Franz Jaegerstatter
The hymn we sang at the Pax Christi service in the crypt had words by Jaegerstatter arranged by Martin Winklbauer. Rather a nice tune in E minor.
You call me in the darkness of this time.
I come to you with ready heart and mind.
But the way to the source flows against the stream.(repeat)
1. Neither prison nor death cut me off from God's Love:
That is the faith that leads me on.(repeat)You call me..
2. If error o'erwhelms me
You take me by the hand.
That is the faith that strengthens me (repeat)You call me..
3. Forgive one another
-Come what may
This is the love that bears me up (repeat).You call me..
And here is the text I was asked to read;
Franz Jaegerstatter speaks: "These few words are being set down here as they come from my mind and heart. And if I must write them with my hands in chains, I find that much better than if my will were in chains. Neither prison nor chains nor sentence of death can rob a man of the faith and his free will.
God gives me so much strength that it is possible to bear any suffering, a strength far stronger than all the might in the world. The power of God cannot be overcome. If people took as much trouble to warn men against the serious sins which bring eternal death, and thus keep them from such sins, as they are taking to warn me against a dishonourable death. I think Satan could count on more than a meagre harvest in the last days. Again and again, people stress the obligations of conscience as they concern my wife and children. But I cannot believe that, just because one has a wife and children, he is free to offend God by lying (not to mention all the other things he would be called upon to do). Did not Christ himself say: "He who loves father, mother or children more than Me is not deserving of my love"."
Pax Christi produce a short booklet about this martyr for peace (only £1.50).
You call me in the darkness of this time.
I come to you with ready heart and mind.
But the way to the source flows against the stream.(repeat)
1. Neither prison nor death cut me off from God's Love:
That is the faith that leads me on.(repeat)You call me..
2. If error o'erwhelms me
You take me by the hand.
That is the faith that strengthens me (repeat)You call me..
3. Forgive one another
-Come what may
This is the love that bears me up (repeat).You call me..
And here is the text I was asked to read;
Franz Jaegerstatter speaks: "These few words are being set down here as they come from my mind and heart. And if I must write them with my hands in chains, I find that much better than if my will were in chains. Neither prison nor chains nor sentence of death can rob a man of the faith and his free will.
God gives me so much strength that it is possible to bear any suffering, a strength far stronger than all the might in the world. The power of God cannot be overcome. If people took as much trouble to warn men against the serious sins which bring eternal death, and thus keep them from such sins, as they are taking to warn me against a dishonourable death. I think Satan could count on more than a meagre harvest in the last days. Again and again, people stress the obligations of conscience as they concern my wife and children. But I cannot believe that, just because one has a wife and children, he is free to offend God by lying (not to mention all the other things he would be called upon to do). Did not Christ himself say: "He who loves father, mother or children more than Me is not deserving of my love"."
Pax Christi produce a short booklet about this martyr for peace (only £1.50).
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