Page 106 - FLIPBOOK - Life of Saint Gerard Majella - Vassall-Phillips

O. R. VASSALL-PHILLIPS

know, throughout his life often supernaturally apprised of events
occurring at a distance, and towards the end, as he became more and
more emancipated from the shackles of the flesh, the sphere of his
soul's activity was so enlarged by Almighty God that he was able to
make his advent felt among his friends who were — as regards the
body — far away from him at the time. We may easily believe that
the impression made upon the minds of those whom he thus visited
was more vivid and more lasting than would have been the case had
his presence been recognized merely according to the manner with
which custom has rendered us all familiar.
Thus Dr. Santorelli, the medical attendant of the Community, and
a great friend of Saint Gerard, made the following statement:
“As I was one day making my usual round of visits to my patients,
wherever I went I felt Brother Gerard by my side as really as if I had
seen him with my eyes. My duties finished, I went to the convent,
and on meeting him, I asked him: ‘What were you about
accompanying me in that fashion all the morning?’”
“‘Do you not know,’ he answered, ‘that I have to go away
tomorrow? so I wished to visit all my poor people with you before
leaving.’”
Santorelli's own family once experienced a somewhat similar
marvel. Saint Gerard was at their house, and on leaving he said that
he would come back in the evening. The doctor smiled, as he knew
that it was against the rules of the house for him to go out without
necessity after the evening Angelus.
“I am not joking,” said the Brother; “I will come back, not in the
body but in the spirit.”
As a matter of fact, that night Dr. Santorelli's sister, Monica, saw
Gerard fixing his searching gaze upon her. She said that she was
ready to declare, upon oath if necessary, that it was no mere
imagination, but that she had really seen the holy Brother.

saying so to be using words without meaning. For instance, would it not be
extravagant and idle to speak of time as deep or high, or of space as quick or
slow? . . . It is certain, then, that experience outstrips reason in its capacity of
knowledge; why, then, should reason circumscribe faith when it cannot
compass sight?” — Parochial and Plain Sermons, vol. iv., sermon xix., pp. 284,
285.

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