Page 36 - FLIPBOOK - Life of Saint Gerard Majella - Vassall-Phillips

O. R. VASSALL-PHILLIPS

away from the embraces of his God. Such is the love of the Saints for
Jesus hidden in the Most Holy Sacrament.
Hand in hand with the love of Jesus goes the love of Mary His
Blessed Mother. The zeal of Saint Gerard, worthy son of St.
Alphonsus, to spread abroad confidence in the Holy Mother of God,
literally knew no bounds. Not content with fasting rigorously during
the novenas that precede her feasts, it was his invariable custom to
spend the last night, as a vigil of devotion, in prayer before one of her
images or pictures. He was never more happy than when arranging
some grand procession in honour of his heavenly Mother; and by
every means in his power he strove to propagate her “healthful
worship.”
The Saints set much store on things which to the thoughtless
seem of but small account. Thus we are told that it was one of
Gerard's great delights to distribute far and wide rosaries and
scapulars of Our Blessed Lady. Fie knew well that, where the rosary
is said devoutly, there the Sacraments will be frequented, and the
people will grow in the fear and the love of God, while the pious
wearing of the holy scapular is the pledge of the special protection of
that dear Mother, who never will permit any of her faithful children
to die at enmity with her Divine Son.
Thus, full of love for Jesus and Mary, the holy Brother seemed
more like a seraph of Heaven than an inhabitant of this dull earth of
ours. So evident to all was his extraordinary sanctity, that St.
Alphonsus gladly shortened in his behalf the time ordinarily required
as a period of probation for a Lay-brother in the Congregation,
permitting him to be admitted to Profession on July 16, in the year
1752.
Inexpressible was the joy of his heart. Henceforth he belonged
exclusively to God, his Saviour, to whose perpetual service he had
bound himself by the golden chains of the Holy Vows. Henceforth,
dead to the things of time, he was to live for God alone. Stripped of
all things earthly, and nailed to the cross with Christ his Master, he
offered himself, without reserve, as an oblation to the Most High.
His sacrifice was accepted and repaid a hundredfold by Him Who
never permits Himself to be outdone in generosity. God looked into
the heart of His son, saw that it was empty of self, and filled it, even
to overflowing, with the gift of His holy love.

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