A conversion through the intercession of St Gemma

A conversion of heart through the intercession of Saint Gemma

Vincent from New York, a friend in St Gemma, kindly gave permission to post our email exchange describing a little bit of his spiritual journey into the Catholic Church. God willing, Vincent will be entering the Catholic Church and receiving his First Holy Communion this upcoming Easter Vigil, April 3 2010. The webmaster would like to gratefully thank Vincent for sharing his inspirational and edifying spiritual journey with us.

Here is Vincents' email:
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Dear Glenn,

Thank you for your kind e-mail. I am very happy to contribute modestly to your beautiful website on St. Gemma.

I would like to share with you the reason of my recent devotion to St Gemma. It is not to talk about myself - it is of no importance - but to testify on the intercession that I obtained from this great Saint.

A few months ago I decided to become a Catholic – I was baptized as a child, but did not practice any religion, rarely prayed, had little faith, and, as a result, became desperate. I talked to a priest who asked me to read the Catechism, then I joined a RCIA program. I am now going to Mass on Sunday, praying the rosary daily, and eagerly waiting for my first Communion.

A few days ago, reflecting on these sudden and dramatic changes in my life, I had the conviction that something must have happened, that I had been helped. Then I remembered that, when I decided to become Catholic, I made a short prayer to St Gemma, to help me convert. I don’t know why I prayed to her, maybe because she is a modern saint, maybe because she inspired me faith and kindness. I can’t really explain. I kept on the desktop of my computer a small file that I wrote at that time, with the prayer that I addressed to St Gemma. I forgot about it, until I opened it a few days ago, and it struck me. I am now certain, a grace from God, that She helped me in my conversion. I’ll never been able to thank her enough. I’ll take Gemma as my confirmation name, in her honor.

Reading your website, I discovered, yesterday, two things, of which I had no prior knowledge. One is that St Gemma was “especially called to sacrifice and suffer for the conversion of sinners”. The second is that her feast is May 16th. This is precisely the day, in 2009, when I decided to convert.

Thank you for your devotion to St Gemma, and may God bless you always.

Immaculate heart of Mary pray for us !

Vincent

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I asked for clarification on a few points and Vincent kindly responded below:
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Dear Glenn,

I will receive my first Communion, God willing, on April 3rd of this year. I do not recall precisely when I first heard of St Gemma, I think I was looking for some information on the web about St Maximilian Kolbe and, since he is a modern Saint, I also found some information about St Gemma. It was approximately 2 years ago. Both saints impressed me much.

The prayer I wrote was very simple, reflecting my lack of religious education and practice at that time, but it was sincere. I first asked God to forgive me and to show me the way (meaning : receive the true faith). I simply added (I copy and paste here) : "Je prie Sainte Gemma pour son intercession" (I pray St Gemma for her intercession). As you can see, it could not have been more simple.

The word "conversion" does not technically apply to me, since I am baptized; however I never had any religious education or practice, even as a kid, so I consider it an actual conversion, or a conversion of the heart, if you will.

I e-mailed a catholic Church on Saturday, May 16 of last year, explaining my willingness to convert and asking for advice, and met with a priest in early June.

May I ask you, Glenn, in one of your prayers, to thank St Gemma for interceding for me. I would really appreciate it.

God bless you and your family.

Vincent
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It was not until recently that Vincent discovered that May 16th is the feast day of St Gemma as celebrated throughout the world by the Passionist Community. And so we join with Vincent in thanking God for the intercession and help of His Saints, who inspire and guide us, and obtain for us countless graces. And let us also pray for our brother Vincent as he enters the Church and receives his First Holy Communion this upcoming Easter Vigil. ~St Gemma, pray for us!

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Click here for an exraordinary and remarkable story of a miraculous conversion through the intercession of St Gemma, that occured during her lifetime.

"...Why today, 0 Jesus, do You not hear me? For one soul only You have done so much! Why then will You not save this other one? Save him, Jesus, save him. Be good, Jesus. Do not say that to me. In Thy mouth, Who art Mercy itself, that word 'abandon' sounds bad. You must not say it. You have not measured the Blood that You have shed for sinners, and now do You wish to measure the enormity of our sins? Do You not listen to me? And I, to whom must I turn? You have shed Thy Blood for him as well as for me. Will You save me and not him? I will not rise from here. Save him. Promise me that You will save him. I offer myself victim for all, but particularly for him. I promise not to refuse Thee anything. Will You grant it to me? It is a soul. Remember, 0 Jesus, it is a soul that has cost Thee so much." -an excerpt from the link listed above

Cecilia Giannini -St Gemma's great friend in Christ

Cecilia Giannini -Saint Gemma's great friend and witness to her extraordinary life

Source for this article is from a rare book in English entitled “A Lover of the Cross –St Gemma Galgani” which was published in May, 1940 by the Passionist Nuns of the Monastero-Santuario di Santa Gemma in Lucca, Italy.

Intertwined in the extraordinary life of St Gemma we discover the somewhat wealthy family in Lucca named Giannini, consisting of a father (Matteo) and mother (Giustina) with eleven children along with a sister of Matteo affectionately called “Aunt Cecilia” who lived with them and helped care for the many children. The Giannini's were a devout Catholic family, whose door was always open to visiting Priests and religious, especially the Passionist Missionaries who occasionally passed through Lucca. In the early summer of 1899, two Passionist Priests were preaching a mission in Lucca, and Gemma was enlightened by God that she was to make her confession to one of them, and God told her to reveal everything to the Priest. Always obedient to her Jesus, she thus simply and straightforwardly made her confession to the Passionist Father Cajetan, who was immediately taken by the account of the extraordinary graces bestowed upon her by God, and decided to speak to Cecilia afterwards, asking for more information about the remarkable young lady named "Gemma".

Cecilia, a very pious and devout woman, did not know Gemma personally, but she had previously heard through friends a few months prior about the miraculous cure of Gemma, and she was very happy when Father Cajetan told her to get in touch with Gemma and have her come to the Giannini home, that he might speak with her again in the Giannini's house. Thus, Cecilia made Gemma's acquaintance in July of 1899, and invited her to her home for a visit. Cecilia very soon discovered she had found a most precious Gem in this girl named Gemma.

She persuaded Gemma to come often and spend part of the day with her; she found in Gemma a spirit that greatly inspired her towards the love of God. At this time, due to the death of her father, Gemma had just recently become an orphan, and after living awhile with one Aunt, and then another, she was currently living in poor conditions with her brothers and sisters in the family home. Cecilia soon felt a holy love for Gemma, and seeing the poverty of Gemma's family, she begged her brother Matteo to let the holy girl live with them altogether. Having already begun to know Gemma a bit, he was impressed with her kindness, meekness and virtues, and was happy along with his wife to offer his home to the impoverished and orphaned girl.

Since both he and his wife were quite willing to take in Gemma in spite of their own large family, Gemma's aunts were then asked if they would allow her to stay in the Giannini's home. At first they were somewhat unwilling, being, although not always sympathetic, exceedingly fond of their niece, who was in fact their greatest comfort at home. However, seeing what a great advantage it would be to her in many ways, both temporal and spiritual, as well as a help to the Galgani family to have one less to keep, they at last agreed, and Gemma was finally adopted as a daughter of the house in September 1900. To this, Matteo, the holy father and respected patriarch of the Giannini family stated "Gemma is most welcome: she shall be the twelfth child heaven has sent us. Let everyone honor this new daughter; let the servants respect her and let her want nothing." At last, Gemma was in an oasis of holiness and peace and thus began the great and holy friendship between the devout holy woman named Cecilia aged 52, and the budding young woman named Gemma, age 23.

Thus having been taking in by the Giannini's, God had provided for her, as Gemma's life at home had become very difficult. Her aunts together with her brothers and sisters did not understand, much less appreciate the extraordinary supernatural gifts and graces that Gemma was receiving from God. Along with the stigmata, Gemma was at times rapt in ecstasy, and the strangeness of all these things happening to her was very little understood and appreciated by her family. Thus the misunderstood graces given to Gemma became reasons for them to be not always very good towards her; they were in fact sometimes quite cruel. It was at this moment that God in His goodness opened for her the door of the Giannini house where she would find a new mother, Aunt Cecilia. In the new house she became externally a very industrious and useful member of the family, and a true elder sister to the younger children of the household. Amidst the large Giannini family, Gemma always very reserved in her speech and actions, for the most part led a silent and reserved life, that hid numberless little duties she accomplished for the love of God.

Gemma, now having moved in with the Giannini's, Cecilia was able to get to know Gemma and care for her in a special way This prudent woman was then able to watch over and care for the saintly girl during the long hours of her mystic sufferings. The more she saw the more she thanked God for giving her such an angel as a companion. "I prayed more," she [Cecilia] said, "I was more recollected; even in difficulties I found myself more at peace. She was not talkative, but when I asked her anything, or made known any of my trials, a word or a gesture from her was enough to bring instant peace." On her part Gemma was most grateful to this kind benefactor, whose charity offered her a refuge from the persecutors at home and the curious outside. "From that time," Cecilia wrote, "I loved her as a mother and I have always regarded her as such."

The mutual feelings of holy loving regard between Gemma and Cecilia is best illustrated by an incident. It is the simple narrative of the good lady Cecilia herself:

"One day Gemma stayed longer than usual in the confessional. In the course of the day I said to her: 'Gemma, you were so long at confession this morning.'

"She was silent. After a while she said: 'It was about you that we were talking.'

"I answered: 'You should confess your own sins and not mine.'

"She replied: 'It was not about sins; it was to see if there was anything earthly between us.'

"I said: 'You silly thing, what could there be of earth? Did not the Monsignor himself tell us there wasn't?'

-I knew that in this delicate way, she alluded to the affection she felt for me and feared that it might not rest entirely on supernatural motives."

A glimpse into the daily life of St Gemma

In the morning, her first thoughts and actions were for God, and often without uttering even a word with Aunt Cecilia, she went with Cecilia to one of the Churches nearby, generally to that called «della Rosa», which was close to their house, to assist at two Holy Masses and to unite with her Jesus, or better, as she said “to paticipate in the feast of Jesus love”. And Aunt Cecilia adds: "To see her one would have thought she was preparing for a wedding". For Gemma, the first Mass was of preparation for Holy Communion and the other of thanksgiving for Holy Communion, because as she once said: “It is a question of uniting two extremes: God who is everything and the creature who is nothing. God who is light and the creature who is darkness; God who is perfect sanctity and the creature who is full of sin. We must share in the table of Our Lord, and one cannot prepare too much for It”.

As soon as she was at home, she quickly helped the children to get up, pray and prepare for school and occasionally accompanied the youngest ones. Then with the greatest simplicity she helped the servants also in the humblest works in the kitchen and at times she prepared the table for meals. The dining room of Giannini's had a full-sized Crucifix which was highly venerated by the whole family, and particularly by Gemma who often during the day paid Him visits of love. Elsewhere on this website we can read where on one occasion, overwhelmed by a burning wish of kissing the wound of Christ's side, she found herself all of a sudden raised from earth, with her arms round the Crucifix, her lips on the wound in His side. At other times, often feeling drawn into ecstasy, she would retreat to her room, being alone with her Jesus to speak to Him of all that filled her loving heart. Soon after meeiting her, Gemma's spiritual Director, Father Germanus C.P. asked Cecilia to write down Gemma's words in as much as possible during the times that she was drawn into ecstasy. We thus owe our gratefulness to Cecilia and the eldest Giannini daughter named Eufemia for the many transcripts that we now posess of St Gemma's ecstasies. [Note: Eufemia Giannini has recently been declared "Venerable" by Pope John Paul II. See here for more information about Mother Eufemia Giannini -editor]

But these and the other supernatural gifts, especially the stigmata on Fridays, were now known by all in the family, especially by Aunt Cecilia, whom she called affectionately her “mamma”. Fortunately, the Giannini's knew how to keep the "Kings secrets" and never a word got out of the house concerning all the extraordinary supernatural graces that Gemma was then receiving.

Aunt Cecilia always wished her to sit by Gemma's side in the workroom or in the open air and, while Gemma went on with her knitting or needlework, they would spend the hours together talking about the soul and the love of God, the desire for Heaven or the feast of the day. It was during these talks that Cecilia the “mamma” succeeded in learning much about Gemma's extraordinary interior life, and these innocent conversations have given us many secrets that otherwise would have remained hidden forever in Gemma's heart. For this reason, we who are devoted to St Gemma are greatly indebted to Cecilia Giannini for passing along a wealth of information concerning Gemma.

"When I am with Gemma" wrote Cecilia "I have a sense of peace and tranquility. Only to watch her beside me makes me more recollected and patient; it gives me a sense of strength, and I do not feel so much the weight of my cares. What an account I will surely have to give to God if I do not appreciate the gift that he has given to me in sending this angelic girl to our house."

Notwithstanding the confidence and love they showed her, she never forgot she was not one of the family and acted with utter prudence and delicacy. However she felt deeply bound by gratefulness to her adoptive family and prayed very much for all of them. "Mother" - she was once heard saying to the Blessed Virgin Mary while in an ecstasy “the confessor has obliged me to pray for this family. I have already done it. Do what I cannot and grant them many graces, an infinite number of graces. Mother, do you understand? -An infinite number of graces. Should Jesus want to send them some trials, tell Him to be merciful to them. I ask You to obtain what I am not able to”. And another time: “Mother, I recommend you my family and this house. Tell Jesus to help them in their trying moments; if ever Jesus would weigh down on them, then here I am; let Him weigh down on me. I recommend to You very much this house ...”

Her incessant prayer was not fruitless before God, and the occasion to show her gratitude came. Signora Giustina, Matthew Giannini's wife and mother of the 11 Giannini children fell very seriously ill; she suffered the most acute pain in the stomach, so that the doctors gave little hope of her recovery. Gemma begged God to allow her to suffer in her place and her prayer was heard. Signora Giustina quickly got well and Gemma fell sick and for some months suffered the most excruciating pains: a true martyrdom. Concerning this illness that she took upon herself she admitted to her confessor in a letter that “…they were very fierce pains indeed!". Without ascribing it either to her presence or to her prayers, Gemma revealed to her Director the blessings that God bestowed on this family, who by taking care of the orphaned Gemma had acted after His own Heart: "If you only knew how He helps them; He blesses them every moment; He withdraws them from danger" she once wrote.

Do you think then, dear Reader who read these lines, that St Gemma would pray any less for you if you were to call upon her, and ask for her heavenly prayers and assistance?

In the Giannini family she was loved by all and she was quickly considered their greatest treasure. Nothing was too good for her. But they had to be careful in their kindness, for it pained the humble Gemma if she noticed she was the object of special care. "I am asking Jesus," she wrote once, "for patience, not for myself but for my aunt here [Cecilia], because she needs it with me. I would rather have nothing of all that is done for me. If you only saw, Father! In some things she prefers me to the others; she goes as far as to have my bed warmed for me. Now ought these things to be done for me? Will you speak to her? Very many things are done for me, who ought to be treated as worthless, and not even a 'thank you' escapes my lips. Oh! if at least with my cold prayers I could benefit those who are kind to me! My wish would be that they should treat me as a slave."

She was ever on the watch to conceal from the eyes of others her supernatural favors. With admirable simplicity she once said to her Director:

"Perhaps you, Father, would think of it and tell the Angel to keep hidden and not let the others see him." It was partly this that made her so urgent in her request to go to the convent. "Oh, why do you leave me exposed to the gaze of all? And what would happen to me if they came to know certain things?"

In her humbleness and docility, Gemma always sought to obey others. Cecilia in a letter to Father Germano gives us an example of her obedience: “After Holy Communion in the Church of della Rosa, where we very often went, being alone, instead of going back to our place in a corner as we normally did, we remained at the balustrade. I waited for the benediction by the priest, but Gemma was already rapt in ecstasy and, fearing the priest might perceive her, I said within myself: 'Oh Jesus, if it be your will, make her return at once to her place' . Would you believe it? she raised her head at once and looked directly at me. I beckoned her to go to her place, which she did. Finding this plan so successful, I afterwards did the same thing on numerous occasions, and God, who so much loved His faithful servant, always made her obey”.

Mateo Giannini, the father of the large Giannini family, a most noble Christian gentleman who had received the poor orphan into his home, gave the following testimony in the Official Processes after World War I-- "I believe it a duty on my part to say this: My five sons were in the war exposed to the greatest dangers and they all returned safe and sound. One of them had been appointed to a very dangerous post but the order was cancelled. I maintain that he as well as the others returned through the intercession of Gemma to whom we have always prayed. And I believe that it is due to the prayers of Gemma that all my sons turned out well. They are my greatest consolation. They receive Holy Communion every day and give much of their time to the works of Catholic Action. And, of my daughters, five are Nuns, one stays at home and one is married."

Gemma's reception into this Christian family was celebrated in graceful verse, many years later, by Count Sinibald Brunori-Querenghi - a most devoted client of the Saint, who wrote a series of 300 sonnets on her life. It deserves a place wherever mention is made of the charity of the Gianninis and it is a beautiful tribute to that holy friendship in Christ of Cecilia Giannini and Gemma Galgani:

God clothes the lilies, and their drooping crowns

With morning dew revives; with tender care .

He feeds the winged inhabitants of air, regardless whether autumn smiles or winter frowns.

Even so, blest maid, when amid the tempest's roar

The bark that bore thee sank beneath the wave

His arm upheld thee, mighty still to save,
And drew thee trembling to the unhoped for shore.

And lo His loving kindness opens wide, A hospitable door to welcome thee;

A kindred spirit calls thee to her side, And linked with her in Christian unity, Thy feet shall scale Perfection's rugged height, Till fear be lost in love, and faith in sight.

Cecilia's holy death
As Gemma died on the Vigil of Easter (Holy Saturday 1903) like Gemma, Cecilia was also to die and take flight for heaven on the Vigil of the other great feast day- Christmas Eve, December 24, 1931. For many years after the death of Gemma she bore witness to all of God's marvels in the remarkable life of St Gemma. For years she met with countless pilgrims to Lucca--all seeking to know more about Gemma. One example of the many visitors that Cecilia met with would be the Rt. Reverend J.F. Minihan D.D. who met with Cecilia in Lucca in 1929, while a seminarian at the North American College in Rome. He was later to write the preface of the book "Portrait of St Gemma- A Stigmatic".

Cecilia, being a key eyewitness to the life of Gemma, she twice gave official testimony concerning Gemma, firstly for the diocesian inquiry (Processi informativi) between 1907 and 1910, and then later for the Canonical process which began officially in 1922 (the process of beatification/canonization of St Gemma).

"Now, Lord, you may dismiss your servant..." (Luke 2:29)
The Canonical process took 9 years, and it is as if Cecilia was waiting for the solemn declaration of Gemma's heroic virtues before taking her flight for heaven. On Nov 29, 1931, the Decree was read in the presence of the Holy Father, Pope Pius XI, declaring Gemma's virtues "heroic". On this day it became permissible to invoke her as “Venerable Gemma Galgani”, and it was with inexpressable joy that Cecilia and all of Gemma's freinds and devotees recieved this decree of the Church.

And, only 25 days after the solemn decree, God was to call His servant to Himself. As Gemma died on the vigil a great feastday, so was Cecilia also to pass on the Vigil of the other great feastday. And so it was that on Christmas eve, December 24, 1931, the great friend of Gemma passed from our sight to join Gemma in praising the love of God for all eternity. For it was surely Gemma, along with her family and friends, who welcomed her into the beatific vision on that great feastday.

Her tombstone reads:
CECILIA GIANNINI
NATA IN S.CASSIANO DI CONTROME LUCCA
IL 29 DICEMBRE 1847
FU BELL’ESEMPIO DI CRISTIANE VIRTU’
VISSE PER FARE A TUTTI DEL BENE
FINO A DIMENTICARE SE STESSA
OSPITO E AMO’ QUALE FIGLIA
LA VENERABILE GEMMA GALGANI
E NELLA LIETA SPERANZA
DI RIUNIRSI AD ESSA NEL CIELO
SI ADDORMENTO’ IN DIO
IL 24 DICEMBRE 1931
---
IL FRATELLO MATTEO
CON LA MOGLIE GIUSTINA E I NIPOTI
POSERO DESOLATISSIMI QUESTA MEMORIA

Roughly translated:
Cecilia Giannini, born in s.cassiano di controme lucca on December 29, 1847 was a great example of christian virtue.
She lived to do good, forgetting herself.
She lived and loved like a true daughter of Ven. Gemma Galgani, in the holy hope to be again with her in the heavenly Kingdom
Fell asleep in God on 24 December, 1931
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Her brother Matteo with his wife Giustina and children sadly make this memory

-The webmaster would like to thank Davide Ducceschi, a kind friend in St Gemma, who generously went to Lucca and took the excellent photographs of Cecilia's tomb, along with providing the dates of her birth and death. Davide explained that Cecilia's tomb marker is in the old communale cemetary in Lucca, which is adjacent to the new one. This is also the place of Gemma's first burial. On the right section is Gemma's first tomb, alongside her brother Guido Galgani. In the left section is the tomb marker for Cecilia.

~Cecilia Giannini, pray for us!
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"Two sentiments and two thoughts were born in my heart the very first time that I felt and saw Jesus dripping in blood. The first one was to love Him , and to love Him to the point of sacrifice....the other thing that was borne in my heart after seeing Jesus was a great desire to suffer something for Him, seeing how much He had suffered for me!.." -St Gemma Galgani

Prayer to St Gemma by Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II wrote a prayer for the intercession of St Gemma Galgani on the occasion of the centenary of the death of Saint Gemma on April 11, 2003. For this celebration he met with the Sisters of Saint Gemma and shared a prayer to Saint Gemma in honor of the special occasion:
"O Father, we ask you to establish your dwelling in those who love you with a heart pure and simple, that through the example and the intercession of St Gemma, we may live the pure Gospel and the mystery of a love crucified, to be the living image of your Son.
He who lives and reigns, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen. "
-Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II also visited the Monastery of St Gemma Galgani in Lucca, Italy in 1989 and they have a plaque inside the Monastery that marks the special occasion.

Prayer provided by The Sisters of Saint Gemma
Via Del Seminario, 10
55100, Lucca, Italy
Tel: (0583) 48237


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En Italiano:
PREGHIERA A S. GEMMA GALGANI
O Padre, che ti compiaci di stabilire la tua dimora in chi ti ama con cuore semplice e puro, fa' chesull'esempio e per l'intercessione di S. Gemma viviamo, con purezza evangelica, il mistero dell' amore crocifesso, per essere immagine viva del tuo Figlio.
Egli è Dio e vive e regna conte, nell'unità dello Spirito Santo per tutti i secoli dei secoli. Amen.
-Giovanni Paolo II

Forniti da SORELLE DI SANTA GEMMA
Via Del Seminario, 10
55100, Lucca, Italy
Tel (0583) 48237

A treasury of documents on St Gemma for those who read Italian

A extraordinary new treasure of documents on Saint Gemma for those who read Italian

The Passionist Nuns at the Santuario-Monastero di Santa Gemma Galgani in Lucca, Italy (where St Gemma's holy remains are kept) have recently made available on their website an treasury of wonderful documents on St Gemma, however unfortunately for English readers they are all in Italian. Nevertheless, I hope to have a few of the unique one's translated into English.

Some of the most interesting documents are "Transito della Santa Gemma"- (The Last Hours of St Gemma) and also "Santa Gemma Nel Mondo Contemporaneo" (St Gemma in the Contemporary World- this is a thesis with various information on the life of St Gemma), "Lettere di P. Germano a Cecilia Giannini" and also "Lettere di Cecilia Giannini a P. Germano" (Letters from Father Germano to Cecilia Giannini and also Letters from Cecilia Giannini to Father Germano) and also "Lettere di Santa Gemma a Monsignor Volpi" (Letters of St Gemma to her confessor, Monsignor Volpi) along with a good number of letters of St Gemma to various other persons.

It is of course possible to use Google translator tool the do a rough translation of these documents. First you download the document to your PC, then open Google translator and choose the "upload a document" feature. Again however, this provides only a "rough" translation.

Anyway, for those interested, the recently published documents on St Gemma are located on the Monastery website here:
UPDATE 2019: Unfortunately the website has been removed.

"I shall love You; I shall love You always! When day breaks, when evening turns into night, at every hour, at every moment; I shall love You always, always, always!" -St Gemma Galgani

First Communion A letter from St Gemma

A Letter from St Gemma on the occasion of a First Holy Communion

"What do You wish, oh my Jesus? That my love may always be unchangeable? For this I will nourish myself every day with Thy Flesh and Blood." -St Gemma Galgani

Cecilia Giannini, Gemma’s close friend and adoptive “mother”, had a nephew named Mariano Giannini who was about to receive his First Holy Communion, and she desired to give him some enlightenment and encouragement as a special remembrance of the occasion. Thinking of Gemma’s burning love and devotion for Jesus in the Eucharist she had a sudden flash of inspiration---she would ask Gemma to write a letter to her nephew Mariano in her name. Gemma reluctantly agreed to do this, out of love for God and souls. In the letter the reader will not only see Gemma's fervent love of Jesus in His Holy Sacrament, but we will discover many lessons on approaching and receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Lack­ing the original, we print here the translation as it appeared many years ago in The Cross, the magazine of the Passionists in Ireland:
(Taken from the book "The Gem of Christ" by Father Francis, C.P.)

"My Dear Mariano: A few days hence, and then, my child, you will no longer be a mere creature of earth. Jesus is waiting for you, eagerly waiting. And the angels are making ready to guide your steps to Him. You are going to be­long to Heaven, to belong wholly to Jesus - and you will continue to be His forever, will you not, my dear?”

"Rejoice and be glad that the day you so longed for is not far off: rejoice with Jesus, look up and lift up your eyes to heaven. Your eyes must no longer be set on the world and the things of the world; they must belong to God. Turn them to Him, then--look and see Jesus actually present there in the Holy Tabernacle. You do not see Him with your dear eyes, but you feel in your heart that He is there. And when you receive Him for the first time, and have His sweet Presence inside your being, then you will know better than I can tell you how glad those moments are: they will remain impressed upon your mind and heart, and all through life you will remember fondly the joy of your First Communion.”

"Have no fear to approach Jesus; go to Him with confidence. Listen to what He says to you: 'I stay here waiting for thee: I am looking, long­ing, for thee: come to Me then, I am thy Father.'
Go and meet Him, then, with a loving embrace, hide Him in your little heart and close Him up there forever. Do you know, Jesus will gladly abide there? He Himself has said: 'It is my delight to be with the children of men.' And since Jesus has this desire surely we ought to satisfy it. When you are purified from your sins in Con­fession, and when you receive for the first time on your tongue that beautiful Gift of God's Love, oh then, Mariano; how happy you will be!"

"The good and zealous priests have already fully instructed you about everything, I know, but still I feel it is a time when I would like to say a word to you myself. Do you know, dear, there is one thing that I have very much at heart for you. There is a vir­tue so sweet and beautiful in the eyes of God that Jesus has promised a special place in Heaven to those who keep it bright and whole: I mean the virtue of holy purity. I pray that Jesus may find your heart pure and spotless and that He may always make His dwelling there. You know that Jesus dwells among the lilies, and you will, I trust, ever keep your heart pure as a lily. In His heavenly dwelling place He will permit nothing unclean to enter; beg of Him, therefore, to grant you this precious virtue."

"Another thing, my dear Mariano. You are young still and innocent of the ways of the world. But when you come to mix with it you will find that it is full of deceit and can only bring sorrow, while Jesus always brings joy. You will also meet with many hearts to love you, but you will find them all different from the Heart of Jesus. May the thought of that Heart be always present with you! It is the Heart of a God - but don't be frightened at this, for it is also the Heart of a Man which no one need fear to approach. Yes, a human Heart is the Heart of Jesus - but how different from all other hearts! If we nestle close to this Heart we shall soon find that it is a Heart without peer, the King of all hearts. You must always, then, be very devout to this Sacred Heart."

"There is yet another thing that touches me very keenly, for it is something that pains Jesus: I shudder at the mere thought of it. Think of it, Mariano - there are Christians, there are Catholics, who have lost faith in the Blessed Eucharist. Oh, what a frightful crime against the good God! Pray for them, dear, and promise Jesus that you will always be faithful. Say to Him: 'If they be­lieve not, I believe all the more fervently.' Promise Him, too, that you will never let yourself be overcome by fear of the world. And then strive hard by your prayers and your good example to bring all men back once more to the Faith."

"There are so many things I would like to say to You that my heart almost runs away with my pen, but I must break off here and leave them to Your good mother to tell you. And the words of your mother will make a more lasting impres­sion on your heart. Still I am sure you will not despise the words of your aunt who is so devoted to you and who loves you as if you were her own child.
"Now, pray constantly for your dear parents that they may be enabled with God's help to bring you up in piety and virtue and guide you on the path to Heaven. And then don't forget to pray for,
Your truly affectionate aunt."
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As the years progressed, Mariano grew up to be a devoted chronicler of the life of St Gemma. As one of the 11 Giannini children and thus having lived with Gemma for over 3 years, he knew Gemma very well through his own everyday contact with her and also those of his family. To him we owe much first hand information about St Gemma. He provided a wealth of information during the canonical processes, and later he wrote several books of his families life with St Gemma entitled "Gemma in Casa Nostra -La Mia Famiglia e S Gemma" (Gemma in our house -My Family and St Gemma) by Mariano Giannini.

Gemma's love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist often caused her to take flight into the high regions of divine contemplation, where Jesus spoke to her heart and told her how pleased He was by her Visits, how they recompensed Him for the coldness and forgetfulness of men and the crimes of sinners. Such were the visits of this lover to her Beloved. She seemed scarcely able to distinguish between the delights of heaven and "the Paradise of Jesus," as she called the Blessed Sacrament. Com­plying with Father Germano's desire to know ex­actly how she spent the day, she put the Visits at the head of the list without regard to the se­quence of time: "The morning with Jesus at seven o'clock; in the evening before Jesus at six o'clock."

If such were the Visits of this lover to her Spouse, what must have been her Communions, the culmination of the Mystery of the Love of Jesus. Her heart hungered for this Divine Food always, but toward evening this desire grew stronger and sweetly tormented her through the slow moving hours of the night. Here are her own words: "Last night and the night before, while thinking of Holy Communion, I felt myself growing faint and my heart was in commotion. Yesterday evening also before going to supper I said some prayers, among them this one: 'Grant, oh Lord, that I may pass from this little meal to Thy Great Supper.' I stopped a few minutes to think of this and, there and then, I felt forced towards Jesus."

That her health might not suffer from loss of sleep, her Spiritual Director forbade her to think of Holy Communion during the night. In the morning she was the first to be up and dressed, so eager "to go to the Feast of the Love of Jesus" as she called it, that she had not time to speak even to her Angel when he was visibly present. Every other thought was banished from her mind as she began her careful preparation: "It is a ques­tion," she said, "of uniting two extremes; God Who is everything and the creature who is noth­ing; God Who is Light and the creature Who is darkness; God Who is Holiness and the creature Who is sin. There cannot be enough preparation for it."
The greatness of receiving Holy Communion so impressed her that through humility she would have stayed away had not Our Lord encouraged her to receive Him with love and trust in His infinite mercy.

Here are some great little quotes from St Gemma concerning the Eucharist:
http://www.stgemmagalgani.com/2008/09/eucharist-and-st-gemma.html