BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

Her love for the Blessed Virgin was deep and full of understanding. 'I have now no earthly mother,' she used
to say. "But instead I have a Heavenly Mother.' It gave her great pleasure to call the Blessed Virgin, Mom.
One day when she was before the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Servite Church, she said to Aunt
Cecilia: 'You also call her Mom, and you will see how pleased she will be !' Aunt Cecilia well remembered
that day. It was May 8, the Feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. All the days consecrated by the Church to the
Blessed Virgin were indeed festival days for her, but on this day after she had returned home from Holy
Communion and Aunt Cecilia had begun the day's work, she immediately went into ecstasy. She spoke of
the Holy Communion she had received, of the joy she had experienced, and the joy she would experience.
As they were alone in the house, Aunt Cecilia allowed her to remain quiet, and the ecstasy lasted until
midday.
She had also a great devotion to the Rosary, which she frequently recited. According to Aunt Cecilia, Gemma
usually carried in her pocket but two things, her Rosary and her handkerchief. It happened, however, that
she seldom got beyond the first decade, . either of the ordinary Rosary, or of the Rosary of the Seven
Dolours, without going out of herself, as she called it, that is, without going into ecstasy, with the beads in her
hands and her flushed face and bright eyes fixed on Heaven. Mother Gemma Giannini attests that Gemma
taught her and wrote out for her a beautiful prayer to the Blessed Virgin composed by St. Alphonsus. And
Joseph Giannini, the Advocate, testified that it was Gemma's delight to speak of the Blessed Virgin Mary with
children.
In contact thus with Heaven, Gemma lived as if she were not of this earth. We have already spoken of her
perfect detachment from everything that was not Jesus. We shall complete what we have said with the
following deposition of Aunt Cecilia.
‘If she had formed any friendships before she met me, I could not know of them. I believe she spoke freely
with some friends, knowing them to be pious souls. After she came to me, she wanted me to accompany her
everywhere, and would rather wait until I was free than go with other people. . . . Of politics or affairs like that
she never spoke, and when they were spoken of she appeared not to understand or even not to hear.
Gemma's world, especially during her last years with me, was very limited. Her acquaintances were
restricted to the persons in the house, and to a few others whom she met only through absolute necessity
and obedience. Whether they were seculars or religious, men or women, priests or nuns, she preferred not
to have to meet them.'
Gemma had such a wealth of beautiful thoughts to occupy her, that she wished to avoid distraction. Seated
on a stone near the kitchen door or in the courtyard of the Giannini home, calm, silent, smiling, she worked at
knitting or mending stockings while her mind was far from the things of earth. Happy girl! She knew how to
taste in exile the joys of the eternal Fatherland! Blessed was the family that gave shelter to such a guest!
CHAPTER XIV
HER SHARE IN THE SACRED PASSION -'I AM A FLOWER OF THY WOUNDS'
The great and overpowering desire of the Saints has always been to make themselves as like as possible to
Jesus Crucified who is the sublime model for all the predestined. This resemblance is principally achieved in
the soul, within, but in a few Saints it has been made manifest externally, and they have borne visibly in their
bodies the marks of Christ's Passion. However; all the Saints have not participated equally in drinking the
chalice of the Savior’s sufferings, but Gemma was privileged to drink so deeply of it that her Divine Spouse
could say to her: 'My daughter, there are a few of your age in Heaven to whom it has been given to share so
largely in My sufferings.' [Lettere ed estasi.]
One by one Gemma did indeed experience all the sorrows of the drama of the Sacred Passion, so that the
prayer she had uttered was completely answered : , Jesus is the Man of Sorrows, and I desire to become the
daughter of sorrow.' This was always the one desire of her heart. 'When will the time come when I can
embrace the Cross, and feel the thorns, the nails, the pains . . . and be as it were immersed in the Wounds of
my Saviour? . . .' She did indeed become so steeped in the Passion of Christ that she could say: 'I am fruit of
Thy Passion, a flower of Thy Wounds.' [Lettere ed estasi.]
THE SUFFERINGS OF GETHSEMANI
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