Friday, September 20, 2013

Blessed Herman the Cripple, 40 Days for Life and Rest in Peace Jessica Grady Carden

Blessed Herman the Cripple, monk 1013 - 1054  is living proof why we value each life instead of the seeing it as a burden on our "environment".  Roman Catholics are benefiting from this man, almost one thousand years later. 

Each time we say the Hail Mary we need to know that Blessed Herman was the author of the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)!

This year we start 40 Days for Life one day after his feast day, September 26th and ends on November 4th, two days from the elections.  We believe each life has immeasurable value and we pray for leaders who see that value.  Click on your area of Oregon for a 40 Days for Life near you.  Portand  Salem  Beaverton  Eugene  McMinnville  Klamath Falls  St.Vincent dePaul - Portland.

If VOCAL left anyone out, please advise and it will be corrected.
Blessed Herman was born with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to a farm family. His parents cared for him until the age of seven, but in 1020 they gave him over to the abbey of Reichenau Island in Lake Constance in southern Germany; he spent the rest of his life there. He became a Benedictine monk at age twenty. A genius, he studied and wrote on astronomy, theology, math, history, poetry, Arabic, Greek, and Latin. He built musical instruments, and astronomical equipment. In later life he became blind, and had to give up his academic writing. The most famous religious poet of his day, he is the author of Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater. (thanks, Blessed Herman information to inspire Pro-lifers)
Herman The Cripple
by
William Hart Hurlbut, M.D.
I am least among the low,
I am weak and I am slow;
I can neither walk nor stand,
Nor hold a spoon in my own hand.
Like a body bound in chain,
I am on a rack of pain,
But He is God who made me so,
that His mercy I should know.
Brothers do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
All my sorrows he will bless;
Pain is not unhappiness.
From my window I look down
To the streets of yonder town,
Where the people come and go,
Reap the harvest that they sow.
Like a field of wheat and tares,
Some are lost in worldly cares;
There are hearts as black as coal,
There are cripples of the soul.
Brothers do not weep for me!
In his mercy I am free.
I can neither sow nor spin,
Yet, I am fed and clothed in Him.
I have been the donkey’s tail,
Slower than a slug or snail;
You my brothers have been kind,
Never let me lag behind.
I have been most rich in friends,
You have been my feet and hands;
All the good that I could do,
I have done because of you.
Oh my brothers, can’t you see?
You have been as Christ for me.
And in my need I know I, too,
Have become as Christ for you!
I have lived for forty years
In this wilderness of tears;
But these trials can’t compare
With the glory we will share.
I have had a voice to sing,
To rejoice in everything;
Now Love’s sweet eternal song
Breaks the darkness with the dawn.
Brother’s do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
Oh my friends, remember this:
Pain is not unhappiness.

by Blessed Herman the Cripple

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Thank you Lord for Blessed Herman and showing how Christ blesses each life.
Lord, please bless the soul of Jessica (Grady) Carden
She was the mother of seven little boys and a dear husband and passed away just a few days ago.
 God Bless Her Dear Family.







6 comments:

Jim said...

These are good words. The Pope was talking to people with common sense - not writing an encyclical. Unfortunately the Godless Liberal media does not possess these qualities. Think of what fun they would have if they were covering our first pope who quite often mis-spoke and even cut off ears to boot.

I can think of an actual example of what the Pope meant. I do a lot of sidewalk counseling and the primary objective when talking to women coming into an abortion clinic is to offer them help, find out why they are going in there, offer more help and if they refuse then pray for them. If they go through with it you will then offer them healing papers.

Most of the counselors are Catholic and once in awhile we will get some of teh Evangelist coming to 'help". Once while trying to counsel a woman the evangelist yelled at her, "You are going to Hell and your baby is going to Hell with you."

Not too productive!

I think that sums up the Popes message. Don't act like the Evangelist.

VOCAL said...

Thanks for the comment Jim. I think many people hoped that the Holy Father's words gave them freedom from moral obligations due to Christ Himself.
What he said was just what the Church teaches.

Janice said...

Catholics only diverge on Pope's message when they follow the secular media's 600-800 words taken out of context. If everyone would read the entire text, they would understand fully. Carolyn, KBVM has a link on its homepage leading folks to the full text. I already sent it out to a number of people, but you might want to send it out to your wider audience.

VOCAL said...

Thanks. I'll look it up and post it. At least the Holy Father is really getting people's attention to the Catechism.

Colleen said...

Thanks Jim. That's perfect.

VOCAL said...

Thanks for your good work, Carolyn!!