Page 28 - FLIPBOOK - Life of Saint Gerard Majella - Vassall-Phillips

CHAPTER 3
HIS TRIALS AND VOCATION

H
aving been refused admittance into their Order by the
Capuchins, Saint Gerard determined to wait some clearer
call from God, and meanwhile to labour more assiduously
than ever at the work of his sanctification. With this end in view, he
engaged himself as servant to a gentleman whose temper was so
notoriously ungovernable that no one could live a month in his
employment. In the life of labour and humiliation which now opened
out before his path, Gerard's heart rejoiced, for thus could he imitate
Him, the Lord of Heaven, Who appeared as a servant for our sake.
Indeed, the thought of the humility and meekness of Our Blessed
Saviour in the midst of His dread sufferings was his one comfort in
his new surroundings.
He was only sixteen years of age, and the poor boy was the butt
for all the concentrated spleen of his ill-humoured master. Multiplied
orders, reproaches heaped upon him without cause, interminable
scoldings, threats that he would be turned out of the house — such
were the lot of Gerard from the very commencement. People
wondered how he could bear it all; but he used to say gently that his
master was his best friend, and that for his own part he had no other
thought than that of remaining faithfully in his service.
He lived a life of the greatest personal austerity. His ordinary food
was dry bread. A few vegetables he looked upon as a luxurious
banquet. Everything that he could save from the food provided for
his own meals he used to give to the poor. All his spare time he was
accustomed to pass in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed

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