The tears of an angel of Santa Gemma Galgani

CONSTANT HELP
Even in the difficult field of obedience Gemma was helped by the angels.

The particular mystical state, for which she was called to a very special vocation in the Church, could not fail to demand a prompt, free and cordial obedience towards persons constituted in authority, authority which they exercised over her.

Even in this, indeed, especially in the field of obedience, Gemma was a true daughter of the Passion and fully participated in the obedience of the Crucifix, in his kenosis (cf. Phil 2,8: XNUMX), with an agony of the spirit that lasted until at the end.

The Virgin Mary, "her Mother", as she used to call her, continually reminds Gemma of a life and a style of obedience. Our Lady educates her in the school of sacrifice. Above all in abandonment to the will of God, without taking into account the doubts of others. Gemma says that, in saying yes to Our Lady, one morning, tears came to her eyes: "The tears came from them, I didn't want them." And the Virgin embracing her said to her: «Don't you know that after the sacrifice of the cross your sacrifices must open the gates of heaven to you? »

PURE OBLATIVE LOVE
The guardian angel was also Gemma's educator in heroic obedience.

S. Bulgakov wrote an extremely suggestive page, to be read very carefully, on the kenosis of the guardian angel towards us, on his sacrificial love, which he exercises without losing any of his beatitude and attention to God and his glory. This text is enlightening to understand the reason for so many references, even very harsh ones, of Gemma's guardian angel and her daily affection and care towards the young mystic:

“This love [sacrificial love] implies a renunciation of celestial bliss in view of union with the life and destiny of the corporeal, gross, carnal nature. In the incorporeal spirit, a metaphysical emptying takes place, an ontological lowering to unite with love to the life of a being of flesh. This kenosis has as its similarity (and foundation) that of God, the Incarnate Word, who became impoverished for us by becoming man. Following him and together with him, without however humanizing himself, the angelic being becomes cohuman, he unites himself with humanity through the bonds of love ».

Some statements may seem paradoxical. In fact, the "metaphysical emptying" and "ontological lowering" in the angel do not seem necessary to give him the possibility of loving "a being of flesh". On the other hand, the analogy of the angel's kenosis is very convincing, which "enlightens, guards, governs and governs" man, with the kenosis of the incarnate Word. Each service implies an "impoverishment" of oneself, a loss, to enrich the other. And that of the guardian angel is truly pure oblative love that asks for nothing for itself, but everything refers to its client and to the "heavenly piety" that he has entrusted to him.

"ALL EFFECT OF OBEDIENCE"
Here is a sample of how Gemma appreciated obedience in the letter of March 3, 1901 to Father Germano. This is a very important letter, which reaches Father Germano at a very delicate moment in the relationship between the saint and the usual confessor, Monsignor Volpi:

«My father, next to Jesus in my poor heart, what a consolation one feels, my father, in always doing obedience! I find myself so calm that I cannot explain myself, and this I realize is all the effect of obedience. But to whom do I owe everything? To my poor father. Thank you so much for teaching me so many things, giving me so many advice, and still freed from many dangers! With the help of Jesus I want to put everything into practice, so that Jesus is happy, and you never have occasion to get angry. Long live Jesus! But you, my father, know my frailty thoroughly; my head is also so hard; and yet if I sometimes fall back into the usual shortcomings, he will not worry, is it true? I will ask forgiveness to Jesus, and I will make again the resolution not to do it anymore ».

Despite having a very strong character and led to independence of judgment, Gemma has always been very docile towards her family and superiors, especially towards those who directed her along the paths of the spirit. Monsignor Volpi had authorized her to issue the private vow of obedience, together with that of chastity as early as 1896, and this vow in Gemma was never a simple gesture of devotion.

"THAT BLESSED ANGEL HIS ..."
When the painful conflict of evaluation between Monsignor Volpi and Father Germano regarding the mystical state of Gemma loomed up to chronicity, the girl's internal dilaceration was very strong. Doubt and above all mistrust in herself and in her spiritual guides could open the way to an uncontrollable and fatal rejection reaction of the vocation and mission to which she had been called with unequivocal extraordinary mystical signs. And this was the conclusion that "Chiappino" wanted to bring "poor Gemma" to.

The saint's correspondence overflows with references to this conflict which became particularly acute in 1901 and which knew no respite until the end. We cannot reconstruct all the passages here.

With a very particular form of good humor, which is evident from the letters, Gemma first of all gives courage to herself and her distant director for what she

is happening. It is a subtle humor that attests to the deep inner balance of the young woman.

In this harsh, risky and long-lasting situation, the angelic ministry plays its part in a truly wonderful way. Gemma's guardian angel but above all that of father Germano, authentic alter ego of her distant father, intervene as providential tools to support the girl in the storm.

In the aforementioned letter of March 3, 1901, Gemma explains to Father Germano that her angel appeared to her, but she resisted, precisely to obey the orders received:

"Do you know, my father? Friday evening that blessed angel of his made me worry: I didn't want him at all, and he wanted to tell me many things. He told me as soon as he came: "God bless you, or soul entrusted to my custody". Imagine, my father, I answered him thus: “Holy angel, listen: do not get your hands dirty with me; go away, go to some other soul who knows how to count on God's gifts: I don't know how to do ”. In short, I made myself understood; but he replied: “Or what are you afraid of?”. "To disobey," I replied. "No, because your father sends me". Then I let it be said, but I despised him. “You fear, why do you think you are wasting the great gifts that God has given you? But don't worry. I will ask Jesus for this grace for you; it is enough that you promise me to give all the help that your father will give you. And then, daughter, do not be so afraid of suffering ”. I made him a beautiful promise, but ... You bless me several times, crying out loud: "Long live Jesus!" ».

Gemma explains to the distant manager that she tried to obey. The main concern is that Gemma risks wasting the gifts received, in other words, getting lost and confused. The angel advises her not to be afraid of suffering above all (it is implicit but evident) to live obedience in the concrete situation in which she found herself.

And then, with the usual kindness mixed with her typical naivety, Gemma apologizes if she writes "all this nonsense". But, if Germano doesn't want to worry - he anticipates -, he won't even send the angel anymore to give her "beautiful sermons":

«I already seem to see him worried, because I wrote all this nonsense, but forgive me: the angel will not listen to him anymore, and then you won't send him anymore. Then the angel said to me seriously: “O daughter, how much more perfect was Jesus' obedience than yours! You see: he always obeyed promptly and willingly, and you instead make you say things three or four times. This is not the obedience that Jesus taught you! You have no merit in obeying this way. Do you want help to do obedience with merit and with perfection? Always do it for the love of Jesus ”. He gave me a good sermon, then walked away.

«How afraid I am that you will be anxious, but I was busy saying:“ Don't get your hands dirty ”, but then he would repeat:“ Long live Jesus! ”. So live Jesus! Long live Jesus alone ».

And here Gemma, at the end, reconfirms the profound motivation of her life; she reaffirms her fidelity to the crucified Spouse; wants to be obedient like him. He learned his lesson from the angel in this non-idyllic situation, and for this he cries out with him: "Long live Jesus alone".

"HE HAD BIG EYE TEARS ..."
A few days later, Gemma writes again to Father Germano. The angel of these presented the cross to her, encouraging her to carry it with love. He even cries with her. Gemma suffers a lot for what is happening among the people she loves with filial love, she comes to blame herself for it.

«Today before starting to write this letter I saw, it seemed to me, his guardian angel; had she perhaps sent him? Almost crying, he said to me: “Daughter, my daughter, you were a little while ago surrounded by roses, but don't you see that now each of those roses is sprouting out of the prickly thorns in your heart? Until now you have tasted the sweet that is around your life, but remember that there is gall at the bottom. See ”, he added,“ this cross? It is the cross that your father presents to you: this cross is a book, which you will read every day. Promise me, daughter, promise me that you will carry this cross with love, and you will cherish it more than all the joys of the world ”».

Naturally Gemma promises what the angel asks of her and is associated with her tears. Gemma fears for her sins and the risk of getting lost. But in front of the angel the flame of desire for heaven is rekindled, where it is sure that all conflicts will disappear in the living flame of the one love.

«I have promised him everything, and with trembling hand I have embraced the cross. While the angel was speaking to me like this, he had big tears in his eyes, and several times he made them come to me too; and he looked at me so closely that he seemed to want to investigate the secret hiding places of my heart and scold me. Yes, he was right to reproach me: every day I go from bad to worse, to sins I add sins, and perhaps I will lose myself. Long live Jesus! I wish that others weren't afflicted for my sake, and instead they are an occasion for everyone to be sorry. But I don't want to, no, I don't want to; I only enjoy when [the aunt] is close to me suffering; Jesus then fills me with happiness. On Friday night, I didn't die shortly.

Pray a lot to Jesus that he will soon take me to heaven; the angel promised me that, when I am good, he will take me there immediately: now I will go there, and so I will go there soon ».

And the letter ends with a cry of pain that could not fail to shake the distant father. Monsignor Volpi in fact, as we know, had also tested the veracity of the letters sent by the angel and the test had failed, with the consequence of a negative judgment on poor Gemma and on the ascetic line adopted by Father Germano.

«My Father, pray a lot, and then write, answer, especially to this aunt. See, my father, what storm in your heart, I don't know why. But, and I know all what it is and what it doubts, perhaps of the letter? But if Jesus does not want, what do I have to do? I suffer a lot, my father, not because of those taps that Jesus gives me, but for other things; not for me, I suffer for others. I no longer want to be anywhere: to be in the world the pain of seeing Jesus so offended afflicts me too much; my always new offenses: it is too much pain, my father. In paradise, in paradise! It is early. On Friday it was not long before I went there, oh well! My Father, I pray him: pray to Jesus a lot and then answer; whatever it is about me, I'm happy. Jesus is what sustains me. Long live Jesus! »

Father Germano, in effect, replies to Cecilia Giannini, and in a very explicit way: "Regarding the letter unwanted to take from the angel, I myself wrote to Monsignor that the test he intended to make was not according to God, and therefore he would stop . When the Lord has given sufficient evidence to accredit his intervention, doubting and seeking new arguments is an affront to him. Curiosity must be put in a gang. And that's why the letter was not taken by the angel ».

The epistolary experiment requested by Volpi did not seem appropriate or even necessary. Germano limits himself to speaking of “curiosity”, but the evidence seemed to directly affect one of the parties involved, that is himself, his authority and credibility. Was it intended to be a validation of the ascetic method adopted by the Passionist or the intent, albeit unconscious, of his disqualification? Perhaps hence the silence of the sign of the angel "postman".

"Looking around" in the things of God is not only superfluous and counterproductive: it is also risky.

«I WILL BE YOUR SAFE DRIVE»
Gemma, however, knows above all the abandonment of obedience and enjoys a profound peace of soul for it.

Father Germano also tells us a delightful episode: "When she was in bed in the evening, although surrounded by several people talking to each other, if the aforementioned lady said to her:" Gemma, you need to rest, sleep ", she immediately closed the eyes and lay down to sleep soundly. I myself wanted to test it once and, finding myself in that house near her sick bed, with other family members, I said to her: "Take my blessing, sleep, and we will retire". I had not finished uttering the command, that Gemma, turned away, was in a deep sleep. Then I got down on my knees and, moving my eyes up to heaven, I wanted to make a mental precept, that he would wake up. Mirabil what! As if disturbed by an articulate and sonorous voice, she wakes up and, as usual, smiles. I reproach her: “So is obedience done? I told you to sleep ”. And she, all humble: “Don't worry, father: I felt a knock on the shoulder, and a strong voice shouted at me: Come on, the father is calling you”. It was her guardian angel who watched next to her ».

It looks like a florid episode. In part it is. It is above all extremely significant in two respects. In the first, and more evident, Gem's perfect obedience appears

but also in the most minute and banal things. In fact, can you sleep on command? For the second aspect, which concerns the guardian angel, the almost moral impossibility, for the mystic from Lucca, to distinguish between the voices of this world and the celestial voices, so much the barrier between the two had been broken down, certainly not. for his fantasy. It is the angel who wakes her up, following the mental precept formulated by Father Germano, beating her on the shoulder and shouting with a loud voice. We already knew that the angel was watching next to Gemma.

Bulgakovll also notes that the angel loves the one who is joined to him with personal and living love, establishing a typically interpersonal friendship relationship, with a depth that goes beyond human love for its fullness and absoluteness. He lives with the human being, shares his destiny, seeks his correspondence in love. This determines all the action of the angel towards the human being, with attention and restlessness, with joy and with sadness.

Obedience, in Gemma, required a double effort to reach perfection. Even as a child she was "forced to answer yes" to celestial voices; secondly, the mystic from Lucca was totally obedient to those who had towards her the charisma of discernment and translated her interior signs into the opacity of the contingent. With the help of the angels, Gemma sang victory (cfr. Pr 21,28).

"Only if we free ourselves from the enticements of evil", wrote Gregorio di Nissa, "and if we fix our minds towards the highest goals, leaving every evil act and placing the hope of eternal goods in front of us as a mirror, can we reflect in clarity of our soul the image of celestial things and we will feel the help of a brother nearby. In fact, considering the spiritual and rational part of his being, man is like a brother of the angel sent to assist us when we are about to approach Pharaoh ”.

Gemma was extraordinarily fascinated by the angel, above all because he constantly taught her humility ”. Gemma was well aware that it was not just a theoretical teaching. The very presence of the angel, his acts in reference to the Infinite God and his assistance were for the young woman a constant reminder of kenosis, of humble and docile assent to God's will. The angel for Gemma was an extraordinary role model. To the mystic's declaration of love, this was the angel's response: «Yes, I will be your sure guide; I will be your indissoluble companion ».