BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

punished the culprit.'
In spite of her dislike of amusements Gemma knew how to adapt herself occasionally to the wishes of her
brothers. Once Mgr. Volpi persuaded her to go with them and her little sisters, accompanied by an aunt, to
see a children's play in which her brother Anthony was taking part. As a rule, however, she not only
abstained from such amusements, but even induced others not to attend them. At home she sometimes took
part with her brothers and sisters in some game or other, but it was only out of politeness.
LOVE OF HER NEIGHBOUR
Gemma's charity, which indeed made her the angel of her home, was not restricted to her family. She
practiced this virtue over a wide field according to the circumstances in which she found herself. She wrote in
her Autobiography:
‘Every time I went out I used to ask father for money, and if, as sometimes happened, he refused I would
take bread and flour and other things. And God arranged that I should often meet poor people, every time I
left the house. To the poor who. came to the door I gave clothes and whatever else I had. Then my confessor
forbade me to do this, and I did not do it any more, and by this Jesus worked in me a new conversion. F or
since my father no longer gave me money and I could not take anything from the house, when I went out and
the poor came to me, I had nothing to give them. This was a great sorrow and always made me weep, that in
the end I only left the house when it was absolutely necessary to do so.'
Elisa Galgani had some interesting things to say about this aspect of Gemma's life:
‘She often visited the sick in the Hospital, to whom she brought a little money or something else, and whom
she comforted especially by speaking of God. She also overflowed with charity for the poor and used every
means in her power to help them. Sometimes she would take something from the house to take to an old
man who lived at the corner of our street. At that time we ourselves were in reduced circumstances, so that I
felt compelled to tell her : " There will be nothing left for our own supper." Gemma used to answer:
"Providence will give us plenty." And indeed, several times things were brought to us to give to the sick or the
poor. She also used to work for the poor, made them stockings and mended for them. Naturally she could not
spend much money upon these charities, but she was large-hearted and longed for opportunities to work for
her neighbour.'
Besides the old man already mentioned, there was a young country girl to whom Gemma gave a frock, and
another person for whom she procured some Marsala wine when he was sick. These acts of charity made
her Aunt Elisa uneasy, and she told Gemma that if she continued to be so liberal she would leave nothing for
herself. Gemma replied calmly that one frock was all she needed.
SPIRIT OF PIETY
Love for God was the inspiring motive behind Gemma's charity towards her neighbor. 'Her life was a
continual prayer,' said Father Gentile Pardini, a Franciscan who knew her very well and who often heard her
confession. 'For her the Crucifix was a book.' According to another witness Gemma's thoughts were always
centered upon God. Every day she made a meditation upon one of the mysteries of Faith, most often upon
the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. She was sometimes seen seated in an arm-chair rapt in profound
recollection as she looked at a picture of Our Lady of Sorrows which she held in her hand. When she was ill
in bed her Aunt Elisa was sometimes astonished to hear her say' incomprehensible things.' Does this refer to
ecstasies which later on became so numerous? It would seem so, if one takes into account what Gemma
wrote about herself at this time. 'I began to feel another desire, a longing to love Jesus Crucified with all my
heart, and to be able to help Him in His sufferings.' This desire eventually became so intense that one day on
fixing her attention upon an image of the Crucified, she fell unconscious to the ground. When she recovered,
her father reproved her for remaining indoors so much. There were two mornings when she could not go to
Mass, and she told her father: ' I suffer when I am not near Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.' Hearing which
her father became still more uneasy. She said that she then locked herself in her room and gave vent to her
feelings, for the first time with Jesus alone. 'I want to follow Thee whatever the cost in suffering-to follow
Thee fervently. No, Jesus, I shall no longer displease Thee by serving Thee in a lukewarm way as I have
done until now .... '
This outpouring of her heart to God resulted in the following resolutions: 'Greater fervour in prayer; more
17