We celebrate the feast day of a Lebanese priest today named St Sharbel Makhluf. He was born in a small village in Lebanon in 1828 to a very humble family. His father was a mule driver who died when Sharbel was 3 years old, so Sharbel was raised by an uncle. He entered the Monastery of St Maron-Annaya in Lebanon and was ordained a priest. For the last 23 years of his life, he lived as a hermit in the desert where he practiced a life of strict fasting and devoted himself to the Blessed Sacrament. People sought him out for his prayers and guidance due to his reputation for holiness. The life of a hermit is austere and difficult’ it might be difficult for the average person to see God’s love and mercy in such austerity and discipline. Yet, God calls us all in different ways, and when we follow that call and choose that life that is meant for us, it is liberating and life-giving. Finding where God’s love and mercy exist in our lives is one of the main challenges we have as followers of Christ.
Our psalm states today: “I will sing of your salvation….Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress.” We can see St Sharbel living out the truth of that psalm passage in the reality of his life.
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