Sixteen years after her mother’s death, Gemma Galgani wrote, “It was Mom who made me as a child long to go to Heaven.” (stgemmagalgani.com photo)
St. Gemma Galgani was born March 12, 1878, at Camigliano, a village near Lucca in Italy. She was baptized the day after her birth by the parish priest of Camigliano.
There was disagreement in the family about the name she should be given. A paternal uncle wanted her to be called “Gemma.” Her mother objected saying, “How can the child get to heaven if there is no saint of the name of Gemma?” However, the parish priest said, “But there are gems in heaven, and let us hope that she may become a gem of Paradise.” And so it was agreed to give the child the name of “Gemma.” Her full name was Gemma Maria Umberta Pia Galgani.
A month after Gemma’s birth, the family moved to Lucca. Little Gemma loved to pray. One of her Catechism teachers recalled: “Nothing seemed as pleasing to Gemma as to go to the church to say her prayers. She never grew tired. When she had said an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father in honour of her Guardian Angel, she used to turn to me and say, ‘To whom should I pray now?’ If I told her a pious story, she always wanted another one and said repeatedly, ‘Tell me more, tell me more.’ Although so very young, when she was in the church she always remained kneeling with her hands joined, and she was quite recollected.”
Gemma’s mother would point to the crucifix and speak to her of the sufferings of Christ. She said, “Look, Gemma, this good Jesus has died on the Cross for us!” Gemma would say: ‘Tell me more, Mom, tell me more.” Often when Gemma’s mother was busy in the house, she felt her dress plucked and heard Gemma said, “Mom, speak to me for a little while about Jesus.”
Gemma’s mother, Aurelia Landi, died when Gemma was eight. Aurelia was sick with tuberculosis and, knowing she would soon die, she said to her daughter, “Gemma, if you were able, would you come with me to the place to which Jesus is calling me?” Gemma asked, “Where?” Aurelia answered, “To Paradise with Jesus and the Angels.” Sixteen years later, Gemma wrote, “It was Mom who made me as a child long to go to Heaven.”
Aurelia knew she could not take Gemma to heaven, and so she entrusted her to God the Holy Spirit. She completed Gemma’s religious instruction to prepare her for the sacrament of confirmation. Gemma was confirmed on May 26, 1885.
After the ceremony, Gemma attended a thanksgiving Mass. During Mass, the Lord asked Gemma to make a big sacrifice. She recalled: “I was assisting as best I could, and praying for Mom, when on a sudden a voice in my heart said to me: ‘Are you willing to give me your mother?’ ‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘if you take me also!’ ‘No,’ said the voice, ‘give me your mother of your own will. For the present you must remain with your father. I will take you to her in Heaven later.’ I had to say yes, and when the Mass was finished, I ran home.”
The Lord called Gemma’s mother to her eternal home on Sept. 17, 1886, at the age of 39. Shortly before her death she said: “I offer my life willingly to God that I may obtain the grace of having my eight children with me in Paradise.”
When Gemma received the news of her mother’s death, her only words were: “Mom is in Heaven.”
To her weeping aunt, Gemma said, “Why are you weeping? Mom is in Heaven and suffers no longer; oh, how much she suffered! You must now try to regain your own health so that you can help us.”
母親把女兒吉瑪託付給聖神
聖吉瑪.金錦妮1878年3月12日出生於意大利盧卡的鄉村、卡米利亞諾，翌日即在所屬堂區領受聖洗聖事。當家人商討給她選擇領洗名字時，一名叔父建議取名「吉瑪」，意即寶石；但她的母親以沒有這聖人名字而提出異議。本堂神父卻說：「天堂有很多瑰寶，希望這嬰孩將來亦成為樂園的瑰寶。」於是，眾人遂採納這名字 ── 全名：吉瑪.翁貝塔.庇婭.金錦妮。
吉瑪不過一個月大時，整家搬到盧卡。吉瑪自小喜歡祈禱。她的一位要理導師說：「似乎沒有什麼能使吉瑪喜愛，除了到聖堂內祈禱。她對祈禱樂始不疲。她常誦唸『天主經』、『聖母經』和『聖三光榮經』，為的是向她的護守天使致敬；然後曾嘗問我：『現在我該向誰祈禱呢？』我給她講述熱心的故事時，她卻時常想再聽一個並重覆地說：『多講一些！多講一些！』雖然她年紀很小，但在聖堂內，雙手必然合拾，雙膝下跪，很是專注。」
吉瑪母親指給她耶穌苦像，講解基督苦難：「看、吉瑪，好耶穌為我們被釘死在十字架上！」吉瑪一貫都要母親「多講一些！媽媽，多講一些！」。有時，母親正忙著做家務，吉瑪會拉她的衣角，哀求說：「媽媽，用一些時間來給我講關於耶穌的事吧。」
吉瑪八歲時，母親、奧里莉婭.蘭迪因肺結核病逝。當她知道自己不久於人世時，問女兒說：「吉瑪，如果可以，你願意和我一起到耶穌召叫我到的地方嗎？」「那裡？」小吉瑪問，母親答：「到天堂！與耶穌和天使們一起的地方。」十六年後，吉瑪寫道：「是母親使我在孩童時渴望著上天堂。」
奧里莉婭明白她死時不能帶著小女兒上天堂，便把吉瑪信賴給天主聖神；她教授吉瑪要理，讓她在1885年5月26日領受堅振聖事。領過聖事，吉瑪參與感恩彌撒時，吾主要她作出犧牲奉獻。吉瑪憶述：「當我設法妥善參與彌撒，並為母親祈禱，突然心內有聲音向我說：『你願意給我你的母親嗎？』我答：『我願意，若祢亦把我一起帶去。』聲音說：『不！你自願地交給我你的母親。現在你必要和你的父親留下，遲些我才把你帶到你天堂上的母親。』我別無他選，只得唯唯是諾。彌撒後我馬上跑回家去。」
1886年9月17日，三十九歲的奧里莉婭返回天主的懷抱。去世前不久，她說道：「我甘心把我的生命交出，以得到我八名子女能和我在天堂的聖寵。」
吉瑪得悉母親離世的消息時，她只說了一句話：「母親已在天堂了。」她又對飲泣的姨母說：「你為何要哭呢？母親已經在天堂，不需繼續受苦 ── 唉，她真的受了很多苦！你現在要嚐試重獲你的健康，讓你好能幫助我們。」