Love of Family is Love of God
Keep the roaring of the noise of the world away from your homes! – St. Charbel
Honor this humble, holy Lebanese saint today – his feast day, July 24.
Saint Charbel (Sharbel) Makhlouf was born in Lebanon in 1828. He was a humble and holy monk, known for his wisdom. He cautioned families that their greatest enemy is Satan who is “hell-bent” on destroying them. His book Love is a Radiant Light: The Life and Words of Saint Charbel focuses on his advice.
He said the love of a family is a beautiful reflection of the love and image of God, as well as the Holy Family in heaven.
He wrote, “Guard your families and keep them from the schemes of the evil one through the presence of God in them. Protect and keep them through prayer and dialog, through mutual understanding and forgiveness, through honesty and faithfulness, and most importantly, through listening.
“Listen to one another with your ears, eyes, hearts, mouths and the palms of your hands, and keep the roaring of the noise of the world away from your homes because it is like raging storms and violent waves; once it enters the home, it will sweep away everything and disperse everyone. Preserve the warmth of the family, because the warmth of the whole world cannot make up for it.”
He passed away at the age of 70 on Christmas Eve 1898.
