Gemma's Friday Routine

Short Summary: Gemma Galgani experienced a vision of Jesus with His crucifixion wounds, leading to her receiving the stigmata, which caused her intense pain for over a year.

Details

Location: Lucca, Italy

Year: 1889

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Through the intercession of St. Gemma, help us to see Your love even in our suffering. May we embrace our trials as opportunities to grow closer to You and understand the depth of Christ’s sacrifice. St. Gemma, who expressed, “Let me embrace You, heavenly Bridegroom, source of all my consolations,” intercede for us that we may find comfort in our struggles and always seek to draw nearer to You. Amen.

Verse: For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. - 2 Cor 1:5

Full Story

On June 8, 1899, while deep in prayer, Gemma Galgani reported seeing a vision of Jesus with His crucifixion wounds. She described it in her own words: "Jesus appeared with all His wounds open, but blood no longer came out of those wounds. Rather, flames of fire issued forth from them and in an instant these flames came to touch my hands, my feet, and my heart. I felt as if I would die." Following this vision, Gemma experienced the stigmata—visible wounds on her hands, feet, and side, resembling those of Christ. These wounds continued to reappear every Friday for over a year, causing her intense pain. Witnesses, including her confessor Father Germano Ruoppolo, members of her household, and an examining doctor, documented the visible signs of her stigmata. Their consistent reports added to the credibility of her experiences. At the suggestion of her spiritual director, Fr. Germano, Gemma prayed for the outward signs of the stigmata to cease, which they eventually did. Despite this, she continued to live a life of deep devotion and prayer. Gemma Galgani died at the age of 25 from tuberculosis. Despite her illness and pain, she remained deeply committed to her faith, experiencing how her suffering brought her closer to God. Gemma once said, “If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love.”

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