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    • Illustrated Book of Saint Sharbel
    • Saint Sharbel Stained Glass Window
    • Printing of Novena and Prayer Cards
    • Arabic to English Translations
    • The Power of Divine Love
    • St. Sharbel's Shrine Annual Endowment
    • Message center at Saint Sharbel shrine
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    • Newsletter
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    • "Help Beirut Heal" News
    • Groups Only
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Celebration of the Birthday of Saint Sharbel, May 7, 2022

5/24/2022

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The Family of Saint Sharbel celebrated the birthday of Saint Sharbel on Saturday, May 7th, 2022, at the Shrine of Saint Sharbel, at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Emmitsburg, MD. 

At 12 PM, Fr. Theodore Trinko (IVE), Chaplain of the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrated the Holy Mass in St. Mary's Chapel. ​
After the Holy Mass, Fr. Trinko celebrated the veneration of and the blessing with St. Sharbel’s Relic.
Watch the video
Click HERE to read the homily of Fr. Trinko.
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St. Charbel, A Role Model About Preparation for Eucharist

7/22/2020

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By Fr. Richard Kunst

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​When Pope John Paul the Great was criticized for canonizing so many saints, he acknowledged that he did, indeed, deliberately raise more saints to the altar than any of his predecessors, because he believed we are living in a time that needs saints as witnesses more than ever.  There have been books written about the people he canonized and beatified, and it is quite refreshing to read about many of them, because we can identify with people from our own era who lived a heroic faith life. 

As much as I like hagiography, the study of the saints, I have to admit that many of them, living in a different era, seem to be a bit untouchable, or even unreal.  In many cases they became “kitsch,” entering so much into the piety of worldwide Catholicism that they became little more than statues.  I am reminded of St. Therese of Lisieux who has rightly been called the greatest saint of modern times.  Her statue seems to be in a majority of churches, but I’d like to know how many people in the pews actually know anything about her life. 

I very much enjoy reading about those who lived seemingly normal yet holy lives.  They were simply examples of the Gospel, lived.  However, we can also learn something from the “untouchable” saints, those who for whatever reason seem otherworldly to us.  In the month of July we have one such saint.  On October 9th, 1977, Pope Paul VI canonized a Lebanese Maronite Rite monk, Charbel (or Sharbel)) Makhlouf.  While very few saints are honored with a place on the universal liturgical calendar, St. Charbel is one who is so revered that he does, indeed, have a feast day, which we celebrate on July 24th.

St. Charbel was born in 1828 in Northern Lebanon.  In 1859 he became a priest with particularly strong devotions, both to the Blessed Mother and even more so for the Eucharist.  For the last decades of his life, he was a hermit, living in the mountains in complete poverty. This austere behavior is one of the reasons he seems to be untouchable: how many of us can identify with a Lebanese Maronite monk, living in complete solitude, eating hardly anything, and all the while performing miracles?  Probably not many of us.  Yet it is St. Charbel’s prayer practice that makes him even more unique, while at the same time giving us an incredibly relevant example.
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St. Charbel’s life was centered on the Eucharist and the celebration of Mass, and this devotion intensified in his last twenty years.  He would regularly celebrate Mass at noon, but he would awaken eight to ten hours beforehand to pray continuously in preparation for receiving Christ in the Eucharist.  Imagine! Ten hours of prayer in preparation to receive Communion! But it doesn’t end there.  Afterwards, he would spend another eight to ten hours in a prayer of thanksgiving for having received the Eucharist! 

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The Eucharist was literally the center of his life, and everything else revolved around it.  This seems to add to his otherworldly status; who among us could do something like that, day in and day out for decades?  Who among us would want to?  And yet, what a beautiful example!
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Image by Fr. Shadi Beshara
​Reflecting on the life of St. Charbel calls to mind a common frustration among my brother priests and me.  On a regular basis, many people come into Mass late. Often they are so late they miss one or two of the readings.  It is even more common for whole portions of the church to be empty after communion.  While we are happy that these people at least come to Mass, think of the contrast between our experience and that of St. Charbel, who would spend hours in prayer both before and after receiving communion. 

We would never go to a movie late, or leave before the story was over.  Why in the world, then, would we do that with the Divine Liturgy where heaven and earth meet?

St. Alphonsus de’ Liguori (1696-1787), born 130 years before St. Charbel, believed that if we didn’t receive our first communion until we turned 100, we would still not have sufficient time to prepare.  At another time, he said that once we receive communion, twelve angels surround us, worshiping what we just consumed.  Obviously, that is not dogma, but it is food for thought if we are tempted to leave Mass early.
​The saints are always icons of having lived the Gospels, including those who seem to be so different from us.  St. Charbel is a great example of this.  I pray to him that through his intercession more people will grow in awe and reverence for Christ’s Eucharistic presence.  —Father Rich

St. Charbel, pray for us!
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Blessed Pope Paul VI canonized Charbel Makhluf on October 9, 1977.
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Invitation to the Celebration of the Feast of Saint Sharbel July 18, 2020

7/13/2020

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The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes & The Family of Saint Sharbel, USA invite you to the Celebration of the Feast of Saint Sharbel at the National Shrine Grotto, on Saturday, July 18, 2020.
​Confession:    10:45-11:45 am
​Holy Mass:    12 pm, followed by the Blessing with the Relics of Saint Sharbel
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​All Masses will be held outdoors at the Grotto Cave and we can only accommodate 350 attendees per Mass. Please bring hats, water, and umbrellas, and follow ushers' seating directives. In the event of inclement weather, Mass may be cancelled and will be announced. Please keep checking the announcement on the website of the Shrine.
Hope you can join us in prayer on this blessed feast of Saint Sharbel. 
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​​National Shrine Grotto of
​Our Lady of Lourdes

16330 Grotto Road
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Phone: 301-447-5318
​Visitors are required to wear masks while on the property and to observe 6-feet social distancing protocols.
Try to arrive a little early as the number of visitors is limited to 500 at a time which may lead to waiting periods (in the parking).
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9340 Braymore Circle, Fairfax Station, VA 22039
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