As we continue past another Christmas and begin a new year, it is good for us to recall and think about the part that this little Divine Infant must play throughout our whole life and not just the Christmas Season. Even during the ordinary and tedious tasks of our day to day life, Jesus is longing to participate and help us in them, but He must wait for us to ask. St. Gerard Majella’s life shows us time and again how this young Saint constantly gave this Precious Saviour every moment and deed of his life. When he had to do an unpleasant task, Gerard offered it straight to God. And when the tasks became too difficult, it was to God that his mind first turned to for help.

And Jesus heard his prayers. Not because Gerard was special or saintly, but because he had sincere and humble confidence that this loving, Divine Infant would hear and answer him. One extraordinary incident stands out in this Saint’s life.

In his youth, he entered the service of a master who was extremely harsh and gave many opportunities for Gerard's patience to grow. One day, a key was accidentally dropped into a well. Gerard, foreseeing the trouble and the irritation that this accident would cause his master, feared the sins that would be the result. So, full of confidence, he took a small statue of the Infant Jesus, lowered it into the well by means of a cord, and said, "You must see to it that my master does not become impatient." When he pulled the statue back up, in the presence of a large number of people, it was holding the key in its hands.

Let us pray to Saint Gerard Majella to obtain for us that same great trust and confidence in Jesus Christ.