St. Sharbel Makhluf

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Friday, 24 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of how beloved we all have been by God, and how great is the love and compassion which our loving Father and Creator for each and every one of us. That is why we should always strive to nurture our love for God and also our faith in Him, as if we do not nurture this love and faith we ought to have in us, they will wither and we will not get close to the Lord and we may even find ourselves shutting ourselves off from His love and kindness, from His grace and blessings. Each and every one of us should always strive to be ever closer to the Lord, and we have to begin it by living our lives from now on ever more faithfully in the Lord’s path.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet of God spoke of the words of the Lord to His people, telling them all of the love which He has always had for them, and how He called upon them all to return to Him once again. He would lead them all once again back to their lands and take care of them as He had always done, after all that the people had to endure came to pass, all the punishments and hardships that they would have to endure because of all of their sins and wickedness. The Lord did not despise or hate His people, and He still loved them all after everything that they had done to them, their disobedience and wickedness which were truly abhorrent. But God wished to reconcile them to Himself, and thus made the way for them to return to Him.

That was why He sent them His many prophets and messengers to help and guide them down the right path, turning away from all the wickedness which they had committed in life. He sent them the prophet Jeremiah as a sort of final warning, telling them of all the punishments and hardships that they would very soon had to face and endure for their disobedience and sins against God, the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, and the deportation of many of the people of God to distant places in Mesopotamia, in Assyria and Babylon, as what had also happened to the northern half of the kingdom of Israel, destroyed by the Assyrians a century or so earlier on. He wanted them all to realise the errors of their ways and to return once again towards His light and love.

Then, in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and the ones assembled to listen to Him as He used the famous parable of the sower to teach them about what He intended to tell them, which we have also heard in our Gospel passage yesterday. This parable of the sower highlighted the importance of us allowing the seeds of faith that the Lord has sown and planted in us to grow well and wonderfully in our hearts and minds, just as He has explained to the people then, how those seeds that landed in the places that were inhospitable and improper for the growth, germination and development of seeds either did not even manage to germinate, or were destroyed soon after because of the inhospitable conditions.

It is only those seeds that landed on rich and fertile soil which managed to germinate, grow and prosper wonderfully into plants that grew well and bear a lot of rich fruits, with products in thirty, sixty and hundredfold of what was planted earlier on. This is a reminder therefore for all of us tonight that we must always strive to provide this fertile environment for our faith and love for God to grow and develop, as the people of Israel and Judah failed to do so mainly because they allowed themselves to be swayed by the path of sin and wickedness, by the temptations of worldly glory, pleasures and ambitions which made them to abandon God’s path and His Law, His righteous ways and commandments, and instead seeking to satisfy their own selfish and worldly desires in life, and hence, fell into the trap of sin.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Sharbel Makhluf, also known as St. Charbel Makhlouf, who was a renowned Maronite Catholic monk living in what is part of Lebanon today, born into a pious family, raised up well in the faith by his family. He would ensure that he had time for prayers and committed himself to God even from a very young age. Eventually, he became a monk after years of preparation and instruction, taking up the name by which he is now famous today, namely that of Charbel, inspired by the saint of that name, a Christian martyr of the region during the early history of the Church. He therefore began a life of seclusion and withdrawal from the world as a hermit for the rest of his life.

St. Charbel lived the rest of his life in pious and prayerful seclusion, and he died about twenty-three years after he began his hermitic lifestyle. Yet, even after his passing, his great holiness and virtues, his examples and great commitment to God brought about great wonders and inspiring things to happen, as he is indeed famous for right up to this day, more than a century after this great saint’s passing. It was told since immediately after his passing that miracles happened aplenty at his tomb, and many people were healed and encountered miracles, and also through the intercession of St. Charbel, many experienced great things and were cured from their diseases and troubles. This led to many people to turn towards the Lord, as among those who sought for the intercession of St. Charbel were unbelievers.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the inspirational story of the life of St. Charbel Makhlouf, as well as the words we have heard today from the Sacred Scriptures on the calling and commissioning of the prophet Jeremiah, and also the parable of the sower, we are therefore reminded that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s disciples and followers, have the important responsibility and part to play in ensuring that our lives are truly faithful to the Lord, and that we are always open to the Lord guiding and strengthening each one of us in our respective lives. All of us must be like those seeds that grow in the rich and fertile soil, and hence, we should ensure that our lives and environment, that is our hearts and minds, our whole beings are truly conducive to allow our faith in God and our love for Him to continue to grow and develop.

Let us all therefore strive to do our best in our daily living, in following the commandments of the Lord and in doing His will at every circumstances and opportunities such that we will continue to inspire many others around us by our own exemplary lives and actions. May the Lord continue to bless and strengthen us in our works and efforts, in our every good endeavours for the greater glory of God, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 24 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Matthew 13 : 18-23

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the kingdom, but does not take it seriously, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath.”

“The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word, and accepts it at once with joy. But such a person has no roots, and endures only for a while. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up.”

“The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word, but then, the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word; and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil, it is the one who hears the word and understands it; this seed bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”

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Friday, 24 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

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Friday, 24 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Jeremiah 3 : 14-17

Come back, faithless people – it is YHVH Who speaks – for I am your Master. I will select one from a city and two from a family and bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and prudence. And when you have increased and multiplied in the land in those days – it is YHVH Who speaks – people will no longer speak of the Ark of the Covenant of YHVH; it will not be remembered or missed, nor shall it be made again!

Then they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of YHVH’ and all the nations will gather there to honour the Name of YHVH; and no longer will they follow the stubbornness of their wicked hearts.

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Wednesday, 24 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charbel Makhluf, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures in which we are all reminded to answer the call which the Lord had made to us, in everything which He had done for us, in leading us all to the right path in life. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the various and unique gifts, talents, opportunities and capabilities which God had sown in us, so that hopefully we may make good use of them for the benefit of everyone around us, for those whom we are interacting with. Through us and our efforts, and our interactions with others, we may inspire many more people to come and follow the Lord as well.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words of the Lord calling Jeremiah to be His servant, in becoming the prophet to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, which was then in its last years of existence. The people of Israel, God’s first chosen people back then had been divided into two groups, and they had mostly disobeyed the Lord and His commandments, disregarded and refusing to follow His Law despite the many reminders and help provided to them by the Lord through His prophets and messengers. The northern kingdom of Israel then had been crushed and destroyed by the Assyrians, sent into exile in distant lands. The people of God in the southern kingdom of Judah had similarly lived in the same way, and they would soon share a similar fate to their brethren in the north.

It therefore fell upon Jeremiah to be the one whom God sent to His people to tell them of their impending doom and all that they would have to face as a consequence for their rebelliousness and refusals to follow the path of God. Jeremiah himself was unsure of the responsibilities and the charge placed upon him, but the Lord reassured and encouraged him, saying that He would be with him throughout the way, and He would guide and inspire him in whatever he was to say to those whom he had been sent to. He empowered Jeremiah and strengthened him, so that through His guidance, this simple man would become one of the great prophets, through whom many would be called to return to God and His path.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Matthew in which the Lord Jesus taught and preached to the people with the famous parable of the sower. In that parable, we heard of the Lord speaking to the people using the comparison with a sower that was spreading seeds on different places. The Lord liked to use these parables because many of the people back then were illiterate and uneducated, and they did not know much about the ways of the world outside that of their professions or related ones. Many of the people back then were farmers, shepherds and fishermen, and hence, the Lord used these parables to help them understand what He wanted to tell them.

As we heard in that parable, the sower placed the seeds in various places and the seeds faced different fates depending on where those seeds had landed. This would later on be explained and be elaborated further by the Lord, but let me explain in case some among us may not be aware of the meaning and significance of this parable. The seeds that landed on the roadside were snatched and eaten away by the birds of the air, representing those people who have received the seeds of faith from the Word of God, and yet, allowed Satan and the other evil ones to snatch these truth and virtues away from them, by not taking up these into their hearts and minds, ignoring what the Lord had generously presented and given to them.

Then, those seeds that fell upon the rocky grounds and dried up before they could grow roots represent those who have received the Word of God and His truth, and yet failed to allow these to grow roots in their hearts and minds, as they did not provide good and suitable environment for their faith to grow and blossom in. And those seeds that landed among the brambles and thistles were choked to death as they grew, because those brambles and thistles competed with the plants for nutrients and other resources. These represent all those who allowed the distractions in life to pull them away from the path of righteousness and virtue, instead following the path of greed, desire, ego and ambition, which would lead them to their downfall.

It was only those seeds that fell upon the rich soil that managed to germinate and grow well, healthy and strong, bearing lots of rich fruits and produces, in multiples of what had been planted before. This represents all those who have received the Word of God and truly acted on them, internalising and receiving them with genuine faith, doing their best to embody what they have believed in, so that their faith is not merely just a formality only, but a truly real and living faith. This has also been shown by the example of the prophet Jeremiah from the Old Testament, as well as the many other prophets and servants of God, who have allowed the Lord to guide and strengthen them in their lives so that in everything that they had said and done, they would indeed bear rich and plentiful fruits of their faithful actions and commitments to God.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Sharbel Makhluf, also known as St. Charbel Makhlouf, who was a renowned Maronite Catholic monk living in what is part of Lebanon today, born into a pious family, raised up well in the faith by his family. He would ensure that he had time for prayers and committed himself to God even from a very young age. Eventually, he became a monk after years of preparation and instruction, taking up the name by which he is now famous today, namely that of Charbel, inspired by the saint of that name, a Christian martyr of the region during the early history of the Church. He therefore began a life of seclusion and withdrawal from the world as a hermit for the rest of his life.

St. Charbel lived the rest of his life in pious and prayerful seclusion, and he died about twenty-three years after he began his hermitic lifestyle. Yet, even after his passing, his great holiness and virtues, his examples and great commitment to God brought about great wonders and inspiring things to happen, as he is indeed famous for right up to this day, more than a century after this great saint’s passing. It was told since immediately after his passing that miracles happened aplenty at his tomb, and many people were healed and encountered miracles, and also through the intercession of St. Charbel, many experienced great things and were cured from their diseases and troubles. This led to many people to turn towards the Lord, as among those who sought for the intercession of St. Charbel were unbelievers.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the inspirational story of the life of St. Charbel Makhlouf, as well as the words we have heard today from the Sacred Scriptures on the calling and commissioning of the prophet Jeremiah, and also the parable of the sower, we are therefore reminded that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s disciples and followers, have the important responsibility and part to play in ensuring that our lives are truly faithful to the Lord, and that we are always open to the Lord guiding and strengthening each one of us in our respective lives. All of us must be like those seeds that grow in the rich and fertile soil, and hence, we should ensure that our lives and environment, that is our hearts and minds, our whole beings are truly conducive to allow our faith in God and our love for Him to continue to grow and develop.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to help and strengthen us all, so that in all that we do, we will continue to be inspired and encouraged to do our best, to be ever more faithful and to strive to follow Him in all of our lives. May He empower each one of us and be our source of Hope and encouragement, be our Light and inspiration, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 24 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charbel Makhluf, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Matthew 13 : 1-9

At that time, that same day, Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. Many people gathered around Him. So He got into a boat, and sat down, while the crowds stood on the shore; and He spoke to them in parables about many things.

Jesus said, “The sower went out to sow; and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path; and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly, because the soil was not deep. But as soon as the sun rose, the plants were scorched; and they withered, because they had no roots.”

“Again, other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop : some a hundredfold, others sixty, and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!”

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Wednesday, 24 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charbel Makhluf, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17

In You, o Lord, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me, turn Your ear to me and save me!

Be my Rock of refuge, a Stronghold to give me safety, for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God, from the hand of the wicked.

For You, o Lord, have been my Hope, my Trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day, little though it is what I can understand. You have taught me from my youth and until now I proclaim Your marvels.

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Wednesday, 24 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charbel Makhluf, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Jeremiah 1 : 1, 4-10

The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

A word of YHVH came to me, “Even before I formed you in the womb I have known you; even before you were born I had set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations!”

I said, “Ah, Lord YHVH! I do not know how to speak; I am still young!” But YHVH replied, “Do not say; ‘I am still young’, for now you will go, whatever be the mission I am entrusting to you, and you will speak of whatever I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you – it is YHVH Who speaks!”

Then YHVH stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now I have put My words in your mouth. See! Today I give you authority over nations and over kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

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Monday, 24 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this day as we listened to the Lord’s words in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to place our trust in the Lord and to be ever faithful to Him. We should not allow doubt and fear to affect and prevent us from truly following God’s path, as each one of us are truly precious and important in the sight of God, and as long as we continue to trust in Him and in His providence, we shall not fail and falter. All of us should continue to keep up this faith in God and we must not easily be discouraged and swayed by the many challenges and trials present all around us. If we allow ourselves to be persuaded otherwise and choose to abandon the Lord instead of trusting in Him and in His providence and love, then we may end up leading ourselves to an even greater loss in the end.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus of the story of the moment when the Israelites were on their way out of the land of Egypt, where they were then chased by the forces of the Egyptians under their ruler, the Pharaoh, his army and the chariots. The Pharaoh regretted having let the Israelites go free under the pressures from the Ten Great Plagues that God had sent to the land of Egypt and the Egyptians, and hence tried to subjugate all of them again through that. The Israelites then were at the shore of the Red Sea, and they were cornered between the sea itself and the Pharaoh’s army, without any means or opportunity to escape, and therefore many among the people were afraid and fearful that they were facing certain destruction, and as we heard, many among them blamed Moses and even God for having led them to their deaths at that place, mentioning how they preferred to have remained under slavery rather than to die in that manner.

Moses reassured the people and God Himself also told Moses and hence His people that they should not be afraid as He was with them, guarding and protecting them, and whatever He has promised them, in bringing them to freedom and liberation from their land of slavery, and the promise of bringing them into the land promised to their forefathers, the Land of Canaan. God was not going to go back on His words on all of His promises, and despite the struggles and sufferings that His people would have to endure, eventually, they would see the promise of God’s salvation and grace. In that particular occasion, God would come and protect His people against the Egyptians, placing a great pillar of fire between the Israelites and the Egyptian forces, and then as we all well known and are familiar with, God Himself through Moses, opened the Red Sea for all the people of Israel to pass by, dry and protected on the seabed.

Thus, that was how God saved His people, who had suffered for a long time under their slavemasters, and who had to endure a lot of hardships and humiliations. Yet, God led His people into the ultimate triumph, liberating them and giving them the reason and opportunity to hope once again, to hope in the true joy and happiness in the presence of God. God did not abandon His people even in their darkest hours, and journeyed together with them, even though later on they would prove to be rather difficult and frequently disobeyed God’s words, Law and commandments. God remained full of love and compassion on His beloved ones, reaching out to them patiently and caring for them at all times. The Lord has always patiently guided His people, there at that time of the Exodus and afterwards, ever remembering the love that He has for them and the Covenant which He had made with them.

Then in the Gospel passage today, we heard from the moment when the Lord was confronted by some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who demanded to see signs and wonders, miracles and works from Him. We must understand that at the time, many of the miracles, works and wonders that the Lord had performed, had been witnessed by many of the same Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had also heard and listened to all the teachings and the words of the Lord all the same. Yet, they still refused to believe in Him, doubting His truth and works, and questioning His authority and signs, and demanding to see more of what they had themselves seen and witnessed. That was why the Lord was often saddened by what He had encountered from these oppositions, as those people kept on holding onto their doubts and prejudices, and refusing to listen to Him.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That was because those people who doubted the Lord thought that they knew things better than the Lord, and they refused to accept that they could be wrong in their ways or in their insights and intelligence. That was why no matter what they had seen, heard or witnessed, experienced and went through with the Lord, in all of His ministry and works, many among those people were stubborn and adamant in not listening to God and His truth, and keeping on their prejudiced ways and views, thinking that they were superior and better, when they were in fact mistaken and faulty in their ways and actions. This same attitude had brought many into their downfall and prevented many others from coming to seek forgiveness, grace and compassion from the Lord.

That is why today, all of us are reminded not to hold onto our pride and prejudices, and not to be easily swayed by fear and the desires of this world, that we end up abandoning the Lord and His truth for our own personal ambitions, pride and the many desires and attachments we have to this world’s goods. And today, as we also celebrate the feast of one of the Lord’s great servants, we should be inspired and strengthened by the exemplary life and dedication of this holy man of God, in how he had devoted his life to the Lord and in doing what God has commanded him and all of us to do. He is St. Sharbel Makhluf, also known as Charbel Makhlouf, the famous Maronite saint and priest, who lived and ministered to the people of God about a century and half ago, showing many his holiness and dedication to the Lord.

St. Sharbel Makhluf led a holy life from a very young age, being raised in a devout family, and later on became a monk in what is today part of Lebanon. He led a life of great holiness and sanctity, wholly devoted to God, and as he later on withdrew to a monastery as a monk, dedicating himself even more to the Lord, he showed many people how it is possible for one to entrust oneself so completely to the Lord, and to follow Him in His commandments and will. After his passing, many were miraculously healed at his tomb and by the intercession of this saint, which is yet another example of the great grace of God, Who truly loves each one of us His people, that He sent unto us these great blessings and graces, the healings and wonders, the miracles attributed through the constant intercession and help from St. Sharbel Makhluf.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best to renew our faith in the Lord and to commit ourselves anew in the path which the Lord has shown to us. Let our lives and works, our every actions, words and deeds be great examples and inspirations to one another so that many more people may come to believe in the Lord through us. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, so that in our every moments, we may always strive to glorify Him by our lives. Amen.

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Monday, 24 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Matthew 12 : 38-42

At that time, some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” Jesus answered them, “An evil and unfaithful people want a sign; but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way, as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

“At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise with this generation, and condemn it; because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here, there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon.”