Feast of St Gemma Galgani : LILY OF LUCCA

 

IMPORTANT FACTS :

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani or commonly known as GEMMA GALGANI.She was a simple girl.
At a young age she had a very strong communication with Jesus.This was because of her mum who was a pious Catholic & taught Gemma alot about the Catholic Faith.Her mum taught her how to share her sufferings and problems with Jesus.They would often go for Mass daily and sit for hours in church praying together.She loved her mother deeply and had a very strong bond with her mother through all the prayers they often prayed together.Gemma gave credits to her mum for making her desire to go to Heaven.

Though she was very small,she learned very well from her mother all that she was taught and kept it dear to her heart.She knew very well how to talk and converse with Jesus.She found peace during her conversations with Jesus.

This is Gemma at a young age :

 

Around the age of 6,her mother became terribly ill with tuberculosis.This was a prolong suffering for her mother and she was forced to watch her mother suffer so much.She continued going to church on her own to pray for her mother's recovery.She was determine to save her mother from this terrible sickness because she wanted her mother to be restored back to good health so that they could both go to church together again.Most of her days after school,her first thought was to hurry home to see her mother's sickroom because she feared that her mother might have passed away without her presence.
Her constant worry was that her mother would leave her without saying "Goodbye" to her.

After much sadness and prayer,Gemma had a confirmation that came on May 26th, 1885.It happen
during the Mass of thanksgiving after the ceremony “all of a sudden,” she tells, “ a voice in my heart said to me: “Will you give me your Mamma? I answered, “Yes,if you will take me as well.” the voice replied,“No,give me your Mamma without reserve. I will take you to heaven later.” At first Gemma hesitated to give her answer because she felt sad about it but then she said : "Yes". 
This was her first Great Sacrifice and it cost her bitter grief and tears; but when her mother died a few months later it was Gemma who consoled the others.Though Gemma was only 8 years old but she had
the courage to say: “Why should we cry? Mamma has gone to heaven”  

Though she consoled others,she felt the bitterness in her heart.She looked at Jesus for consolation.
She said during her sadness: “If God has taken away my mother,He has left me His own.”
So Gemma turned towards Mother Mary because she felt that Jesus was calling her to come closer towards
His mother.Jesus made her understand that even her earthly mother has gone but she still has a Heavenly
Mother who cares and understands her sorrows.Gemma grew closer to Our Lady and spent most of
her prayer time with Mother Mary like how she often spent her time with her own mother.During these
times,she grew stronger in prayer and desire deeply in her heart to be a Saint.This desire was like
a light in her soul and it became brighter each time she prayed and asked Mother Mary for her prayers.
And Gemma's frequent Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary was:

When Gemma was not able to receive Holy Communion due to her very young age.She would say to the Confessor or the Sisters : “Give me Jesus,and you will see how good I shall be: I will not sin again,I shall be quite changed.” The custom of the time was against Communion at so early an age, and she was 10 years old before permission was finally granted, and only granted by special exception.The confessor declared : “There is no alternative but to admit her to Communion or see her die of grief.”
The grand day finally arrived and Gemma received her First Holy Communion on a very special day and it was the Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 17th, 1887.She was a happy child that very day.She received  Jesus for the first time.Gemma said to one of her fellow friends after receiving the Jesus,pointing to her breast. : " I feel a fire burning here.Do you feel like that? "

This part we can see how little Gemma was but her knowledge towards the Holy Eucharist was more matured than her age.She knew that only through receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist,her soul would be empowered.Gemma always believed with all her heart that Jesus comes into her heart during Holy Communion.She would say :  “Gemma is good for nothing but Gemma and Jesus can do all things.”
Gemma's gain her power through receiving Jesus daily in Communion and she made sure that she receive Jesus with a heart that is pure and holy.Many times Gemma did feel unworthy to receive Jesus due to her weakness and she has confessed this in a letter to her spiritual director,Venerable Father Germanus C.P.
This is what Gemma confessed : 

So we should Gemma's trust in receiving Jesus worthily in Holy Communion.For she hoped that her good intentions at least will be pleasing to Jesus and indeed the graces of her Holy Communion brought forth abundance of fruits to glorify the Lord.