Today, October 16th, the Church remembers the memory of Saint Gerard Majella who, in his short life of only 29 years, bequeathed to the Church a living example of purity of heart.
Newsroom (16/10/2022 14:32, Gaudium Press) The last child of a pious family, Gerard was born in the small town of Muro Lucano, near Naples, in April 1726. From a very early age he showed himself to be a favorite soul of Providence: he never asked for food, and on some days of the week he would even refuse it, foreshadowing the fasts he would practice later and his famous maxim: “The love of God does not enter the soul if the stomach is full.”
His main hobby was to erect small altars, decorating them with candles and flowers; but his favorite place was the chapel of Capodigiano, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, about two kilometers from Muro. From there he returned one day, bringing a small white loaf of bread. When asked by his mother who had given him the bread, he answered, “The son of a beautiful lady with whom I played.”
As this was repeated daily for several months, one of his sisters followed him one day without his noticing and witnessed the following spectacle: just as Gerard knelt at the feet of the image of Mary, the Child Jesus came down from his Mother’s arms to play with him, and, as he was saying goodbye, he handed him a loaf of bread.
His First Communion was no less extraordinary: having received a flat refusal from the parish priest, because he was still too young to receive the Bread of the Strong, little Gerard sobbed in the back of the church. That same night Saint Michael the Archangel appeared to him and administered the Holy Eucharist!
Already in adolescence a sign of contradiction
Like our Lord Jesus Christ, Gerard was, from his earliest years, a sign of contradiction in the environments he frequented (cf. Luke 2:34). When his father died, he was forced to work as an apprentice tailor. The owner of the establishment was fond of him, but the foreman, on the other hand, was disgusted with the young man because he was so pious. He accused him of being a vagabond and slapped him so hard that on one occasion he was knocked unconscious. Gerard never complained to his master; rather, he rejoiced in suffering for Jesus and repeated to his executioner: “Beat, beat more, I deserve this punishment!”
Some time later he placed himself at the service of Bishop Albini of Lacedonia, known for his unruly character. For three years Gerard endured humiliations, reprimands, mistreatment…
On one occasion he dropped the bunch of keys to the episcopal residence into the cistern. In the midst of a terrible affliction, he found only one way out: he lowered to the bottom of the well an image of the Baby Jesus tied to the rope, while begging: “Only You can help me… If You don’t come to my rescue, Monsignor will scold me. Please give me back the key!”
He pulled on the rope and – oh, wonder! – the image was holding the keys in his hand. This prodigy and his heroic patience earned him the admiration of the whole town, except for the prelate himself.
Having returned to Muro, Gerard opened a tailor shop. While the needle ran through his nimble fingers, his soul rose to the heights of contemplation. He had a filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom he had consecrated his virginity, and the mere mention of her name was enough for him to experience a rush of love.
Intoxicated by the “madness” of the Cross (cf. I Cor 1:18), in everything he sought to imitate the Savior’s sufferings: he scourged himself to the point of blood, he played the fool to attract the contempt of his fellow citizens, he went whole days without eating, and at night he climbed the cathedral tower to enter through the arches of the bells and go to pray at the feet of the Blessed Sacrament. If, on the one hand, the devil would lie in wait for him, appearing like an enraged dog or causing accidents, on the other hand, the Lord rewarded him with countless consolations.
During one of these long vigils, a soft voice from the tabernacle broke the night silence: “Pazzerello! – Crazy!”. The answer sprang quickly to his ardent lips, “Madder are You, Lord, who for love are here, prisoner in the tabernacle!”
In the congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
It had always been Gerard’s dream to become a religious, Divine Providence used this desire to help teach and perfect in Gerard Persistence in prayer, one of the focus’ of this Sunday’s readings. He failed two attempts to join the Capuchins and a short experience as an hermit. This would have discouraged anyone else, not the young Majella!
Some priests of the Redemptorist Congregation, newly founded by St. Alphonsus de Liguori, arrived at Muro to preach a mission. As soon as he saw them, Gerard understood that this was his vocation, and asked to be admitted to the order.
The superior, Father Paul Cafaro, flatly refused, claiming that he did not have the strength to endure the rigors of religious life. As he persisted in his resolution and pestered him constantly, Father Cafaro asked his mother to lock him in his room on the day of the missionaries’ departure. The young man, however, using a rope made from sheets, escaped through the window and ran after the Redemptorists, leaving a note for his family: “I am going to become a saint. Forget me.”
He caught up with them on the road and accompanied them to the next town, always receiving the same negative answer. Finally, his holy and serene tenacity could overcome the iron determination of the superior: in May 1749, at the age of 23, he was accepted, by way of probation, into the convent of Deliceto.
Tireless apostle, great miracle worker
It began for Gerard the last stage of his life: in six short years he would depart for eternity… six years full of merits, rich in miraculous events and heavenly raptures, interspersed with almost superhuman trials and sufferings.
Considered useless for any work due to his extreme thinness, he soon proved the assumption wrong. The inner fire that consumed him made up for his lack of robustness, to the point that the religious affirmed that he was good for four people. He was very attentive to others and took on many of the lower tasks: gardener, sacristan, alms collector, porter…
Supported by the gift of miracles granted by Providence, he produced abundant fruits of apostolate. Nature, diseases, and demons obeyed his word. He healed a countless number of sick people, among them a girl paralyzed from birth. On several occasions, he multiplied food and even parted the waters of a river that was blocking his way.
One of his most resounding prodigies was the one that took place in Naples. A crowd gathered at the water’s edge and grieved at the sight of a boat full of passengers struggling on the waves in a raging storm. As he passed by, Gerard was seen to walk across the water and guided the ship to safety. His clothes were completely dry. All the people cheered him, wanting to pay him homage, but he ran away through the streets of the city.
Supranatural Daily Life
However, where the aroma of his holiness was most strongly felt was in the sacred enclosure of the convent. In this exemplary religious, his virtues were so numerous that it would be difficult to point out one as the main virtue.
Visions, ecstasies, levitations, gift of prophecy, infused science, discernment of spirits, knowledge at a distance, splendors, bilocations, invisibility... It is impossible to describe each of these wonders in the space of one article!
Let’s cite just two examples. While visiting the Carmel of Ripacandida, he suddenly went into ecstasy and his body became incandescent to the point of melting the iron grid that he was touching with his hands. It also happened to him that, while contemplating a beautiful painting of the Blessed Virgin, he rose from the ground to the height of the painting and, kissing it with ineffable affection, exclaimed, “How beautiful She is! See how beautiful she is!”.
A Life of Struggle and Pain
Anyone who thinks that Gerard was a magical man, immune to temptations and suffering, would have a mistaken image of Gerard.
Nothing could be further from the truth! From the time he entered the Congregation, he suffered terrible spiritual trials, in which he felt abandoned by God, about to succumb to despair.
Interestingly enough, as Gerard progressed in virtue, the anguish became more frequent and intense. In 1754, a year before his death, the great trial came, terrible and awesome.
Suddenly he was called to Pagani, where St. Alphonsus de Liguori lived at the time. It was the humble brother’s first meeting with the founder… and how painful! After greeting him, Saint Alphonsus read aloud two letters in which someone accused the young religious of a crime committed precisely against the virtue he loved most: chastity!
Nevertheless, without showing any emotion, Gerard remained silent. Surprised, the founder decided not to expel him, but to impose a very harsh penance: deprivation of the Eucharist and a ban on dealing with people outside the Congregation.
For more than two months he endured this vexing situation, watched by his superiors, the object of suspicion from all who knew him. What hurt him the most, however, was the lack of Communion. It was hard for him to contain the ardors of the desire to receive this august Sacrament.
At last the truth came out: two more letters, refuting the calumny of the previous ones, revealed to Saint Alphonsus the falsity of the accusation to which his fatherly heart refused to give full credit…
Invited once more to present himself to the founder, Gerard was greeted with these words: “My son, why have you not spoken? Why haven’t you uttered even one word to defend your innocence?”
To which he replied, “My father, how could I, when our rule does not permit excusing oneself before the reprimands of superiors?”
“The divine will and I are one”
Gerald was no longer of this world. In fact, he never had been! However, that tribulation separated him even more from earthly things. In August 1755, while on a mission, he had his first hemorrhages. His superior sent him to the Materdomini convent to recuperate.
Far from regressing, the illness progressed rapidly: blood, fever, countless ailments. Nothing, however, was able to get even a complaint out of him: “The divine will and I are one,” he would say cheerfully.
With great effort, he would leave his bed to spend a few hours on his knees before the Crucifix in his cell.
This period was also marked by extraordinary facts: from his body undermined by tuberculosis emanated a perfume so penetrating that visitors could easily identify his room. Even more edifying was his obedience: having received the order to be cured, he got up immediately and resumed community life for several weeks.
However, God’s will was different, and in October the illness attacked him more severely. In the few days that remained, he suffered, by special favor from Heaven, the torments of the Passion of Christ.
When the 15th came, he announced that he would die that very night. In the morning he received the Viaticum, and in the afternoon he recited the Miserere Psalm. Two hours before he died, seeing the Queen of Heaven approaching, he knelt on his bed and went into ecstasy. It was about midnight when his soul left the body.
Immediately his inert physiognomy was transfigured, acquiring an angelic beauty. And when the bell ringer of the convent wanted to ring the bell for the dead, he felt an irresistible force that forced him to resound the chime of great feasts!
In 1893, Leo XIII raised Gerard Majella to the honor of the altars as Blessed. Eleven years later, Saint Pius X inscribed in the Catalogue of Saints this religious exemplar who always kept intact his purity of heart.
Text extracted, with adaptations, from the magazine Heralds of the Gospel n.154, October 2014.
