The Hermit's Chaplet

Saint Charbel Chaplet

The chaplet of Saint Charbel is a short devotional prayer on beads: five sets of three beads - three red, one white, one blue - divided by five black beads, with a medal of the saint. It opens with the "Father of Truth" prayer he was praying when he was struck down at the altar.

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, the traditional hooded portrait — Saint Charbel Makhlouf (1828-1898), the hermit of Annaya.

How to Pray It The Novena Full Prayer Library

What Is the Chaplet of Saint Charbel?

A chaplet is a small devotion prayed on a short string of beads - shorter than the Rosary, and shaped around a particular saint or mystery. The chaplet of Saint Charbel honors the hermit of Annaya through the things that defined him: his monastic vows, his love of the Eucharist, and his devotion to the Mother of God. It comes from the prayer tradition that surrounds his shrine at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, and it takes about ten minutes to pray.

The beads themselves preach. A medal of the saint begins the devotion, followed by a single white bead. Then come five sets of three beads, divided by five single black beads: three red sets for the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience - the virtues by which a religious shares in the Passion of Christ - one white set for his love of the Holy Eucharist, and one blue set for his love of the Blessed Virgin.

How to Pray It, Bead by Bead

Begin and end with the Sign of the Cross. All you need is the chaplet and an intention - the two named prayers are given in full below.

1. On the first white bead

After the medal, on the single white bead, pray the Father of Truth - the prayer of the Maronite Divine Liturgy that Saint Charbel was praying when he collapsed at his altar.

2. On each black bead

Pray one Our Father on each of the five black beads that divide the sets.

3. On the red beads

Pray three Hail Marys on each red set: the first set honors his fidelity to poverty, the second to chastity, and the third to obedience.

4. On the white beads

Pray three Hail Marys in honor of his love for the Eucharist - the sacrifice he offered every day and adored for long hours.

5. On the blue beads

Pray three Hail Marys in honor of his devotion to the Blessed Virgin, asking to grow in the same love for her.

6. On the medal

Conclude with the Prayer to Obtain Graces, naming your intention where the prayer invites it. Prayer asks, and God remains free - no formula guarantees an outcome.

The Two Prayers

Father of Truth

Father of truth, behold your Son, a sacrifice pleasing to You. Accept this offering of Him who died for me; behold His blood shed on Golgotha for my salvation. It pleads for me. For His sake, accept my offering. Many are my sins, but greater is Your mercy. When placed on a scale, Your mercy prevails over the weight of the mountains known only to You. Consider the sin and consider the atonement; the atonement is greater and exceeds the sin. Your beloved Son sustained the nails and the lance because of my sins, so in His sufferings You are satisfied and I live.

This is the prayer Saint Charbel was reciting at the altar on December 16, 1898, when a stroke struck him during the Divine Liturgy. He died eight days later on December 24, the eve of Christmas - which is why the chaplet begins with this prayer.

Prayer to Obtain Graces

Lord, infinitely holy and glorified in Your saints, You have inspired Charbel, the saint monk, to lead the perfect life of a hermit. We thank You for granting him the blessing and the strength to detach himself from the world so that the heroism of the monastic virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience might triumph in his hermitage. We beseech You to grant us the grace of loving and serving You, following his example. Almighty God, who have manifested the power of Saint Charbel's intercession through his countless miracles and favors, grant us this grace (here mention your intention) which we request from You through his intercession. Amen.

When to Pray It

The chaplet fits any day - morning or evening, at home or before the Blessed Sacrament. Many devotees pray it on the 22nd of the month, the monthly day of pilgrimage at Annaya, when the monastery celebrates the Divine Liturgy for the intentions of everyone who asks. In July it pairs naturally with the nine-day novena that ends on the eve of the feast of Saint Charbel. If you miss a day, simply begin again - the chaplet is a friendship, not an obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the chaplet of Saint Charbel?

A short devotional prayer on beads in honor of the hermit of Annaya: five sets of three beads - three red, one white, one blue - divided by five black beads, with a medal of the saint. It opens with the "Father of Truth" prayer and closes with the Prayer to Obtain Graces.

How many beads does the Saint Charbel chaplet have?

Twenty-one beads in all: fifteen colored beads in five sets of three, five black divider beads, and one white bead after the medal.

What do the colors of the beads mean?

The red beads honor his vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; the white beads his love of the Holy Eucharist; the blue beads his devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

What prayers are said on the Saint Charbel chaplet?

The "Father of Truth" on the first white bead, an Our Father on each black bead, three Hail Marys on each colored set, and the Prayer to Obtain Graces on the medal to conclude.

When should I pray the chaplet?

Any time. Many pray it on the 22nd of the month, the monthly pilgrimage day at Annaya, and alongside the novena in the nine days before the July feast.

Keep Praying

The chaplet is one door into the same friendship: continue with the novena, the traditional texts in Saint Charbel Prayers, and a prayer for every need in the prayer library.