St Charbel lights up his oil lamp filled with water at St Maroun Monastery in Annaya, Mount Lebanon.

St Charbel lived the last 23 years of his life as a hermit in purity, obedience and humility which he practiced with the utmost love at the St Peter and St Paul hermitage in Annaya, Mount Lebanon.

At the hermitage St Charbel prayed, meditated and attend mass daily, read the bible and scriptures daily, performed manual Labour daily, lived a life in poverty, ate one meal a day which were scraps from the other hermits and monks, carried out penance, practiced corporal punishment, chained himself, mortification of the body, slept on goat’s hair and used a timber log as a pillow which laid directly on the ground, slept less than five hours a day and observed strict silence in order to be as close to God as possible.

God rewarded St Charbel for his continuous commitment and service to him and blessed St Charbel with many talents, graces and filled him with the Holy Spirit which enabled St Charbel to perform many miracles when he was alive.

One night in 1875, Father Charbel (St Charbel) asked a Brother studying at St Maroun’s Monastery in Annaya, Mount Lebanon to fill his oil lamp with oil because it had run out of oil while he was working in his room. The Brother gladly agreed and went to fill his oil lamp from the oil supply drum.

The Brother wanted to play a joke on Father Charbel (St Charbel) so instead of filling the oil lamp with oil he filled it with water. Once the Brother filled the oil lamp with water he quickly ran to Father Charbel’s (St Charbel) room to give him the oil lamp filled with water so he can use it again to work in his room. Once Father Charbel (St Charbel) received the oil lamp from the Brother he kindly thanked the brother for refilling the oil Lamp for him.

The Brother quickly exited the room and hid behind the door so he can observe Father Charbel (St Charbel) try and light the oil lamp filled with water. To the great surprise of the Brother, Father Charbel (St Charbel) lit the oil lamp filled with water on his first attempt and continued to use the lamp to work in his room.

The Brother quickly ran to the Superior Monk to tell him that Father Charbel (St Charbel) lit his oil lamp filled with water which he filled because he wanted to play a joke on him. So the Superior Monk and the Brother ran to Father Charbel’s (St Charbel) room to see if the oil lamp filled with water was still lit. To their great surprise they saw Father Charbel (St Charbel) working in his room with the oil lamp filled with water well alight.

The Superior Monk walked in Father Charbel’s (St Charbel) room and said to him, “Did you know the Brother filled your oil lamp with water to play a joke on you?”. Father Charbel (St Charbel) replied, “No I did not know he filled the oil lamp with water”. The Superior Monk grabbed the oil lamp, opened it and put his finger in the lamp to see what was inside. To his amazement when the Superior Monk tasted the liquid on his finger he confirmed it was water. The Superior said to Father Charbel (St Charbel), “God loves you and has filled you with the Holy Spirit, you are perfect example for your fellow monks, brothers and community”.