The Lamp Filled with Water

In the hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, where Charbel spent the last twenty-three years of his life in radical asceticism, the small oil lamp of his cell burned each night so that he might pray the Divine Office.

One evening, a young servant of the monastery — wishing either to play a prank or to test whether the rumours of holiness surrounding the hermit were true — emptied the small flask of oil and refilled it with water. He then placed it back in its usual spot, expecting the lamp to remain dark.

Saint Charbel took the flask without examining it, poured its contents into the lamp, and struck the flint. The lamp flared into a bright, steady flame and burned through the entire night, just as if filled with the purest olive oil. When the servant confessed his trick in the morning, the hermit said nothing — he only smiled.