Saint Gerard Majella And Miracles Attributed To Him
Miracle upon Miracle upon Miracle
There are so many recorded miracles attributed to our young Saint, we don't know where to start, and we're sure that no matter how many we chronicle in this chapter, we're going to miss telling you about miracles you or your family may have heard of. He was actually given the unofficial title of Wonder Worker. At one time, he was sent to serve in Naples with another priest. However, so many miracles were attributed to the living Saint, the convent was besieged by people pleading to see him. They clamored for him to answer their petitions, perform miracles or just pray over them. It got so bad, they had to remove him after a few months and send him back to Caposele. He was made porter there.
But at Caposele, as porter, he was inundated by beggars looking for food or clothing or wood for the fireplace. No one went away cold or hungry. It is reported in Butler's Lives of the Saints that in one winter, over two hundred men, women and children were taken care of by the porter of Caposele, who just happened to be St. Gerard. The peculiar thing is that no one knew where all this food or supplies that he kept giving away came from. Only the Lord and St. Gerard knew.
At Caposele, he worked on a building program the Redemptorists were attempting to engage in without much financing. Brother Gerard worked with the workmen, and also did a lot of praying when the deadline for making payments to the workers came and there was no money. He was also the one who either gave them the money due them, or told them the Redemptorists didn't have it. Seeing as he could never allow anyone to do without, when payday came, he prayed even harder than usual, and on more than one occasion, from out of left field, the money needed for the workmen came in the nick of time.
It was during this time that one of the miracles for which he is best known took place. His superiors had told him that he was not allowed to perform any more miracles without permission. If Brother Gerard was known for one thing, it was obedience. That was the most important asset he had. And so, as it happened, one of the workmen fell from the scaffolding of one of the buildings while Gerard was there. He told the man to stop falling, but to stay suspended in mid-air while he went to his superior to ask permission to save him. The man waited, in the air, until Gerard found his superior, got permission and returned to have the man descend very gingerly and very slowly to the earth.
Other of the gifts that our young Saint was given, and also proof of his spiritual abilities, was to become Spiritual Director to many communities of cloistered Nuns. He worked with them from the other side of the grille, because he was not a priest, and could not enter the cloister. He gave spiritual direction; wrote letters of advice to the superiors, and the amazing thing about it was that the advice he gave was nothing considered monumental; it was Gospel, following the teachings of Jesus. Little things like tenderness in the dealings with the Sisters; dealings with his parishioners, and above all, love, the love of Jesus.
There are so many recorded miracles attributed to our young Saint, we don't know where to start, and we're sure that no matter how many we chronicle in this chapter, we're going to miss telling you about miracles you or your family may have heard of. He was actually given the unofficial title of Wonder Worker. At one time, he was sent to serve in Naples with another priest. However, so many miracles were attributed to the living Saint, the convent was besieged by people pleading to see him. They clamored for him to answer their petitions, perform miracles or just pray over them. It got so bad, they had to remove him after a few months and send him back to Caposele. He was made porter there.
But at Caposele, as porter, he was inundated by beggars looking for food or clothing or wood for the fireplace. No one went away cold or hungry. It is reported in Butler's Lives of the Saints that in one winter, over two hundred men, women and children were taken care of by the porter of Caposele, who just happened to be St. Gerard. The peculiar thing is that no one knew where all this food or supplies that he kept giving away came from. Only the Lord and St. Gerard knew.
At Caposele, he worked on a building program the Redemptorists were attempting to engage in without much financing. Brother Gerard worked with the workmen, and also did a lot of praying when the deadline for making payments to the workers came and there was no money. He was also the one who either gave them the money due them, or told them the Redemptorists didn't have it. Seeing as he could never allow anyone to do without, when payday came, he prayed even harder than usual, and on more than one occasion, from out of left field, the money needed for the workmen came in the nick of time.
It was during this time that one of the miracles for which he is best known took place. His superiors had told him that he was not allowed to perform any more miracles without permission. If Brother Gerard was known for one thing, it was obedience. That was the most important asset he had. And so, as it happened, one of the workmen fell from the scaffolding of one of the buildings while Gerard was there. He told the man to stop falling, but to stay suspended in mid-air while he went to his superior to ask permission to save him. The man waited, in the air, until Gerard found his superior, got permission and returned to have the man descend very gingerly and very slowly to the earth.
Other of the gifts that our young Saint was given, and also proof of his spiritual abilities, was to become Spiritual Director to many communities of cloistered Nuns. He worked with them from the other side of the grille, because he was not a priest, and could not enter the cloister. He gave spiritual direction; wrote letters of advice to the superiors, and the amazing thing about it was that the advice he gave was nothing considered monumental; it was Gospel, following the teachings of Jesus. Little things like tenderness in the dealings with the Sisters; dealings with his parishioners, and above all, love, the love of Jesus.