 |
|
St
Gerard Majella
This saint was born at Muro in Italy on 6 April 1726. As a child of five, he went often to a chapel outside the town where there was s statue of Our Lady holding the Divine Child. When Gerard knwlt to pray, the Infant Jesus several times came down from His Mother’s arms to play with him, and gave him a small loaf of unusually white bread. In later years Gerard’s sister asked him if he would like to return to that little chapel to meet the Divine Child again. He replied, “I can find Him now wherever I am.” He always preserved a great love for Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. He set himself one chief purpose in life - to imitate the life and virtues of Jesus Christ, and to do His holy Will. To copy Our Lord’s self-denial he mortified his senses. In return, Our Lord used St Gerard as His instrument for extraordinary miracles. There were very many and very remarkable. He read the consciences of men and told them when they had made bad confessions. He guided young people into religious life; so his help is still sought in deciding vocations. To mothers in distress, and to their children he was ever helpful. So today he is commonly called The Mothers’ Saint. One day Gerard stopped a girl leaving a church after confession. “Why did you come here?” he asked. “To go to confession, Brother,” she replied. “Then, my child, why didn’t you make a good one?” He told her the sin she had been ashamed to tell and sent her back to set things right. But it was not only by revealing sins that St Gerard helped with confessions. He had a complete understanding of the problems each soul had to confront. If they were in despair, he gave them courage; if they were scrupulous, he encouraged them to overcome their vain fears; if they were perplexed, he could solve even the most intricate problems of conscience. St Gerard died on 16 October 1755 at the age of thirty, after having spent seven years as a Redemptorist lay brother. He was canonised by St Pius X, and his feast is kept on 16 October.
O Great Patron of a Good Confession, St Gerard! O thou who didst give courage to souls whom fear and shame had overcome! O thou who didst make known to poor sinners the sins wilfully concealed from the minister of God! O thou who didst give sorrow to their heart, resolution to their wills, truth to their lips, help me! I wish to make a good confession. If there be any mortal sin which, through my own fault, I have not confessed, bring it clearly before my mind. Help me to know my sins. Obtain for me true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose never to offend God again by mortal sin. And when I am kneeling in the confessional, be with me, and help me to tell all my sins in spite of fear or shame. St Gerard, in thy hands I place this confession. Be thou to me what thou wast to many another poor soul, “an angel of God sent to deliver me from hell.” Amen.
|
