Day 21 -- Herman the Cripple

What is in a name? Does your name characterize who you are? Are you what your name says you are? Today's saint Herman the Cripple was who his name says he was. When I first read about him, I thought how sad and I couldn't write about him. But then I thought it is people like him, who lived 1000 years ago, an average life, that I want to learn about and read.

But Herman was not average. He was born with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to a family on a farm in Swabia (modern Germany) on February 18, 1013. His parents cared for him until he was 7 years old, but then they handed him over to the care of the abbey of Reichenau Island in southern Germany and he spend the rest of his life there. At age 20 he became a Benedictine monk. He was considered a genius and studied and wrote on astronomy, theology, math, history, poetry, Arabic, Greek and Latin. He built musical instruments and astronomical equipment. He later become blind and had to give up his writing. He was the most famous poet of his time. It is said that he is the author of the Alma Redemptoris Mater (click here for a YouTube video) and the Salve Regina. Herman died on September 21, 1054 at the abbey in Germany.

Now those of you who are following me, you will remember about a week ago that I wrote Peter Martinez was the one who penned the Salve Regina, so who really wrote the this prayer? But the main thing is that I was going to pray that prayer everyday to pray if I was going to attend World Youth Day. Well, I signed up on Wednesday, so I need to pray this prayer in preparation for attending this incredible gathering of youth and adults from across the world next August. They are expecting 2 million; in Australia we only had 500,000.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy. Hail my life, my sweetness and my hope! To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To you do we send up our sighs; mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy toward me, and after this, our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus Christ! Clement, loving, sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.