Santa Gemma Galgani and the devotion to the Blood of Jesus

The Precious Blood was given to us among the most atrocious pains. The Prophet had called Jesus: "The Man of Sorrows"; and it was not wrong that it was written that every page of the Gospel is a page of suffering and blood. Jesus, wounded, crowned with thorns, pierced by nails and spear, is the highest expression of pain. Who could have suffered more than him? Not a single point of his flesh remained healthy! Some heretics claimed that Jesus' torture was purely symbolic, because he, like God, could neither suffer nor die. But they had forgotten that Jesus was not only God, but also Man and therefore his was true Blood, the spasm that he suffered was truly immature and his death was as real as the death of all men. We have proof of his humanity in the garden of olives, when his flesh rebels against pain and he exclaims: "Father, if you can pass this cup to me!". In meditating on the sufferings of Jesus we must not stop at the pain of the flesh; let us try to penetrate his tormented Heart, because the pain of his Heart is more atrocious than the pain of the flesh: "My soul is sad to the death!". And what is the main cause of so much sadness? Certainly human ingratitude. But in a particular way, Jesus is saddened by the sins of those souls who are closest to him and who should love and comfort him instead of offending him. We console Jesus in his pains and not only in words, but with the heart, asking him for forgiveness of our sins and making the firm intention of never offending him again.

EXAMPLE: In 1903 S. Gemma Galgani died in Lucca. She was very much in love with the Precious Blood and the program of her life was: "Jesus, Jesus alone and this crucified". From the earliest years she felt the bitter cup of suffering, but always accepted it with heroic submission to the will of God. Jesus had said to her: «In your life I will give you many opportunities to earn merits for heaven, if you can bear the suffering". And Gemma's whole life was an ordeal. Yet she called the most atrocious pains "gifts of the Lord" and offered herself to him as a victim of atonement for sinners. To the sorrows that the Lord sent her were added the harassment of Satan and these made her suffer even more. Thus Gemma's whole life was renunciation, prayer, martyrdom, immolation! This privileged soul was repeatedly comforted by ecstasies, in which she was raptured contemplating Jesus crucified. How beautiful is the life of the saints! Their reading excites us, but most of the time ours is a straw fire and at the first adversity our fervor fades. Let us try to imitate them in fortitude and perseverance if we want to follow them in glory.

PURPOSE: I will gladly accept all suffering from the hands of God, thinking that they are necessary to obtain forgiveness of sins and merit salvation.

GIACULATORIA: O Divine Blood, inflame me with love for you and purify my soul with your fire