Professional Documents
Culture Documents
From His
Contemporaries
To Our Era
Father Hanna Skandar
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
- Rona Ayache for helping me acquire editors.
- Patricia Angelides and Yolla Bseibes for editing the original English translation.
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5- Axis of the Universe 6- Your Journey in this World is the trip of your Sanctity
The whole universe revolves around the mystery of the Cross. Every man All people were given ears to hear, but those who do hear are few; and of those
thinks that the universe revolves around him and that he is the axis of the universe. who hear, those who understand are few, and very few from among those who hear
The Cross is the axis of the universe, and whoever wants to be on the axis of the and understand are living what they heard and understood. Those who are heading
universe, will have to be with the crucified on the Cross. He who does not live the towards the Kingdom are few and the door is narrow.
mystery of the Cross cannot comprehend the mystery of the universe: Everyone has a Listen, understand and be witnesses. Listen to the voice of the Lord, understand
form and entity in time and place, like a piece of ice, and people, in order to preserve the truth, and witness to the truth that you have perceived and live in it. Be silent so you
their entity, are afraid to draw near fire so they will not melt: What is the use of ice if it may hear, and listen to the voice of the Lord. But be careful not to hear the resounding of
keeps its form and entity? If it does not melt and become water it will neither permeate the echo of your thoughts and listen to yourself: transcend your own thoughts, and let the
the earth nor water the trees or quench the thirst of people? Do not be afraid to draw word of God purify them, erasing what it erases and writing what it needs to write again.
near the fire that melts you because it will turn you into life-giving water to irrigate the Man is a part of the whole; the part must listen to the whole. Just, as the drop
earth. Let your love be like a fluid permeating all places; do not keep it frozen and give of water is to the river: a drop of water cannot be a river, even if it contained from
it a form and design it because then it will not pass anywhere. everything thats in the river, but the river is all drops of water on the same course.
The salt that does not dissolve will not make salty. Spoiled salt muddies the A drop of water in the river is a river, but the drop of water that is outside the rivers
water that it is supposed to salt, and spoils the food. Good salt that dissolves, disappears stream, is drop of water. Listen to the course of the universe, for you are part of it.
in water and does not show in food any form, color or entity, but provides the taste. The whole universe is on a pilgrimage journey towards the heart of the Father, like the
You are the salt of the earth; if you make your life your own property, it will then be journey of the rivers towards the sea. Do not accept being out of this journey. The drop
very cheap. The more you give your life, the more its value will increase, and when of water outside of the river can never reach the sea.
it reaches its full value it becomes the property of all. The loaf of bread is the same, Listen, understand the truth and let it permeate your spirit. Break all outer layers and
be it on the table of the rich or that of the poor. A tasty loaf does not ask who is going break up all accumulations in which the world has wrapped you and which have covered
to eat it when it comes out of the oven; a loaf is meant to be eaten; a good person is a you and blocked off Gods face from you. Humble yourself and relinquish the thoughts
good loaf. The history of mankind is empty without the Cross, because it is a passing that blocked off Gods voice from you, even if some of them have formed you and made
history, while the Cross is steady, unchangeable. Your own history will be empty you. Listen with humility and let your heart be soft and your mind free. Listening without
without the Cross, because you are passing and only the crucified gives you life and humility and repentance is like an echo lost in the valleys: no matter how strong the echo
confirms you in eternal life. It is the Cross that will sanctify you in time. is, the mountain remains a mountain, the valley a valley, and the rock a rock. Listen with
The beginning of creation, the present time and the end of the world are all humility, understand the truth deeply, and bear witness with courage.
occurring, for God, at the present moment. Sanctify through love the present moment of Listen so you may understand and know, and live in accordance with the truth that
your life; thus you will come to realize the mystery of eternal life in the presence of God. A you have known: it is not enough for you to know the way to arrive, you must walk it.
man is immortal through love with God. Sanctify time, sanctify your life, sanctify every God will shed light for you on the pages, but it is you who must read; God will
moment of your life. Do not get distracted by the ticking of the clock: you cannot stop the light your way, but it is you who must do the walking. Whoever goes up goes up using
ticking of the clock, but you can be ready when the clock strikes. Whoever removes God his feet, and whoever goes down goes down using his feet.
from his life, mind and heart, will be crushed by time and will drown in death; this Wherever you arrive, it is your own feet that got you there. Be always in a
does not mean that God no longer exists, but rather that he exists no more. state of listening and permanent examination of conscience. Redo your calculations
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CONTENTS
questionnaires with a number of witnesses, 115 pages, and manuscript in the
library of Kaslik.
16- The Positio of the prohibition of worshiping the servant of God Fr. Sharbel
of Bkaakafra, 1926, contains 13 questionnaires with witnesses knew Sharbel
directly or received the body of Sharbel, in the early years of his death, 39 pages,
manuscript in the library of Kaslik, prepared by Fr. Hanna Skandar, Our Lady of
Fortress- Menjez-Akkar, Lebanon, 2006, Charbeliat 2. Chapter I: THE FIRST JOURNEY (Pages 7 to 13)
17- File of the beatifications miracles, Sister Mary-Abel Kamary, Iskandar Obeid, A- Youssef Antoun in Bekaa Kafra .............................................................................7
Akel Wakim and Boulos Akiki. 1 - A Holy Family
2 - The Death of His Father during Forced Labor
3 - To Escape the Cold and Poverty
4 - The Remarriage of His Mother
*** 5 - The Fatherless and the Uncle Guardianship
6 -The Monastery School of Saint Hawshab
7 - The Rock of the Saint and the Cow
8 - The Saint and the Cave
* CONCLUSION
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APPENDIX
WORDS OF SAINT SHARBEL ...................................................................................106
1- Christ is the Truth of Love Incarnate ...................................................................107
2- And you will achieve the Objective for which God Created You .......................108
3- Your Work in this World .....................................................................................109
4- Your Weakness is there for you to overcome ......................................................111
5- Axis of the Universe ............................................................................................112
6- Your Journey in this World is the trip of your Sanctity .......................................113
7- Christ is the Foundation of Gods Building .........................................................114
8- Sanctity is Your Goal ...........................................................................................116
9- Your Future is the First Day in the Next World ..................................................117
10- Do Good Untiringly ...........................................................................................118
11- Walk the Path of Sanctity in the Joy of the Resurrection ..................................120
12- Sanctity is not a Chance, Sanctity is a choice ....................................................121
13- Love is a Light that Shines.................................................................................122
14-Confess your Sins and you will kill the Evil thats in you .................................122
15- Motion and Life .................................................................................................123
16- Every Family is a Holy Family ..........................................................................124
17 - Sentens from St. Sharbel ...................................................................................125
THE SOURCES.................................................127
THE REFERENCES...........................................128
CONTENTS .....................................................129