St Charbel

Youssef Zaroun Makhlouf was born in a mountain village in Lebanon. He lived a simple life with his parents. He loved Jesus and always hoped to become a monk when he grew up. His parents wanted him to get married, so Youssef asked Mother Mary to help him to become a monk. When he was twenty-three, his parents gave their permission for him to join the monastery of Our Lady. He chose the name Charbel, who was a martyr in the early church. Charbel spent many years of his life as a hermit. He took a vow of silence and prayed for long hours during the day. He ate very little and slept on the hard ground. He was a very peaceful and prayerful man. He lived a very simple life like he had when he was a boy. He did not look to money or things for happiness; instead he found joy in living with very little to show his love for Jesus.