My God, is it possible to have lived without thinking of Jesus, without loving Jesus, without living for Jesus and in Jesus?
Now that your grace has awakened me, now that my eyes have seen, my hands have touched, my ears have heard, my heart has loved—yes, I love Jesus Christ. I shall take care not to hide it. I am in honor bound to proclaim it before the world.
I love Jesus Christ—that’s the secret of my immense peace which has gone on increasing since the first moment I began to love. I love Jesus Christ—this is what I want to proclaim to the ends of the earth.
I wish that the walls of this temple would expand to include the millions who live on the earth, so that my voice could reach and penetrate the depths of their hearts, making them vibrate in unison with mine, all responding together in one great hymn of joy and triumph, echoing from earth to heaven, “we too love Jesus Christ.”
Servant of God Hermann Cohen
Father Augustine Mary of the Blessed Sacrament
Born Hamburg 10 November 1820
Died Berlin 20 January 1871
An interesting biographical sketch of the Servant of God, illustrated with photos is here. Born in a Jewish family in Hamburg, it outlines Father Hermann’s journey from Hamburg to Paris as a student of Franz Liszt in order to become a successful, internationally-recognized concert pianist, until his conversion in May 1847 while substituting for a friend as music director for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Two years later, he entered the Discalced Carmelite friars in Le Broussey, France, exercising a rich and fruitful ministry.
A brief biographical article written by another Jewish convert and Discalced Carmelite, Father Elias Friedman, is here.
The official Discalced Carmelite biography published in Italian by the Postulator General is here.
Tierney, T 2017, A Life of Hermann Cohen: From Franz Liszt to John of the Cross, Balboa Press, Bloomington, IN
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