BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

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‘Many times I have asked Jesus to teach me the true way of loving Him, and it seems to me that then Jesus allows me to see all His open Wounds, and that He says: "Look, My daughter, look how I have suffered! Do you see this Cross, these nails, these thorns? They are the works of love. Look and learn how to love." [All the above quotations in this and in the following section have been taken from the “Lettere ed estasi.”] HEROIC RESOLUTIONS The lessons which were taught in this school of love and suffering penetrated into the soul of the holy girl. The resolutions which she was thereby induced to make are among the most heroic that can be conceived, and the maxims she formulated almost divinely sublime. ‘I shall compensate Thee, 0 Jesus,' she exclaims, , by treating myself as Thy slave, and by putting my shoulders under Thy Cross.' ‘Suffering will raise my spirits, and far from discouraging me will give me the strength necessary to correspond with Thy grace.' ‘Oh, how much I realize that by doing what the goodness of Jesus wills, every cross is changed into joy, suffering even becomes too pleasant! He has neither cross nor fear who is closely united with Jesus.' ‘My heart possesses Jesus and possessing Jesus I feel that I can smile even in the midst of so many tears. I feel, yes, I feel happy even in great suffering.' ‘0 Jesus, whether You caress me or strike me, it is the same to me. Yea, when You do strike me, I am all the more pleased, because it is really what I deserve.' ‘It ought not be that suffering should adapt itself to us, but we ought to adapt ourselves to suffering. ' 'Whoever loves Jesus has sufficient strength to suffer any cross whatsoever.' ‘Whoever truly loves, suffers gladly.' ‘The more a cross is contrary to my desires, the more it is like to Thine, 0 Jesus.' ‘The masters of this world teach always with the voice, but You with suffering.' ‘Who knows how many would have abandoned Thee, if You had not held them to the Cross.' ‘In loving it is You who delight my soul, and in suffering it is I who delight Thy Soul.' 'Why are you so. afflicted, 0 my soul? You offend your Beloved if you do not embrace the Cross with gladness. If you do not send your thoughts to Calvary, you are not concerned about Paradise.' ‘0 Jesus, You give crosses to them who love Thee! ' ‘0 Cross, when I am near thee I feel strong! ' 'All my days are sown with crosses. 0 holy Cross, I have embraced thee!' ‘May my life be a continual sacrifice! May You increase my sufferings, my humiliations! ' ‘If I had to live in the world without suffering I should say to Thee: "Let me rather die now…Either crucify my soul or make me die!' Upon hearing a cry like this-a cry that only the love of the Crucified could inspire, there remains only one thing for us to do, that is, to throw ourselves on our knees and exclaim with Blessed Gemma herself: 'Oh Passion of Christ! Ye Angels of Heaven, bow down with me in honor of the Passion of Jesus; together let us catch the Blood of Jesus! 'Passion of Jesus, I love Thee! Angels of Heaven, come, let us all adore the Passion of Jesus. 54
BLESSED GEMMA GALGANI (1878-1903) Part 2 of 2 , by FATHER AMEDEO, C.P. , Translated from the Italian by FATHER OSMUND THORPE, C.P., 1935, Published by Burns, Oates, and Washbourne, London. NIHIL OBSTAT: EDUARDUS J. MAHONEY, S.Th.D., Censor deputatus. IMPRIMATUR: JOSEPH BUTT, Vic. Gen. -Click here for Part One of this book Blessed Gemma Galgani (Part 2 of 2) CHAPTER XV THE TEST -FULFILLING A MISSION Father Gaetano had kept his word. He had told Gemma that he would think over the mysterious things she had communicated and give his opinion of them later on. And he now pronounced his verdict. Moreover, in order to make it easier for Gemma to tell Monsignor Volpi about these things, he came to an understanding with her that he himself should first speak to him about them. Monsignor Volpi welcomed both Father Gaetano and Gemma kindly, listened to them, approved of the action of the extraordinary confessor, approved also of the vows Gemma had taken, but advised her to add another, that is, one of candor with her confessor. As regards the Stigmata, however, he withheld his decision. Father Gaetano was not content with having spoken to Monsignor Volpi. He wished to see the Stigmata for himself, and to leave a written declaration of what he had seen. As a matter of fact he did leave such a declaration. For this purpose Gemma was taken to the Giannini home by her friend Palmira Valentini and by her little sister Julia. In their presence Father Gaetano told Gemma that he desired to see the Stigmata. She obeyed and Father Gaetano was thus able to examine at his ease the backs and the palms of her hands. Besides, he told Palmira to examine, in her own home, the wound in the side, but she was unable to do this because Gemma would not permit it. After the failure of this attempt at examination and while she was still at Palmira's home, Gemma retired to pray before an image of the Heart of Jesus and fell into an ecstasy. Her sister Julia called her, and receiving no answer burst into tears. Gemma's face was flushed, and her wounds were even more noticeable than in the morning. Later on she came to herself. The Stigmata continued to be 55
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1 BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI www
Page 3 and 4: CHAPTER I BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS A d
Page 5 and 6: not the child of prayer-the fulfill
Page 7 and 8: taken to have Gemma raised to the a
Page 9 and 10: ecomingly decorated, nor is it surp
Page 11 and 12: decided to plead her cause with her
Page 13 and 14: day was still very green : ‘I do
Page 15 and 16: esolution: I will make acts of cont
Page 17 and 18: punished the culprit.' In spite of
Page 19 and 20: Another incident illustrates her an
Page 21 and 22: eached home she would say that she
Page 23 and 24: His holy Mother, along with a feeli
Page 25 and 26: consultation, and the result was a
Page 27 and 28: The biography of St. Gabriel which
Page 29 and 30: 'I said to her: "Gemma, I know that
Page 31 and 32: from all His wounds. I lowered my e
Page 33 and 34: At home Gemma continued to follow t
Page 35 and 36: comfort. ‘ "The demons with My pe
Page 37 and 38: In 1899, in preparation for the ope
Page 39 and 40: their souls and become better instr
Page 41 and 42: efore. she was convinced that Gemma
Page 43 and 44: visited her family or the Zitine Si
Page 45 and 46: wrote to the latter: 'Father, the m
Page 47 and 48: Her love for the Blessed Virgin was
Page 49 and 50: 'I saw on one occasion, I think it
Page 51 and 52: happening, but I heard her say in t
Page 53: will esteem it better than all the
Page 57 and 58: 'I saw with my own eyes the wounds
Page 59 and 60: very near one another] A little whi
Page 61 and 62: elations with anybody. This wise pr
Page 63 and 64: is a true gem of the Sacred Heart o
Page 65 and 66: Perhaps more than one reader, even
Page 67 and 68: ‘It is some time since I began to
Page 69 and 70: that will compel Him to pour out Hi
Page 71 and 72: say more than this, that there were
Page 73 and 74: color of her eyes. The greater part
Page 75 and 76: towards the end of her life, she us
Page 77 and 78: why he endeavored in other ways to
Page 79 and 80: ‘One night-I do not remember what
Page 81 and 82: prayers, and so everything ended we
Page 83 and 84: These ecstasies lasted ordinarily f
Page 85 and 86: false devotion. Hide me away from t
Page 87 and 88: all being rapt in Jesus, that is, i
Page 89 and 90: Gianninis' (mentioning the exact ho
Page 91 and 92: loving Mom! If Jesus will persist i
Page 93 and 94: of confusion at the thought of such
Page 95 and 96: ‘I should like to possess the pur
Page 97 and 98: Lord, to die a victim of Thy love,
Page 99 and 100: of Gemma that the conversion of a m
Page 101 and 102: indeed have continued her intercess
Page 103 and 104: had been commanded to do so by St.
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never be happy except in a convent.
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how much ingratitude and malice the
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The foundation was indeed made. To-
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same I have not got tuberculosis.'
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heard to say repeatedly. 'Do not th
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Gemma was indeed dead! The parish p
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Gemma Galgani increased daily, and
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Renaissance, by Father Henry Petito
Page 121 and 122:
Antipreparatory Congregation on the
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