Saint Gemma Galgani
On 11 April, we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Gemma Galgani. You don’t know who Saint Gemma Galgani is? Well, this post is just for you.
St. Gemma Galgani, also known as the Flower of Lucca, was an Italian mystic often called the “Daughter of Passion” for her intense replication of the Passion of Christ. She was born on 12 March 1878 in a small Italian town near Lucca.
Gemma developed a love for prayer at a very young age. She made her First Communion on 17 June 1887. Gemma was loved by her teachers and fellow students, as she attended a school run by the Sisters of St. Zita. Though quiet and reserved, she always had a smile for everyone. Unfortunately, Gemma had to quit school due to her chronic ill health before completing the course of study.
Throughout her life, Gemma was to be chosen with many mystical experiences and special graces. These were often misunderstood by others, causing ridicule. Gemma suffered heartaches in reparation, remembering that Our Lord Himself had been misunderstood and ridiculed.
Gemma had an immense love for the poor and helped them in any way she could. After her father’s death, the 19-year-old Gemma became the mother figure for her seven brothers and sisters. When some of her siblings became old enough to share the responsibility, Gemma lived briefly with a married aunt.
At this time, two young men proposed marriage to her. However, Gemma refused because she wanted silence and retirement, and more than ever, she desired to pray and speak only to God.
Gemma returned home and almost immediately became very ill with meningitis. Throughout this illness, her one regret was the trouble she caused her relatives who took care of her. Feeling tempted by the devil, Gemma prayed for help to the Venerable Passionist, Gabriel Possenti. Through his intercession, Gemma was miraculously cured.
Gemma wished to become a nun, but her poor health prevented her from being accepted. She offered this disappointment to God as a sacrifice.
Gemma predicted that the Passionists would establish a monastery at Lucca; this came to pass two years after her death. Today, Gemma’s relics remain at the Passionist monastery in Lucca.
On 8 June 1899, Gemma received an internal warning that she was to receive some unusual grace. She felt pain and blood coming from her hands, feet, and heart. These were the marks of the stigmata. Gemma would fall into a rapture each Thursday evening, and the marks would appear.
Such marks, called the stigmata in the language of the Catholic Church, refer to the appearance of the wounds of the crucified Jesus Christ appearing on the bodies of some men and women whose lives are so conformed to His that they reflect those wounds of redemptive love for others.
The stigmata remained until Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. When the bleeding would stop, the wounds would close, and only white marks would remain in place of the deep gashes. Gemma’s stigmata would continue to appear until her confessor, Reverend Germanus Ruoppolo, advised her to pray for their disappearance due to her declining health. Through her prayers, the phenomenon ceased, but the white marks remained on her skin until her death.
With the help of her confessor, Gemma went off to live with another family, where she was allowed more freedom in her spiritual life than at home. She was frequently found in a state of ecstasy, and on one occasion, she was believed to have levitated. Her words spoken during her ecstasies were recorded by her confessor and a relative from her adoptive family.
At the end of her ecstasies, she returned to normal and carried on quietly and serenely. Gemma often saw her guardian angel. She sent her guardian angel on errands, usually to deliver a letter or oral message to her confessor in Rome.
All witnesses testified that Gemma’s manner was unartful during the apostolic investigations into her life. Most of her severe penances and sacrifices were hidden from most who knew her.
In January of 1903, Gemma was diagnosed with tuberculosis. At the start of Holy Week in 1903, Gemma began suffering greatly. She died at age 25 on Holy Saturday, 11 April. The Parish Priest in her company said, “She died with a smile which remained upon her lips so that I could not convince myself that she was really dead.”
St. Gemma Galgani was beatified on 14 May 1933 by Pope Pius XI and canonized on 2 May 1940, only 37 years after her death, by Pope Pius XII. She is the patron saint against temptations, against the death of parents, against tuberculosis, of students, and of pharmacists. Her feast day is celebrated on 11 April.
PRAYERS TO SAINT GEMMA GALGANI
Here is a prayer composed by St. Gemma Galgani to obtain a desired grace:
Behold me at Your most holy feet, O dear Jesus, to manifest to you my gratitude for the continual favors which You have bestowed upon me, and still wish to bestow upon me. As many times as I have invoked You, O Jesus, You have made me content; I have often had recourse to You and You have always consoled me. How shall I express myself to You, dear Jesus? Thank you! Yet one more grace I desire of you, O my God, if it would be pleasing to You (here mention your request). If you were not omnipotent, I would not make this request. O Jesus, have pity on me. May your most holy will be done in all things.”
-Prayer composed by St Gemma
Another prayer from Saint Gemma to Jesus:
O my crucified God, behold me at Your feet; do not cast me out, now that I appear before You as a sinner. I have offended You exceedingly in the past, my Jesus, but it shall be so no longer. Before You, O Lord, I place all my sins; I have now considered Your own sufferings and see how great is the worth of that Precious Blood that flows from Your veins. O my God, at this hour close Your eyes to my want of merit, and since You have been pleased to die for my sins, grant me forgiveness for them all, that I may no longer feel the burden of my sins, for this burden, dear Jesus, oppresses me beyond measure. Assist me, my Jesus, for I desire to become good whatsoever it may cost; take away, destroy, utterly root out all that You find in me contrary to Your holy will. At the same time, I pray to You Lord Jesus, to enlighten me that I may be able to walk in Your holy light.
Amen.
–Prayer composed by St Gemma
Prayer to St Gemma, asking for her intercession
Oh holy Gemma, I am near you, help me to pray. You know what I and those near me need; look after my urgent needs and my spiritual and material wants. You take care of them! I confide in you and entrust all to your loving care.
Offer up to Jesus that tender and constant care that you bore Him here on earth.
Oh holy Gemma, you who physically suffered all the pains of the Passion of Jesus, I beseech of you the grace to meditate on and live the Passion of Jesus, and the sufferings of Holy Mary. Pray that I will be able to walk in the path of humility, simplicity, love and sacrifice, fulfilling at all times and in all ways, the holy will of God. Let me live united with Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and you, for all eternity. Amen.
(taken from a St Gemma Holy Card)
Very popular prayer to St Gemma found on the back of many Passionist Holy cards
Oh St. Gemma, how compassionate was your love for those in distress, and how great your desire to help them. Help me, also in my present necessity and obtain for me the favor I humbly implore, if it be profitable for my soul.
The numerous miracles and the wonderful favors attributed to your intercession instill in me the confidence that you can help me. Pray to Jesus, your Spouse, for me. Show Him the stigmata which His love has given you. Remind Him of the blood which flowed from these same wounds, the excruciating pain which you have suffered, and the tears which you have shed for the salvation of souls. Place all this as your precious treasure in a chalice of love, and Jesus will hear you. Amen.
-St Gemma, pray for us!
Prayer to St Gemma for purity -assistance against against temptations
Gemma’s mother taught her from an early age to kneel on her hands and pray three Hail Marys every day, asking the Blessed Mother to obtain for her the grace of purity. At the end of her life, nearing death, a companion went to check on her and found her kneeling on her hands, saying the three Hail Marys for purity. Even at the end of her life, she did not abandon this holy practice. Therefore, we can confidently invoke her for assistance against temptations of impurity.
Oh bright flower of heaven, St Gemma, mirror of purity and penance, obtain for us the grace of purity and help us against all temptations of the flesh. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.