Prayer for the Intercession of
St. Germaine
March 1, 1992
Brother John Raymond
St. Germaine was born about the year 1579 at Pibrac, a village
near Toulouse, France. She suffered from tuberculosis and a deformed
right hand. Her mother died when she was still very young. Her
father remarried.
The stepmother was very cruel toward her. She gave her a few
crusts of moldy black bread daily for food. She often beat her. She
even made Germaine tend their flock of sheep near woods which were
notorious for ravenous wolves.
St. Germaine coughed all winter, had a lot of pain in her back
and was stooped over like an old woman. She was not considered good
enough to stay in the house with the family. They exiled her to a
bed of leaves and twigs under the stairway of the barn, among the
animals. Abandoned and forgotten, she spent her nights cold, hungry,
and sick. Yet, inspite of these many hardships, she never lost her
pleasant disposition. How did this poor girl survive?
St. Germaine's secret was her great love for Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament and for His Mother Mary. She assisted daily at Holy Mass.
When the church bell rang for Mass, she fixed her crook in the
ground and entrusted the sheep to the One True Shepherd. Her trust
was well-founded. Never did a wolf from the forest disturb her
flock. St. Germain prayed the Rosary often. When she could, she
gathered village children to tell them about the love that Jesus and
Mary had for them. Her love for Jesus and Mary grew so much that in
addition to all her sufferings she added voluntary penances! She
would even share her meager meals with the poor.
The holy life of Germaine did not go unnoticed. God showed His
love for this poor abandoned child. Villagers saw the waters of a
raging stream separate to form a dry path for her to reach the
church on the other side! Another time villagers were walking by the
stable where she slept when they heard a heavenly melody. Curiously
they peered in to find her wrapped in ecstatic prayer with a halo
about her head. One winter day her stepmother accused her of
stealing bread and hiding it in her apron. In fact, she had only
taken the crumbs left on the table after the family had eaten to
feed a poor beggar. When she obediently opened her apron, much to
the surprise of everyone, fragrant flowers, not grown in that
region, fell to the ground. This last miracle convinced her father
that there was something special about her. He forbade the
stepmother to abuse her anymore. He even went so far as to invite
her back into the house, but she preferred to stay in the stable.
Just as everyone was becoming aware of her sanctity, she was found dead on her humble pallet at the age of twenty-two. Forty-three
years later, when burying a relative next to her, a grave-digger
found her body perfectly preserved. Amazingly, when his pick struck
the girl's nose it began to bleed! Four-hundred miracles and
extraordinary graces later, she was beatified. Certainly this little
French saint can help us during our present age of prolific child
abuse.
Prayer
O St. Germaine, look down from Heaven and intercede for the many
abused children in our world. Help them to sanctify these
sufferings. Strengthen children who suffer the effects of living in
broken families. Protect those children who have been abandoned by
their parents and live in the streets. Beg God's mercy on the
parents who abuse their children. Intercede for handicapped children
and their parents.
St. Germaine, you who suffered neglect and abuse so patiently,
pray for us. Amen.