Day 26 – Saint George Herbert (1593–1633)

Saint George Herbert was born into a noble family in Wales and educated at Cambridge, where his brilliance quickly set him apart. Gifted in rhetoric and poetry, he seemed destined for a life of prestige in politics or at court. Yet beneath his ambition was a growing desire to serve God. After years of wrestling with his calling, Herbert turned from worldly success and embraced the quiet life of a country priest.

In 1630, he became rector of a small parish in Bemerton, near Salisbury. There he poured himself into the care of his parishioners, preaching, visiting the sick, and living simply among his flock. Though his ministry lasted only a few short years before his death at the age of thirty-nine, his impact was profound. His poetry, later collected in The Temple, gave voice to the struggles and joys of the Christian life with unmatched honesty and beauty.

Herbert’s poems reveal a soul caught between weakness and grace, always returning to the goodness of God. In “Love (III),” one of his most famous works, he pictures the soul shrinking back in unworthiness, only to be welcomed by divine love: “Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back… ‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’ So I did sit and eat.” His words are prayers that have become companions to countless believers.

For us today, Saint George Herbert reminds us that greatness in the kingdom of God is measured not by status but by faithfulness. His life calls us to embrace our vocations, however humble, and to see poetry, prayer, and pastoral care as ways of glorifying God. Herbert’s legacy urges us to bring all of life — our doubts, failures, joys, and worship — honestly before the Lord who welcomes us in love.