I am attending a Novena to St Gerard Majella by accident at the moment. I write, 'By accident', because I go to mass in the Redemptorist Monastery every morning early and since the Novena is on a find myself attending it. However since I was there I thought I might as well get into the Spirit and ask for something, which , rather to my surprise is a grace I am , to my joy getting. I have a feeling of not deserving this grace as I was no really tuned into the Novena but am all the more grateful that St Gerard has come up with the goods. Do you know much about St Gerard? http://www.saintgerard.com/his_story_p1.html I have been hearing about him since I was a child attending confraternity. The stories which used to most interest me where those of him, like Padre Pio and the Cure of Ars being attacked by the devil . One account goes that the devil sued to grab his mattress and pull him up and down the monastery corrider while his poor brothers cowered behind their doors (shocking cowards } He was also a miracle worker and a participant in great mystical graces..for instance one famous painting shows him levitating before a stunned crowd of onlookers.
Yes Padraig,my wife has a great devotion to him ,patron saint for expectant mothers.We were lucky to be given a first class relic by a priest a few years ago.FIRST CLASS! At least I dont think we had to give it back
I wish I had a relic of his, I am developing very rapidly a very depp devotion to him. I just can't get over the grace he got me during his novena incredible. I woke up during the night thinking about him and asked my angel guardians to fly up to heaven and thank him again for this. Then I felt his presence very strongly in the room, he had come right down to greet me! I was touched because he was wearing the Redemptorist habit. All new and beautiful looking. A very powerful saint indeed, I never realised. A great person to have onside. He doesn't really look like the pictures, but perhaps they never had one made while he was alive.They are maybe guessing. He is very humble. http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/GMAJELLA.htm
