On this date in 1725, Gerard Majella was born at Muro, Italy (near Naples). When he died 30 years later, he was known as the greatest wonder worker of the 18th century.
Because of his father’s death, Gerard became the family’s breadwinner at the age of 12. He was apprenticed to the local tailor. At the age of 19, he set up his own tailor shop. It was a successful venture, but he had little to show for it since he gave most of his money away.
At 23, Gerard tried to join the Redemptorists as a lay brother. He was turned down because of his health. He persisted, and when he was 24, a priest sent him to the novitiate with the note: “I send you a useless brother.”
He worked hard at his assigned tasks and showed remarkable signs of holiness. It was said of him, “Either he is a fool…or a great saint.” St. Alphonsus Liquori, founder of the Redemptorists, thought he was the latter.
Gerard began to manifest unusual gifts – the reading of souls, bilocation, healings. His holiness drew hundreds of people to him for spiritual help.
His poor health and his many labors eventually caught up with him, and he died just before midnight on October 15, 1755, having foretold the time of his own death.
Bilocation (seeming to be in two places at the same time) is usually explained not as a physical presence, but as a spiritual phenomenon. The person is bodily present in one place, and represented in the other place in the form of a vision.
This miracle is told in every Gospel (Mark even tells it twice!) The details vary, but all of the accounts describe the disciples telling Jesus that it is a hopeless situation and there’s nothing they – or he – can do about it.
The problem was that the disciples couldn’t go beyond their own expectations. We know how the story ends, and so we know what a mistake it was for them to confine themselves within such narrow boundaries.
We sometimes confine ourselves within expectations that are too narrow because they depend solely on what we can accomplish on our own. Can I be a better person? Can the hungry of our world be fed? Can we eliminate war? Can racism be overcome? Can women achieve equality? And most of all…can I really do anything to make any of this happen?
The answer is: Yes. Simply put God in the equation.
To shake me out of my limited expectations, I need to hear God say to me, “[Your name], I expect a little more out of you. And I’ll help you do it.”