BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

frequent reception of Holy Communion; Jesus, I want to suffer, to suffer so much for Thee; prayers will be
always on my lips.' And indeed occasions of suffering were not wanting. Her crucified Master bestowed these
precious gifts so bountifully upon her that she could write: ' I can say with truth that since the death of mother
I have not passed a day without suffering something, however little, for Jesus.'
Gemma's devotion towards Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was even at this time remarkable. Elisa Galgani
deposed:
‘Once when she was ill in bed with fever I told her that to get up too soon would make her worse. "How can I
live without Jesus?" she replied. " When I have Jesus I have everything." When I had left the room she arose
and went to receive Communion, in her house slippers. Afterwards I told her that I would ask Mgr. Volpi to
forbid her to go. "Obedience is a holy thing," she answered, and the following morning she did not go. She
made her preparation and thanksgiving for Holy Communion with great devotion, and when, owing to
sickness, she was unable to make her thanksgiving in the Church she completed it at home. Sometimes
after receiving Communion she went into ecstasy, or so it appeared to me.'
How great was her fervour and how deep the impression she made on those who saw her receive Holy
Communion may be learned from the deposition of a convert from Protestantism, Miss Ethel Rose, a woman
of great faith and piety and of an heroic spirit of charity.
‘One day I saw her in the Church of St. Michael and I was most edified at the way she received Holy
Communion. I had come to go to confession to Monsignor Volpi and was waiting in the Church until my turn
came, there being several persons before me. In the meantime a priest came to give Holy Communion and
among those who received was a young girl who impressed me very much, not only by her modesty and
recollection, but also by the extreme pallor of her face. She attracted my attention and aroused my interest
so much that I watched her for about a quarter of an hour. I saw how she received Jesus and how having
received Him her face flushed with burning love as she knelt in profound recollection with hands joined
before her breast, her fingers entwined and her head slightly bowed. She seemed a statue.'
To complete this picture of Gemma's fervor and piety at this period of her life, a few details out of the many
given in the Processes for the Beatification follow. One witness speaks of her devotion to the Blessed Virgin,
and remembered that she was accustomed to say: 'The Lord indeed has taken away my mother, but He has
left us the Blessed Virgin.' The Blessed Virgin was often the subject of her meditations. She made novenas
in preparation for her Feasts and loved to attend sermons in her honor. Another witness spoke of Gemma's
love for the saints, especially for St. Anthony of Padua, because, she said, he was the friend of God. She
liked to have pictures of the saints to distribute, so as to spread devotion to them. Elisa Galgani said about
this aspect of her life :
'No matter where Gemma was she was always praying and meditating, whether it was in Church or at home,
or in bed. Sometimes she used books to help her to meditate. She often said : " Mental prayer is better than
vocal prayer." And I remember that during the long winter evenings she and her sister Julia used to stop their
work in turns in order to read passages from the lives of the saints. Sometimes she commented upon the
reading. "See how the saints practiced penance. We must try to imitate them." And when I objected: "But
they were saints!" she answered, "And we can be saints also." So that I can say that Gemma prayed without
ceasing, and preached to us all, not only by example, but also by word.'
Yes, she preached. In the house she would not tolerate a doubtful book or paper. And she also knew how to
console and comfort her brothers and sisters in their troubles, so that it was commonly said: ' There's no one
like Gemma.'
But from Gemma's deep spirit of piety there were other fruits besides those which have been mentioned.
When she was at the College of the Zitine Sisters, she became proficient at painting, some of her watercolors
being so good that they were judged worthy of public exhibition. Because of this her Aunt Elisa tried to
persuade her to paint a picture so as to let her father see how capable she was. But she could not be
induced to do so, and she gave this as her reason: 'No, because it might afterwards be hung in the drawingroom,
and everyone would see what Gemma has done. That is vanity and I do not want it. Besides, you
praised me the other day for a trifle I did for you, and I did not like it because I do not wish to be praised.' On
another occasion her aunt asked her to give French lessons, but the only answer she received was: , Really,
I am very ignorant.'
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