St. Herman

Yesterday I learned something. There is a St. Herman of Alaska. What is even better, his title is "St. Herman: Wonderworker of All America." He was born in 1756, outside of Moscow, but no one knows his real name. Apparently he was a pious youth, not unlike other great saints of the church and entered a monastery at age 17.

If a teenager asked to join a monastery today, most folks would recommend that he (or she) should "live" first. Most Christians would say that. Sad. It reveals how little we love the Lord. It shows how afraid we are of committing our lives to Him. The religious life is viewed, even by most Christians, as a lesser existence. I feel the same lack of passion eat at my own soul. Our values are more shaped by the culture than by the Gospel.

Herman spent many years as a hermit. [I did a check and I was disappointed that this had no influence on Herman's Hermits, the 60's rock group.] At 37 he led a small group of missionaries to Alaska. He was known as a great teacher, though he had no formal education beyond monastic training. He was known for his kindness to all, especially children. He took a courageous stance on behalf of the Aleuts against the Russian and European colonists.

He died on Christmas day, 1837. Until yesterday, I had never heard of him. To be honest, Herman of Alaska sounds like a joke name to me. But he was no joke. He was a holy man, a light of Christ in a hard land in a hard century.

I have heard it said that the life of Christians is the Fifth Gospel. I have heard it said that our witness, in word and deed, is the second volume of the Acts of the Apostles. I have also heard it said, over and over again, "I am no saint."

In the end, we are all called to be saints, whether we respond or not. Certainly, a natural inclination for God is probably a gift from God. Some people are born with an advantage, it seems. But it is also true that we can work to nurture, in our own heart and soul, a deeper desire. Years spent in solitary prayer made Herman more effective for Christ. Being transformed into a missionary through years of monastic prayer and communion with the Father made Herman all the more effective. Being called a "Wonder Worker" implies some God-activity in his life. Such miracles, we read, are a constituent part of the early church. It is our apostolic heritage. Pity; so few of us are wonder workers...

We are not Herman, nor are we called to be Herman. But we are called to be like him. A man taken up in the life of the Triunue God and spent in service of the same. A man who could love the least and share his knowledge in such a way that others were in rapt attention for hours on end! He was called the "North Star" by his people, a faithful guide. Who calls you a wonderworker? Who calls you holy? Who looks to you as a sure guide to God? In the midst of economic and political turmoil, church decline and endless threats, we are called to turn, once again, to the Lord. To prayer and holiness and service. To be a light to the nations and give glory to God.