Read up on "mortification of the flesh" and "redemptive suffering."Consequent upon her deep Eucharistic love coupled with passionate Marian coredemptive fervor, Gemma was led to the ultimate sacrifice of her life in union with Jesus our Redeemer and Mary our Coredemptrix. On June 8, 1899, she first received the Sacred Stigmata, a major crowning point in her life of ultimate union with Our Lord on the Cross. From that point on, every Thursday around 8 p.m. she would weekly receive this redemptive experience which would remain until Friday around 3 p.m.
The other horrendous experience which she also received was His Crowning with thorns, such that once Christ “appeared to her crowned with thorns, and, taking the crown from off His own head, He placed it on hers…This wonderful phenomenon recurred regularly for some time from the Thursday to the Friday of each week, and even continued after the stigmata in the hands, feet, and side had ceased…Sometimes, when at supper…drops of blood appeared upon her forehead, which…trickled down her cheeks and neck”[22].
This very unique sharing in the sufferings of Christ came about through her sweeping, overwhelming desire to be united intimately with Jesus, particularly His Agony and Passion in which as Christians we find our hope, fulfilled in the Resurrection. -regarding Gemma Galgani
http://www.stgemmagalgani.com/2011/12/spirituality-of-st-gemma-galgani.html#sthash.SHfRbBr4.dpuf