Flora Cantábrica

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SAINT GEMA GALGANI

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Gemma is 20 years old, and at this moment Jesus allows a serious illness so that Gemma will return to Him with all her heart and never again be distracted by the things of the world.

«Suddenly I began to walk with a hunchback and to feel pain in my kidneys. I resisted for some time, but as things got worse, I asked my aunt’s permission to return to Lucca».

It happened like that. Out of modesty, she wanted to resist a little longer without notifying the doctor, but the aunts sent for him and suddenly she showed up and examined her. Her diagnosis was osteitis in the lumbar vertebrae with successive cold abscess in the groin. She was paralyzed in both legs. On January 28, 1899, she experienced unbearable pain in her head, the result of an acute purulent otitis media involving the mastoid. The doctors, seeing that the remedies did not produce any improvement and that the disease was advancing, gave her up; just to comply with it they come from time to time to see it.

On December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Santa Gemma reacts with disgust… «I told Jesus that I would not pray anymore if he did not heal me. And I asked him what he meant by having me like this. The guardian angel answered me: -If Jesus afflicts you in the body it is to purify you more and more in the spirit».

Her former teacher, Sister Julia Sestini, told her the biography of a young Passionist named Gabriel de la Dolorosa. A pious lady, Cecilia Giannini, came to perform a work of mercy on Gemma; one day she visited her, and for her to distract herself she lent her the biography of Gabriel de la Dolorosa, written by an unknown Fr. Germán de San Estanislao, C.P. How are the things of the Lord! These two people would be for Saint Gemma, in the last years of her life, two great gifts from God. Doña Cecilia would be the one who would take care of her, and would be aware of her ecstasy and mystical experiences, and Fr. Germán would be the spiritual director that the Lord Himself would send to guide her soul and later confirm the authenticity of The life of her.

Saint Gemma says: «I took the book with contempt and put it under the pillow… One day she was alone. It would be like twelve. A strong temptation came over me, and she told me that she was bored with everything. The demon used this to tempt me, telling me that if I listened to him, she would heal me. I was about to succumb. But suddenly an idea came to me; I turned to the Venerable Gabriel and told him: First the soul, then the body».

Overcome this temptation, she began to read the book of the life of the Venerable Gabriel and she is amazed. She never tires of admiring his virtues. When Dona Cecilia came back to pick up her book, Gemma had a hard time returning it to her. That same night, «he appeared to me (Gabriel) dressed in white. I didn’t recognize him… He took off his white tunic and appeared dressed as a Passionist.

He said to me: “You see how pleasant your sacrifice has been. I have come to see you myself. Try to be good and I’ll come back.»

On another occasion, Ven. Gabriel and this time she told him to make a vow to become a religious, but that she add nothing more.

«And why?» I asked him.

«He smiled at me and looked at me. He put the Passionist shield on me and repeated: `My sister…`, and he disappeared. »

Her health was getting worse, and she was suggested to ask Blessed Margaret Mary for the miracle of healing her. She started the novena to the Sacred Heart several times but her weakness did not allow her to continue it. On February 23, 1899, the novena begins again in earnest, and on the night of March 1 to 2, this happens: A few minutes before midnight, Gemma heard the scraping of a rosary and felt a hand landed on his forehead, the voice he heard praying asked him:

-Do you want to heal yourself?

«I don’t care about everything,» I replied.

-You’ll heal. Fervently pray to the Sacred Heart…

– «And to the Beata Margarita?», I asked.

– «Add in her honor three times the ‘Glory’». (Blessed Margaret is today Saint Margaret Mary)

«On the penultimate day of the Novena I wanted to receive Communion, since it ended on the First Friday of the month of March. I received communion very early. What delicious moments I spent with Jesus! He repeated to me:-‘Do you want to be cured?’ I couldn’t answer because of the emotion. Poor Jesus! Grace had been granted. I was healed!»

At dawn on March 2, she got up with her own feet and her whole family, seeing her, wept with joy at that miracle of God. This miracle is the prelude to other great graces that Santa Gema would receive during her life. Her love for Christ crucified and her longing to be only for Jesus would lead her more and more to offer herself to the Lord as a victim of love.

The Lord was preparing Santa Gema, through the crucible of her suffering, to pour on her graces and «jewels» that she never imagined He could grant her. How far was she from thinking that the crucified Christ whom she loved so much was soon going to turn her into a living portrait of himself!

LIVING IMAGE OF JESUS: VICTIM

On June 8, 1899, the eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, after being rejected by various religious communities because of her fragile health, Jesus elevated her to the category of «Victim» on this day.

Saint Gemma says:

After Communion, Jesus warned me that in the afternoon he would do me a great favor. I told Monsignor Volpi, and he told me to be attentive and to tell him later».

The afternoon came. Suddenly I was assailed by a strong sorrow for my sins. Later I felt collected… Upon recollection, I lost my senses and found myself in the presence of my Heavenly Mother and the guardian angel, who ordered me to make an act of contrition. Then my Mother told me: – «Little daughter, in the name of Jesus your sins may be forgiven. My Son loves you very much and he wants to do you a very great grace. You will know how to make yourself worthy of her… I will be your Mother. You will know how to show yourself true daughter.»

She covered me with her mantle, and at that moment Jesus appeared. Blood did not come out of his wounds but flames of fire, which came to erupt in my hands, feet and side. He believed he was dying and would have fallen to the ground if my Mother had not held me. I stayed like that for several hours. Then my Mother kissed me on the forehead, she disappeared and I found myself on my knees. She continued to feel severe pain in her hands, feet, and side. I got up to go to bed, but I noticed that blood was flowing from these parts…”

Saint Gemma, the victim of Jesus, begins to «supply in her flesh what is lacking in the Passion of Christ.» This phenomenon will be repeated in the afternoons from Thursday to Friday, every week. To hide the sores she wears gloves. Her ordinary confessor, Monsignor Volpi tells her not to let her hands be seen because people might laugh at her. Indeed, she Saint Gemma suffered the contempt, rejection and ridicule of many even when she walked the streets of Lucca. She was considered a fraud and a hysteric. She shouted insults and taunts at him through the streets. This only because of her radical surrender to Jesus and her piety. She didn’t really show any hysteria.

Thus begins for Saint Gemma a life of incomprehension truly in keeping with the life of our Lord, who also suffered all this for us. This is the consolation and encouragement of Santa Gema, who looks more and more like Jesus, and every time she is humiliated she gives thanks to the Lord who allows her to share her suffering.

Her own confessor, Monsignor Volpi, doubts the veracity of her stigmata and thinks it is the work of hysteria. This hurts Santa Gema’s heart a lot, but she endures everything for love of Him who suffered everything for us sinners.