A Long Lost Friend

As of recently, I have found and met a new friend. It was unexpected as most friendships usually are. I met her about 10 years ago initially, but didn't think much of it. It was 10 years ago that I was introduced through my dear soul sister, and that only makes sense because she knows me very well. I have rekindled a friendship with this new friend of mine. I am very blessed and grateful for it. Her name is Gemma Galgani, better known as Saint Gemma Galgani of Lucca, Italy, and also known as the Gem of Christ.

I have become interested in knowing more about her over the last few weeks. I felt an inspiration, a nudge to read about her life again through a small booklet. Like I mentioned, my dear sister gave me this little booklet about this saint, and since the middle of April, I have reread her story numerous times always gaining many things from it. Although Saint Gemma has been deceased for over 100 years, her life is still relevant, important and dare I say interesting! Hence, why I have been so intrigued by her story. I have also come to learn that we have a few things in common. She died when she was at the ripe ol' age of 25, and I am currently 25 years old. She sometimes had severe back pain and I can attest to my back hurting more than I would like. She was a young woman of faith, and I am as well. Her pitfalls and weaknesses I could/can relate with, and I find her more inspiring and essential to pray to and develop a friendship with. After a few days of struggles and my own falls of weakness, I prayed to her as well as her devotional saint when she was alive (St. Gabriel of our Lady of Sorrows), and the next morning I slept so well and felt very much at peace, knowing that they were interceding for me.

There are a number of things I admire about this beautiful saint. These include her great and deep love for Jesus, his sacred heart, as well as Mother Mary. I admire her simplicity in all things and sacrificing a life of glamour, honor and prestige to that of a simple life full of pain and suffering that mirrored Jesus's 5 wounds and the crown of thorns, also known as the stigmata. I greatly admire her bravery in conquering the devil and the prince of lies and death's attempts of temptation. I very much admire her dear friendship with her guardian angel, as well as a lovely soon to be saint she learned about and had visions of, Saint Gabriel of our Lady of Sorrows. Overall, there are many things I have learned and gained from Saint Gemma. I have felt a connection with her that I only want to nurture and develop, she has taught me many things.

There are many interesting things that I am learning from reading a detailed book about the life of Saint Gemma Galgani. One of them in particular is about another Catholic saint who is more well known than St. Gemma, yet this saint is equally as important as St. Gemma. Her name is St. Therese of Lisieux, and she is my patron saint of the year. These two saints' lives are similar as the books states, "Therese lost her mother when she was a child, had a complicated relationship with death and the desire for Heaven, and replaced her earthly mother with the Blessed Virgin, had a vivid imagination, was different from other children, had a privileged relationship with God, passionately in love with Jesus, desired and loved suffering, died in her mid-twenties, her photographs attest to her beauty, did nothing of importance to her life." These two beautiful saints had similar lives and turn of events that happened to them. I feel that I have a deeper devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux, seeing that her life wasn't that much different from St. Gemma's.

While at a coffee shop this afternoon, enjoying the ambiance, sipping my coffee and reading this moving and insightful book about St. Gemma, I came across something that made me stop and think a little. St. Gemma's guardian angel was always at her side, assisting her and protecting her (which is true for all of us). Gemma couldn't eat, it seemed that her body did not wish it, linking and merging her longings, her needs, her wants to Jesus' own. "And when , after eating, she feels unwell, the angel offers Gemma 'a cup of coffee so good that I was healed instantly."

I don't think I've ever been healed spiritually from coffee, not ever will. However, like this afternoon, I needed that cup of coffee and that inspirational time at the coffee shop to process, to recharge, to think, to learn, to hope. All of these important things I usually need a couple of times a week to stay sane, happy and healthy. It also gave me the reminder of how my dear guardian angel should become more of my best friend and confidant, because he/she (I named mine a boy's name) is always looking out for us. St. Gemma even joked around with her guardian angel, which I found to be cool and amusing.

I am grateful and blessed to learn more about  St. Gemma Galgani's life and journey of faith. It only encourages and inspires me more to be bolder, stronger, and braver in my faith. I am grateful to have rekindled a friendship with a beautiful soul and example.