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St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903) was canonized by the Venerable Pius XII in 1940. She was a tertiary of the Passionists and was moved by their spirituality of continuous meditation on the Passion of the Savior to lead a life of prayer and penance. Her mystical experiences taught her the value of suffering in union with Christ crucified, and she endured calumnies and opposition even from members of her own family. Demonic persecutions were also not lacking. Her confessor, the Venerable Germanus, a Passionist priest, wrote her biography, and her cause of canonization proceeded, overcoming many obstacles.
The popularity of her veneration has increased over the years, and her insights have been a consolation to many. Her body is enshrined in Lucca in Italy where she spent most of her life, but her heart is enshrined in the Passionist church in Madrid in Spain. The words that follow here are from her brief autobiography, written by order of her confessor; they are characteristic of her spirit and teaching:
My greatest affliction was not being able to love Jesus as I wished. I tried eagerly not to offend Him, but my bad inclination to evil was so strong that without a special grace from God I would have fallen into hell. Not knowing how to love Jesus caused me much concern, but He, in His infinite goodness, was never ashamed to humiliate me in order that He might become my Master. One evening when I was at prayer, He came to bring peace to my soul. I felt myself entirely recollected and I found myself for a second time before Jesus Crucified. He said to me “Look Daughter, and learn how to love” and He showed me His five open wounds. “Do you see this cross, these thorns, these nails, these bruises, these tears, these wounds, this blood? They are all works of love; of infinite love. Do you see how much I have loved you? Do you really want to love Me? Then first learn how to suffer. It is by suffering that one learns how to love.” On seeing this, I experienced a new sorrow, and thinking of the infinite love of Jesus for us, and all the sufferings that He had undergone for our salvation, I fainted and fell to the floor, and I remained thus for several hours. All that happened to me during these times of prayer brought me such great consolation, that although they (the ecstasies) were prolonged for several hours, I was not at all tired. I continued to make a Holy Hour every Thursday, but sometimes it happened that it lasted until around 2:00 a.m., because I was with Jesus, and almost always He would give me a share in the grief that He suffered in the Garden at the sight of my many sins, and those of the entire world. It was such a deep sorrow that it could well be compared to the agony of death. After all this I would experience so sweet a calm and consolation that I had to give vent to it in tears. And these tears made me taste an incomprehensible love, and increased in me the desire to love Jesus, and to suffer for Him.