St. Gemma Galgani desired to suffer for Christ. For Christ said to her, “Do you desire to love Me? Learhttp://www.stgemmagalgani.comn to suffer first. Suffering teaches one how to love.” In fact, Gemma was chosen by God to suffer like Christ both in body and in soul.

On June 8, 1899, the vigil of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Gemma received the special gift of stigmata from God. That evening, Gemma felt a great interior sorrow for her sins. After some thoughts, Gemma found herself in the presence of Our Lady with her guardian angel on her right. The angel bade Gemma to recite an Act of Contrition.

Our Lady told Gemma that Jesus loved her and wished to confer a favour on her. Our Lady opened her mantle and covered Gemma with it. The same instant Jesus appeared with all his wounds open, but instead of blood, flames issued from them.

Those flames touched Gemma’s hands, feet, and heart. Gemma felt intense pain and blood was flowing. Gemma covered the wounds as well as she could and went to lay down on her bed.

The next morning, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, Gemma went to receive Holy Communion. When she returned home, she stretched out her hands, showed her aunt the stigmata, and said, “Aunt, see what Jesus has done to me!” 

During the same month of June 1899, after Gemma had made a Holy Hour, Jesus revealed to her all the spiritual sufferings she would have to undergo. Gemma would experience dryness in prayer and strong temptations. She would not be able to find comfort and understanding from people.

Gemma wrote, “When I was about to finish the Holy Hour, Jesus said to me that He was going to treat me as His heavenly Father had treated Him.”

Gemma willingly accept sufferings. She said, “Jesus is the Man of Sorrows, and I desire to become the daughter of sorrows.”

In 1899, in preparation for the opening of a new century, Pope Leo XIII ordered that missions should be given in every city throughout Italy. The Passionist Fathers were chosen for Lucca, and the mission in the cathedral began on June 25, and lasted until July 9.

Gemma was deeply impressed that the missioners were clothed exactly as she had seen St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother dressed. Gemma wanted to become a nun in the Passionist order.

During the mission, Gemma met Cecilia Giannini. Eventually, the two became close friends. Cecilia would invite Gemma to her home and wanted Gemma near her, for she experienced in Gemma’s presence a sense of spiritual well-being. Cecilia said, “I prayed more, I was more recollected, and in trouble and difficulties I was more at peace. She was generally silent, but when I asked her a question or mentioned any of my trials, a word from her was enough to tranquilize me.”

Gemma also valued her friendship with Cecilia. She recalled: “From then I loved her as if she were my mother, and I have always regarded her as such.”

Due to the extraordinary favours she received from Christ, Gemma was misunderstood and mistreated by her own family. Her confessor helped Gemma by asking Cecilia to keep Gemma with her as long as possible. Eventually in September 1900, with the consent of her family, Gemma took up residence permanently with the Gianninis.

At the house, Gemma helped everyone gracefully, and yet she never meddled in affairs that did not concern her. When visitors came to the house she slipped away unobtrusively. With gratitude, Gemma prayed constantly for the Gianninis.

One time she prayed to Our Lady saying: “Mother mine, I recommend this house and this family to you. Tell Jesus to help them in the hour of tribulation, but if He should be about to lay His hand, heavily upon them, I am here, and let Him lay it on me instead. I recommend this matter to you very fervently. Tell Jesus that it is very important.”


                                       吉瑪渴望受苦 

耶穌對吉瑪.金錦妮說：「你願意愛我嗎？首先學習如何承受痛苦吧。痛苦教導一個人如何去愛。」吉瑪被天主召選像主耶穌一樣身心受苦。

1899年6月8日、耶穌聖心瞻禮前夕，吉瑪領受耶穌五傷：當天黃昏，吉瑪為己罪心裡感到極大的痛悔；不久，聖母顯現給她，她亦見到護守天使在右，並催促她誦唸「悔罪經」；聖母告訴她耶穌很愛她，要賜給她特恩；繼而聖母敞開自己的斗篷，蓋著吉瑪；立時吉瑪看到耶穌身上的傷痕射出火焰；那些火焰接觸吉瑪的手腳和內心，使她感到異常疼痛並流出血來。吉瑪盡量掩蓋傷口，並躺到床上。

翌日早上、耶穌聖心瞻禮，吉瑪領了聖體後回家，給自己的姑母展示五傷，說：「看，耶穌對我作了什麼！」

同月的一次聖時祈禱後，耶穌向吉瑪啟示，她將要領受靈性上的痛苦：她會在祈禱時感受神枯，要面對極大的誘惑，卻又得不到任何人的理解和安慰。吉瑪寫道：「當我結束聖時祈禱時，耶穌告訴我，祂會如聖父對待祂一樣對待我。」吉瑪樂意地接受這些痛苦。她說：「耶穌是苦人，我願成為苦痛的女兒。」

1899年，教宗良十三世為準備新世紀的來臨，下令培靈運動要在整個意大利推行。苦難會會士被派到盧卡；盧卡主教座堂的培靈日是6月25日到7月9日。吉瑪看到苦難會會士的衣著，十足於痛苦聖母佳播顯現時的裝束，非常感動，遂有意成為苦難會修女。

培靈活動期間，吉瑪見到采琪.賈妮妮，兩人後來成為好友。采琪感到吉瑪一份靈性上的聖善，常邀請她到家中，希望多接近她。采琪說：「吉瑪令我更多祈禱、更多收心，在困惑時感到更平安。吉瑪常是緘默的；但當我向她請教或訴說困惑時，她一句話足使我心安。」吉瑪也很珍惜與采琪之間的友誼；嘗道：「我愛她有如她是我的母親，我對待她猶如我的母親。」

吉瑪從耶穌領受的特恩，卻招來家庭成員的誤解和苛待。告解神師請采琪盡量讓吉瑪留在她家中；結果，1900年9月，吉瑪徵得家人同意，搬遷到采琪家中居住。

在新居所內，吉瑪喜愛幫助他人，卻又不涉足任何與她無關的事情；遇到訪客，她會靜靜退避；又常以感恩之心，為采琪的家庭祈禱。

有一次，吉瑪向聖母祈禱：「我的母親，我將這居所和這家庭交託給您。請告訴耶穌在困苦時幫助他們。但若衪 要伸手嚴待他們，我在這兒，讓衪 要伸手嚴待我。我將這事懇切地託付給妳，請告訴耶穌這是非常重要的。」