St. Charbel
Youssef (Joseph) was born on May 8, 1828 in a small town in Lebanon called Biqa - Kafra. It was the fifth son of Anthony and Bridget Choudiac Makhlouf , simple peasants with faith . Two of his maternal uncles were monks in the monastery of Quzhaya which was about an hour away from Biqa - Kafra. Joseph frequently visited and stayed with them helping with the divine , sharing in their prayers and songs and listening to their wise counsel. I was twenty when he left home and family to enter the monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouk Lebanese Maronite Order . Upon receiving the habit of a novice it changed its name to Charbel , a name of a martyr of the Church of Antioch who died in the year 107 under the rule of Trajan. When his mother and his uncle learned of his decision, immediately went to fetch the monastery trying to convince him to return. Finally , Bridget, also convinced his son 's vocation , he said: If you were not to be good religious I would say : Go home ! But now I know the Lo...