Page 97 - FLIPBOOK - Life of Saint Gerard Majella - Vassall-Phillips

LIFE OF SAINT GERARD MAJELLA

With these words he opened the chest. Behold it was quite full!
“God be ever blessed,” cried out Gerard, and immediately ran
away to the church, there to thank the goodness of his Lord.
“Oh!” gasped the other Brother to the Father Rector, who had
just appeared on the scene, “Gerard is a real Saint. To think that I
should have ventured to complain of him! When I left this place to go
to you, I assure your Reverence that there was not one loaf left, not
one, and now the chest is full. God must have done this.”
“Yes, it is God Who has done it,” answered the Rector. “Let us,
then, leave Gerard alone, for of a truth Our Lord is pleased to play
with him.”
Sometimes Almighty God deigned even to create bread for His
servant that so he might relieve the poor. There are two recorded
instances of this.
Laurence Miniello, an artisan of the neighbourhood, could not
find food for his two young daughters during the general distress.
Accordingly he sent them to Gerard, whose charity he knew to be
unfailing. One day they happened to arrive rather later than usual.
The Servant of God had finished his distribution, and had nothing
left to give them. He was greatly grieved at their disappointment.
Then pausing to think, he turned away, went inside the Convent for
an instant, and came back with two little loaves of bread in his hands,
still piping hot. The children could hardly believe their eyes. He had
been only away a minute. They knew that no one could have given
him these loaves, which were indeed of a different size and shape
from those baked in the Convent. They fully believed them to be
miraculous, and told their father, all about it on their return home.
This same marvel was repeated on behalf of a respectable woman,
who, pressed by the pangs of hunger, took her place one day at the
door. Overcome by shame, she did not like to ask for relief, and held
back bashfully from the crowd. After having finished the usual
distribution of food, Gerard went away, pretending not to see this
person. He thought that she had not come out of any necessity, but
from curiosity, as did many of the inhabitants, to watch the wonders
which so often took place. On being told the real state of the case,
the Saint was deeply moved.
“Why, why,” he said, “was I not told before?”
Then he reflected a minute, went back into the house, and
immediately returned to take out of the folds of his habit a little loaf,

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