America Discovering Saint Sharbel
By Fr. Theodore Trinko
Until I was 25 years old, I had no idea who St. Sharbel was. To the best of my recollection, I had never seen a book, statue, or holy card of his. Never was he mentioned in homilies, retreats, or spiritual conversations. None of my friends chose him as their confirmation sponsor, and I knew no one who had him as their baptismal name. This was the case despite growing up in a practicing Catholic household and attending a religious seminary for 8 years.
That all changed with a trip to the Holy Land shortly after my ordination. While riding in a taxi with a Druze driver, I noticed he had a holy card of a saint with a golden halo behind his hooded head. Since many Catholics put rosaries or icons in their vehicles, I asked if he too was Catholic. “No,” he replied, “I put him here for protection. This is St. Sharbel. He works many miracles.” This was the first time I heard St. Sharbel’s name. I started to wonder what kind of saint this must be if even non-believers depended on his intercession.
Shortly thereafter, I was sent as chaplain to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland. When I arrived in the Fall of 2017, they were finishing construction of a shrine to St. Sharbel on the Grotto grounds and an Eastern Rite Monsignor (I didn’t realize that St. Sharbel was Maronite yet) was coming to bless it. When almost one thousand people showed up for the Mass and blessing, the awareness that I was ignorant of a very significant saint in the Church was further reinforced.
As it turns out, St. Sharbel was beginning to make waves outside his native Lebanon throughout the Catholic Church. Popular Catholic speakers are giving conferences about him. Churches are being built under his patronage in North and South America. Hagiographical books and articles focusing on his life, work, and words have become more commonplace.
Without meaning any disrespect, it seems that this surge in honor being paid to the humble Lebanese hermit is in part due to the economic principle of supply and demand. Where people demand to know more about a saint, others will come along to speak about him. Where people feel called to reverence a saint, shrines and churches are built in his honor. St. Sharbel is becoming more well known, not because of any hierarchically organized initiative; St. Sharbel is being glorified in response to the Holy Spirit moving people to draw closer to him. It is similar to how magnificent churches end up being built: first people begin flocking to a particular site, and then the basilica is erected. It would be nonsensical to build a church and hope that people began flocking there post factum.
I find him especially inspiring since I belong to the contemplative branch of the Institute of the Incarnate Word. As a monk, I strive to live a lifestyle similar to St. Sharbel’s in many ways. Even though no two monastic orders are identical, they each have much in common. St. Sharbel’s complete obedience, penitential practices, focus on prayer, and love for the Eucharistic Lord are all virtues worthy of imitation.
Not only monks are drawn to the holy hermit of Lebanon. I think my own relatively recent discovery mirrors the general increase of interest in him throughout the nation. In particular, St. Sharbel’s life, words, and miracles have a special appeal with many of the lay faithful in America.
Upon entering the monastery at Annaya,[1] it was as if he had died and his life was from then on hidden with Christ in God (cf. Col 3:3). Tucked away from the world, he was completely unconcerned with the opinion of others and dedicated himself to the one thing necessary (Lk 10:42). Here is a man who worked some miracles while alive and was recognized as being such a powerful intercessor with God that his superiors even sent him to sick people to heal them; despite that, he fled from the acclaim of people, refusing to accept any credit for his work.
This modus operandi [2] is a direct challenge to America’s passion for popularity. In our culture, it is normal or even expected that everyone seeks to assert themselves, round up followers, accumulate “likes,” maximize subscribers, put themselves in the limelight, etc. Any achievement or success is broadcast far and wide. Those who indulge in the pursuit of fame and glory inevitably taste the emptiness of this way of life. The very word “vanity,” which is the vice proper to this way of life, is etymologically connected to the word “wind”, indicating the passing and unsubstantial nature of fame. To attempt to fill one’s soul with applause is like those who try to fill their bellies by opening their mouths and swallowing air.
St. Sharbel was well aware that people loved him, but he would not break his fast by trying to feed his soul with their approval. Instead, he trusted that his Father who sees in secret would repay him in secret. His example of acting like the least of even his brethren is a breath of fresh air in a world saturated with people jostling for the mere appearance of being wonderful or superior. He makes people question whether their own passion for fame is misguided.
Also, the wisdom of St. Sharbel’s words[3] resonate with many people in the West. Among the many instances of this, I want to mention just one. A typical person in the West will live their life at a breakneck pace. No one has any time for anything. There are always countless things to do. We don’t have time to listen, to play, to eat, and especially little time to pray. While rushing around is a nearly universal phenomenon in 21st century America, 19th century Lebanese monks were not immune to it. Once, when St. Sharbel saw a fellow monk hurriedly celebrating the Divine Liturgy, he jocosely asked him, “Why are you in a hurry? Were you eating grain soup [earlier]?” How many of us have been guilty of praying or participating in the Divine Liturgy as if we had a heaping helping of “grain soup” right before beginning? We are ready and willing to give countless hours to work and screens every single day, yet we hurry through prayers as if the room were on fire. The calmer, quieter, more peaceful way of life exemplified by St. Sharbel is naturally attractive to those whose hectic routine leaves barely enough time to breathe. His example of “being still and knowing that God is” (Ps. 46:10) can’t help but healthily challenge the very way we go about our daily activities. While he did not speak much, when he did, his words were true; that truth resonates with people of good will who are realizing that this hermit’s words might be more relevant to their lives than they would initially suppose.
Finally, his miracles[4] are what draw people to him. Perhaps more than anything else, they are what stands out about St. Sharbel. Some have attributed to him more miracles than any other saint in the whole history of the Church. Articles abound online that refer to his intercessory power with titles such as “Need a miracle? Pray to St. Sharbel!”[5]
In general, the cultural milieu is very focused on material and tangible realities. Even people of faith want to feel consolation; they seek to experience the warmth of God’s presence. It’s what has made the Catholic charismatic movement so popular in the last 50 years. Miracles are God’s way of drawing people to the truth of the faith. So, in an era when people tend only to believe that which they can detect with their senses, miracles can serve as beacons, calling people either into the Church or confirming the faith of those who are wavering. And who better to pray to for miracles than the saint who is most likely to get them for you?
Even though he is called the “holy hermit of Lebanon” and will always be associated with this ancient church, there is no reason why St. Sharbel should be limited to his ancestral homeland, the Land of Cedars.
With the nation’s Eucharistic revival concluding in July, just days before his liturgical feast, and St. Sharbel having such a devotion, perhaps it would be fitting to conclude this reflection by calling upon him to obtain for the whole country of America the grace of an increased devotion to the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. St. Sharbel, pray for us!
[1] Annaya is the location of the monastery where St. Sharbel lived in Lebanon. Click here to read a biography about St. Sharbel’s life.
[2] “Mode of operating”
[3] Click here to read some examples from the experiences of Raymond Nader.
[4] Click here for a few of many testimonials!
[5] Need a miracle? Pray to St. Charbel! --Aleteia
That all changed with a trip to the Holy Land shortly after my ordination. While riding in a taxi with a Druze driver, I noticed he had a holy card of a saint with a golden halo behind his hooded head. Since many Catholics put rosaries or icons in their vehicles, I asked if he too was Catholic. “No,” he replied, “I put him here for protection. This is St. Sharbel. He works many miracles.” This was the first time I heard St. Sharbel’s name. I started to wonder what kind of saint this must be if even non-believers depended on his intercession.
Shortly thereafter, I was sent as chaplain to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland. When I arrived in the Fall of 2017, they were finishing construction of a shrine to St. Sharbel on the Grotto grounds and an Eastern Rite Monsignor (I didn’t realize that St. Sharbel was Maronite yet) was coming to bless it. When almost one thousand people showed up for the Mass and blessing, the awareness that I was ignorant of a very significant saint in the Church was further reinforced.
As it turns out, St. Sharbel was beginning to make waves outside his native Lebanon throughout the Catholic Church. Popular Catholic speakers are giving conferences about him. Churches are being built under his patronage in North and South America. Hagiographical books and articles focusing on his life, work, and words have become more commonplace.
Without meaning any disrespect, it seems that this surge in honor being paid to the humble Lebanese hermit is in part due to the economic principle of supply and demand. Where people demand to know more about a saint, others will come along to speak about him. Where people feel called to reverence a saint, shrines and churches are built in his honor. St. Sharbel is becoming more well known, not because of any hierarchically organized initiative; St. Sharbel is being glorified in response to the Holy Spirit moving people to draw closer to him. It is similar to how magnificent churches end up being built: first people begin flocking to a particular site, and then the basilica is erected. It would be nonsensical to build a church and hope that people began flocking there post factum.
I find him especially inspiring since I belong to the contemplative branch of the Institute of the Incarnate Word. As a monk, I strive to live a lifestyle similar to St. Sharbel’s in many ways. Even though no two monastic orders are identical, they each have much in common. St. Sharbel’s complete obedience, penitential practices, focus on prayer, and love for the Eucharistic Lord are all virtues worthy of imitation.
Not only monks are drawn to the holy hermit of Lebanon. I think my own relatively recent discovery mirrors the general increase of interest in him throughout the nation. In particular, St. Sharbel’s life, words, and miracles have a special appeal with many of the lay faithful in America.
Upon entering the monastery at Annaya,[1] it was as if he had died and his life was from then on hidden with Christ in God (cf. Col 3:3). Tucked away from the world, he was completely unconcerned with the opinion of others and dedicated himself to the one thing necessary (Lk 10:42). Here is a man who worked some miracles while alive and was recognized as being such a powerful intercessor with God that his superiors even sent him to sick people to heal them; despite that, he fled from the acclaim of people, refusing to accept any credit for his work.
This modus operandi [2] is a direct challenge to America’s passion for popularity. In our culture, it is normal or even expected that everyone seeks to assert themselves, round up followers, accumulate “likes,” maximize subscribers, put themselves in the limelight, etc. Any achievement or success is broadcast far and wide. Those who indulge in the pursuit of fame and glory inevitably taste the emptiness of this way of life. The very word “vanity,” which is the vice proper to this way of life, is etymologically connected to the word “wind”, indicating the passing and unsubstantial nature of fame. To attempt to fill one’s soul with applause is like those who try to fill their bellies by opening their mouths and swallowing air.
St. Sharbel was well aware that people loved him, but he would not break his fast by trying to feed his soul with their approval. Instead, he trusted that his Father who sees in secret would repay him in secret. His example of acting like the least of even his brethren is a breath of fresh air in a world saturated with people jostling for the mere appearance of being wonderful or superior. He makes people question whether their own passion for fame is misguided.
Also, the wisdom of St. Sharbel’s words[3] resonate with many people in the West. Among the many instances of this, I want to mention just one. A typical person in the West will live their life at a breakneck pace. No one has any time for anything. There are always countless things to do. We don’t have time to listen, to play, to eat, and especially little time to pray. While rushing around is a nearly universal phenomenon in 21st century America, 19th century Lebanese monks were not immune to it. Once, when St. Sharbel saw a fellow monk hurriedly celebrating the Divine Liturgy, he jocosely asked him, “Why are you in a hurry? Were you eating grain soup [earlier]?” How many of us have been guilty of praying or participating in the Divine Liturgy as if we had a heaping helping of “grain soup” right before beginning? We are ready and willing to give countless hours to work and screens every single day, yet we hurry through prayers as if the room were on fire. The calmer, quieter, more peaceful way of life exemplified by St. Sharbel is naturally attractive to those whose hectic routine leaves barely enough time to breathe. His example of “being still and knowing that God is” (Ps. 46:10) can’t help but healthily challenge the very way we go about our daily activities. While he did not speak much, when he did, his words were true; that truth resonates with people of good will who are realizing that this hermit’s words might be more relevant to their lives than they would initially suppose.
Finally, his miracles[4] are what draw people to him. Perhaps more than anything else, they are what stands out about St. Sharbel. Some have attributed to him more miracles than any other saint in the whole history of the Church. Articles abound online that refer to his intercessory power with titles such as “Need a miracle? Pray to St. Sharbel!”[5]
In general, the cultural milieu is very focused on material and tangible realities. Even people of faith want to feel consolation; they seek to experience the warmth of God’s presence. It’s what has made the Catholic charismatic movement so popular in the last 50 years. Miracles are God’s way of drawing people to the truth of the faith. So, in an era when people tend only to believe that which they can detect with their senses, miracles can serve as beacons, calling people either into the Church or confirming the faith of those who are wavering. And who better to pray to for miracles than the saint who is most likely to get them for you?
Even though he is called the “holy hermit of Lebanon” and will always be associated with this ancient church, there is no reason why St. Sharbel should be limited to his ancestral homeland, the Land of Cedars.
With the nation’s Eucharistic revival concluding in July, just days before his liturgical feast, and St. Sharbel having such a devotion, perhaps it would be fitting to conclude this reflection by calling upon him to obtain for the whole country of America the grace of an increased devotion to the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. St. Sharbel, pray for us!
[1] Annaya is the location of the monastery where St. Sharbel lived in Lebanon. Click here to read a biography about St. Sharbel’s life.
[2] “Mode of operating”
[3] Click here to read some examples from the experiences of Raymond Nader.
[4] Click here for a few of many testimonials!
[5] Need a miracle? Pray to St. Charbel! --Aleteia
