Sharbel Makhluf was a Lebanese Maronite monk and priest who lived from 1828 to 1898. Born Youssef Makhluf in Bkaakafra, Lebanon, he later became a hermit in Annaya.
He is known for miracles attributed to his intercession. But even his simple, everyday stories have something to tell us.
The Boy and the Grotto
As a boy, Youssef worked as a shepherd. While the animals were grazing, he often went to a small grotto to pray.
People in the village noticed this and reportedly began calling him “the saint.”
It was a small habit, but it stayed with him as he grew older. Sometimes the things we keep coming back to tell us something about the path we really want.
His Mother Let Him Go
At 23, Youssef left home to become a monk.
His mother could have asked him to stay. Instead, she reportedly said that if God wanted her son, she hoped God would make him a saint.
It must have been hard to let him go. But loving someone sometimes means allowing them to choose a life different from the one we wanted for them.
Sixteen Years of Waiting
Sharbel wanted to become a hermit. He spent 16 years at the monastery in Annaya before receiving permission to enter the hermitage in 1875.
He did not take the long wait as a reason to quit. Sometimes what we want takes longer than expected. That does not always mean we are on the wrong road.
Carrying Tiles
Life at the hermitage included plenty of physical work. Sharbel farmed, cleared land, planted vines, and helped with other jobs.
One account says he carried tiles on his back to help build the hermitage.
He was a priest, but he did not act as if simple work was beneath him. A title can give us a position, but it should never make us too important to help.
Sharbel spent his final 23 years in the hermitage. His days were mostly prayer, study, fasting, and work. There was little comfort in the life he chose.
Nothing about that life needed to impress anyone. Its value was in how faithfully he lived it, not in who noticed.
Our world moves differently. We are surrounded by notifications, deadlines, comparisons, and the feeling that we should always be doing more.
Saint Sharbel chose less, but gave himself fully to it.
Not every part of life needs amplification. Music needs rests to breathe. Maybe we do too.
Let’s keep learning the saints’ way—day by day.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
