The Chief Of The Field

From Estephan the monk

After his novitiate period, brother Estephan mastered the carpentry job pretty well, to the point that it was said about him that he never lets the handle of the saw to cool. With the carpentry job he spent all his monastic life in the Maronite Order for 31 years, working in the convents and in the fields and vineyards.

Monastery of Saint Artemius (Mar Shallita) Al kattara

During the period from 1907 to 1938 and according to the orders of his Superiors, Brother Estephan moved to several different monasteries: Our Lady of Mayfouq (1907-1910), Saint Antonios Houb (1910-1913), Our Lady of Mayfouq again (1913-1922), Saint Maron Annaya (1922-1925), Saint Artemius (Mar Shallita) Al Kattara (1925-1928), Our Lady of Succour (Al Maonat) Jbeil (1928-1938), and finally Saint Cyprian and Justina Kfifane (1938). All these rotations were a holy trip for him and a constant spiritual evolution from matter to light, by praying, serving, and being attentively silent.

Brother Estephan lived all his life with the freedom of spirit, he knew that whoever sins becomes a slave to sin even if he were a monarch. That’s why he had a clear conscience, never feared anyone with regards to the truth, and his only aim was always to please God. He always interceded for the laborers and workers but also never allowed them to use any bad words. Whoever dared to swear in his presence was immediately fired as he used to give him his daily pay and ask him not to come to work on the next day.

Brother Estephan was the chief of the field of the monastery. There was a man from Jran working on his donkey in the monastery of Kfifane. The assistant brother used to ask the laborer to do additional works for free after the end of the day, and used to tell him: God will compensate you. When brother Estephan knew about it, he came to the laborer and told him:” you are tired from work, and at the end of the day you need to go home to feed your donkey and get some rest and do your homework, I am the chief of the field, don’t listen to the brother if he asks you for an extra work after that you have finished your job for the day”.

If you like this story, please share it with your friends: