Around 350 AD, Maron was born in Cyrrhus, a small town near the ancient city of Antioch (near modern day Aleppo, Syria). He was of Syriac ancestry. When he grew up, Maron heard God’s call for holiness and perfection. His heart was burning within him. Maron left the world and ascended to the top of Mount Nabo, near Antioch. He lived in the open air, converted an abandoned pagan temple into a church, and spent his time fasting, working, and praying in solitude. He converted many souls and attracted many disciples. Fascinated by his unwavering faith and his profound holiness, devotees from various parts of the region gathered around St. Maron. God bestowed on him the gift of healing, which made his fame spread further in the entire region. St. Maron healed ailments of the body and those of the soul. Despite his growing popularity, he continued to live an ascetic and monastic life, and devoted his existence to preaching the Good News that the God of All People had become a man. St. Maron died around the year 410 AD. His disciples continued his mission, as we do to this day as Maronite Christians. His feast day is on February 9 and it is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Maronite Church. It is also a public holiday in Lebanon.
Prayer through the intercession of St. Maron
O God, who in your kindness called your holy servant Maron to the following of Christ, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, denying ourselves, we may hold fast to you with all our heart. O Lord, accept the prayers we offer in memory of our Father, St. Maron. Bless and protect the people who bear your name. Make us worthy of his holy legacy that we may carry the message of your Gospel throughout the world. Grant faithfulness to his people and courage to his inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.