There is a very special reason why I am alive and also why I was named Charbel.
About halfway through my mother’s pregnancy, she bled heavily for about a week. Naturally, she became very worried and went to her doctor. The outcome of that visit was that her doctor made it very clear to her that the bleeding was not good for the viability of the pregnancy and that the baby, me, would have less than a 5% chance of surviving.
He recommended that she terminate the pregnancy.
Mum was crystal clear, she wanted to save her baby.
Therefore, the doctor immediately ordered her to complete bedrest. She was not to put her body under any stress whatsoever. However, being an epileptic, mum would also continue to have seizures which she also endured with her previous 7 pregnancies. At this point in time, 3 children had already been miscarried. Given the grim diagnosis and high-risk health of my mum there was a very likely chance that I would become her 4th miscarriage.
Saintly Intervention
My mum immediately began praying to the “Doctor in Heaven” through the intercession of St. Charbel, and she begged him with this prayer:
“St Charbel, please help me to save this child. I don’t want to lose another baby. I promise, if you ask God to save my child, I will name this baby in your honour. If it’s a boy – Charbel; and if it’s a girl – Charline. I will also dress the baby in a black robe like yours for one year commencing on its first birthday. Please, St Charbel, intercede for me. I beg you. Amen”.
The next day my mother’s bleeding stopped.
I believe she was healed that night, through the intercession of St Charbel.
She carried her pregnancy to full term and to the amazement of the doctor, I survived, and was born completely healthy. Thanks be to God!
My mum was not surprised.
Answered Prayers and Promises Fulfilled
Extremely grateful, she wasted no time in taking me straight from the hospital directly to church, not stopping at home. She held me at the front door of the church named in honour of the great saint she had prayed to- St Charbel’s Monastery in Punchbowl, Sydney.
Still at the entrance my father called out to the monks asking them to give his baby a blessing. Then my mother carried me into the church and held me up in front of the altar thanking God for what He had done.
Being a boy, she named me Charbel, as she had pledged. I was the first in my family to also be baptised and confirmed at this Maronite Catholic Church of St. Charbel.
As promised in her prayer to St. Charbel, mum dressed me in a small black robe like a monk for an entire year after my first birthday.
Every life has a purpose.
She has been grateful for my life ever since. Maybe not so much during my toddler years, for apparently, I was a little terror and would not listen to mum! Oh well, mum never asked for “a good boy” just “a healthy” one.
Thanks to her intercessory prayer of St Charbel, I was born. She has no doubt about it and neither do I.
Her strong faith continues to amaze me. I am alive today thanks to that prayer and her decision to not abort me. Indeed, not only did the doctor recommend terminating her pregnancy, she was actually pressured from friends as well. But mum stood firm.
I have a purpose in life.
I am called to tell people the story of God’s work in each and every one of them, to let them know life is worth living no matter what. Faith and the power of prayer is vitally important. Lives are saved.
St. Charbel pray for us now and especially for our law makers.
Join us in praying for the end of Abortion.
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