Subj : April 7th - St. Herman Joseph, Visionary To : All From : rich Date : Tue Apr 06 2021 10:17:04 From: rich April 7th - St. Herman Joseph, Visionary St. Herman was a great devotee of Our Lady and one of the most popular of medieval contemplatives. He was born in Cologne, Germany in 1150 into a family of good name that had lost its wealth. From his early childhood he sought out the altar of the Holy Virgin to converse with her. His simplicity was charming. On one occasion he brought an apple to the Mother of God and asked her to accept it. The statue of the Virgin moved, and she extended her hand to take the gift. Another time he arrived at the church and saw the Queen of Heaven in great splendor in the choir. At her side were two children, St. John the Baptist and the Christ Child playing together. As Herman stood contemplating the scene, the Virgin called to him. He swiftly climbed the steps of the presbytery, but the grilled gate to the choir was closed and locked. =E2=80=9CI cannot reach you,=E2=80=9D he said to Mary, =E2=80=9Cthe grill i= s locked and there is no ladder for me to climb over it.=E2=80=9D The Holy Virgin then directed him where to put his hands and feet in order to climb over the grill. Doing this, he entered the choir and she told him to join the Christ Child and St. John in play. One cold winter day he came barefoot to the church to pray. As he approached the statue of Our Lady, she asked him: =E2=80=9CWhy are you barefoot on this cold day?=E2=80=9D He answered: =E2=80=9CBecause I don't have shoes.=E2=80=9D She told= him to look under a certain stone in the church where he would find enough money for a pair of shoes. The whole life of St. Herman was filled with visions and ecstasies. Until his last day he enjoyed a continuous familiarity with the supernatural. At age 12 Herman joined the Premonstratensians (Norbertines) of Steinfeld, where he was assigned many different jobs. Later, he was ordained a priest, and became the director of several convents of sisters, for whom he wrote various treatises on piety and a commentary on the Canticle of Canticles. He also composed hymns, one being the first hymn in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His life was one of continuous penance, and he suffered strong temptations and physical illnesses. He was afflicted by incessant headaches that only ceased when he approached the altar to celebrate Mass. Their violence used to increase with the approach of Feast Days. In a play on words, he used to say: Festa sunt mihi infesta [the Feast Days are devastating for me]. He had great sympathy for afflicted persons who always found in him a warm welcome and secure refuge. He died in 1241, after having added the name Joseph to his first name under the personal guidance of Our Lady. Later his body was found incorrupt. Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corr=C3=AAa de Oliveira: (died 1995) The life of St. Herman was like a drop of Heaven on earth, and hearing it gives us nostalgia for Heaven. The marvelous atmosphere that accompanies it by contrast permits us to see how dirty, deformed, aggressive and chaotic the atmosphere of the Revolution is in which we are immersed today. For us this description has an effect similar to that of an angel who would visit Purgatory and bring a breath of fresh air to the souls suffering in its flames. Considering his life, we can say: The day will come when I also will go to Heaven, and I will no longer have to see and live among all these monstrosities of the world today. I will see St. Herman and I will be able to talk with him. It is a drop of the hope for Heaven amid the terrible furnace of our days. http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j067sdHerman4-7.htm Saint Quote: "If we detect any trace of hatred in our hearts against any man whatsoever for committing any fault, we are utterly estranged from love for God, since love for God absolutely precludes us from hating any man." --St. Maximus the Confessor. Bible Quote: Passover 30AD: "Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will come upon you unexpectedly, like a trap.=C2 For it will come down on all those living on the face of the earth.=C2 Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and hold your ground before the Son of man"=C2 =C2 Luke 21:34-36. <><><><> Prayer Against Envy O my God, Thou so lovest the world that Thou gaveth Thy only begotten Son so that all who believe in Thee might not perish, but may have eternal life. Thou maketh the sun rise upon the good and the bad, and Thou raineth upon the just and the unjust. Yet I am filled with jealousy while others prosper. I want everything to come to me, and I am saddened by my neighbor's least good fortune! O what inhuman malice! O infernal poison! Forgive, o most loving Father what up to this point has been my sin. Gentle is Thy mercy. From the depths of that mercy, grant that henceforth I may be robed in kindness as a chosen one of God. May I also, above all, strive to have charity, which is the bond of perfection. (Col. 3:14) Ant. Remember not, Lord, my offenses, nor the offenses of my fathers, nor takest Thou vengeance upon them. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .