BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

place.'
‘THE TALLEST AND MOST MAJESTIC TREE IS HOLY HUMILITY'
Humility is the foundation of all sanctity. To attempt to build the edifice of Christian perfection without first
providing this foundation, is absurd. Gemma's humility went hand in hand with her simplicity. In order to give
at least a general idea of how she practiced this virtue, we cannot do less than quote a deposition made by
Mother Gemma Giannini:
‘I can say that humility was the virtue most esteemed by the Servant of God, because endowed as she was
with so many gifts, enlightened by so many supernatural manifestations, admired and loved by all, only a
touch of pride was. necessary to destroy the whole spiritual edifice. Nevertheless as if she knew nothing of
that, she remained always at her post, .the. most humble post, calm and at peace, and indifferent to all
things. She did not perceive whether people liked her or not whether they paid. attention to her or neglected
her. She was alike indifferent to praise and blame. She knew the truth and held to it being always happiest
when ignored. She learned to know the Importance of this virtue and to love it from a vision she had and
which she described to me. Jesus showed her a vast plain studded with trees. In the centre there was a
square from which a majestic tree rose above all the others. He said to her: "Those trees are the virtues, but
the tallest and the most majestic tree is holy humility."
It was her humility which made her say on one occasion to Aunt Cecilia: "Signora whatever you do for me, do
it as if I was a poor person from the streets; otherwise you will gain no reward." Her progress in this virtue
was marvelous. The greater and dearer she became in God's eyes, the humbler she became endeavoring to
lower herself before all' and seeking to hide and continually humble herself. I who have with her in the
intimate family circle, know that she had a poor opinion of herself, that she always sought the humblest
duties. I remember that in the last days of her sickness, the Sisters of St. Camillus who were assisting her,
wanted to know what was her favorite ejaculatory prayer, and she answered humbly: "My Jesus, mercy." This
virtue was manifested by her looks and her modest and recollected demeanor, by her lowered voice, by her
every act and word. She was indeed a model, an example and a school of humility for the whole household.'
After this magnificent testimony, the reader will not be astonished when we say that Blessed Gemma was
truly athirst for humiliations. 'If through the mercy of God,' she wrote to Father Germanus, ' I have
experienced happy moments, they were when I saw myself despised and humiliated.' And she prayed: 'May
Jesus be glorified in the little humiliations He sends me! '
A prelate once visited Gemma, having heard her described as a soul possessing rare virtue. Guessing why
he had come, she began to fondle a cat, and knowing that he thereupon despised her, she rejoiced that her
stratagem had succeeded. The Prioress of the' Mantellate' Nuns, Sister M. Agnes, coming upon her one day
in the sacristy, pretended to take her for a sinner. 'What a smell of sins! ' she said. 'I should not like to think,
Gemma, that they were yours.' Gemma, believing her, became agitated and began to cry. 'Even Monsignor
weeps when he has heard my confession,' she said, ' because he gets the smell of my sins.' At least that
was what Gemma believed. Whilst she was still with the 'Mantellate' Nuns, she was asked by Aunt Cecilia,
who had heard she could compose verses, to write a poem for one of those religious, who was to be
received or professed. At first she promised to do it, but afterwards she said that such things were worldly,
and the poem was not written. On another occasion, when she was asked by Aunt Cecilia to have some
food, she answered: 'It is not food or drink that I want from you, but that you keep me hidden.'
Father Germanus would have liked her to sign her letters with ' Gemma of Jesus,' and explained to her that
by such a signature she would mean: , Gemma who desires to belong entirely to Jesus.'
But it seemed to Gemma audacious to unite her name-the name of a sinner-with the most holy Name. She
tried again and again to do so, but did not succeed. She could not induce herself to sign her letters that way,
and she remained' Poor Gemma.' If her prayers were solicited, she did not refuse, but answered timidly as if
seeking to hide herself: , Yes, I shall pray,' but not another word, because, she said, sometimes pride can
lurk in the use of such phrases as ' unworthy,' etc.
To increase this virtue in His servant, God gave her heavenly instructions. Thus once He allowed her to see
the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, and the ugliness of a soul in sin.. Of this she wrote afterwards thus:
'One was in the grace of God. How beautiful it was! If you could only have seen it! It was clothed in light, like
a sun, and then…but I cannot describe it. But the other was in the power of the Devil. How terrible! I shall not
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