of my son, and he didn't want to inform
me.
7- Noah's Ark (Jn
17:15)
One
year, the locusts invaded the region in large numbers, and swept everything. The
superior of the convent, Fr. Elias Meshmesh, ordered Fr. Sharbel to spray the
boundaries of the monastery to prevent the locusts from entering; Fr. Sharbel
obeyed, but he forgot a lot, situated among the properties of Shiites. The
locusts entered the region, and devoured the green and the dry, and spared only
the properties of the convent, except that small piece of land which was razed
by locusts. In fact everyone, including the Shiites, kept repeating this event;
for they were amazed that all the plains, peaks and hills were completely
stripped except the land of the convent which remained green and saved from
damage; like Noah's Ark in the midst of absolute devastation.
8-
The parish of Ehmej’s vine (Jn
15/5)
Ouwaini witnessed: My father sent my brother Boutros, begging Fr. Sharbel to
come, to bless the water and spray the vine of the church which was entrusted to
him. The vineyard and the crops which were sprinkled with the holy water were
spared from the locusts’ damage, although the locusts razed everything in that
year. Then the inhabitants of Ehmej came to see this vineyard, and among those
who visited it, the Rev. Elias Meshmesh the superior of the convent.
Y: The Faith of Sharbel
I-Introduction
The faith of
Sharbel was reflected through:
-His mass: he
celebrated the mass as if he saw Christ behind the outward forms, addressed him
heart to heart; saying it carefully with extreme reverence and respect, as if he
stood before God.
- In the
rumination in his prayers and the reflection in his meditation: he said his
prayer services word by word in a soft and gentle voice. If someone talked to
him, he would need some time to return to reality and hear the speaker; as if he
was totally absorbed in God. When he committed in a spiritual conversation, he
inflamed with zeal, speaking from the abundance of his heart and the fervor of
his faith. He never showed in all his life a sign of boredom, fatigue or
resignation, when it came to spiritual matters, but he indulged them
fervently, as if he was enjoying the things that his heart desired.
-In his obedience
to his superior or who represent him; this is clear evidence that he saw God in
his superior, without considering whether this one was worthy or not.
-In his work; he
did nothing on his own, for he firmly believed that the voice of the authority
is the only voice of God. All his actions were carefully crafted and expressed
with warmth and authenticity of his fervent faith. God has bestowed upon him the
gift of precognition, because of his living faith; therefore, he was a burning
flame of faith.
II-Stories and Events
1-A lightning
Shibley
Shibley witnessed: One day, in 1888, Fr. Sharbel was kneeling upright in the
church, absorbed in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, when a violent
lightning fell on the hermitage, burning a new jumper, embroidered with silver,
placed on the altar. The lightning crisscrossed the middle of the church, passed
him and set fire on the edge of his habit without injuring him. I hastened with
the monks of the monastery to see what happened, we found that the lightning
fell on the south side of the hermitage, demolishing the stone retaining the
walls’ plots of the vines, and then entered the church, setting fire on the
altar cloths and vestments, throwing the cup to another place, damaging some
images, opening the doors, giving off a smell that caused dizziness to the two
companions of Fr. Sharbel whom we found in the kitchen almost fainted, where
they were warming themselves by the fire. When they returned to themselves,
they believed that Fr. Sharbel was killed and they rushed to church, they found
him praying, as if nothing had happened; the superior, Fr. Immanuel Al- Jaji,
asked him:: "Fr. Sharbel, couldn't you extinguish the fire at least from the
table cloths and the vestments?! "He replied: "My brother, what could I
extinguish? It started fast, and ended so fast." That is to say that
everything happened at the speed of lightning and he couldn't do anything, so he
remained in his place.
2 - The
silkworm's harvest of the convent remained intact
Fr. Nehemtallah Nehme
witnessed: At the time of my mandate in the monastery of Saint Serge in Kartaba, drought
had already been damaging the silkworm harvest since eight years. The silkworm
only reached the fourth phase, and nine days, and then died. So I sent one of
the monks to the hermit Fr. Sharbel in the hermitage of Annaya; he brought me
holy water, we sprinkled it on the silkworms and they recovered. Thus, the
harvest was saved during my entire three-year term and also in subsequent years.
3 -
My crop was plentiful this year
Youssef Abbud
witnessed: Once the epidemic attacked the silkworms in my house, because the
leaves of mulberry were sick; the caterpillars became yellow and fell over the
edges of the boxes on the ground. I rushed to the hermitage, and brought from
there consecrated water from Fr. Sharbel, then I sprinkled the caterpillars;
they recovered immediately crawled back into their crates and began to eat
again. That year my harvest was plentiful, because of Fr. Sharbel.
4 -
Don't talk at all about this
(Mk 1:44)
Saba Obeid said that
one year; mice proliferated in his house and devoured the silkworms, to the
point of wiping out all of them. He brought blessed water from Fr. Sharbel and
sprinkled the silkworms. The next day he came to see the boxes, and found that
the mice were dead. Someone went to tell this event to Fr. Sharbel, who said:
"Don't talk at all about this."
5- The mule of the Convent
Once the mule of the convent
had colic and he fell on the ground wide-eyed, and about to die; the monks and
the mule driver tried many treatments to save him, to no avail. Finally they
called Fr. Sharbel who stood next to his head and prayed, as soon as he finished
his prayer, the mule jumped up and stood on to his feet.
6- Am I God to prevent death? (Mk10:18)
A man
from the family of Shmouty from Batroun owned a flock of sheep, which was
attacked by a deadly epidemic disease, so he had lost most of his sheep. Having
heard of the reputation of Fr. Sharbel, he came to ask him for holy water,
explaining the disease of the sheep, the hermit said: "Am I God to prevent
death?" the man turned back to go, but he told him: "Do you have a
container to fill it with water?" Then he blessed the water and gave it to
him. The man sprinkled the herd and it recovered. Later he noticed that his
silkworms were diminished more and more as if the insects were eating them; he
returned to Fr. Sharbel, to bless the water for him, then he sprinkled it on the
silkworms; later he found lot of insects, mice, hedgehogs and a large snake all
dead.
7- The possibilities of Saints
Fr. Hassrouni
witnessed: At the time of my novitiate, I read the biographies of saints,
especially the book of Christian Perfection of Fr. Rodriguez, the Jesuit. I
doubted some facts and virtues attributed to the hermits and saints, believing
that they were exaggerating, and that these things exceed the human possibility.
But after I got to know Fr. Sharbel personally, and experienced his virtues
closely, I was certain that the Divine grace does wonders in the souls;
everything that was said and written in the biographies of saints, still less
than what I had seen with my own eyes in this mighty man, who is Fr. Sharbel.
Z: His Mass is the highlight
of his love
I-Introduction
1 - In the Convent
The novitiate's regulation
explains: "The priest in the Mass is the Vicar of Christ; the offering is surely
the body and blood of Jesus Christ... During the Mass we have 3 worships:
contemplation on the Passion of Christ; the offering to God the Father; act of
spiritual communion... The communion has six parts: The pure confession; act of
Faith, I hope that all the sins of the world will disappear by a drop of your
blood; act of Love; act of Contrition; I am unworthy ... thanks after the
spiritual communion.
Because of the
importance of the Mass: he participated on all the masses of his fellow priests,
and after they finished he stared his mass. He celebrated his mass; sometimes on
the altar of St. George on the south side, sometimes on the altar of Our Lady on
the north side and sometimes, when the superior ordered him, on the high altar.
He said his Mass with reverence and deliberate; his Mass lasted an hour and
sometimes longer, in an intimate devotion with the Almighty. Despite the length
of his mass, no one was getting bored; he was saying it meticulously,
making understandable the gospel, reading it word by word, in a soft
voice; however, some of the altar services were avoiding serving his mass
because of its long duration. After the mass he took his place behind the door,
kneeling straight for about two hours on the ground in summer and in winter.
2 - In the hermitage
He was kneeling upright before the
mass near the door; on a wicker tray to prevent the moisture, in winter, and on
the ground in summer. He celebrated the mass in the morning on the days of work,
and two hours before noon on Sundays and holidays; a large number of faithful
came to attend his mass and bear his blessing; the people were astonished by
his presence and the respect which he exuded; saying the Liturgy with a soft
voice and reverence. After the Mass, he kneels upright in the church absorbed in
thanksgiving, and then he goes out to the work in the vineyard; all his life was
a preparation for the Mass and thanksgiving.
3- Face to face
He was always in ecstasy,
especially during the invocation of the Holy Spirit; after the words of
consecration, he looked at the Blessed Sacrament in a reverential aspect, as if
he saw with the naked eyes the hidden and incarnated God; addressing a very
powerful person. When he raised the Holy Sacrament by his hands reciting "Father
of Truth" he seemed to be rejoiced by the Spirit of God, as he was seeing God
face to face.
4- The cleanliness
He was clean,
especially during the celebration of the mass; he kept a coat and a pair of
shoes that fit well for the Eucharist, then he immediately took them off after
the mass; the towel and the soap, which he used during the sacred service, he
didn't use on other occasion in respect to the Divine Liturgy; also he washed
his hands in an unusual way before the mass;
he gave an outstanding attention on cleaning the objects of the church.
II-Stories and Events
1 - Like a magnet
Miriam Shamoun witnessed: When I was
young, I came with my parents from Ehmej to the hermitage to participate at the
Mass on Sundays and holidays; quite often we attended the Mass of Fr. Sharbel,
and I never saw him except during the mass. My family said a brother of our
family had founded the hermitage, so we have a special penchant towards the
hermitage; rather a passion because it reminds us of our uncle. We used to spend
our summers in Ouwaïni, near the hermitage, a village where there was no church.
In addition, the holiness of Fr. Sharbel attracted the souls like a magnet, so
the hermitage was always filled by many visitors on Sundays and holidays and
all those attending the Mass of Fr. Sharbel, were deeply touched, and didn't
want to leave the church anymore, especially when he pronounced the words of
consecration, we felt moved by his reverent and his sad voice (intermittent
because of his crying).
2
- Do you eat some grain soup?
Once a priest came to
the hermitage to say the mass, and he was in a hurry, Fr. Sharbel approached him
at the end of the Liturgy saying: "Why are you in a hurry? Do you eat some
grain soup "Makhlouta"?
3
-Receive the Holy Communion
(Mk14:22)
Alishaa Nakad witnessed: I
went to the hermitage with my mother Wardeh to see Fr. Sharbel, he refused to
meet her and when she expressed her desire to kiss his hands, he replied from
inside the locked door at the church: Receive the Holy Communion at Mass, and
you'll have in your mouth and your heart the Son of God himself and he is
sufficient for you. When the Son of God is in your heart, no use from kissing my
hand?!
4
–The tears flowed from his eyes
His love was a burning fire;
in the alter, he often seemed as if a hot flame ignited in his chest, his eyes
sparkled, his tears ran down, his cheeks reddened, his sighs heaved deeply from
his chest like a flaming vapor, as if he saw Christ with his own eyes, hence he
was shedding his tears abundantly. Ouwaini added: When he uttered the words of
consecration: This is my body! This is my blood! I saw the tears flowed
from his eyes, twice. Once, a tear fell on the corporal; after consuming the
body and blood and washed his hands, he saw the trace of tears, he was confused
because he thought it was a drop of blood fell on it, I told him: "What's the
matter? This is a trace of a tear fell from your eye after the words of
consecration." Yet he remained concerned, carried the corporal and showed it to
the superior to calm down his soul and his mind.
5 - He bit the cup with his teeth
He started his prayers in
church, addressing God as a man deeply in love with the Lord; this
passionate appeared in the mass through his tears, in particular when he drank
the blood and ate the body, he seemed as someone who takes the finest bread in
the world, and drinks a Divine drink. At the end of his life, while he was
drinking the blood, he bit the cup and kept it in his mouth for a long time, to
the point that the imprint of his teeth was left on it.
|