BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

near the Grotto. A mysterious impulse, however, led her there the following evening. But the vision did not
appear. The freethinkers boasted of their victory. 'The Lady is afraid of the Police,' they said. 'So soon as
shrewd old Jacomet took a hand in the matter, she decided to get away from the Rock and change her
abode.'
So also in Gemma's case, it seemed that when recourse was had to science, the miracle ceased. But
science cannot pretend to explain the super- . natural; it can only ascertain facts. But to ascertain the facts in
Gemma's case a doctor was not necessary. All that was needed was two good eyes. All that science could
infer from an examination of phenomena that did not remain constant but was reproduced at irregular
intervals was that, at the time of inspection, certain manifestations were not present-just that and no more.
Nevertheless, we must admire the designs of Divine Providence in all that happened, for to hide from
profane eyes the gifts He had bestowed upon Gemma He deigned to work miracles. Notwithstanding the
failure of the test there were things that spoke loud in her favour-her serenity, her charity, her calm peace of
soul. The perplexity of Monsignor still remained, but as had been revealed to' Gemma, . God would convince
him of the truth.
CHAPTER XVI
HER SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR -'THAT PRIEST WILL BE YOUR DIRECTOR'
In the letters quoted at length in the preceding chapter, Gemma declares that she had understood from
Jesus that her confessor's mind would be set at rest concerning the mysterious things that happened to her,
by means of a priest whom she calls the Father. But who exactly was this priest? She already knew that her
director would be a Passionist. This she had understood clearly during the mission in the Cathedral at Lucca.
'You will be a daughter of My Passion and a favorite daughter. One of these children of Mine will be a father
to you.' These words, which shaped the course of her life henceforward, she had heard deep down in her
heart, and she had no doubt about them. They came from Jesus. 'Jesus,' she wrote, 'made Himself felt very
strongly within me.'
During the course of this narrative we have met several Passionists, but none of these was to be the spiritual
director of. this privileged soul. Each had his appointed mission in favour of the servant of God, but when this
was accomplished each withdrew, rejoicing that such a task had been assigned to him.
Monsignor Volpi still hesitated, and Gemma felt herself alone. But one day, as we have seen, he made his
intentions clear to her. If Jesus would not enlighten him he would have to consider that all these mysterious
things were her own imaginings. What was she to do? She had recourse to prayer.
'I did not lose time,' she wrote in her Autobiography, ' and that same day I made a special prayer to Jesus in
the Blessed Sacrament. . . . I felt internally recollected and suddenly I was rapt out of my senses. I found I
was before Jesus, but He was not alone. Near Him there was a man with white hair, somewhat stout, and
from his habit I knew that he was a Passionist priest, and he was praying very earnestly with hands joined. I
looked at him, and Jesus said these words to me: " Daughter, do you know him?" I answered-" no "-as was
true. "That priest," He continued, "will be your director, and it is he who will recognize in you, a miserable
creature, the work of My infinite Mercy."’
In the first letter she wrote to her new spiritual director, she told him of his appointment to that office:
‘A little while back a thought struck me to ask Jesus to let me see you. He did not satisfy me immediately, but
after a few days, it seemed to me that while I was praying I saw a Passionist who also was praying before
the Blessed Sacrament, and Jesus said to me: " See who Father Germanus is ?" I looked at him, and do you
know how I saw him? He was somewhat heavily built, and was on his knees, very steady, with hands joined,
and it seemed to me that his hair was more white than black.'
This description corresponded exactly with that of a man whose name she had heard in ecstasy, Father
Germanus of St. Stanislaus. At that time she did not know him. Perhaps she had seen his name on the title
page of the Life of St. Gabriel she had read. Besides, according to what Father Germanus said afterwards, it
seems that he was not yet known to Monsignor Volpi.
Gemma certainly spoke of the matter to Monsignor, for without his consent she would never enter into
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