Lives Of The Saints
December 23
St Servulus
Servulus had almost nothing, and that is exactly why This life hits so hard. He could not walk, sit upright, or feed himself, yet he learned Scripture, praised God, gave alms, and died listening for heaven.
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St Servulus
A fuller devotional image is still being prepared for this saint.
A temporary devotional card is shown here until a stronger saint-specific image is added.
Brief life
This life gives Servulus a short but unforgettable life from St Gregory the Great. Paralyzed from infancy, unable even to stand, sit upright, or feed himself, he was carried to the porch of St Clement’s in Rome, where he lived by alms. Yet he shared what he received with beggars poorer than himself and spent what he could save on books of Scripture so that others might read them aloud to him.
In that way he learned them by heart, sang hymns through constant pain, and turned a life of helplessness into a life of praise. When death came he asked the poor and pilgrims around him to sing psalms until he suddenly said that he could hear wonderful music in heaven. This life uses the whole story as a sharp reminder that a beggar may be richer before God than those who have health, ease, and comfort.
Historical note
This life uses St Servulus because Butler gives him a memorable life grounded in St Gregory the Great, while several other entries on the date are either thinner or much less secure.
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Nearby saint lives
Move through the calendar without leaving the saint library. These nearby feast-day lives help keep the reading trail connected.
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Carry this saint into prayer
A direct related novena is not surfaced for this saint yet, but the broader library is ready if you want to move from reading into prayer.