Page 41 - FLIPBOOK - Life of Saint Gerard Majella - Vassall-Phillips

LIFE OF SAINT GERARD MAJELLA

in mid-air in an ecstasy of love.
On another occasion, in the course of conversation with Father
Strina, a man well known for his devotion to the Divine Infant,
Gerard said to him jokingly:
“You have no love for the Divine Infant.”
“And you,” retorted Father Strina, “you have no love for the
Madonna.”
This was too much for Saint Gerard. On the instant, taken out of
himself by heavenly love, and strengthened with a supernatural
strength, he seized on the astonished Father Strina and began to
dance with him round and round, raising him from the ground with
the ease with which one would raise a wisp of straw.
Thus was this humble Lay -brother, while yet detained on earth in
the body of this death, freed from that control of the senses over the
spirit, of matter over the freedom of heavenly contemplation, which
ordinarily weighs poor mortals down beneath its weight during their
sojourn here below. Gerard soared to Heaven, not only on the wings
of the prayer of faith, but, by a rare privilege, he often times carried
his body with him in his upward flight.
Another grace bestowed upon our Saint was his knowledge of
events which had passed at a distance, and concerning which he had
no natural means of information. He was thus supernaturally
apprised of the tragic death of the Priest who had baptized him in
infancy. This worthy ecclesiastic having been assassinated in the
streets of Muro, Gerard, on the very day of the murder, told the
sorrowful news to three of his fellow-citizens. Let one of them tell
the story in his own words.
“I was at that time pursuing my studies in Naples,” he writes, “and
Gerard used often to come in the evening, and we would say our
Rosary together. One night he seemed quite sad and crushed with
despondency. I asked him the reason of his trouble.
“'My dear Pascal,' was his answer, 'I am grieved to think that our
Archpriest has just been assassinated.'
“'Assassinated!' I rejoined, 'that is out of the question. It is only a
few hours ago that I received a letter from home. They would have
told me if that had happened.'
“However, Gerard persisted that there was no doubt about the
fact, and I heard afterwards that the murder had been committed the
very day on which he had assured me of its occurrence.”

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