On January 6, 1676, there died in Lisbon, at the age of sixty-nine years, the servant of God, Gaspar Lourenco, Brother Coadjutor of the Society of Jesus, and porter of the professed house of that Institute. He was full of charity towards the poor and towards the souls in Purgatory. He knew not how to spare himself in the service of the unfortunate, and was marvellously ingenious in teaching them to bless God for their misery, which was to purchase Heaven for them. He himself was so penetrated with the happiness of suffering for our Lord, that he crucified his flesh almost withour. measure, and added other austerities on the vigils of Communion days. At the age of seventy-eight, he would accept of no dispensation from the fasts and abstinences of the Church, and allowed no day to pass without taking the discipline at least twice. Even in his last illness, the Brother Infirmarian said that the approach of death did not make him divest himself of his hair-shirt, so great was his desire to die upon the cross. The sufferings of his agony, which were most cruel, might have taken the place of the most rigorous penances. When asked if he suffered much. "I am undergoing my Purgatory before departing for Heaven" he replied with a joyous air. Brother Lourenco was born on the day of Epiphany; and our Lord had revealed to him that this beautiful day was to be also that of his death. He designated the hour on the previous night; and when the Infirmarian visited him at daybreak, he said to him with a smile expressive of doubt, " Is it not to-day, brother, that you expect to go and enjoy the vision of God? " " Yes," he replied, " as soon as I shall have received the Body of my Saviour for the last time." In fact, he received Holy Communion and expired without struggle and without agony.
There is, then, every reason to believe that he spoke with a supernatural knowledge of the truth when he said, " I am undergoing my Purgatory before departing for Heaven."
Another servant of God received from the Blessed Virgin
