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St
Gerard Majella
Tell
Them Stories of St Gerard by Rev. Fr. W.D. Creede, C.SS.R.
Gerard was five. Small for five. But brave. He would go walking all alone in God’s fresh air. Gerard loved to listen to the birds singing in the trees. He would never frighten them or chase them away. Near where Gerard lived was a little Church. It was so small that only a few people could fit into it. Gerard loved this little Church, because it was a bit like him—it was small and clean and bright. Gerard would often go and pray to Jesus in this Church. Then he would kneel before a shining white statue of Our Lady, Mary, and he would speak to her. This statue was not an ordinary statue. It was special. Mary looked kind and gentle, and she held the Baby Jesus in her arms. Gerard loved this statue. He would keep looking at it, and he would tell Mary he loved her very much. One day, Gerard was looking at the statue, when suddenly—it comes to life. Yes, Mary stands ALIVE in front of Gerard, and the Baby Jesus jumps out of Mary’s arms and runs into Gerard’s. Jesus begins to play with Gerard, and Mary keeps smiling and smiling. Jesus, Mary and Gerard are happy with the happiness of Heaven. Then Mary bends down, picks up Jesus, holds Him against her heart again, and becomes a statue again. But before Mary picks up Jesus, Jesus gave Gerard a little loaf of bread. The size of the loaf is tiny, and the colour of the loaf is like the statue of Mary. It is dazzling white. Gerard is so excited he runs all the way home to tell his mother, and to show her the shining white loaf. “Who gave you this lovely white loaf?” asks Gerard’s mother. Imagine her surprise when Gerard answers, “Jesus gave it to me.” Jesus loves me just like He loved Gerard. I may not see Jesus like Gerard saw Him, but Jesus sees me. He sees me all the time. He sees me even when I am asleep. So when I go to sleep, I can close my eyes and not be afraid, because all the time, Jesus and Mary are watching over me and loving me.
This is the story of St Gerard and the Angel. The story began in Heaven, and it ended on earth in Gerard’s soul. Gerard was at Mass one day, and lots of people were going up to the altar to let Jesus come into their soul. That is called Holy Communion. When Gerard saw Jesus coming into the souls of the grown-ups, Gerard sighed, “I wish Jesus would come to ME.” Then Gerard got up, and he walked to the altar with the people. “The Priest will not notice how small I am,” Gerard kept saying to himself, “and he will give me Jesus.” But the Priest DID notice and he did not give Jesus to Gerard. Gerard felt so sad, all he could do was go home and pray that soon he would be big enough and old enough to receive Jesus. That evening Gerard said his prayer, kissed his mother good-night, got into bed, and put out the light. Suddenly the light comes on again. But it is not light from earth. It is light from Heaven. Gerard’s room is filled with light. In the centre of the light is an Angel. The Angel is holding Jesus in the Host, and the Angel has come all the way from Heaven to give Jesus to Gerard in Holy Communion. Gerard is not frightened. He was full of joy. He keeps on saying all along, “Jesus, I love You. Thank you, Jesus, for coming into my soul.” Next morning, Gerard tells his mother about the Angel, and the light, and about Jesus in the Host. Then Gerard’s mother knows that the Angel has given Gerard his First Holy Communion. Dear Jesus, Who will one day come to ME in Holy Communion, please help me to get ready for that great day.
Sometimes Gerard would pretend he was a Priest and say Mass. He would preach to his sisters, and his sisters would pretend they were grown up, and that their brother was a real Priest. One day, Gerard said to his playmates, “Let us make a big wooden Cross, and let us gather around it and say prayers and sing hymns. We can pretend we are Priests and preach to one another.” They got pieces of rough wood, and made a big Cross, much bigger than themselves. They stood it up against a lovely green tree. Then they took turns preaching to each other about Jesus, and how much He suffered on His Cross, and how much He loves us. Gerard’s turn comes to preach. Gerard stands in front of the children and tells them to kiss the Cross because Jesus died on it. He tells them they should always keep a little Crucifix in their bedroom where they can kiss it every night, and tell Jesus they are sorry for anything wrong they have done. Suddenly, something wonderful happens. Sparkling rays of light start shining from the Cross, and the children are afraid the tree might catch fire. They have to cover their eyes with their hands, the light is so dazzling and bright. Gerard tells the children not to be afraid, and not to run away. He asks them to come closer, because the light is coming from the Cross, and when we are near the Cross, we are close to Heaven. From that day for the rest of their lives, the children kept a Crucifix in their bedroom to keep in their bedroom to keep on reminding them how much Jesus loves them. Dear Jesus, I thank Thee for dying on Your Cross for me. I will always love Thy Cross. Whenever I do anything that is wrong, I will look at Thy Cross. It will help me to be good again.
One day, the Priest was going out to visit a sick person, so he asked Gerard to mind his house for him. Gerard locked the door of the Priest’s house, and put the key in his pocket. Then he set off to get some water from the well. Gerard comes to the well, and he looks down into it. It is very, very deep. Gerard bends over to see better, when suddenly there is a splash! The key slips out of Gerard’s pocket and falls to the bottom of the well. Gerard becomes very upset. “What can I do?” he says to himself, “the Priest will not be able to get into his house, because the key is deep down at the bottom of the well.” Then Gerard gets a bright idea. “I know what I will do,” he says. “I will go into the Church and pray. Jesus will help me.” Gerard runs all the way to the Church. He kneels down and says a prayer to Jesus. Then He sees a little statue of Jesus. It is a statue of Baby Jesus. Gerard says, “I will take this statue to the well.” He runs all the way back to the well with the statue of Baby Jesus. Lots of grown-ups are now at the well. They are trying to get the key out of the well. But the water is too deep. Nobody can reach the key. Gerard stops at the well to get his breath. Then he takes a piece of string and ties it to the statue of Baby Jesus. “Dear Jesus,” he says out loud, “please get the key out of the well for me, so the Priest can get into his house.” Then Gerard lowers the statue of Jesus down into the well. Gerard leaves the statue in the well while he closes his eyes and prays. Suddenly he opens his eyes, straightens himself up, and pulls the statue out of the well. There, in the hand of Baby Jesus, is the key. Gerard runs back to the Church with the statue and the key, and he thanks Jesus with all his heart. Dear Jesus, help me to find things when I lose them. And help me never to lose Thee.
One day it was a Feast Day of Our Lady, and the people kept on coming to the Church to pray before Mary’s statue. The people all tried to do something special for Our Lady on Her Feast Day. They wanted to give Mary a present on Her Feast Day, as children give their mother a present on her birthday. Some people brought flowers all fresh and lovely from their garden. They left the flowers at Mary’s statue and they said, “It would be wonderful if you could come and live in our garden, Mary. We know you can’t, because you have to stay in Heaven to pray for us. So we are bringing flowers of our garden to you.” Other people put candles in front of Mary’s statue. They lit the candles and they said, “Mary, we would love to stay here with you, but we have to go and work; and we have to look after our children. These candles will take our place. They will remind you that we love you.” Gerard wondered what HE could give to Mary on her Feast Day. He had no flowers. He had no candles, and he had no money to buy them. But he had a bright idea. “I know what I will give Mary for a present,” he said. “I know where there is a golden ring at home. I will go and get it. It would look beautiful on Our Lady’s finger.” Gerard hurried home and got the golden ring. He goes up to Mary’s statue, he places the ring on Mary’s finger. He speaks to Mary in his heart and says, “Mary, this is my present for your Feast. I love you, Mary, and I will always say a special prayer to you each day. Then you will help me to love Jesus more.” Long after the flowers had withered, long after the candles burned away, the golden ring was still on Mary’s finger. Dear Mother Mary, every time it is Thy Feast Day, I will do something special for Thee. Then I will be looked after in a special way, like St Gerard. Dying at only 29 years, St Gerard stired himself from his sufferings, and with the calm of Eternity in his voice, exclaims” “There is the Madonna. Let us love Her.” The Mother of Mothers had come to Gerard, whose life had been a succession of miracles for mothers and their little ones. “Come to me, child,” Gerard once said to a little girl paralysed since birth, “come to me.” Immediately the child got up and walked to Gerard. From Heaven, St Gerard’s interest in family life has made him “The Mothers’ Saint.” Mothers call him “the Saint you can sit down and talk to.” Gerard talks back with support and encouragement. God
bless all mothers and fathers who read these lines.
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