Every New Year, Denis and I choose saints to be our companions and examples for the coming year. There is a long tradition in the Church surrounding this practice. St. Faustina chose a saint every year as did the Little Flower. It is a beautiful way to enlist the help of heaven and to learn from an older brother or sister in heaven how to grow in holiness. Well, for New Year, 2012, we chose a saint for Mary TV as we always do. And the saint we chose was St. Charbel Makhluf of Lebanon, whose feast day is today!
St. Charbel is a formidable saint. He lived in the 19th Century in mountainous Lebanon. He left home at 23 to join the Maronite order as a monk. He forsook his family and all earthly attachments and devoted himself to prayer and work for the rest of his life. He denied himself every comfort and lived a life of obedience and solitude, a life that would have broken the strongest of men. But he had chosen God alone, and would not be diverted. Holy Mass was the center of his life and of his day. He would prepare for hours before Mass, and after celebrating his Mass at 11:00 am, he would use the rest of his day to give thanks. The Eucharist was everything for St. Charbel. Though he was sought after for advice and counsel up to his death, his work really began after he died, as thousands visited his grave to be healed through his intercession.
We are grateful to God for having given us such a saint as our patron for 2012. We have felt his strong hand upon us this year, purifying us and challenging us to grow in our commitment to God and to Our Lady. It has been a fruitful year so far, a time of growth for the Mary TV family.
A sign from St. Charbel came to us in June when we were in Medjugorje, working on our studio. One day, as we entered the studio we found a little book in a bag on our door step. It was a beautiful little book about St. Charbel, given to us by Theresa, our friend in Medjugorje who prays the Rosary with us! She knew about our patron for the year and gave us this book! What a joy and a sign for us of St. Charbel's providential care.
The booklet is entitled St. Charbel of Lebanon - The heart dedicated to Mary - Patron of family prayer! (author - Mirjana Stanislava Vasilj-Zuccarini)I didn't know that he was the patron of family prayer, and it makes sense that God would put us in his care, since it is Mary TV's desire to bring family prayer into every home.
In the booklet there is a prayer to St. Charbel. I will include it here. Maybe we can pray it today in thanksgiving for all that he has done for Mary TV, and all he will accomplish in us as the year progresses. Truly this year we have moved forward more dramatically than ever before. Thank you, St. Charbel!!
A prayer asking St. Charbel for grace
Lord, infinitely Holy and Glorified in Your Satins, you inspired Charbel, the Holy monk, to lead the perfect life of a hermit. We thank You for granting him this blessing and giving him the strength to detach himself from the world so that the heroism of the monastic virtues of poverty, obedience and chastity, could triumph in his hermitage. We beseech You to grant us the grace of loving and serving You, following his example. Almighty God, Who has manifested the power of St. Charbel's intercession through his countless miracles and favours, grant us...(State your intentions here...) through his intercession.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father...
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2012
PS. We aired another Fruit of Medjugorje episode last night (8:00 pm EDT, Monday, July 22, 2012) featuring Christine Watkins. It was awesome! You can view it on our home page for the next week or so. Thursday we will have the testimony of Adam Holabar, same time! Don't miss it!
PPS. We await Our Lady's message for July 25, 2012 with great anticipation!!
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