BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

esolution: I will make acts of contrition during the day, especially when I have committed some fault. . . .
Finally during the last days of the Retreat we considered the examples of meekness, obedience and
patience left to us by Jesus and as a result I made the following resolutions : (1) To make a visit to the
Blessed Sacrament every day and to speak to Jesus more with the heart than with the tongue. (2) I will try as
much as possible to speak of heavenly rather than of indifferent things.'
FURTHER TRIAL
The graces which Gemma received at this Retreat prepared her for another trial-another precious ornament
with which to make herself more pleasing to her Crucified Master. This trial took the form of the early death of
her brother Gino. He had also given himself entirely to God and had received Minor Orders in the Seminary
of St. Michael in Foro, where he had been for some years, when God marked him as an acceptable victim
and took him to Heaven.
Gino's death was preceded by a long sickness, in which he was nursed with the most loving care by
Gemma. Despising the danger of infection Gino was attacked by the same disease that killed his mother-she
attended him night and day until his death in September, 1894. Her grief was so great that she became
seriously ill herself and for several months came very near to death. Her father was broken-hearted. First the
death of his wife, then the death of Gino had overwhelmed him with sorrow, but he could not bear the loss of
Gemma.
‘I cannot describe the care everyone took of me,' wrote Gemma, ' especially my father. I often saw him weep,
and heard him ask Jesus to let him die instead of me.' It seems that his prayer was answered, for he died
within three years, after three months of intense pain, whereas Gemma was completely restored to health.
At this point in her life we are confronted with several discrepancies in the accounts given by her biographers
and the witnesses in the Processes for her Beatification. The former state that after the sickness just
mentioned, Gemma left school for good, and that shortly afterwards she was taken ill with the decay, or
caries, of a bone in her foot. On the other hand, Sister Julia Sestini declared that Gemma suffered from this
complaint while she was still at College, and Elisa Galgani agrees with this opinion. This is the account Elisa
Galgani gave in the processes :
‘Gemma got ill with a bad foot. There had been a swelling on the instep, and she would have said nothing
about it, if a bench had not fallen on it when she was at school with the Zitine Sisters. This accident,
however, burst the tumour and she was then compelled to tell her father about it. He at once summoned a
doctor who said that an immediate operation was necessary. in order to clean the wound and scrape the
bone. Gemma accepted this illness and the accompanying pain with great patience and resignation, so much
so that when I said to her: "You have suffered a great deal, Gemma?" she just answered with a smile. She
suffered so much indeed that I could not bring myself to watch her being operated upon. My sister Elena,
however, and my nephew Guido, who remained to see the operation, said that at no time did she make any
complaint. When the operation was over one of the doctors, named Gianni, said to Gemma :
"Well done, Gemma: You have been very brave!" And she smiled again.'
Sister Julia Sestini remembered that when Gemma was sick all the children prayed for her, and that when
she was better she came to the school to thank everybody. She even kissed her teacher. 'This was in May, I
believe,' continued Sister Julia.
‘When her foot was bad she suffered much, but she was calm and resigned. She had on her bed several
objects of devotion, among them a Crucifix which she kissed frequently.'
From this time Gemma's path in life ran through thorny places. The further she proceeded along the road
that leads to perfection, the sharper grew the thorns, so as to make her in the end the living image of her
Crucified Redeemer.
CHAPTER V AT HOME -THE ANGEL OF THE HOME
The kiss Gemma gave to Sister Julia Sestini was the final expression of her gratitude . for the care bestowed
upon her at the school where her soul had made such progress in virtue. Her sickness had so weakened her
that the doctor advised her father to take her away from the College. She was, also, inclined to study too
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