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Maria Valtorta THE GOSPELAS REVEALED TO ME

THE GOSPEL AS REVEALED TO ME 7 parts The birth and Hidden Life of Mary and Jesus chapters 1-43 The first year of the Public Life of Jesus chapters 44-140 The second year of th e Public Life of Jesus chapters 141-312 The t hird year o f the Public Li fe of Jesus chapters 313-540 Preparation for the P assion of Jesus chapters 541-600 Pass ion an d Death of Jesus chapters 601-615 Glorification of Je sus an d Ma ry chapters 616-651 Farewell to the Work, chapter 652 10 volumes Volume One, chapters 1-78 Volume Two, chapters 79-159 Volume Thr ee, chapters 160-225 Volume Four, chapters 226-295 Volume Five, chapters 296-363 Volume Six, chapters 364-432 Volum e Seven, chapters 433-500 Volume Eight, chapters 501-554 Volum e Nine, chapters 555-600 Volume Ten, chapters 601-652

Maria Valtorta THE GOSPEL AS REVEALED TO ME VOLUME ONE Chapters 1-78 CENTROEDITORIALE VALTORTIANO

Original title: Maria Vaitorta, L′Evangelo come mi è stato rivelato Copyright © 2001 by Centro Editoriale Valtortiano srl., Viale Piscicelli 89-91, 03036 Isola del Liri (fr)-Italy. Translated from Italian by Nicandro Picozzi Maria Vaitorta, The Gospel as rev eale d to me. 10 volumes. Second edition All rights reserved in all countries Copyright © 2012 by Centro Editoriale Valtortiano srl., Viale Piscicelli 89-91, 03036 Isola del Liri (fr)-Italy. ISBN 978-88-7987-181-5 (Volume one) ISBN 978-88-7987-180-8 (Complete work in 10 volumes) Graphic and printing: Centro Editoriale Valtortiano srl., Isola del Liri (fr)-Italy Reprinted in Italy, 2014. Previous edition: Maria Vaitorta, The Poem of the Man-God, 5 volumes, © 1986 by Centro Editoriale Valtortiano srl

INDEX The birth and Hidden Life of Mary and Jesus. 1. Introduction: God wanted a spotless womb. 13 2. Joachim and Anne make a vow to the Lord. 14 3. At the feast of the Tabernacles. Joachim and Anne pos­ sessed Wisdom. 18 4. Through a song, Anne announces that she will become a mother. Her bosom holds the immaculate soul of Mary. 24 5. The birth of Mary, the faultless Virgin Mother of Wisdom. 29 6. The purification of Anne and the offering of Mary, the per­ fect eternal Maiden for the Kingdom of Heaven. 45 7. Little Mary with Anne and Joachim. The Wisdom of the Son is already on Her lips. 49 8. Mary accepted in the Temple. In Her humility, She did not know to be the Full of Wisdom. 56 9. The peaceful death of Joachim and Anne, after a life of loy­ alty to God. 63 10. Mary's canticle imploring the coming of Christ. She re­ membered how much Her spirit had seen in God. 67 11. Mary entrusts her vote to the High Priest. 75 12. Joseph is chosen husband of the Virgin. 79 13. The wedding of the Virgin and Joseph. The closeness to the full fo Grace makes of a just man a saint, worthy to be the guardian of the Spouse and Son of God. 85 14. Joseph and Mary arrive in Nazareth. 93 7

15. Conclusion to the Pre-Gospel. 99 16. The Annunciation. Luke 1: 26-38 101 17. The Disobedience of Eve and the Obedience of Mary. 104 18. Mary announces the maternity of Elizabeth to Joseph and entrusts God with the task of justifying Hers. 114 19. Mary and Joseph towards Jerusalem. Luke 1: 39 120 20. The departure from Jerusalem. The heavenly aspect of Mary. The importance of prayer for Mary and Joseph. 121 21. The arrival of Mary in Hebron and Her meeting with Eliz­ abeth. Luke 1: 40-55 125 22. The days in Hebron. The significance of Mary's goodness to Elizabeth. Luke 1: 56 131 23. The birth of John the Baptist. Every pain is appeased on Mary's bosom. Luke 1: 57-58 139 24. The circumcision of John the Baptist. Mary is the Source of Grace for those accepting the Light. Luke 1: 59-79 146 25. Presentation of John the Baptist to the Temple. Mary's re­ turn. The Passion of Joseph. 150 26. Joseph asks Mary for forgiveness. Faith, charity and hu­ mility to receive God. Matthew 1: 18-25 158 27. The census edict. Teachings on just love to the husband and on trust in God. Luke 2: 1-3 162 28. The arrival in Bethlehem. Luke 2: 4-5 167 29. The birth of Jesus. The divine maternity of Mary: redemp­ tion of Eve's sin. Luke 2: 6-7 173 30. The adoration of the shepherds, the first worshippers of the Word Who had become God. Luke 2: 8-20 181 31. Zacharias ' visit. The holiness of Joseph and the obedience to the priests. 190 32. Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. The virtue of Simeon and the prophecy of Anna. Luke 2: 22-38 197 33. The lullaby of the Virgin. 203 8

34. The Visit of the Magi. Matthew 2: 1-12 206 35. The flight into Egypt. Matthew 2: 13 220 36. The Holy Family in Egypt. A lesson for families. Matthew 2: 14-15 230 37. The first working lesson given to the Child Jesus. 238 38. Mary, the teacher of Jesus, Judas and James. 243 39. Preparations for the coming of age of Jesus and departure from Nazareth. 251 40. Jesus' examination in the Temple at the age of twelve. 255 41. The dispute of Jesus in the Temple with the doctors. The agony of His Mother and the reply of Her Son. Luke 2: 41-50 260 42. The death of Joseph. Jesus is the peace of those who suffer and of those who die. 271 43. Conclusion to the hidden life. 278 The first year of Public Life of Jesus. 44. Farewell to His Mother and departure from Nazareth. 283 45. Preaching of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus. The divine manifestation. Matthew 3: 1-17; Mark 1: 2-11; Luke 3: 1- 18. 21-22; John 1: 19-34 291 46. Jesus tempted by Satan in the desert. How to overcome temptations. Matthew 4: 1-11; Mark 1: 12-13; Luke 4: 1-13 297 47. The meeting with John and James. John 1: 37-39 304 48. John and James tell Peter of their meeting with the Mes­ siah. John 1: 40-41 309 49. First meeting with Peter and Andrew after preaching in the synagogue. John of Zebedee is great even in his hu­ mility. John 1: 42 313 50. At Bethsaida in Peter's House. The meeting with Philip and Nathanael. John 1: 43-51 323 51. Mary sends Judas Thaddeus to invite Jesus to the wed­ ding at Cana. 332 9

52. The wedding at Cana. The Son, no longer subject to His Mother, performs His first miracle for Hen John 2: 1-11 337 53. Jesus drives out the merchants from the Temple. John 2: 12-25 343 54. The meeting with Judas of Kerioth and Thomas. Simon the Zealot healed of leprosy. 348 55. A task entrusted to Thomas. 355 56. Simon the Zealot and Judas Thaddeus joined in the same destiny. 361 57. In Nazareth with Judas Thaddeus and other six disciples. 368 58. The healing of a blind man in Capernaum after a fishing lesson applied to the souls. 372 59. A possessed man healed in the synagogue of Capernaum at the end of a dispute. Mark 1: 21-28; Luke 4: 31-37 378 60. The healing of Simon Peter9s mother-in-law. Matthew 8: 14-15; Mark 1: 29-31; Luke 4: 38-39 384 61. Jesus benefits the poor after telling the parable of the fa­ vourite horse of the king. Matthew 8: 16-17; Mark 1: 32-34; Luke 4: 40-41 390 62. The disciples looking for Jesus while He prays during the night. Mark 1: 35-39; Luke 4: 42-44 397 63. The leper healed near Korazim. Mark 1: 40-45; Luke 5: 12-16 400 64. The paralytic healed in Capernaum. Matthew 9: 1-8; Mark 2: 1-12; Luke 5: 17-26 405 65. The miraculous catch of fish and the election of the first four apostles. Matthew 4: 18-22; Mark 1: 16-20; Luke 5: 1-11 411 66. Judas of Kerioth at Gethsemane pleading to become a dis­ ciple. 414 67. The miracle of the broken blades at the Fish Gate. 417 68. Jesus teaches in the Temple. Judas Iscariot assists Him. 422 69. Jesus teaches Judas Iscariot. 428 10

70. A t Gethsemane with John of Zebedee. A comparison be ­ tween the beloved disciple a nd Judas of Kerioth. 434 71. Ju das Iscariot introduced to J ohn an d Simon the Zealot. 441 72. T owards Bethlehem with John, Si mon the Z ealot and Ju ­ das Iscariot. 445 73. In Be thlehem, in the house of a peasan t and in th e grotto of the Nativity. 448 74. Jesus goes to see th e Inn Keep er in Bethlehem and then preaches from the ruins of Anne's house. 460 75. Jesus finds the shepherds Elias and Levi. 470 76. At Juttah with th e shepherd I saac. Sarah an d her chil­ dren. 477 77. In Hebron in th e house of Z achari as. The meeting wit h Aglae. 486 78. In Ker ioth. T he death o f old Sa ul. 494 (the “first year” continues in the second volume) 11

The birth and Hidden Life of Mary and Jesus. 1. Introduction: God wanted a spotless womb. “God created Me when His purpose first unfolded. ” (Solomon, Proverbs 8, 22) 22nd August 1944. 1Jesus orders me: «Take a brand new notebook. Write down on 1. 1 the first page what I dictated on August the 16th. She will be spo­ ken of in this book. » I obey and I write. 16th August 1944. 2Jesus says: 1. 2 «Today write only this. Purity has such a value, that the womb of a creature could contain the Uncontainable One, because She possessed the greatest purity that a creature of God could have. The Most Holy Trinity descended with Its perfections, inhab­ ited with Its Three Persons, enclosed Its infinity in a small space. But It did not debase Itself by doing so, because the love of the Virgin and the will of God widened this space until they ren­ dered it a Heaven. And the Most Holy Trinity made Itself known by Its characteristics: The Father, being once again the Creator of the Creature, as on the sixth day* of Creation, had a real, worthy daughter fash­ ioned to His perfect image. The mark of God was impressed so completely and exactly on Mary, that only in the First-born was it greater. Mary can be called the Second-born of the Father be­ cause, owing to the perfection granted to Her and preserved by Her, and to Her dignity of Spouse and Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, She comes second after the Son of the Father and sec­ ond in His eternal thought, which ab aeterno took delight in Her. The Son, being also “Her Son”, did teach Her, by the mystery * the sixth day: Genesis 1: 24-34. 13

of Grace, His truth and wisdom, when He was but an Embryo, growing in Her womb. The Holy Spirit appeared amongst men for an anticipated and prolonged Pentecost, Love for “Her Whom He loved”, Consola­ tion to men for the Fruit of Her Womb, Sanctification for the Ma­ ternity of the Holy One. 3God, to reveal Himself to men in the new and complete form, which starts the Redemption era, did not select for His throne a star in the sky, nor the palace of a powerful man. Neither did He want the wings of angels as the base of His feet. He wanted a spotless womb. Also Eve had been created spotless. But she wanted to become corrupt of her own free will. Mary, who lived in a corrupt world -Eve was in a pure world-did not wish to violate Her purity, not even with one thought remotely connected with sin. She knew that sin existed. She saw its various and horrible forms and im­ plications. She saw them all, including the most hideous one: dei­ cide. But She knew them solely to expiate them and to be, for­ ever, the Woman who has mercy on sinners and prays for their redemption. This thought will be the introduction to other holy things that I will give for your benefit and the welfare of many people. » 2. Joachim and Anne make a vow to the Lord. 22nd August 1944. 1I see the inside of a house. In it there is an elderly woman sit­ ting at a loom. Noting that her hair, which formerly was defi­ nitely jet black, is now quite grey and her face, though not wrin­ kled, has the seriousness that comes with age, I would say that she must be fifty-five years old. Not more. In estimating a woman's age, I base my calculations upon my mother's face, whose image is more than ever present to me in these times which remind me of her final days at my bedside... The day after tomorrow it will be a year since I had my last look at her... My mother had a very youthful face, but was premature­ ly grey. When she was fifty she was as grey as at the end of her life. But, apart from the maturity of her appearance, nothing be-141. 3 2. 1

trayed her age. I could therefore be mistaken in estimating the age of an elderly woman. The woman I see weaving in a room, bright with the light coming from a door wide open onto a large garden — a small holding I would call it because it smoothly extends up and down a green slope — the woman is beautiful in her definite Jewish features. Her eyes are black and deep and while I do not know why, they remind me of the Baptist's. But, although they are as proud as the eyes of a queen, they are also sweet, as if a veil of blue had been laid on the flash of an eagle: sweet and somewhat sad, as of a person who thinks of and regrets lost things. Her skin is brown, but not excessively so. Her mouth, slightly large, is well formed and is motionless in an austere setting, which, however, is not a hard one. Her nose is long and thin, slightly drooping, an aquiline nose, which suits her eyes. She is well built, but not fat, well proportioned and I think tall, judging her by the position in which she is sitting. I think she is weaving a curtain or a carpet. The many col­ oured spools move fast along the brown coloured weft, and what has already been woven shows a vague plaited work of Greek frets and rosettes in which green, yellow, red and deep blue in­ terweave and blend as in a mosaic. The woman is wearing a very plain dark dress, a red violet colour, the hue of a kind of of pansy. 2She stands up when she hears someone knocking at the door. 2. 2 She is actually quite tall. She opens the door. A woman asks her: «Anne, will you give me your amphora? I will fill it for you. » The woman has a lovely five year old child with her, who at once clings to Anne's dress, and she caresses him while going in­ to another room, and returns with a beautiful copper amphora which she hands to the woman saying: «You are always good to old Anne, indeed you are. May God reward you with this son and the other children you will have, you fortunate one! » Anne sighs. The woman looks at her and does not know what to say in the circumstances. To divert attention from the distressing situation of which she is aware, she remarks: «I am leaving Alphaeus with you, if you do not mind, so that I will be quicker and I will fill many jars and jugs for you. » I15

Alphaeus is very pleased to stay and the reason is clear. As soon as his mother is gone, Anne picks him up and takes him into the orchard, lifts him up to a pergola of grapes as golden as a to­ paz and says to him: «Eat, eat, because they are good», and she kisses him on his little face soiled with the juice of the grapes which the child eats avidly. Then she laughs heartily and at once looks younger on account of the lovely set of teeth she displays, and the joy that shines on her face, dispelling her years, as the child asks: «And what are you going to give me now? » and he gazes at her with large wide open eyes of a deep grey-blue col­ our. She laughs and plays with him bending on her knees and goes on: «What will you give me if I give you?... if I give you?... guess! » And the child, clapping his little hands, with a big smile responds: «Kisses, kisses I will give you, nice Anne, good Anne, mamma Anne!... » Anne, when she hears him say: «mamma Anne», lets out a real cry of joyful love and cuddles the little one declaring: «My dar­ ling! Dear! Dear! Dear! » At each «dear» a kiss descends upon the rosy cheeks. Then they go to a cupboard and from a plate she takes some honey cakes. «I made them for you, darling of poor Anne, be­ cause you love me. But tell me, how much do you love me? » And the child, thinking of what has impressed him most, says: «As much as the Temple of the Lord. » Anne kisses him again on his lively little eyes, his little red lips and the child cuddles against her like a kitten. His mother goes back and forth with a full jar and smiles without saying anything. She leaves them to their enjoyment. 3An elderly man comes in from the orchard. He is a little smaller than Anne, and his thick hair is completely white. His face is of a clear complexion with a squarely cut beard; his eyes are like blue turquoises and his eyelashes are light brown, al­ most fair. His robe is dark brown. Anne does not see him because her back is turned to the door and he approaches her from behind questioning: «And nothing for me? » Anne turns round and says: «O Joachim! Have you fin­ ished your work? » At the same time little Alphaeus runs to the elderly man's knees exclaiming: «And to you, and to you. » And when the man bends down to kiss him, the child clings to his 162. 3

neck, ruffling his beard with his little hands and his kisses. Joachim also has his gift. He brings his left hand from behind his back and offers the child such a beautiful apple, that it seems made of the finest porcelain. Smiling he says to the child who is holding his hands out eagerly: «Wait, I will cut it for you! You cannot take it as it is. It is bigger than you! » With a small prun­ ing knife, which he carries on his belt, he cuts the fruit into small slices. He seems to be feeding a nestling, such is the care with which he puts the morsels into the little wide open mouth that munches and chews. «Look at his eyes, Joachim! Don't they look like two little waves of the Sea of Galilee when the evening wind draws a veil of cloud over the sky? » Anne is speaking, resting one hand on her husband's shoulder, and she is also leaning slightly on him: an at­ titude revealing the deep love of a wife, a love still perfect after many years of marriage. And Joachim looks at her lovingly and agrees, saying: «Very beautiful! And his curls? Aren't they the colour of crops dried in the sun? Look: in them there is a mixture of gold and copper. » 4«Ah! If we had had a child, I would have liked him thus: with 2. 4 these eyes and this hair... » Anne bends down, in fact she is on her knees and with a deep sigh she kisses the two large grey-blue eyes. Joachim, too, sighs. But he wishes to comfort her. He puts his hand on her thick curly grey hair and whispers to her: «We must continue to hope. God can do everything. While we are alive, the miracle may happen, especially when we love Him and we love each other. » Joachim stresses the final phrase. But Anne is silent, dejected, and she is standing, her head bowed, to conceal two tears streaming down her face. Only little Alphaeus sees them and he is surprised and saddened by the fact that his great friend is crying, as he sometimes does. He lifts his hands and wipes the tears. «Don't cry, Anne! We are happy just the same. At least I am, because I have you. » «And me you. But I have not given you a child... I think I have distressed the Lord, because He has made my womb barren... » «O my wife! How can you have distressed Him, you holy wo­ man? Listen. Let us go once more to the Temple. For this rea-17

son. Not only for the Tabernacles! Let us say a long prayer... Per­ haps it will happen to you as it did to Sarah*... as it happened to Anne of Elkanah**. They waited for a long time and they con­ sidered themselves dejected because they were barren. Instead a holy son was maturing for them in the Heavens of God. Smile, my wife. Your crying is a greater sorrow to me than being with­ out offspring... We shall take Alphaeus with us. We shall make him pray, since he is innocent... and God will hear his prayer and ours together and will grant it. » «Yes, let us make a vow to the Lord. The offspring will be His. As long as He grants it. Oh to hear me being called “mamma”! » And Alphaeus, an astonished and innocent spectator, ex­ claims: «I call you so! » «Yes, my darling... but you have your mummy, and I have no baby... » The vision ceases here. 5I understand that Mary's birth cycle has begun. And I am very happy because I wanted it so much. And I think that you*** will be happy, too. Before I began to write I heard Mother say to me: «So, My dear daughter, write about Me. All your grief will be comforted. » And while saying so She laid Her hand on my head caressing me kind­ ly. Then the vision began. But at first, that is, until I heard the fifty-year-old woman being called by name, I did not realise that I was in the presence of Mother's mother and consequently of the grace of Her birth. 3. At the feast of the Tabernacles. Joachim and Anne possessed Wisdom. 23rd August 1944. 1Before writing the following, I wish to make a note. The house did not seem to me the well known one of Naza­ reth. The location, at least, is quite different. The orchard garden is larger and beyond it fields can be seen, not many, but they are * Sarah, Genesis 17: 15-21; 18: 10-15; 21: l-3. ** Anne of Elkanah, 1 Samuel 1; 2: 1-10. *** you, referred to father Migliorini, M. V. 's spiritual director. 182. 5 3. 1

there. Later, when Mary is married, there is only the orchard, large, but not more than an orchard: and I have never seen in oth­ er visions the room that I saw. I do not know whether for finan­ cial reasons Mary's parents disposed of part of their property or whether Mary, when she left the Temple, moved into another house given to her perhaps by Joseph. I do not remember whether in past visions and instructions I had a clear sign that the house of Nazareth was the house in which she was born. My head is very heavy with fatigue. And then, especially with dictations, I forget the words at once, although the commands re­ main recorded in my mind and illuminate my soul. But details fade away immediately. If after one hour I had to repeat what I heard, with the exception of one or two main sentences, I would not know anything else. Visions, on the contrary, remain clear in my mind because I had to watch them myself. I hear dictations but I see visions. Therefore they remain clear in my mind with fa­ tigue in following them through their various phases. I was hoping there would be a dictation on yesterday's vision. But nothing. 2I am beginning to see and I write. Outside the walls of Jerusalem, on the hills and among the olive trees, there is a large crowd. It looks like a large market. But there are no stalls. There are no shouting charlatans or ped­ lars. No games. There are coarse wool tents, certainly water­ proof, hanging on posts fixed to the ground, and tied to the posts there are green branches, providing both ornamental decoration and practical coolness. Other tents, instead, are made entirely of branches fixed to the ground and tied like this /\, thus forming small green tunnels. Under each tent there are people of every age and condition, speaking quietly and earnestly, with the cry of a child breaking the quietness now and again. It is nightfall and the lights of small oil lamps are glittering here and there throughout the odd camp. Around the lights some families are eating their supper on the ground, the mothers hold­ ing the little ones in their laps. Many of these tired infants fall asleep holding pieces of bread in their tiny pink fingers while their small heads fall on their mothers' breasts, like little chicks under hens. The mothers finish their meals, as best they can, each with only one hand free, while the other hand is holding 193. 2

the child against her heart. Meanwhile other families are not yet having supper and are talking in the dimness of twilight, wait­ ing for the food to be ready to eat. Small fires are lit here and there and women are busy around them. Slow, somewhat plain­ tive, lullabies soothe children who are having difficulty in going to sleep. High above there is a beautiful clear sky, which is becoming a deeper and deeper blue until it looks like an enormous black-blu­ ish soft velvet velarium. On this cloth, a little at a time, invisible craftsmen and decorators fix gems and night lights, some isolat­ ed, some in odd geometrical patterns, amongst which the Great Bear and the Little Bear stand out, in the shape of a cart, with its shaft resting on the ground after the oxen have been freed from the yoke. The Pole Star is smiling in all its brightness. I realise it is October because the loud voice of a man says so: «This month of October is beautiful as very rarely in past years! » 3Here is Anne coming from a fire with something in her hands, spread over a loaf of bread which is large and flat like a cake and serves also as a tray. Little Alphaeus is holding onto her skirt and is prattling in his little voice. Joachim, when he sees Anne approaching, hastens to light his lamp; he is at the entrance of his little hut made of branches and is speaking to a man of about thirty years old, whom Alphaeus greets from a distance in his shrill voice saying: «Daddy. » Anne in her stately walk passes along the rows of huts. She is stately, yet humble. She is not haughty with anyone. She picks up the child of a very poor woman, as the urchin had fallen at her feet while running like a little scamp. Since he has dirtied his face and is crying, Anne cleans him, comforts him and hands him to his mother who has run towards them and is apologis­ ing. Anne says to her: «Oh! It's nothing. I am glad he did not hurt himself. He is a lovely child. What age is he? » «Three years. He is my second youngest and I am expecting another one shortly. I have six boys. Now I would like to have a girl... A girl is a lot for her mother... » «The Most High has consoled you very much, woman! » sighs Anne. And the woman goes on: «Yes. I am poor, but the children are our joy and the bigger ones already help with the work. And, 203. 3

Madam, (it is very obvious that Anne is of a higher social stand­ ing and the woman realises it), how many children have you got? » «None. » «None. » Isn't this one yours? » «No, he is the son of a very good neighbour. He is my consola­ tion... » «Did yours die or... ? » «I never had any. » «Oh! » The poor woman looks at her pitifully. Anne says goodbye to her, sighing very heavily, and goes to her hut. «I have kept you waiting, Joachim. I was held up by a poor wo­ man, the mother of six boys. Fancy that! And she is expecting another child shortly. » Joachim sighs. Alphaeus' father calls him, but he answers: «I am staying with Anne. I will help her. » Everybody laughs. «Leave him. He does not disturb us. He is not bound by the Law yet. Here or there he is but a little bird eating» states Anne. And she sits down with the child in her lap and gives him some bread and, I think, some roasted fish. I can see that she does something before giving it to him; perhaps she removes a fish­ bone. She has served her husband first. She eats last. 4The night is more and more crowded with stars and the camp 3. 4 with lights. Then little by little many lights go out. They are the lamps of those who were the first to have supper and who now go to sleep. Also the buzzing slowly decreases. No more children's voices are heard. Only some babies still unweaned raise their lamb-like little voices seeking their mothers' milk. The night blows her breath over places and people and obliterates pains and memories, hopes and ill-feelings. Or perhaps these last two survive in dreams, although alleviated by sleep. Anne says so to her husband while lulling Alphaeus who is falling asleep in her arms: «Last night I dreamt that next year I will be coming to the Holy City for two feasts, instead of one only. And one will be the offering of my creature to the Temple... Oh! Joachim!... » «Keep on hoping, Anne. Did you not perceive anything else? Did the Lord not whisper anything to your heart? » 21

«Nothing. Only a dream... » «Tomorrow is the last day of prayer. All the offerings have al­ ready been made. But we will renew them again tomorrow, sol­ emnly. We shall gain our favour from God by our faithful love. I always think that it will happen to you as it did to Anne of El­ kanah. » «May God grant it... and I wish I had someone say to me now: “Go in peace. The God of Israel has granted the grace you asked for! ”» «If the grace comes, your child will tell you turning over for the first time in your womb; and it will be the voice of an inno­ cent, therefore the voice of God. » The camp is now silent in darkness. Anne also takes Alphaeus to the adjoining hut, and puts him on the straw near his little brothers, who are already asleep. Then she lies down beside Joachim and their lamp also goes out: one of the last little stars on earth. More beautiful, the stars in the vault of heaven remain watching over mankind asleep. 5Jesus says: «The just are always wise, because, as friends of God, they live in His company and are taught by Him, yes, by Him, Infinite Wisdom. My grandparents were just and therefore they possessed wis­ dom. They could quote accurately from the Book*, singing the praises of Wisdom from its context: “I loved her and searched for from my youth: I resolved to have her as my bride”. Anne of Aaron was the strong woman of whom our Ancestor** speaks. And Joachim, a descendant of king David, had not sought as much charm and wealth as virtue. Anne possessed a great vir­ tue. All holy attributes joined together like a sweet-smelling bunch of flowers to become one beautiful thing that was this ex­ ceptional Virtue. A real virtue, worthy of being set before the throne of God. Joachim had therefore married wisdom twice, “loving her more than any other woman”: the Wisdom of God enshrined in the heart of a just woman. Anne of Aaron had not sought any-* Book of Wisdom 8: 2. ** Ancestor, that is Solomon, in Proverbs 31: 10-31. 223. 5

thing else but to join her life to that of an honest man, cer­ tain that family joy lies in honesty. 6And to be the emblem of 3. 6 the “strong woman” she lacked only the crown of children, the glory of the married woman, the justification of marriage, the one of which Solomon speaks, as for her happiness she lacked children, the flowers of a tree that has become one thing with the adjoining tree and obtains thereof abundance of new fruit, in which the two good qualities blend into one, because she had never experienced any disappointment on account of her hus­ band. 7Although she was now approaching old age and had been 3. 7 Joachim's wife for many years, she was always for him “the spouse of his youth, his joy, the most dear hind, the graceful fawn”, whose caresses always had the fresh charm of the first nuptial evening and sweetly charmed his love, keeping it as fresh as a flower sprinkled with dew, and as ardent as a fire continu­ ously kept burning. Therefore, in their affliction of their child­ less state, they spoke to each other “words of consolation in their thoughts and troubles”. 8And when the time came, after having taught them in life, 3. 8 eternal Wisdom enlightened them with dreams at night, visions of the poem of glory that was to come from them and it was the Most Holy Mary, My Mother. If their humility made them hes­ itant, their hearts trembled in hope at the first hint of God's promise. There was already certainty in Joachim's words: “Do hope... We shall gain our favour from God by our faithful love”. They were dreaming of a child: they got the Mother of God. 9The words of the book of Wisdom appear to be written for 3. 9 them: “By means of her I shall acquire glory before the people... by means of her, immortality shall be mine and I shall leave an everlasting memory to my successors”. But to obtain all this they had to become masters of a true and lasting virtue which no event marred. Virtue of faith. Virtue of charity. Virtue of hope. Virtue of chastity. The chastity of a married couple! They pos­ sessed it, because it is not necessary to be virgins to be chaste. And chaste nuptial beds are guarded by angels and from them descend good children who make the virtue of their parents the rule of their lives. 10But where are they now? Now children are not wanted, nei­ 3. 10 23

ther is chastity. I therefore say that love and marriage are des­ ecrated. » 4. Through a song, Anne announces that she will become a mother. Her bosom holds the immaculate soul of Mary. 24th August 1944. 1I see Joachim and Anne's house once again. Nothing is changed inside, with the exception that there are many branches full of flowers, placed in amphoras here and there, certainly the fruit of the pruning of the trees in the orchard, all in bloom: a cloud varying from snow-white to the red of some corals. Also Anne's work is different. On the smaller of two looms she is weaving some lovely linen cloth and is singing, moving her feet to the rhythm of the song. She is singing and smiling. At whom? At herself, at something she is aware of inside of her. I have written the slow and yet gay song separately, so that I might follow it, for she repeats it several times as if she rejoices in it. She sings it more and more loudly and with certainty, like someone who found a melody in her heart and at first whispers it softly and then, being sure, proceeds faster and in a higher tone. The slow and yet gay song (which I am transcribing because it is so sweet in its simplicity) says: «Glory to the Almighty Lord Who had love for the children of David. Glory to the Lord! His supreme grace has visited me from Heaven The old tree has borne a new branch and I am blessed. At the Feast of Lights hope scattered the seed; Now the fragrance of Nisan sees it germinating. Like an almond-tree my flesh is adorned with flowers in spring. In the evening she perceives she is bearing her fruit. On that branch there is a rose, there is a most sweet apple. There is a bright star, an innocent little child. There is the joy of the house, of the husband and wife. Praise be to God, to my Lord, Who had mercy on me. His light said to me: “A star will come to you. ” 24 i4. 1

Glory, glory! Yours shall be the fruit of this tree. The first and last, holy and pure as a gift of the Lord. Yours it shall be and may joy and peace come upon the earth. Fly, spool. Fasten the yarn for the infant's cloth. The infant is about to be born. May the song of my heart rise to God singing hosannas. » 2Joachim comes in when she is about to repeat her song for the 4. 2 fourth time. «Are you happy, Anne? You look like a bird in spring. What song is that? I have never heard anyone sing it. Where does it come from? » «From my heart, Joachim. » Anne has got up and is now mov­ ing towards her husband, smiling happily. She looks younger and lovelier than ever. «I did not know you were a poet» declares her husband look­ ing at her with obvious admiration. They do not look like an el­ derly couple. In their glances there is the fondness of young cou­ ples. «I came from the other end of the orchard when I heard you singing. For years I had not heard your voice, that of a turtle­ dove in love. Do you mind repeating that song for me? » «I would repeat it even if you did not ask me. The children of Israel have always entrusted to songs the sincere cries of their hopes, joys and pains. I have entrusted to a song the task of tell­ ing myself and you a great joy. Yes, also of telling myself because it is such a great thing that although I am sure of it now, it does not yet seem to me to be true... », and she begins the song over again. But when she comes to the point: «On that branch there is a rose, there is a most sweet apple, a star... », her well tuned contralto voice at first trembles, then it breaks, and with a sob of joy she looks at Joachim and raising her arms she cries: «I am a mother, my darling! » And she takes refuge on his heart, be­ tween the arms that he has held out and has now clasped around his happy wife. This is the most chaste and happy embrace that I have ever seen in my life, chaste and ardent in its chastity. And the sweet reproach is whispered over Anne's grey hair: «And you were not telling me? » «Because I wanted to be sure. Old as I am... to know that I am a mother... I could not believe it was true... I did not want to give you the most bitter disappointment of all. Since the end of De­ 25

cember I have perceived that my womb was becoming new and bearing, as I say, a new branch. But now on that branch the fruit is certain... See? That linen is for the one that is coming. » «Is it not the linen that you bought in Jerusalem in October? » 4. 3 3«Yes, it is. I spun it while I was waiting... and hoping. I was hoping because the last day while I was praying in the Temple, as close as possible for a woman to be to the House of God, and it was already evening... remember that I was saying: “A little longer, a little more”. I could not withdraw from the place with­ out receiving the grace! Well, in the growing darkness, from in­ side the sacred place, where I was watching from the depth of my soul, to obtain assent from the everpresent God, I saw a light, a spark of beautiful light depart. It was as white as the moon and yet it had in itself all the brightness of all the pearls and gems that are in the world. It seemed that one of the precious stars of the Veil, the stars placed under the feet of the Cherubim, had be­ come detached and bright with a supernatural light... it seemed that beyond the sacred Veil, from the Glory itself, a fire started which came quickly towards me and while cutting through the air, it sang with a heavenly voice chanting: “May what you asked for, come to you”. That is why I sing: “A star will come to you”. What child will ours ever be, since it reveals itself as the light of a star in the Temple and in the Feast of Lights says: “I am”? Did you perhaps foresee rightly when you thought I would be a 4. 4 new Anne of Elkanah? 4How shall we name our creature, whom I perceive talking to me in my womb as sweetly as the melody of waters, with its little heart beating repeatedly like the heart of a pretty turtle-dove held in one's hands? » «If it is a boy we shall call him Samuel... If a girl, Star. The word that stopped your song to give me the joy of learning that I am a father. The form it took to reveal itself in the holy shade of the Temple. » «Star. Our Star, because, I don't know why, but I think it is a girl. I think that such sweet caresses can only come from a most sweet daughter. Because I do not bear her, I have no pain. It is she who takes me along a blue flowery path, as if I were supported by holy angels and the earth was already far away... I have always heard women say that it is painful to conceive and to bear. But I have no pain. I feel strong, young, fresher than when I presented 26

you with my virginity in my far away youth. Daughter of God -because this creature born of a barren stump, is more of God than ours-she gives no pain to her mother. She only brings her peace and blessings: the fruits of God, her true Father. » «Mary, then, we shall call her! Star of our sea, pearl, happi­ ness. The name of the first great woman in Israel*. But she will never sin against the Lord and to Him only she will give her songs, because she is offered to Him: a victim before being born. » «Yes, she is offered to Him. Male or female, as it may be, after rejoicing for three years over our creature, we shall give it to the Lord. Victims ourselves with her, for the glory of God. » I do not see or hear anything else. 5Jesus says: 4. 5 «Wisdom, after enlightening them with dreams at night, de­ scended “breath of the power of God, pure emanation of the glo­ ry of the Almighty”, and became Word for the barren one. He, who already saw His time for redemption close at hand: I, Christ,. Anne's grandson, almost fifty years later, by means of the Word, will work miracles on barren, diseased, possessed, desolate women and on all the miseries of the world. But in the meantime, for the joy of having a Mother I whisper a mysterious word in the shade of the Temple that contained the hopes of Israel, of the Temple now at the end of its life, because a new and real Temple is about to come on earth, no longer con­ taining the hopes of one people, but the certainty of Paradise for the people of the whole world, and for centuries and centuries until the end of the world. And this Word works the miracle of making fertile what was barren. And also the miracle of giving me a Mother, Who not only had the best disposition, as was natu­ ral She should have, being born of two saints, but, unique crea­ ture, not only had a good soul as many others still have, not only a continuous increase of goodness because of Her goodwill, not only an immaculate body, but had an immaculate soul. 6You have seen** the continuous generation of souls from God. 4. 6 Now think what must have been the beauty of this soul which the Father looked fondly on before time existed, which formed the * first great woman in Israel, Mary sister of Aaron and Moses. ** You have seen, on 25th May 1944. In “The Notebooks. 1944”. 27

delight of the Trinity, which Trinity longed to adorn it with its gifts, to present it to Itself. Oh! Most Holy Mary Whom God cre­ ated for Himself and then for the salvation of men! Bearer of the Saviour, You were the first salvation. Living Paradise, with Your smile You began to sanctify the world. The soul created to be soul of the Mother of God! When this vital spark derived from the more lively throb of the Threefold Love of the Trinity, the angels rejoiced because Paradise had never seen a brighter light. Like a petal of a heavenly rose, a mys­ tical and precious petal, that was a gem and a flame, the breath of God descended to give life to a body quite differently than for others. It descended so powerful in its ardour that Guilt could not contaminate it, it came through the heavens and enclosed it­ self in a holy womb. The world had its Flower, but did not yet know, the true, unique Flower, that blooms eternally: lily and rose, sweet-smell­ ing violet and jasmine, helianthus and cyclamen blended togeth­ er and with them all the flowers on earth in one Flower only: Mary, in Whom every grace and virtue is gathered together. In April the land of Palestine looked like a huge garden and the fragrance and colours delighted the hearts of men. But the most beautiful Rose was still unknown. She was already flow­ ering to God in the secrecy of Her mother's womb, because my Mother loved since She was conceived. But only when the vine gives its blood to make wine and the sweet strong smells fill the yards and the nostrils, She would smile to God first and then to the world, saying with Her most innocent smile: “Here, the Vine that will give you the Bunch of grapes to be squeezed in the winepress, so that it will become eternal Medicine for your dis­ ease, is amongst you”. I said: “Mary loved since She was conceived!” What is it that gives light and knowledge to the soul? Grace. What is it that re­ moves Grace? Original sin and the mortal one. Mary, the Im­ maculate, was never deprived of the remembrance of God, of His closeness, His love, His light, His wisdom. She was therefore able to understand and love when She was but flesh forming around an immaculate soul that continued to love. 7Later, I will let you contemplate mentally the depth of Mary's virginity. You will have a spell of heavenly ecstasy, as when I al-284. 7

lowed you to consider our eternity. In the meantime consider how to bear a creature free from the Stain that deprives one of God, gives the mother a superior intelligence and makes a prophetess of her, although she has conceived in a natural and human way. The prophetess of her daughter, whom she calls: “Daughter of God”. And consider what would have happened if innocent chil­ dren had been born of innocent First Parents, as God wanted. Man, you state that you are setting out to be “superman”, and with your vices are only setting out to be “superdemon”, this would have been the means to make you “superman”. The possi­ bility of existing and living without the contamination of Satan, leaving to God the administration of life, knowledge, and good­ ness, not wishing more than what God had given you and which was little less than infinite. And thus, in an evolution towards perfection, you would have been able to generate children, who should be men in their bodies and sons of Intelligence in their souls: victors, strong, giants over Satan, who would have been vanquished so many thousand centuries before the hour, when he will be humiliated, and all his evil with him. » 5. The birth of Mary, the faultless Virgin Mother of Wisdom. 26th August 1944. 1I see Anne coming out of the garden. She is leaning on the 5. 1 arm of somebody who is surely a relative, as they look alike. She is obviously several months pregnant and she looks tired, per­ haps due to the same heat that is now exhausting me. Although the garden is shady, it is very hot and close. The air can be cut like a soft warm dough, it is so heavy. The sun's rays descend from a merciless blue sky and there is some dust mak­ ing the atmosphere slightly hazy. The weather must have been dry for a long time, because where there is no irrigation, the land is literally reduced to a very fine, almost white dust. Out in the open this shade of white is slightly pink, whereas it is a dark red-brown under the trees, where the soil is damp. Likewise the ground is moist along the small flower-beds, where rows of Veg­ etables are growing, and around the rose bushes, the jasmines 29

and other flowers, and particularly in the front of and along the beautiful pergola, which divides the orchard in two, up to the be­ ginning of the fields, now stripped of their crops. The grass of the meadow, which marks the boundary of the property, is parched and thin. Only at its border, where there is a hedge of wild haw­ thorn, already completely studded with the rubies of its little fruits, is the grass greener and thicker. There are some sheep thereabouts with a young shepherd seeking pasture and shade. Joachim is working around the rows of vines and olive-trees. There are two men with him, helping him. Although an elderly man he is quick and works eagerly. They are opening little chan­ nels at the end of a field to give water to the dry plants, and this water makes its way gurgling between the grass and the dry land. The flow forms circles that for one moment resemble a yellowish crystal and seconds later are only rings of wet soil, around the overloaded vine branches and the olive-trees. Along the shady pergola, under which golden bees are buzz­ ing, greedy for the sugar of the golden grapes, Anne moves slowly towards Joachim, who hastens towards her as soon as he sees her. «You came so far? » «The house is as hot as an oven. » «And you suffer from it. » «The only suffering of this last hour is that of a pregnant wo­ man. The natural suffering of everybody: man and beast. Don't get too hot, Joachim. » «The water we have been hoping for, for such a long time, and that for three days seemed so close, has not yet come and the land is parched. We are lucky to have a spring so near and so rich in water. I have opened the channels. It is a small sigh of relief for the plants which have withering leaves and are cov­ ered with dust: just enough to keep them alive. If it would only rain... » Joachim, with the eagerness of all farmers, looks at the sky, while Anne, tired, cools herself with a fan that seems to be made of the dry leaf of a palm interwoven with many-coloured threads keeping it firm. Anne's companion interrupts: «Over there, beyond the Great Hermon, fast clouds are arising. There is a northern wind. It will refreshen and perhaps bring rain. » «The breeze has risen for three days and then it sets when the 30

moon rises. It will do the same again. » Joachim is discouraged. «Let us go back inside. Even here one can hardly breathe, and in any case I think it is better to go back... » says Anne, who looks more olive-hued than usual, owing to a paleness which has come over her face. 2«Are you in pain? » «No. But I can feel the great peace that I experienced in the Temple when I was granted the grace, and which I felt once again when I knew I was pregnant. It is like an ecstasy, a sweet sleep of the body while the soul rejoices and calms itself in a peace that has no bodily comparison. I have loved and still do love you, Joachim, and when I entered your house and I said to myself: “I am the wife of a just man”, I had peace: and I felt the same every time your provident love took care of your Anne. But this peace is different. Understand: I think that the soul of our father Jacob was invaded by a similar peace, like the soothing given by oil that spreads and appeases, after he dreamt* of the angels. And, possibly more accurately, it is like the joyful peace of the Tobiahs after Raphael appeared to them. If I absorb my­ self in this feeling, it grows more and more in strength while I enjoy it. It is as if I were ascending into the blue spaces of the sky... And furthermore, I don't know the reason for it, but since I have had this peaceful joy in me, I have a song in my heart: old Tobiah's song. I think it was written for this hour... for this joy... for the land of Israel that receives it... for Jerusalem-sinner and now forgiven... But do not laugh at the frenzy of a mother... but when I say: “Thank the Lord for your wealth and bless the God of centuries, that He may rebuild His Tabernacle in you”, I think that He Who will rebuild the Tabernacle of the true God in Je­ rusalem will be This One who is about to be born... And I also think that the destiny of my creature was prophesied and not the fate of the Holy City, when the song says: “You shall shine with a bright light: all the peoples of the world will prostrate them­ selves before you: the nations will come bringing gifts: they will worship the Lord in you and will hold your land as sacred, be­ cause within you they invoke the Great Name. You will be hap­ py on account of your children, because they will all be blessed * he dreamt, in Genesis 28: 10-16. 315. 2

and they will gather near the Lord. Blessed are those who love you and rejoice in your peace... ” And I am the first to rejoice, her happy mother... » Anne changes colour, when saying these words and she lights up like something brought from the paleness of moonlight to the brightness of a great fire and vice versa. Sweet tears, of which she is unaware, run down her cheeks and she smiles in her joy. And in the meantime she moves towards the house, walking between her husband and her relative, who listen and, deeply moved, are silent. 3They make haste because clouds driven by a strong wind, rush across and gather in the sky, while the plain darkens and shudders at the warning of a storm. When they reach the thresh­ old of the dwelling, a first livid flash of lightning crosses the sky and the rumble of the first peal of thunder sounds like the roll of a huge drum that mingles with the arpeggio of the first drops on the parched leaves. They all go in and Anne withdraws, while Joachim, standing at the door, talks with the workers, who have in the meantime joined him: the conversation is about the longed-for water which is a blessing for the parched land. But their joy turns into fear because a very violent storm is approaching with lightning and clouds threatening hail. «If the cloud bursts, it will crush the grapes and the olives like a millstone. Poor me! » Joachim is also anxious for his wife, whose time has come to give birth to her child. His relative reassures him that Anne is not suffering at all. But he is agitated, and every time his relative or any other woman, amongst whom is Alphaeus' mother, comes out of Anne's room and goes back in again with hot water and basins and linens dried near the blazing fireplace in the large kitchen, he goes and makes enquiries, but he does not calm down despite their reassurances. Also the lack of cries from Anne wor­ ries him. He says: «I am a man and I have never seen a child being born. But I remember hearing that the absence of labour pains is fatal. » It is growing dark and the evening is preceded by a furious and very violent storm: it brings torrential rain, wind, lightning, everything, except hail, which has fallen elsewhere. One of the workers notices the ferocity of the gale: «It looks as 325. 3

if Satan has come out of Gehenna with his demons. Look at those black clouds! You can smell sulphur in the air and you can hear whistling and hisses, and wailing and cursing voices. If it is him, he is furious this evening! » The other worker laughs and scoffs: «A great prey must have escaped him, or Michael has struck him with a new thunderbolt from God, and he has had his horns and tail clipped and burnt. » A woman passes by and shouts: «Joachim! It is coming. And it is happening quickly and well! » and she disappears with a small amphora in her hands. 4The storm drops suddenly, after one last thunderbolt that is 5. 4 so violent that it throws the three men against the side wall; and in front of the house, in the garden, a black smoky cavity remains as its memory! Meanwhile a cry, one resembling the tiny plea of a little turtle-dove that for the very first time no longer peeps but cooes, is heard from beyond Anne's door. And at the same time a huge rainbow stretches its semicircle across the sky. It rises, or seems to rise, from the top of Hermon, which kissed by the sun, looks like a most delicate pinkish alabaster: it rises up in the clear September sky and through an atmosphere cleaned of all impurities, it crosses over the hills of Galilee and the plain to the south, and then over another mountain, and seems to rest the other end on the distant horizon, where it drops from view be­ hind a chain of high mountains. «We have never seen anything like this! » «Look, look! » «It seems to enclose in a circle the whole of the land of Israel. And look! there is already a star in the sky while the sun has not yet set. What a star! It is shining like a huge diamond!... » «And the moon, over there, is a full moon, three days early. But look how she is shining! » 5The women arrive jubilant with a plump little baby wrapped 5. 5 in plain linen. It is Mary, the Mother. A very tiny Mary, who could sleep in the arms of a child, a Mary as long, at the most, as an arm, with a little head of ivory dyed pale pink. Her tiny carmine lips no longer cry but are set in the instinctive act of sucking: they are so small that one cannot understand how they will be able to take a teat. Her pretty little nose is between two tiny round cheeks, 33

and when they get Her to open Her eyes, by teasing Her, they see two small parts of the sky, two innocent blue points that look but cannot see, between thin fair eyelashes. Also Her hair on Her lit­ tle round head is a pinkish blond, like the colour of certain hon­ eys which are almost white. Her ears are two small shells, transparent, perfect. Her tiny hands... what are those two little things groping in the air and ending up in Her mouth? Closed, as they are now, they are two rose buds that split the green of their sepals and show their silk within. When they are open, as now, they are two ivory jewels, made of pink ivory and alabaster with five pale garnets as nails. How will those two tiny hands be able to dry so many tears? And Her little feet? Where are they? For the time being they are just kicking, hidden in the linen. But now the relative sits down and uncovers Her... Oh, the little feet! They are about four centimetres long. Each sole is a coral shell, with a snow white top veined in blue. Her toes are masterpieces of Lilliputian sculp­ ture: they, too, are crowned with small scales of pale garnet. But where will they find small sandals, when those little feet of a doll will take their first steps, sandals small enough to fit such tiny feet? And how will those little feet be able to go such a long way and bear so much pain under the cross? But that for the time being is not known, and the onlookers smile and laugh at her kicking, at Her well shaped legs, at Her minute plumpish thighs that form dimples and rings, at Her lit­ tle tummy, a cup turned upside-down, at Her tiny perfect chest. Under the skin of Her breast, as soft as fine silk, the movement of Her breathing can be seen and the beating of Her little heart can be heard, if, as Her happy father is doing now, one lays one's lips there for a kiss... This is the most beautiful little heart the world will ever know: the only immaculate heart of a human being. And Her back? They are now turning Her over and they can see the curve of Her kidneys and then the plump shoulders and the pink nape of Her neck, which is so strong that the little head lifts itself up on the arch of the minute vertebrae. It looks like the little head of a bird that scans the new world that it views. She, the Pure and Chaste One, protests with a little cry at being thus exposed to the eyes of so many, She, Entirely Virgin, the Holy and Immaculate, Whom no man will ever see nude again, protests. 34

Cover, do cover this bud of a lily which will never be opened on earth and which, still remaining a bud, will bear its Flower, even more beautiful than Herself. Only in Heaven the Lily of the Triune Lord will open all its petals. Because up there, there is no particle of fault that may unwillingly profane its spotlessness. Because up there the Triune God is to be received, in the presence of the whole Empyrean, the Triune God that within a few years, hidden in a faultless heart, will be in Her: Father, Son, Spouse. Here She is again, in Her linen, in the arms of Her earthly fa­ ther, whom She resembles. Not at the moment. Now She is just the sketch of a human. I mean that She will be like him when She has grown into a woman. She has nothing of Her mother. She has Her father's colour of complexion and eyes and certainly also his hair. His hair is now white, but when he was young it was defi­ nitely fair, as one can tell from his eyebrows. She has Her father's features, made more perfect and gentle, being a woman, but that special Woman. She has also the smile, the glance, the way of moving and height of Her father. Thinking of Jesus, as I see Him, I find Anne has given her height to her Grandson and her deep ivory colour to His skin. Mary, instead, has not the stateliness of Her mother: a tall and supple palm-tree, but She has the kind­ ness of Her father. 6Also the women are speaking of the storm and the unusual 5. 6 state of the moon, of the presence of the star and the rainbow. Along with Joachim they enter the happy mother's room and give her her baby. Anne smiles at one of her thoughts: «She is the Star» she says. «Her sign is in Heaven. Mary, arch of peace! Mary, my Star! Mary, pure moon! Mary, our pearl! » «Are you calling Her Mary? » «Yes. Mary, star and pearl and light and peace... » «But it means also bitterness... Are you not afraid of bringing Her misfortune? » «God is with Her. She belongs to Him before She existed. He will lead Her along His ways and all bitterness will turn into heavenly honey. Now be of Your mummy... for a little longer, be­ fore being all of God... » And the vision ends on the first sleep of Anne, a mother, and Mary, an infant. 35

27th August 1944. 7Jesus says: «Rise and make haste, My little friend. I am longing to take you with Me on the heavenly contemplation of Mary's Virginity. You will emerge from this experience with your soul as fresh as if you too were created at the moment by the Father, a little Eve not yet aware of the flesh. You will emerge with your soul filled with light, because you will plunge into God's masterpiece. You will emerge with your whole self being saturated in love, because you will have understood the degree to which God can love. To speak of the conception of Mary, the Immaculate, means to pen­ etrate the sky, light, love. 8Come and read Her glories in the Book of the Ancestor*. “God possessed me at the beginning of His works, from the beginning, before the Creation. From everlasting I was firmly set, in the be­ ginning, before earth came into being, the deep did not yet exist and I was already conceived. The springs did not yet gush with water and the mountains had not yet risen in their huge masses, neither were the hills jewels in the sun, when I came to birth. God had not yet made the earth, the rivers and the foundations of the world, and I was there. When He prepared the Heavens I was present, when with immutable laws He enclosed the deep under the surface, when He fixed the Heavens firm and He sus­ pended the springs of water there, when He assigned the sea its boundaries and gave laws to the waters, when He ordered the waters not to invade the shore, when He laid down the founda­ tions of the earth, I was with Him arranging everything. I always played joyfully in His presence, I played in the universe... ” You applied these words to Wisdom, but they speak of Her: the beau­ tiful Mother, the holy Mother, the Virgin Mother of Wisdom that I am and Who is now speaking to you. 9I wanted you to write the first line of the song at the top of the book that speaks of Her, so that She might be contemplated and the consolation and joy of God might be known; the reason for the constant, perfect, intimate delight of this God One and Triune, Who rules and loves you and Who received from man so many reasons for being sad; the reason why He perpetuated the * Book of the Ancestor: Proverbs 8: 22-31. 365. 7 5. 8 5. 9

human race, even when, at the first test*, humanity deserved to be destroyed; the reason for the forgiveness you have received. To have Mary that loved Him! Oh! It was well worth while creating Man and allowing him to exist and decreeing to forgive him, to have the Beautiful Virgin, the Holy Virgin, the Immacu­ late Virgin, the Loving Virgin, the Beloved Daughter, the Most Pure Mother, the Loving Spouse! God has given you so much and would have given you even more to possess the Creature of His delight, the Sun of His sun, the Flower of His garden. And He continues to give you so much on account of Her, at Her request, for Her joy, because Her joy flows into the joy of God and in­ creases it with flashes that fill the light, the great light of Para­ dise with brilliant sparkles and every sparkle is a grace to the universe, to mankind, to the blessed souls who reply with a jubi­ lant cry of alleluia to each generation of divine miracle, created by the desire of the Blessed Trinity to see the sparkling smile of joy of the Virgin. 10God desired to put a king in the universe that He had cre­ 5. 10 ated out of nothing. A king, who by the nature of matter, should be the first amongst all the creatures created with matter and endowed with matter. A king, who by nature of the spirit should be little less than divine, united to Grace as he was in his first innocent day. But the Supreme Mind, to Whom all the most re­ mote events in centuries are known, incessantly sees what was, is and will be; and while It contemplates the past, and observes the present, It penetrates deeply with Its foresight into the most distant future and knows in every detail how the last man will die. Without confusion or discontinuity the Supreme Mind has always known that the king created to be demigod at Its side in Heaven, heir of the Father, reaching His Kingdom, as an adult after living in the house of his mother — the earth, with which he was made — during his childhood, as child of the Eternal Father for his day on earth. The Supreme Mind has always known that man would have committed against himself the crime of killing Grace in himself and the theft of robbing himself of Heaven. Then why did He create him? Certainly many ask themselves why. Would you have preferred not to exist? Does this day not de­ * at the first test, in: Genesis 6: 9. 37

serve, in itself, to be lived, although so poor and bare, and ren­ dered harsh by your wickedness, so that you may know and ad­ mire the infinite Beauty that the hand of God has sown in the universe? For whom would He have created the stars and planets that fly like thunderbolts and arrows, furrowing the vault of Heav­ en, or dash majestically in their rush of meteors, and yet seem slow, presenting you with light and seasons, eternally immutable and yet always mutable. They give you a new page to read in the sky, every evening, every month, every year, as if they wished to say: “Forget your restriction, forsake your printed matter which is full of obscure, putrid, dirty, poisonous, false, swearing, cor­ rupting material and rise, at least with your eyes, to the unlim­ ited freedom of the firmament, make your souls bright looking at so clear a sky. Build up a supply of light to take to your dark prison. Read the word that we write singing our sidereal chorus, which is more harmonious than the one drawn from a cathedral organ. The word that we write while shining, the word that we write while loving, because we always bear in mind He Who gave us the joy of existing. And we love Him for giving us our exist­ ence, our brightness, our movement, our freedom, our beauty in the midst of the gentle azure, beyond which we can see an even more sublime blue: Paradise. And we fulfil the second part of His commandment of love, by loving you, our universal neighbours, loving you by giving you guidance and light, warmth and beauty. Read the word we say, the one on which we modulate our singing, our brightness, our smile: God! ” For whom would He have made the blue sea, the mirror of the sky, the way to the land, the smile of waters, the voice of waves? The sea itself is a word that with the rustling of silk, with the smiles of happy girls, with the sighs of old people who remember and weep, with the clamour of violence, with clashes and roars always speaks and says: “God”. The sea is for you, as the sky and the stars are. And with the sea, the lakes and the rivers, the ponds and the streams, the pure springs, all of which serve to nourish you, to quench your thirst, to clean you: and they serve you serv­ ing their Creator, without submerging you, as you deserve. For whom would He have made the countless families of ani­ mals, the beautifully coloured birds, that fly singing, and other 38

animals that like servants, run, work, nourish you and succour you, their kings? For whom would He have created the countless families of plants and flowers that look like butterflies, like gems and mo­ tionless birds, and the families of fruits that are like jewels or jewels cases and are a carpet for your feet, the trees that form shelters for your heads, a welcome relaxation and joy to your minds, your limbs, your sight and smell? For whom would He have made the minerals in the bowels of the earth and the salts dissolved in cold and boiling springs, the iodines and the bromines, unless one should enjoy them, one who was not God, but the son of God? One: man The joy of God lacked nothing: God had no need. He is suffi­ cient in Himself. He has only to contemplate Himself to rejoice, to nourish Himself, to live, to rest. The whole creation has not in­ creased by one atom His infinite joy, beauty, life, power. He made everything for the creature that He wanted to place as king in the work made by Him: that creature is man. It is worth while living to see such a work of God and to be grateful to His power that gives you the opportunity. And you must be grateful to be alive. You should have been grateful even if you had to wait till Doomsday to be redeemed, because you have been prevaricators, proud, lascivious and murderers in your First Parents and you are still so individually. Yet God al­ lows you to enjoy the beauty of the universe, the goodness of the universe: and He treats you as if you were good children, who are taught and granted everything so that their lives might be hap­ pier and more pleasant. What you know, you know by the light of God. What you discover, you discover through the guidance of God. In Goodness. Other knowledge and discoveries that bear the mark of evil, come from the Supreme Evil: Satan. 11The Supreme Mind, that knows everything, even before man 5. 11 existed, knew that man would be his own thief and his own mur­ derer. And as the Eternal Goodness has no limits in being good, before Guilt existed, He thought of the means to obliterate Guilt. The means: I, the Word. The instrument to render the means an efficient instrument: Mary. And the Virgin was created in the sublime mind of God. 12Everything was created for Me, beloved Son of the Father. 5. 12 39

I-King should have had under my Divine Royal feet carpets and jewels such as no royal palace had, and songs and voices and ser­ vants and ministers around me as no sovereign ever possessed, and flowers and gems, all the sublime, the greatness, the kind­ ness that may derive from the thought of a God. But I was to be Flesh as well as Spirit. Flesh to save the flesh. Flesh to sublime the flesh, taking it to Heaven many centuries before its time. Because the flesh inhabited by the spirit is God's masterpiece and Heaven had already been made for it. In order to become flesh I needed a Mother. To be God it was necessary that the Father was God. Then God created His Spouse and said to Her: “Come with Me. At My side see what I am doing for our Son. Look and rejoice, eternal Virgin, eternal Maiden and may Your smile fill this Em­ pyrean and give the angels their starting note and teach Para­ dise celestial harmony. I am looking at You. And I see You as You will be, Immaculate Woman, Who are now only a spirit: the spirit in which I rejoice. I am looking at You and I give the sea and the firmament the blue of Your eyes, the holy corn the colour of Your hair, whiteness to the lily and a rosy colour to the rose, like Your silky skin. I copy the pearls from Your minute teeth, I make the sweet strawberries watching Your mouth and I give the nightin­ gale Your notes and the turtle-doves Your weeping. And reading Your future thoughts and listening to the beats of Your heart, I have a reason for guidance in creating. Come, My joy, have the worlds as a plaything as long as You will be the dancing light of My thoughts have the worlds for Your smile, have wreaths and necklaces of stars; place the moon under Your gentle feet; make Galatea Your stellar scarf. The stars and planets are for You. Come and enjoy looking at the flowers that will be a childish joy for Your Baby and a pillow for the Son of Your womb. Come and see sheep and lambs, eagles and doves being created. Stay beside Me when I make the hollows of the seas and grooves of the rivers and I raise the mountains and I adorn them with snow and for­ ests. Stay here while I sow fodder and trees and vines, and I make the olive-tree for You, My Peaceful One, and the vine for You, My Vine branch who will bear the Eucharistic Bunch of grapes. Run, fly, rejoice, My Beauty. And may the universe which is cre­ ated hour by hour learn from You to love Me, My Love, and may 40

it become more beautiful owing to Your smile, Mother of My Son, Queen of My Paradise, Love of Your God”. And again, seeing the Fault and admiring the Faultless One: “Come to Me, You Who wipe away the bitterness of human disobedience, of human for­ nication with Satan and of human ingratitude. I will take with You My revenge over Satan”. 13God, the Father Creator, had created man and woman with 5. 13 such a perfect law of love that you cannot even understand its perfection anymore. And you become lost in wondering how the human species would have come to be, if man had not been taught by Satan how to obtain it. Look at the fruit and seed plants. Do they produce seed and fruit by means of fornication, by means of one fecundation out of one hundred copulations? No. The pollen emerges from the male flower and driven by a complex of meteoric and magnetic laws it proceeds to the ovary of the female flower. The latter opens, re­ ceives it and produces. It does not dirty itself and then refuse it, as you do, to enjoy the same sensation the following day. It pro­ duces and does not flower until the next season and when it does, it is only to produce. Look at the animals. All of them. Have you ever seen a male animal and a female one approach each other for a sterile em­ brace and lascivious dealings? No. From near or far, they fly, crawl, jump or run, they go, when it is time, to the fecundation rite. Neither do they stop at the pleasure, but they go further, to the serious and holy consequences of the offspring, the only rea­ son that should cause a man, a demigod by his origin of Grace which I have made complete, to accept the animality of the act, necessary since you descended by one level towards animals. You do not act as plants and animals do. You had Satan as your teacher. Yon wanted him as your teacher and yon still want him. And the works you do are what one would expect of the teacher you wanted. Had you been faithful to God, you would have had the joy of children, in a holy way, without pain, with­ out exhausting yourselves in obscene and shameful intercourses, which even beasts are unacquainted with, although beasts are without a reasoning and spiritual soul. To man and woman, corrupted by Satan, God decided to op­ pose the Man born of a Woman Whom God had super-sublimed 41

to such an extent that She generated without knowing man: a Flower that generates a Flower, without the need of seed, by a unique kiss of the Sun on the inviolated chalice of the Lily-Mary. 14The revenge of God! Hiss, O Satan, your hatred while She comes into the world! This Child has beaten you! Before you were the Rebel, the Twist­ er, the Corruptor, you were already beaten and She was your Con­ queror. One thousand assembled armies are of no avail against your power, the arms of men fall before your scales, o Perenni­ al One, and there is no wind capable of dispersing the stench of your breath. And yet, the heel of this Child, which is so rosy as to look like the inside of a rosy camellia, and is so smooth and soft that silk seems coarse in comparison, and is so small that it could enter the chalice of a tulip and make itself a tiny shoe with that vegetable satin, that heel is crushing your head without any fear and relegates you to your den. And Her cry causes you to flee away, although you are not afraid of armies. And Her breath pu­ rifies the world of your foul smell. You are defeated. Her name, Her look, Her purity are lances and thunderbolts that pierce you and demolish you and imprison you in your den in Hell, o Cursed One, who deprived God of the joy of being the Father of all men created! In vain you have corrupted them, who had been created inno­ cent, leading them to knowledge and conception by means of the sensuousness of lust, depriving God, in His beloved creature, of being the benefactor of the children according to rules, which, had they been respected, would have kept a balance on earth be­ tween sexes and races, a balance capable of avoiding wars be­ tween people and calamities between families. By obeying, they would have also known love. Indeed, only by obeying they would have known love and possessed it. A com­ plete and peaceful possession of this gift from God, Who from the supernatural descends to the inferior, so that also the flesh may rejoice devoutly, since it is united to the spirit and created by Him Who created the spirit. Now, men, what is your love, what are your loves? Either lewd­ ness disguised as love or an incurable fear of losing the love of your partner through her or other people's lewdness. You are never sure of possessing the heart of your husband or wife, since 425. 14

lust entered the world. And you tremble and cry and become overwrought with jealousy, sometimes you kill to avenge a be­ trayal, sometimes you despair, and sometimes you lack will or even become insane. This is what you have done, Satan, to the children of God. Those whom you have corrupted, would have known the joy of having children without suffering any pain and would have ex­ perienced the joy of being born without fear of dying. But now you are beaten in a Woman and by a Woman. From now on, who­ ever loves Her will become once again God's own, overcoming your temptations, to be able to look at Her immaculate purity. From now on mothers, though not able to conceive without pain, will find comfort in her. From now on She will be the guide for married women and the Mother of dying people, so that it will be sweet to die resting on that breast which is a shield against you, you Cursed One, and against the wrath of God. Mary, little voice, you have seen the birth of the Virgin's Son and the assumption of the Virgin to Heaven. You have therefore seen that the faultless ones are unaware of the pain in giving birth as well as of the pain in dying. But if the Most Innocent Mother of God was granted the perfection of celestial gifts, all those who in the First Parents had remained innocent and sons of God, would have generated without throes as it was fair, hav­ ing conceived without lust, and they would have died without anxiety. The sublime victory of God over Satan's revenge was to raise the perfection of the beloved creature to a super-perfection that should annul, at least in one person, all recollection of humanity, liable to Satan's poison, so that the Son should be generated not by a man's chaste embrace, but by a divine embrace that causes the spirit to change colour in the ecstasy of the Fire. 15The Virgin's Virginity!... Come. Contemplate this deep virginity that gives ecstatic diz­ ziness in its contemplation! What is the poor enforced virginity of a woman that no man married? Less than nothing. What is the virginity of a woman who wanted to be a virgin to belong to God, but is so in her body and not in her spirit, where she al­ lows alien thoughts to enter and entertains allurements of Tru­ man thoughts? It is a sham virginity, but still very little. What 435. 15

is the virginity of a cloistered nun who lives only for God? Very much. But it is never the perfect virginity when compared with My Mother's. There has always been an union, also in the most holy one. The original union between spirit and Fault. The one that only Bap­ tism dissolves. It dissolves it, but as in the case of a woman sepa­ rated from her husband by his death, it does not render virginity complete such as it was in the First Parents before Sin. A scar remains and hurts causing one to remember it, and it is always ready to become a sore like certain diseases that periodically are made worse by their virus. In the Virgin there is no sign of this dissolved union with the Fault. Her soul appears beautiful and intact as when the Father conceived Her, gathering all graces in Her. She is the Virgin. She is the Only One. She is the Perfect One. The Complete One. Conceived as such. Generated as such. Re­ mained such. Crowned such. Eternally such. She is the Virgin. She is the abyss of intangibility, of purity, of grace that is lost in the Abyss from which it emerged: in God: most perfect Intangi­ bility, Purity, Grace. That is the revenge of the God Triune and One. Against crea­ tures desecrated He raises this Star to perfection. Against un­ healthy curiosity He raises this Coy Virgin, contented only with loving God. Against the science of evil, this sublime Innocent Virgin. In Her there is not only no knowledge of dejected love: there is not only non-acquaintance with the love that God had given to married people. Much more. In Her there is the absence of incentives, the inheritance of Sin. In Her there is only the icy and white-hot wisdom of divine love. A fire that strengthens the flesh with ice, so that it may be a transparent mirror at the altar where God married a Virgin and does not lower Himself because His perfection embraces Her perfection, which, as it becomes a bride, is only inferior to His by one point, subject to Him as a Wo­ man, but without fault as He is. » 44

6. The purification of Anne and the offering of Mary, the perfect eternal Maiden for the Kingdom of Heaven. 28th August 1944. 1In Jerusalem I see Joachim and Anne, together with Zacha­ 6. 1 rias and Elizabeth, coming out of a house, which must belong to friends or relatives, and they are heading towards the Temple for the ceremony of the Purification. Anne is carrying the Baby, all wrapped up in swaddling clothes, or rather, all tied up in a wide garment of light wool, which, however, must be soft and warm. It is impossible to de­ scribe how carefully and lovingly she carries and watches her little creature, lifting the edge of the fine warm cloth to see if Mary is breathing freely, and then she readjusts it to protect Her from the sharp air of a clear but cold winter day. Elizabeth is holding some parcels in her hands. Joachim is pulling with a rope two big and very white lambs, which are more like rams than lambs. Zacharias has nothing in his hands. He is handsome in his linen garment, which can be seen under a white heavy woollen mantle. Zacharias, much younger than the one al­ ready seen at the birth of the Baptist, in his full manhood, as Eliz­ abeth is a mature woman, but still fresh in her appearance: and she bends in ecstasy over the tiny sleeping face, every time Anne looks at the Baby. She also looks beautiful in her blue almost dark violet dress and in her veil that covers her head and then falls on her shoulders and on the mantle, which is darker than her dress. But Joachim and Anne are certainly solemn in their best clothes. Unexpectedly, he is not wearing his dark brown tunic. Instead he has on a long garment of a very deep red, which we would now call St. Joseph's red, and the fringes attached to his mantle are new and beautiful. He, too, is wearing a kind of rec­ tangular veil on his head and it is secured with a leather band. Everything is new and of excellent quality. Anne, oh! She is not wearing dark clothes today! Her dress is a very pale yellow, almost the colour of old ivory, tied at her waist, neck and wrists with a large belt that seems of silver and gold. Her head is covered by a very light damask veil, held at her forehead by a thin but precious plate. She has a filigree necklace around her neck and bracelets at her wrists. She is like 45

a queen, also because of the dignity with which she wears her dress, and particularly her cape, which is of a light yellow col­ our hemmed with a Greek fret beautifully embroidered in the same shade. «You look exactly as the day you got married. I was just a lit­ tle older than a girl, then, but I still remember how beautiful and happy you were» says Elizabeth. «But now I am even more so... and I decided to wear the same dress for this rite. I had kept it for this... and I was no longer ex­ pecting to put it on for this. » 2«The Lord has loved you very much... » says Elizabeth sigh­ ing. «And that is why I am giving Him the thing I love most. This flower of mine. » «How will you be able to tear it from your heart when the time comes? » «Remembering that I did not have her and that God gave her to me. I shall always be happier now than then. When I know She is in the Temple I will say to myself: “She is praying near the Tabernacle, She is praying the God of Israel also for Her mum­ my” and I will have peace. And a greater peace I will have in say­ ing: “She belongs entirely to Him. When these two old but happy parents, who received Her from Heaven, are no longer alive, He, the Eternal, will still be Her Father”. Believe me, I am fully con­ vinced, this little creature is not ours. I was not able to do any­ thing more... He put Her in my bosom, a divine gift to wipe away my tears and fulfil our hopes and our prayers. That is why She belongs to Him. We are the happy guardians... and may He be blessed for this! » 3They have now reached the walls of the Temple. «While you go to Nicanor's Gate, I will go and inform the priest. And then I will come, too» Zacharias says. And he dis­ appears behind an arch leading into a large yard surrounded by porches. The group continues to proceed along the ensuing terraces. I do not know whether I have said this before: the enclosure wall of the Temple is not on level ground but it rises up higher and higher by means of successive terraces. Each terrace is reached by means of a flight of steps and on each terrace there are yards 466. 2 6. 3

and porches and beautiful portals wrought in marble, bronze and gold. Before reaching their destination they stop to take out the contents of the parcels: cakes, I think, which are wide and flat and very greasy, some white flour, two doves in a small wicker cage and some big silver coins: they are quite heavy but fortu­ nately garments did not have pockets in those days. They would have made holes in them. Here is the beautiful Gate of Nicanor, all chiselled in heavy bronze silver plating. Zacharias is already there beside a stately priest dressed in linen. Anne is sprinkled with what I suppose is lustral water and then she is instructed to move towards the altar of the sacrifice. The Child is no longer in her arms. Elizabeth, who has stopped at this side of the Gate, has taken Her. Joachim, instead, enters behind his wife, dragging a misera­ ble bleating lamb. And I... I do exactly what I did on the occasion of Mary's purification: I close my eyes not to see any slaughter. Now Anne is purified. 4Zacharias whispers something to his colleague, who nods 6. 4 smiling. He then approaches the group, which has reassembled, and as he congratulates the mother and father on their joy and their loyalty to the promises, he is given the second lamb, the flour and the cakes. «So this daughter is sacred to the Lord? May His blessing be with Her and with you. Here is Anna. She will be one of Her teachers. Anna of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. Come here, wo­ man. This little one is offered to the Temple as a victim of praise. You will be Her teacher and She will grow holy under your guid­ ance. » Anna, already completely grey, fondles the Child, who has awakened and is looking with Her innocent and surprised eyes at all the white and gold lit up by the sun. The ceremony must be over. I did not see any special rite for the offering of Mary. Perhaps it was sufficient to tell the priest, and above all God, at the sacred place. 5«I would like to give the offering to the Temple and go over 6. 5 there where I saw the light last year. » They go accompanied by Anna of Phanuel. They do not enter 47

the actual Temple; since they are women and it is the case of a lit­ tle girl, it is understandable that they do not even go where Mary went to offer Her Son. But very close to the wide open door, they look into the half-dark inside from which sweet songs of girls can be heard and where precious lamps are lit and spread a gold­ en light on two flower beds of white veiled heads: two real flow­ erbeds of lilies. «In three years' time You will be there too, my Lily» promises Anne to Mary, Who looks fascinated at the inside and smiles at the slow song. «You would say that She understands» says Anna of Phanuel. «She is a beautiful child! She will be as dear to me as if She were my own. I promise you, mother. If I shall be granted to be so. » «You shall, woman» Zacharias says. «You will receive Her amongst the sacred girls. I also shall be there. I want to be there that day to tell Her to pray for us from the very first moment... » and he looks at his wife who understands and sighs. The ceremony is over and Anna of Phanuel withdraws, while the others leave the Temple speaking to one another. I hear Joachim say: «Not only two lambs and the best, but I would have given all my lambs for this joy and to praise God! » I do not see anything else. 6Jesus says: «Solomon in his Wisdom says*: “Whoever is childlike, let him come to me”. And really from the stronghold, from the walls of her city, Eternal Wisdom said to the Eternal Maiden: “Come to Me”, longing to have Her. Later the Son of the Most Pure Maiden will say: “Let little children come to Me because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs, and those who do not become like them will not have any part in My Kingdom”. The voices follow one anoth­ er and while the voice of Heaven cries to little Mary: “Come to Me”, the voice of Man says, and thinks of His Mother in saying so: “Come to Me if you can be like children”. I give you My Mother as a model. Here is the perfect Maiden with the pure and simple heart of a dove, here is the One Whom years and worldly contacts do not * says : Proverbs 9: 4. 486. 6

make defiant in the cruelty of a corrupted, twisted, false spirit. Because She does not want it. Come to Me, looking at Mary. 7Since you see Her, tell me: Is Her glance as an infant very 6. 7 different from the one She had at the foot of the Cross or in the delight of Pentecost or when Her eyelids closed upon Her inno­ cent eyes for Her last sleep? No. Here is the uncertain and aston­ ished glance of an infant, then it will be the amazed and modest look of the Annunciation, and then the happy one of the Mother in Bethlehem, then the worshipping glance of My first and sub­ lime Disciple, then the tormented one of the Tortured Mother on Golgotha, then the radiant glance of Resurrection and Pentecost, then the veiled look of the ecstatic sleep of the last vision. But whether it opens at the first sight, or closes tired on the last light, after seeing so much joy and horror, Her eye is the clear, pure, placid piece of the sky that always shines below Mary's forehead. Wrath, falsehood, pride, lewdness, hatred, curiosity never soil it with their smoky clouds. It is the eye that looks at God lovingly, whether it cries or laughs, and that for God's sake fondles and forgives and bears everything, and by the love of God is rendered unassailable to the assaults of Evil, that so often makes use of the eye to pen­ etrate the heart. It is the pure, restful, blessing eye that the pure, the saints, the lovers of God possess. I said*: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is cloudy, your whole body will be all darkness”. Saints possessed this eye which is the light for the soul and salvation for the flesh, because like Mary throughout their lives they looked only at God. Even more: they remembered God. I will explain to you, My little voice, the meaning of My word. » 7. Little Mary with Anne and Joachim. The Wisdom of the Son is already on Her lips. 29th August 1944. 1I see Anne once again: since yesterday evening I see her in 7. 1 * I said: Matthew 6: 22-23 (174. 9) ; Luke 11: 34-35 (413. 7). 49

this way: sitting at the entrance of the shady pergola, busy with her needlework. She is wearing a grey sand coloured dress, a very simple one and very wide, probably because of the great heat. At the end of the pergola the mowers can be seen cutting the hay. But it cannot be first-crop hay because the grapes are al­ most golden coloured and the fruits of a large apple-tree are like shiny yellow and red wax. The cornfield is nothing but stubble with poppies waving like tiny flames and stiff and clear corn­ flowers shaped like stars and as blue as the eastern sky. A little Mary comes out from the shady pergola: She is already quick and independent. Her short step is steady and Her white sandals do not stumble amongst the pebbles. Her graceful gait already resembles the slightly undulating step of a dove, and She is all white — like a little dove — in Her linen dress which reach­ es down to Her ankles. It is a wide dress curled at the neck by a blue ribbon and the short sleeves show rosy and plump forearms. She looks like a little angel: Her hair is silky and honey-blonde, not very curly but gracefully wavy ending in curls: Her eyes are sky blue, Her sweet little face is rosy and smiling. Also the breeze that puffs through the shoulders of Her linen dress through Her wide sleeves makes her look like a little angel with wings half-open, ready to fly. In Her hands she has poppies, cornflowers and other flow­ ers that grow in cornfields, but I do not know their names. She is walking and when She is near Her mother She starts run­ ning, shouting joyfully and, like a little dove, She ends Her flight against Her mother's knees who has opened them to receive Her. Anne has put her needlework aside so that She does not get pricked and has opened her arms to embrace Her. So far until yesterday evening, and this morning She reap­ pears and continues as follows. «Mummy, Mummy! » The little white dove is completely in the nest of Her mother's knees, touching the short grass with Her lit­ tle feet and hiding Her face in Her mother's lap, so that only Her golden hair can be seen on the nape of Her neck over which Anne bends to kiss it fondly. 2Then She lifts Her head and offers Her mother flowers. They 507. 2

are all for Her mummy and for each one She tells the story She has invented. “This blue and big one, is a star which has come down from Heaven to bring the kiss of the Lord to My mummy. Here: kiss this little celestial flower there, on its heart, and you will see that it tastes of God. This other one, instead, which is a paler blue, like daddy's eyes, has written on its leaves that the Lord loves daddy very much because he is good. And this tiny little one, the only one to be found, (it is a myo­ sote), is the one that God made to tell Mary that He loves Her. And these red ones, does mummy know what they are? They are pieces of king David's dress, stained with the blood of the en­ emies of Israel and sown on the battlefields and the fields of vic­ tory. They originate from those strips of the heroic regal dress torn in the struggle for the Lord. Instead this white and gentle one, that seems to be made with seven silk cups looking up to the sky, full of perfumes, and that was growing over there, near the spring — daddy picked it for Her amongst the thorns — is made with the dress of Solomon. He wore it, so many many years before, in the same month in which his little granddaughter was born, when he walked* in the midst of the multitudes of Israel before the Ark and the Tabernacle, in the splendid majesty of his robes. And he rejoiced because of the cloud which returned to encircle his glory, and he sang the canti­ cle and the prayer of his joy. ” «I always want to be like this flower, and throughout My life, like the wise King, I want to sing canticles and prayers before the Tabernacle» end Mary. «How do You know these holy things, my darling? Who told You? Your father? » «No. I do not know who it is. I think I have always known them. Perhaps there is someone who tells Me and I do not see him. Perhaps one of the angels that God sends to speak to good people. 3Mummy, will you tell Me another story? » «Oh, my dear! Which story do You wish to know? » Mary is thinking, deeply absorbed in Her thoughts. Her ex-* he walked, 1 Kings 8. 517. 3

pression should be immortalized in a portrait. The shadows of Her thoughts are reflected on Her childish face. There are smiles and sighs, sunshine and clouds, thinking of the history of Israel. Then She makes up Her mind: «Once again the story of Gabriel and Daniel, where Christ is promised*. » And She listens, with Her eyes closed, repeating in a low voice the words Her mother says, as if to remember them better. When Anne finishes She asks: «How long will it be before we have the Immanuel? » «About thirty years, my darling. » «Such a long time! And I shall be in the Temple... Tell Me, if I should pray very hard, so hard, day and night, night and day, and I wanted to belong only to God, for all My life, for this purpose, would the Eternal Father grant Me the grace of sending the Mes­ siah to His people sooner? » «I do not know, my dear. The Prophet states: “Seventy weeks”. I do not think a prophecy can be wrong. But the Lord is so good» she hastens to add, seeing tears appear on the fair eyelashes of her child, «the Lord is so good that I believe that if You do pray very hard, so hard, He will hear Your prayer. » A smile appears once again on Her little face, which She has lifted up towards Her mother and the rays of the sun, fil­ tering through the vine branches cause Her tears to shine like dew-drops on very thin stems of alpine moss. 4«Then I will pray and I shall be a virgin for this. » «But do you know what that means? » «It means that one does not know human love, but only the love of God. It means that one has no other thought but for the Lord. It means to remain children in the flesh and angels in the heart. It means that one has no eyes but to look at God, and ears to listen to Him, and a mouth to praise Him, hands to offer one­ self as a victim, feet to follow Him fast, and a heart and a life to be given to Him. » «May God bless You! But then You will never have any chil­ dren, and yet You love babies and little lambs and doves so much... Do You know that? A baby is for his mother like a lit­ tle white and curly lamb, he is like a little dove with silk feath­ * is promised, Daniel 9: 20-27. 527. 4

ers and a coral mouth to be loved and kissed and hear the words: “Mummy! ”» «It does not matter. I shall belong to God. I shall pray in the Temple. And perhaps one day I will see the Immanuel. The Virgin who is to be His Mother must be already born, as the great Proph­ et says, and She is in the Temple... I will be Her companion... and maidservant. Oh! Yes. If I could only meet Her, by God's, light, I would like to serve Her, the Blessed One. And then, She would bring Me Her Son, She would take Me to Her Son, and I would serve Him too... Just think, mummy!... To serve the Messiah!! » Mary is overcome by this thought that exalts Her and makes Her totally humble at the same time. With Her hands crossed over Her breast and Her little head slightly bent forward and flushed with emotion, She is like an infantile reproduction of the Annun­ ciation that I saw. She resumes: «But will the King of Israel, the Lord's Anointed, allow Me to serve Him? » «Have no doubts about that. Does King Solomon not say*: “There are sixty queens and eighty concubines and countless maidens ? ” You can see that in the King's palace there will be countless maidens serving the Lord. » «Oh! You can see then that I must be a virgin? I must. If He wants a virgin as His Mother, it means that He loves virginity above all things. I want Him to love Me, His maiden, because of the virginity which will make Me somewhat like His beloved Mother... This is what I want... 5I would also like to be a sinner, 7. 5 a big sinner, if I were not afraid of offending the Lord... Tell Me, mummy, can one be a sinner out of love of God? » «But what are You saying, my dear? I don't understand You. » «I mean: to commit a sin in order to be loved by God, Who be­ comes the Saviour. He who is lost, is saved. Isn't that so? I would like to be saved by the Saviour to receive His loving look. That is why I would like to sin, but not to commit a sin that would dis­ gust Him. How can He save Me if I do not get lost? » Anne is dumbfounded. She does not know what to say. Joachim helps her. He has approached them walking noise­ lessly on the grass, behind the low hedge of vine-shoots. «He has saved You beforehand, because He knows that You love Him and * say, Song of Songs 6: 8. 53

You want to love Him only. So You are already redeemed and You can be a virgin as You wish» says Joachim. «Is that true, daddy? » Mary embraces his knees and looks at him with Her clear blue eyes, so like Her father's and so happy because of this hope She gets from Her father. «It is true, my little darling. Look! I was just bringing You this little sparrow, that at its first flight landed near the spring. I could have left it there but its weak wings did not have enough strength to fly off again, and its tiny legs could not hold onto the slippery moss stones. It would have fallen into the water. But I did not wait for that. I took it and now I am giving it to You. You will do what you like with it. The fact is that it was saved before it fell into danger. God has done the same with You. Now, tell me, Mary: have I loved the sparrow more by saving it beforehand, or would I have loved it more saving it afterwards? » «You have loved it now, because you did not let it get hurt in the cold water. » «And God has loved You more, because He has loved You be­ fore You sinned. » «And I will love Him wholeheartedly. Wholeheartedly. My beautiful little sparrow, I am like you. The Lord has loved us both equally, by saving us... I will now rear you and then I will let you go. And you in the forest and I in the Temple will sing the praises of God, and we shall say: “Please send the One You prom­ ised to those who expect Him”. 6Oh! Daddy, when will you take Me to the Temple? » «Soon, my dear. But are You not sorry to leave Your father? » «Yes, very much! But you will come... in any case, if it did not hurt, what sacrifice would it be? » «And will You remember us? » «I always will. After the prayer for the Immanuel I will pray for you. That God may give you joy and a long life... until the day He becomes the Saviour. Then I will ask Him to take you to the celestial Jerusalem. » The vision ends with Mary tightly clasped in Her father's arms. 7Jesus says: «I can already hear the comments of the “doctors” with cap-7. 6 7. 7 54

tious objections: “How can a little girl not yet three years old speak in this way? It is an exaggeration”. And they do not con­ sider that they make a monster of Me by ascribing adults' actions to My own childhood. Intelligence is not given to everybody in the same way and at the same time. The Church has fixed the age of reason at six years of age, because that is the age when even a backward child can tell good from evil, at least in basically important matters. But there are children who long before that age are capable of discerning and understanding and wanting with sufficiently de­ veloped discretion. Little Imelde Lambertini, Rosa da Viterbo, Nellie Organ, Nennolina may give you confirmation, o difficult doctors, to believe that My Mother was able to think and speak like that. I have quoted four names at random amongst the thou­ sands of holy children who populate My Paradise, after reason­ ing on earth as adults for possibly more or less years. 8What is r eason? A gift of God. God can therefore give it as He 7. 8 wishes, to whom He wishes and when He wishes. Reason in fact is one of the things that makes you more like God, the Intelligent and Reasoning Spirit. Reason and intelligence were graces giv­ en by God to Man in the Earthly Paradise. How full of life they were, when Grace was alive, still intact and active in the spirit of the first two Parents! The Book of Jesus Ben Sirach states*: “All wisdom is from the Lord, and it is His own forever”. What wisdom, therefore, would men have had, had they remained children of God? The gaps in your intelligence are the natural fruits of your fall from Grace and honesty. By losing Grace you banished Wis­ dom for centuries. As a meteor, which is hidden behind masses of clouds, Wisdom no longer reached you with its bright flashes, but through mist which your prevarications have rendered thicker and thicker. Then Christ came and He restored Grace, the supreme gift of the love of God. But do you know how to keep this gem clear and pure? No, you do not. When you do not crush it with your individ­ ual will in sinning, you soil it with your continuous minor faults, your weaknesses, your attachment to vice. Such attempts, even * states: the book of Sirach 1: 1-8. 55

if they are not a proper marriage with the septiform vice, are a weakening of the light of Grace and of its activity. And then, to weaken the magnificent light of intelligence that God had given the First Parents, you have centuries and centuries of corruption, which exert a harmful influence on the body and on the mind. 9But Mary was not only the Pure, the new Eve created for the joy of God: She was the super Eve, the Masterpiece of the Most High, She was Full of Grace, the Mother of the Word in the mind of God. Jesus Ben Sirach says: “Source of Wisdom is the Word”. Will the Son therefore not have put His wisdom on His Mother's lips? If the mouth of a Prophet was purified with embers, because he had to repeat to men the words that the Word, the Wisdom, entrusted to Him, will Love not have cleansed and exalted the speech of his infant Spouse Who was to bear the Word, so that She should no longer speak as a little girl and then as a woman, but only and always as a celestial creature melted in the great light and wisdom of God? The miracle is not in the superior intelligence shown by Mary in Her childhood, as afterwards it was by Me. The miracle is in containing the Infinite Intelligence, that dwelled there, within suitable bounds, so that crowds should not be startled and Satan­ ic attention should not be awakened. I will talk again about this subject which is part of the “re­ membrance” which saints have of God. » 8. Mary accepted in the Temple. In Her humility, She did not know to be the Full of Wisdom. 30th August 1944. 1I see Mary between Her father and mother walking through the streets in Jerusalem. Passers-by stop to look at the beautiful girl all dressed in white and wearing a very light mantle that, due to its pattern in branches and flowers, which are a little darker against the soft background, seems to be the same as the one that Anne was wearing on the day of her Purification. The only difference is that while it reached down to Anne's waist, in the case of Mary, 567. 9 8. 1

Who is only a little girl, it reaches down to Her ankles and Wraps Her in a small and shining cloud of rare beauty. Her fair hair, loose on Her shoulders, or rather, on Her gentle neck, shines through the veil where there is no pattern, but only the very light background. The veil is held on Her forehead by a very pale blue ribbon, on which small lilies are embroidered with silver threads, definitely the work of Her mother. As I said, the snow white dress reaches down to the ground, and Her little feet can just be seen as She walks in Her white san­ dals. Her hands are like two magnolia petals, peeping from the long sleeves. Apart from the blue ribbon, there is no other colour. It is all white. Mary seems to be dressed in snow. Joachim is wearing the same garment he had on for the Pu­ rification. Anne, instead, is wearing a very dark violet dress. The mantle, which also covers her head, is dark violet too. She is wearing it lowered below her eyes. Two poor eyes of a mother, red with tears, that do not wish to weep and above all do not wish to be seen crying, but can but shed tears under the protection of the mantle. This protection serves its purpose with regards to passers-by and also to Joachim, whose eyes, usually clear, are red and dull today, because of the tears he has shed and is still shedding. He is walking in a bent position, his head is covered by a veil worn in the fashion of a turban, with the folds hanging down along his face. Joachim now appears an old man. Whoever sees him, must think that he is the grandfather or the great grandfather of the little girl he is holding by the hand. The pain of losing Her causes the poor father to drag his feet and he is so weary that he looks twenty years older. He is so sad and tired that he looks like an old sick man. His mouth trembles slightly between the two wrinkles that at the sides of his nose are so deep today. They are both endeavouring to conceal their tears. But if they are successful with many people, they are not with Mary, Who, because of Her height, sees them from below, and lifting Her head looks at Her father and mother alternately. They make an effort to smile at Her with their trembling mouths and they hold Her tiny hand tighter every time their little daughter looks at them and smiles. They must be thinking: «There. One less smile for us to see. » 57

8. 2 2 They proceed slowly. Very slowly. They seem to be wishing to carry on their journey for as long as possible. Everything serves as a pretext to stop... But a journey must come to an end! And this one is about to end. Up there, at the top of this last stretch of the road, there are the Temple walls. Anne utters a groan and holds Mary's hand tighter. «Anne, my dear, I am here with you! » a voice utters, coming out from the shade of a low arch built over a crossroads. And Elizabeth, who was waiting for them, approaches her and em­ braces her. And since Anne is crying she says: «Come into this friendly house for a little while. Then we shall go together. Zach­ arias is here too. » They all enter a low dark room where the only light is a big fire. The landlady, obviously a friend of Elizabeth, but unknown to Anne, kindly withdraws and leaves them alone. «You must not think that I am repenting or I am giving my treasure to the Lord unwillingly» explains Anne crying, «but it's my heart... oh! how my heart aches, my old heart that is re­ turning to its childless solitude! If you could only feel... » «I know, my dear Anne... But you are good and God will con­ sole you in your solitude. Mary will pray for the peace of Her mother. Won't you, Mary? » Mary caresses Her mother's hands and kisses them. She press­ es them to Her face to be caressed and Anne holds Her little face tightly in her hands and kisses it repeatedly. She is never tired of kissing Her. Zacharias enters and greets them saying: «May the peace of the Lord be with the just. » «Yes» replies Joachim, «implore peace for us, because our hearts are trembling in our offer, as Abraham's did, while he was climbing the mountain, but we shall not find another offer to re­ place this one. Neither do we want it, because we are faithful to the Lord. But we are suffering, Zacharias. Since you are a priest of God, please understand us and do not be perturbed. » «Never. On the contrary, your sorrow which does not go be­ yond reasonable limits and does not shake your faith, teaches me 8. 3 how to love the Most High. But take heart. 3Anna, the prophet­ ess, will take care of this flower of David and Aaron. At present She is the only lily of David's holy issue in the Temple and She 58

will be taken care of just like a royal pearl. Although we are ap­ proaching the time when the Messiah is to come, and the women belonging to the house of David should be anxious to consecrate their daughters to the Temple, because the Messiah will be born of a virgin of David, yet, because of the general weakening of faith, the places of the virgins in the Temple are empty. They are too few and none of the royal offspring, since Sarah of Elisha left three years ago to get married. It is true that there are still thirty years to the appointed time, but... Well let us hope that Mary will be the first of many virgins of David's offspring before the Sa­ cred Veil. And then... who knows... » Zacharias does not say any­ thing else. But he looks at Mary thoughtfully. Then he resumes: «Also I will watch over Her. I am a priest and I have power there. I will make use of it for this angel. And Elizabeth will often come to see Her. » «Oh! Certainly! I am in such need of God that I will come and tell this little Girl, so that She may tell the Eternal One. » 4Anne has taken heart again. To relieve her anxiety even more 8. 4 Elizabeth asks her: «Is this not the veil of your wedding? Or have you been weaving new byssus? » «It is. I am consecrating it to the Lord with Her. My eyes are not so good... and also our wealth has been reduced by taxation and misfortunes... I could not afford huge expenses. I have only seen to Her clothing for the time She will be in the House of the Lord and afterwards... Because I do not think that I will be the one to dress Her for Her wedding... but I want it to be the hands of Her mummy, even if cold and motionless, which prepare Her for the wedding and weave Her linens and dresses. » «Oh! Why think of that!? » «I am old, my dear cousin. I have never felt it so much as I do now in my great pain. I have given the last ounce of strength in my life to this flower, to bear Her and to nourish Her, and now the pain of losing Her is drawing my last strength away and dis­ persing it. » «Don't say that, for Joachim's sake. » «Yes, you are quite right. I will try and live for my husband. » Joachim pretends not to hear, intent as he is on listening to Zacharias, but he has heard and he sighs deeply, his eyes full of tears. 59

«It is between the third and the sixth hour. I think we ought to go» Zacharias says. They all get up to put on their mantles and set off. 5But before going out Mary kneels down on the threshold with Her arms stretched out: a little imploring cherub. «Father! Mother! Your blessing, please. » She is not crying, the little brave girl. But Her lips are trem­ bling and Her voice, broken by a sob, resembles more than ever the trembling cooing of a little dove. Her face is pale, and Her eyes have the look of resigned distress that I will see again on Calvary and in the Sepulchre, where it was so much more intense that it was impossible to look at Her without deep suffering. Her parents bless Her and kiss Her: once, twice, ten times, they are never satisfied... Elizabeth is weeping silently and Zachari­ as, despite his efforts to conceal his tears, is deeply moved. They go out. Mary is in between Her father and mother as be­ fore. Zacharias and his wife are in front of them. They are now inside the walls of the Temple. «I will go to the High Priest. You go to the Great Terrace. » They go across three yards and through three halls, set one up­ on the other. They are now at the foot of the huge marble cube crowned with gold. Every dome, convex like a huge half orange, blazes in the sun, which now, at midday, is shining down directly onto the large yard surrounding the solemn building and is fill­ ing with its dazzling light the large square and the wide flight of steps leading up to the Temple. Only the porch facing the steps, along the facade, is in the shade and the very high bronze and gold door is even darker and more solemn looking in so much light. Mary looks whiter than snow in so much sunshine. She is now at the foot of the steps, between Her father and Her mother. How violently their hearts must be throbbing! Elizabeth is beside Anne, but a little behind her, about half a step. 6Upon the blare of silver trumpets the door rotates on its hing­ es, which seem to be emitting the sound of a cithern, while turn­ ing on the bronze balls. The interior appears with its lamps in the far end and a procession is moving towards the door, a stately procession with silver trumpets, clouds of incense and lights. It is now at the threshold. In front is the High Priest... a state­ ly old man, dressed in very fine linen, and wearing over his linen 608. 5 8. 6

dress a short linen tunic and on top of it a kind of chasuble, some­ thing multicoloured between a chasuble and a deacon's vestment: purple and gold, violet and white alternate and sparkle like gems in the sun: two real gems are shining more brightly at the top of his shoulders. Perhaps they are buckles with their precious set­ tings. On his breast there is a large metal plate shining with gems and held by a gold chain. Pendants and trimmings gleam on the hem of his short tunic and gold shines above his forehead on his mitre, that reminds me of the mitre worn by Orthodox priests, a mitre shaped like a dome instead of being pointed like the Ro­ man Catholic one. The solemn individual moves forward, alone, as far as the be­ ginning of the steps, in the golden sunshine that makes him look even more splendid. The others stand waiting under the shady porch, in a circle outside the door. On the left there is a group of girls, all dressed in white, with prophetess Anna and other elder­ ly ladies, obviously teachers. The High Priest looks at the little Girl and smiles. She must look very tiny at the foot of the flight of steps worthy of an Egyp­ tian temple! He lifts his arms to the sky in prayer. They all bow their heads in perfect humbleness before the priestly majesty communicating with the Eternal Majesty. Then, he beckons to Mary. And She moves away from Her mother and father, and as if fascinated, climbs the steps. And She smiles. She smiles in the shade of the Temple, where the pre­ cious Veil is hanging... She is now at the top of the steps, at the feet of the High Priest, who imposes his hand on Her head. The victim has been accepted. Which purer victim had the Temple ever received? Then he turns round and, holding his hand on Her shoulder as if he were leading the immaculate little Lamb to the altar, he takes Her to the Temple door. Before letting Her in, he asks Her: «Mary of David, are You aware of Your vow? » When She replies «Yes» in Her silvery voice, he cries out: «Go in, then. Walk in my presence and be perfect. » Mary enters and is swallowed up by the darkness. The group of virgins and teachers, then the Levites hide and isolate Her more and more... She can no longer be seen. Also the door is now closing on its sweet-sounding hinges. 61

Through the gap which is becoming narrower and narrower, the procession can be seen advancing towards the Holy of Holies. Now it is only a thread. Now nothing more: it is closed. The last chord of the harmonious hinges is replicated by a sob from the two old parents and by a joint cry: «Mary! Daugh­ ter! » and then two groans, one invoking the other: «Anne! » «Joachim! » and they finish whispering: «Let us give glory to the Lord Who is receiving Her in His House and is leading Her along His path. » It all ends in this way. 7Jesus says: «The High Priest had said: “Walk in my presence and be per­ fect”. The High Priest did not know that he was speaking to the Woman Who was inferior in perfection only to God. But he was speaking in the name of God, and therefore his order was a sa­ cred one. It is always sacred, particularly with regards to the Virgin Full of Wisdom. Mary had deserved that “Wisdom should precede Her and show Itself to Her first”, because “from the beginning of Her day She had watched at Its door, and wishing to be taught, out of love, She wanted to be pure to achieve perfect love and deserve to have Wisdom as Her teacher”. In Her humility She did not know that She possessed Wisdom before being born and that the union with Wisdom was but the continuation of the divine pulsations of Paradise. She could not imagine that. And when God whispered sublime words to Her in the depths of Her heart, in Her humility She considered them thoughts of pride and raising Her innocent heart to God, She be­ sought Him: “Lord, have mercy on Thy Servant! ” Oh! It is true that the True Wise Virgin, the Eternal Virgin, had only one thought from the dawn of Her day: to raise Her heart to God from the morning of life and to watch for the Lord, praying before the Most High, asking forgiveness for the weak­ nesses of Her heart, as Her humility convinced Her, and She was not aware that She was anticipating the request for forgiveness for sinners, which She would later make at the foot of the Cross, together with Her dying Son. “When the great Lord will decide, She will be filled with the 628. 7

Spirit of intelligence” and will then understand Her great mis­ sion. For the time being She is only a child, who in the sacred peace of the Temple, establishes and re-establishes closer and closer connections, affections and memories with Her God. This is for everybody. 8But for you, My little Mary, has your 8. 8 Teacher nothing special to tell you? “Walk in My presence, be therefore perfect”. I am slightly modifying the sacred phrase and I am giving it to you as an order. Be perfect in love, perfect in generosity, perfect in suffering. Look once again at Mother. And consider what so many ig­ nore or wish to ignore, because sorrow is too irksome to their taste and their spirit. Sorrow. Mary suffered from the very first hour of Her life. To be perfect as She was, implied the possession of a perfect sensitivity. Consequently sacrifice was to be more piercing. And thus more meritorious. He who possesses purity possesses love, he who possesses love possesses wisdom, he who possesses wisdom possesses generosity and heroism, because he knows why he makes a sacrifice. Raise your spirit, even if the cross bends you, breaks you and kills you. God is with you. » 9. The peaceful death of Joachim and Anne, after a life of loyalty to God. 31st August 1944. 1Jesus says: 9. 1 «Like a quick winter twilight when an ice-cold wind gathers clouds in the sky, the lives of My grandparents had a quick de­ cline, after the Sun of their lives was placed to shine before the Sacred Veil of the Temple. 2But is it not said*: “Wisdom brings up her own sons, and cares 9. 2 for those who seek her... Whoever loves her loves life, those who wait on her will enjoy peace. Those who serve her, minister to the Holy One and the Lord loves those who love her. If he trusts him­ self to her he will inherit her and his descendants will remain in possession of her because she accompanies him in his trials. * said: Book of Sirach 4: 11-18. 63

First of all she selects him, then she brings fear and faintness on him, ploughing him with her discipline, until she has tested him in his thoughts and she can trust him. In the end she will make him firm, will lead him back to the straight road and make him happy. She will reveal her secrets to him, She will place in him treasures of science, and knowledge of justice”? Yes, all this has been said. The books of wisdom may be ap­ plied to all men, who will find guidance in them and a light for their behaviour. But happy are those who can be recognised amongst the spiritual lovers of Wisdom. I surrounded Myself with wise people, in My human kinship. Anne, Joachim, Joseph, Zacharias, and even more Elizabeth, and then the Baptist, are they not real wise people? Not to mention My Mother, the abode of Wisdom. 3Wisdom had inspired My grandparents to live in a way which was agreeable to God, from their youth to their death, and like a tent protecting from the fury of the elements, Wisdom had pro­ tected them from the danger of sin. The sacred fear of God is the root of the tree of wisdom, that thrusts its branches far and wide to reach with its top tranquil love in its peace, peaceful love in its security, secure love in its faithfulness, faithful love in its inten­ sity: the total, generous, effective love of saints. “He who loves her, loves life and will inherit Life” says Eccle­ siasticus*. This sentence is linked with Mine**: “He who loses his life for My sake, will save it”. Because we are not referring to the poor life of this world, but to the eternal life, not to the joys of one hour, but to the immortal ones. Joachim and Anne loved Wisdom thus. And Wisdom was with them in their trials. How many trials they experienced, whilst you, men, do not want to have to suffer and cry, simply because you think that you are not completely wicked! How many trials these two just peo­ ple suffered, and they deserved to have Mary as their daughter! Political persecutions had driven them out of the land of David, and made them excessively poor. They had felt sadness in seeing their years fading through without a flower that would say to them: “I shall be your continuation”. And afterwards, the anxi­ * says Ecclesiasticus : Book of Sirach 4: 12-13. ** Mine : Matthew 16: 25 ; Mark 8: 35 ; Luke 9: 24 (346. 9). 649. 3

ety of having a daughter in their old age when they were certain they would never see Her grow into a woman. And then the ob­ ligation of tearing Her from their hearts to offer Her on the al­ tar of God. And again: their life became an even more painful silence, now that they were accustomed to the chirping of their little dove, to the noise of Her little steps, to the smiles and kisses of their creature, having to wait for the hour of God, their only company being the memories of the past. And much more... Dis­ eases, calamities of inclement weather, the arrogance of mighty ones of the earth... so many blows of battering rams on the weak castle of their modest possessions. And it is not enough: the pain for their far away creature, who was going to be left lonely and poor and, notwithstanding their cares and sacrifices, would get only the remains of Her father's property. And how will She find such remains, since they will be left uncultivated for many years, awaiting Her return? Fears, trials, temptations. And yet, loyalty to God forever! 4Their strongest temptation: not to deny their declining lives 9. 4 the consolation of their daughter's presence. But children belong first to God and then to their parents. Every son can say what I said* to My Mother: “Do you not know that I must be busy with My Father's affairs? ” And every father, every mother must learn the attitude to be maintained looking at Mary and Joseph in the Temple, at Anne and Joachim in the house of Nazareth, a house which was becoming more and more forlorn and sad, but where one thing never diminished, but increased continuously: the ho­ liness of two hearts, the holiness of a marriage. What light is left to Joachim, an invalid, and to his sorrowful wife, in the long and silent nights of two old people who feel they are about to die? Only the little dresses, the first pair of little san­ dals, the simple toys of their little daughter, now far away, and memories of Her, memories... And peace when they say: “We are suffering, but we have done our duty of love towards God”. And then they were overcome by a supernatural joy shining with a celestial light, a joy unknown to the children of the world, a joy that does not fade away when heavy eyelashes close on two dying eyes: on the contrary, it shines brighter in the last hour, il­ * said: Luke 2: 49 (41. 12). 65

luminating the truth that had been hidden within them through­ out their lives. Like a butterfly in its cocoon, the truth in them gave faint indications of its presence, just soft flashes, whereas now it opens its wings to the sun and shows its beautiful deco­ rations. And their lives passed away in the certainty of a happy future for themselves and their descendants, their trembling lips murmuring words of praise to God. 5Such was the death of my grandparents. Such as their holy lives deserved. Because of their holiness, they deserved to be the first guardians of the Virgin Beloved by God, and only when a greater Sun showed itself at the end of their days, they realized the grace God had granted them. Because of their holiness, Anne suffered no pain in giving birth to her child: it was the ecstasy of the bearer of the Fault­ less One. Neither of them suffered the throes of death, but only a weakness that fades away, as a star softly disappears when the sun rises at dawn. And if they did not have the consolation of having Me present, as Wisdom Incarnate, as Joseph had, I was invisibly present, whispering sublime words, bending over their pillows, to send them to sleep, awaiting their triumph. Someone may ask: “Why did they not have to suffer when gen­ erating and dying, since they were children of Adam? ” My an­ swer is: “If the Baptist, who was a son of Adam, and had been conceived with original sin, was presanctified by Me in his moth­ er's womb, simply because I approached her, was no grace to be granted to the mother of the Holy and Faultless One, Who had been preserved by God and bore God in Her almost divine spirit, in Her most pure heart, and was never separated from Him, since She was created by the Father and was conceived in a womb, and then received into Heaven to possess God in glory forever and ev­ er? ” I also answer: “An upright conscience gives a peaceful death and the prayers of saints will obtain such a death for you”. Joachim and Anne had a whole life of upright conscience be­ hind them and such a life rose like a beautiful landscape and led them to Heaven, while their Holy Daughter was praying before the Tabernacle of God for Her parents far away, whom She had postponed to God, Supreme Goodness, and yet She loved them, as the law and Her feeling commanded, with a perfect supernat­ ural love. » 669. 5

10. Mary's canticle imploring the coming of Christ. She remembered how much Her spirit had seen in God. 2nd September 1944. 1Only yesterday evening, Friday, I began to see. I saw noth­ ing but a very young Mary, twelve years old at the most, Her face no longer roundish, as is typical of children, but already show­ ing the future outlines of a woman in a perfect oval. Also Her hair is no longer falling loose on Her neck in soft curls, but it is plaited and two thick braids fall over Her shoulders down to Her waist. Her hair is a very pale gold colour, so light that it seems to be blended with silver. Her face is more pensive and mature, al­ though it is the face of a young girl, a beautiful and pure girl, all dressed in white. She is sewing in a very small room, which is al­ so completely white, and through the wide open window one can see the imposing central part of the Temple, the flights of steps of the yards and porches. Beyond the enclosure wall also the town can be seen with its streets, houses, gardens, and in the back­ ground the humped green top of the Mount of Olives. Mary is sewing and singing in a low voice. I do not know whether it is a sacred song or not. It says: «Like a star in clear water a light is shining within My heart. It has been with Me since My childhood and it guides Me tenderly with love. In the depths of My heart there is a song. Where does it come from? Man, you do not know. It comes from where the Holy One rests. I look at My clear star And I do not want anything, Not even the sweetest and dearest thing, Except this sweet light that is all Mine. You brought Me down from the Heavens above, O star of Mine, into the womb of a mother, Now You live in Me, but beyond the veil I see Your glorious face, Father. When will You grant Your servant the honour10. 1 67

10. 2 10. 3Of being the humble maid of the Saviour? Send us the Messiah from Heaven, Accept, Holy Father, the offer of Mary. » 2Mary is now quiet. She smiles and sighs, then She kneels down in prayer. Her little face is shining brightly. She is looking upwards, towards the clear blue summer sky and Her face seems to be absorbing and then radiating all the brightness in the air. Or rather, it looks as if from within Her a hidden sun is radiating its rays and lighting up Her face, colouring Her snow-white flesh with a light rosy hue. And the light from Her face spreads out to­ wards the world and the sun shining on the world: a blessing and a promise of much good. While Mary is getting up after Her prayer, with ecstatic brightness still on Her face, old Anna of Phanuel enters the room. She stands still, amazed or at least wondering at Mary's attitude and appearance. Then she calls Her: «Mary! » and the Girl turns around with a smile, a different one but still so beautiful and says: «Peace to you, Anna. » 3«Were You praying? Are Your prayers never enough for You? » «My prayers would be enough. But I speak to God. Anna, you cannot imagine how close I feel Him. More than close, within My heart. May God forgive Me for My pride. But I do not feel lone­ ly. See? Over there, in that House of gold and snow, behind the double Curtain, there is the Holy of Holies. Nobody is ever al­ lowed to look at the Propitiatory, on which the glory of the Lord rests, except the High Priest. But My worshipping soul does not need to look at the embroidered Curtain, which quivers at the songs of the virgins and Levites and is scented with precious in­ cense, as if I wanted to pierce its fabric and see the Testimony shine through it. I do look at it! Do not think that I do not look at it with worshipping eyes like every son of Israel. Do not think that pride blinds Me making Me think what I will now tell you. I look at it and there is no humble servant amongst the people of God that looks more humbly at the House of the Lord than I do, because I am convinced that I am the least of all. But what do I see? A veil. What do I think there is behind the Veil? A Tab­ ernacle. What is in it? If I listen to My heart, I see God shining 68

in His loving glory and He says to Me: “I love You” and I reply to Him: “I love You” and I die and I am recreated at each beat of My heart in this mutual kiss... I am amongst you, My dear teach­ ers and companions. But a circle of fire isolates Me from you. Within the circle, God and Myself. And I see you through the Fire of God and so I love you... but I cannot love you according to the flesh, neither shall I ever be able to love anyone accord­ ing to the flesh. I can only love Him Who loves Me, according to the spirit. 4This is My destiny. The secular Law of Israel wants 10. 4 every girl to be a wife, and every wife to be a mother. But, while obeying the Law, I must obey the Voice that whispers to Me: “I want You”; I am a virgin and a virgin I shall remain, How shall I succeed? This sweet invisible Presence that is with Me will help Me, because it is Its desire. I am not afraid. I have no longer My father and mother... and only God knows how My love for what­ ever human being belonged to Me was burnt in that pain. Now I have but God. I therefore obey Him unquestioningly... I would have done so also regardless of My father and mother, because I have been taught by the Voice that whoever wishes to follow It, must go beyond father and mother. Parents are loving patrols watching the hearts of their children, whom they wish to lead to happiness according to their plans... and they are not aware of other plans leading to infinite happiness... I would have left them My dresses and mantles, to follow the Voice that says to Me: “Come, My beloved Spouse”. I would have left them everything, and the pearls of My tears, for I would have cried having to diso­ bey them, and the instincts of My blood, because I would have defied even death to follow the Voice calling Me who, would have told them that there is something greater and sweeter than the love of a father and mother and that is the Voice of God. But now, by His will, I am free from this tie of filial love. In fact, it would not have been a tie. My parents were two just people and God certainly spoke to them as He speaks to Me. They would have fol­ lowed justice and truth. When I think of them, I imagine them in the quiet expectation among the Patriarchs and I hasten with My sacrifice the coming of the Messiah to open for them the gates of Heaven. I am My own guide on earth, or rather God guides His poor servant giving Her His commands and I fulfil them because it is a joy for Me to obey. When the time comes, I will reveal My 69

secret to the spouse... and he will accept it. » «But, Mary... which words will You find to persuade him? You will have the love of a man, the Law and life against you. » «I shall have God with Me... God will enlighten the heart of the spouse... life will lose the incentives of the senses and be-10. 5 come a pure flower with the fragrance of charity. 5The Law... Anna, don't call Me a blasphemer. I think the Law is about to be changed. By whom, do you think, if it is divine? By the Only One Who can change it. By God. The time is closer than you think, I tell you. Because when I was reading Daniel, a great light came to Me from the depths of My heart and I understood the mean­ ing of the enigmatic word. The seventy weeks will be short­ ened because of the prayers of just people. Does this mean that the number of years is being changed? No. A prophecy is never wrong. But the measure of the prophetic time is the course of the moon, not of the sun. Therefore I say: “Near is the hour when the Baby born of a Virgin will be heard crying”. Oh! Since this Light that loves Me tells Me so many things, I wish it would tell Me where the happy mother is, that will give birth to the Son of God and Messiah of His people! Barefooted I would travel all over the world, neither cold nor frost, neither dust nor heat, nor wild beast nor hunger would prevent Me from reaching Her and I would say to Her: “Grant Your servant and the servant of the ser­ vants of Christ to live under Your roof. I will turn Your millstone and Your press, use Me as a slave to work Your millstone and to watch Your herds, make Me wash the napkins of Your Child... I will work in Your kitchen, at Your oven, wherever You wish.... but receive Me. That I may see Him! And hear His voice! And re­ ceive His glance! ” And if She did not want Me, I would live at Her doorstep like a beggar, in cold and hot weather, just to hear the voice of the Child Messiah and the echo of His laughter, and see Him passing by... And perhaps one day He would offer Me a piece of bread... Oh! If I were dying with hunger and I were fainting because of extensive fasting, I would not eat that bread. I would hold it close to My heart like a bag of precious pearls and I would kiss it to scent the perfume of Christ's hand and I would never be hungry or cold, because its touch would give Me ecstasy and heat, ecstasy and food... » 10. 6 6«You ought to be the Mother of the Christ, since You love Him 70

so much! Is that why You wish to remain a virgin? » «Oh! No. I am misery and dust. I dare not lift My eyes towards the Glory. That is why, rather than the double Veil, beyond which I know dwells the invisible Presence of Jehovah, I love look­ ing into My heart. Over there, there is the terrible God of Sinai. Here, within Me, I see our Father, a loving Face that smiles and blesses Me, because I am small like a little bird, that the wind sustains without feeling its weight and I am weak like the stem of a lily of the valley, that can only bloom and smell sweetly and can present no other force to the wind but its scented and pure sweetness. God, My loving wind! Not because of that. But be­ cause the Son of God and of a Virgin, the Holy of the Most Holy One, can but like what in Heaven He chose as his Mother and what on the earth speaks to Him of His Heavenly Father: Purity. If the Law pondered that, if the rabbis, who have complicated the Law with all the quibbles of their teaching, turned their minds to higher horizons and aimed at supernatural things, deserting the human and lucrative affairs which cause them to forget the supreme End, they should, above all, make Purity the main sub­ ject of their teaching, so that the King of Israel may find it when He comes. With the olive branches of the Peaceful One, with the Palms of the Triumpher, spread lilies, lilies, lilies... How much Blood the Saviour will have to shed to redeem us! How much in­ deed! From the thousands of wounds that Isaiah saw on the Man of Sorrows, a stream of Blood is falling, like dew from a porous vase. May this divine Blood not fall where there is desecration and blasphemy, but into chalices of fragrant purity that may re­ ceive it and gather it for the purpose of spreading it amongst the diseased and leprous souls and amongst those who are dead to God. Give lilies to wipe with their pure petals the sweat and the tears of Christ! Give lilies for His keen desire of Martyrdom! Oh! Where is the Lily that will bear You? Where is the Lily that will quench Your parching thirst, that will become red with Your Blood, will die for the pain of seeing You dying, and will cry over Your bloodless Body? Oh! Christ! Christ! My desire!... » Mary is now silent, weeping and overwhelmed. 7Anna is also silent for a little while and then with her clear voice of a deeply moved old woman, she asks: «Have You any­ thing else to teach me, Mary? »10. 7 71

Mary rouses. She must think, in Her humbleness, that Her teacher is reproaching Her and She exclaims: «Oh! Forgive Me! You are My teacher. I am nothing. But this voice comes from My heart. I watch over it, to avoid speaking. But like a river that un­ der the fury of water breaks its embankment, it has now over­ come Me and overflowed. Please pay no attention to My words and chastise My presumption. Words of mystery should remain in the depths of one's heart, which God helps in His goodness. I know. But this Invisible Presence is so sweet that I am filled with joy... Anna, please forgive your little servant! » Anna embraces Her while tears shine on her old wrinkled and trembling face. The tears run along her wrinkles, like water along an uneven ground that becomes a trembling swamp. But the old teacher does not arouse laughter, on the contrary her cry­ ing stimulates the deepest respect. Mary is clasped in her arms, Her little face against Her teach­ er's breast. And it all finishes in this way. 8Jesus says: «Mary remembered God. She dreamt of God. She thought She was dreaming. She was only seeing again what She had seen in the splendour of God's Heaven, in the instant She was created to be united to the body conceived on the earth. She shared with God one of God's properties, although in a lesser degree, as was fitting. That is the property of remembering, seeing and foresee­ ing, which is an attribute of the mighty and perfect intelligence not impaired by Fault. 9Man was created in the image and likeness of God. One of the similarities is the capability, for the soul, of remembering, seeing and foreseeing. This explains the power to read into the future. This power sometimes comes directly, by God's will, sometimes it is a power of recollection, that rises like the sun in the morning, illuminating a point on the horizon of centuries, already seen in the vision of God. Such mysteries are too deep to be fully understood by you. But think about them. Can the Supreme Intelligence, the Mind that knows every­ thing, the Sight that sees everything, give you something differ­ ent from Himself, having created you by an act of His will and 7210. 8 10. 9

a breath of His infinite love, and having made you His children both by your origin and your destination? He gives you it in an infinite part, as the creature cannot contain the Creator. But that part is perfect and complete, although infinite. What treasure of intelligence God gave man, Adam! The Fall impaired it, but My sacrifice reinstates it and opens the splen­ dour of Intelligence, its wealth, its science for you. How sublime is the human mind united to God by His grace, sharing with God the power of knowledge!... The human mind united to God by Grace. There is no other way. Those who inquisitively seek extra-hu­ man secrets should remember that. All knowledge that does not come from a soul in grace — and is not in grace who is against God's Law, which is very clear in its commandments — such knowledge comes from Satan. It seldom corresponds to the truth when human matters are concerned, it never corresponds to the truth with regard to super-human matters. The Demon is in fact the father of lies and can but lead onto the path of lies. There is no other method of knowing the truth, except the one that comes from God, Who speaks and says or reminds, as a father reminds his son of his paternal house and says to him: “Don't you remem­ ber when you used to do this with Me, you saw that, you heard something else? Don't you remember when I used to kiss you goodbye? Do you remember when you saw Me for the first time and you admired the bright light on My face shining on your vir­ ginal soul, which, having been just created by Me was still pure and free from the evil that later impaired you? Do you remem­ ber when you understood for the first time, in a throb of love, what Love is? Which is the mystery of our Being and Proceed­ ing? ” And what the limited capability of a man in grace cannot reach, the Spirit of science clarifies and teaches. But to possess the Spirit, Grace is needed. To possess Truth and Science, Grace is required. To possess the Father, Grace is necessary. Grace is a tent in which the three Persons dwell, it is a Propitiatory on which the Eternal Father rests and speaks, not from within a cloud, but revealing His face to His faithful chil­ dren. Saints and just people remember God. They remember the words they heard in the Creating Mind and which the Supreme Goodness revives in their hearts to raise them like eagles in con­ 73

10. 10templation of the Truth and to the knowledge of Time. 10Mary was full of Grace. The whole One and Trine Grace was in Her. The whole One and Trine Grace prepared Her like a Bride for the Wedding, like a Nuptial Bed for the Offspring, like a Di­ vine Person for Her Maternity and mission. She closes the cycle of the Prophetesses of the Old Testament and opens the period of the “spokesmen of God” of the New Testament. True Ark of the Word of God, looking into Her immaculate heart, She discovered the words of eternal knowledge, which the finger of God had written there, and She remembered, as all saints do, that She had already heard them when Her immortal soul was being created by God the Father, the Creator of all liv­ ing beings... And if She did not remember everything of Her fu­ ture mission, the reason is that God leaves some gaps in every human perfection, according to a Law of divine prudence, out of goodness and as a reward to creatures. Mary, the second Eve, had to achieve Her part of merit in be­ ing the Mother of Christ, with a faithful goodwill, that God ex­ pected also from His Christ to make Him a Redeemer. The spirit of Mary was in Heaven. Her morale and Her body were on the earth and they had to tread on the earth and on the flesh to reach the spirit and join it to the Spirit in a fruitful em­ brace. » 11A note of mine. All day yesterday I thought I was going to see the news of the death of Her parents being given to Mary by Zacharias, I do not know why. I also thought, in my way, that Je­ sus would have dealt with the point «remembrance of God by the saints». This morning, when the vision started, I said to myself: «Here we are, they will now tell Her that She is an orphan» and my heart was already trembling because I would have experi­ enced my own sadness of these past days. Instead there has been absolutely nothing of what I thought I was going to see or hear. Not even one word by mistake. I am very happy about this be­ cause it confirms that there is nothing of my own in this work, not even an honest suggestion with regards to one situation. It all comes from a different source. My continuous fear ceases... until the next time because I shall always be afraid of being deceived and deceiving. 7410. 11

11. Mary entrusts her vote to the High Priest. 3rd September 1944. 1What a terrible night! It seemed that the demons were raid­ ing the world. Cannon shots, thunder and lightning, dangers, fears, the suffering because I was lying on a bed which was not mine. And in the middle of all this, there was Mary, like a sweet white flower amongst fire and troubles. She looked a little older than in yesterday's vision, but still a young girl with Her plaits of fair hair over Her shoulders. Her dress was white and Her smile mild and coy: an intimate smile at the glorious mystery enclosed in Her heart. I spent the night comparing Her mild appearance with the ferocity of the world and meditating on Her words of yesterday morning, a song of living charity, as compared to the ferocious hatred of men... This morning, in the quiet of my room, I saw the following scene. 2Mary is still in the Temple. She is now coming out with other virgins from the inner part of the Temple. There must have been a ceremony because there is the scent of incense in the air of a red sunset. It must be late October, because the sky, already calmly restful as is usual in clear October days, is bending over the gardens of Jerusalem, where the yellow ochre leaves about to fall add gold red spots to the silvery green of the olive-trees. The crowd, or rather the host of white dressed virgins, crosses the rear yard, then climbs the steps, goes through a porch and enters another square yard, not quite so splendid, without any other door except the one leading into it. It must be the yard al­ located to the small dwellings of the virgins assigned to the Tem­ ple, because each girl moves towards her cell, like a little dove to its nest. They look like a flock of doves that separate after gath­ ering together. They are all speaking in low but joyful voices, before separating. Mary is silent. Before leaving the other girls, She bids them goodbye affectionately and then goes to Her little room in a corner on the right hand side. 3One of the teachers, an elderly lady, but not so old as Anna of Phanuel, joins Her. «Mary, the High Priest wants to see You. » Mary looks at her somewhat surprised, but does not ask any11. 1 11. 2 11. 3 75

question. She only replies: «I will go at once. » I do not know whether the large hall, which She enters, is the house of the High Priest or whether it is part of the dwellings of the women assigned to the Temple. I know it is wide and bright, tastefully arranged. In addition to the High Priest, a stately man in his robes, there are also Zacharias and Anna of Phanuel. Mary bows down on the threshold and does not enter until the High Priest says to Her: «Come in, Mary. Do not be afraid. » Mary looks up again and slowly moves forward, not because She is unwilling, but because of a somewhat unintentional serious­ ness, which makes Her look more of a woman. Anna smiles at Her to encourage Her and Zacharias greets Her: «Peace to you, cousin. » The High Priest observes Her very carefully and then he re­ marks to Zacharias: «She is obviously of the stock of David and Aaron... » «My child, I am aware of Your grace and goodness, I know that every day You are growing in grace and knowledge before God and men. I know that the voice of God whispers His sweet­ est words to Your heart. I know that You are the Flower of God's Temple and that a third Cherub is before the Testimony since You were here. And I would like Your perfume to continue to rise with the incense every day. But the Law says differently. You are no longer a girl, but a woman. And every woman must be a wife in Israel to bear a son to the Lord. You shall follow the com­ mandment of the Law. Do not be afraid, do not blush. I am aware of Your royalty. The Law that prescribes that each man is to be given a woman of his own stock will protect You. But even if that were not the case, I would do so, so that Your magnificent blood might not be corrupted. Don't You know anyone of Your stock, Mary, who might be Your husband? » Mary lifts Her face full of blushes. Her eyes are shining with tears which begin to appear and with a trembling voice She re­ plies: «No, nobody. » «It is not possible for Her to know anyone, because She came here in Her childhood and David's race has been struck too severely and scattered too widely to allow the various branches to gather like foliage around the royal palm» says Zacharias. 76

«We shall then leave the choice to God. » 4The tears that Mary had restrained so far, gush out and fall 11. 4 on Her trembling mouth. She looks imploringly at Her teacher. «Mary has consecrated Herself to the Lord for His glory and for the salvation of Israel. She was but a little child just learn­ ing to read and write and She had already made Her vow... » says Anne, helping Her. «Is that why You are crying then? Not because You wish to re­ sist the Law? » «Just for that... nothing else. I shall obey you, Priest of God. » «This confirms what I have always been told of You. How long have You been consecrated to the Lord? » «I have always been, I think. I was not yet in this Temple, and I had already given Myself to the Lord. » «But are You not the little one who came twelve years ago and asked me to be allowed to enter? » «I am. » «Well, then, how can You say that You already belonged to God then? » «If I look back, I find I was consecrated... I do not remember when I was born, neither do I remember how I began to love My mother and to say to My father: “Father, I am your daughter”... But I remember that I gave My heart to God, although I do not know when it started. Perhaps it was with the first kiss that I was able to give, with the first word that I learned to say, with the first step that I took... Yes, I think I find My first recollection of love with My first steady step... My house... near the house there was a garden full of flowers... and there was an orchard and some fields... and there was a spring of water at the rear, under the hill, and the water gushed out from a hollow rock that formed a grotto... it was full of long and thin herbs that hung down forming small green waterfalls everywhere and they seemed to be weeping because the thin little leaves, that seemed an embroi­ dery work, had tiny little drops of water on them and when the drops fell they tinkled like little bells. Also the spring seemed to be singing. And there were birds on the olive and apple-trees above the spring and white doves used to come and wash in the clear water of the fountain... I was no longer thinking of all that, because I had put all My heart in God and, with the exception of 77

My father and mother, whom I loved in life and in death, every other worldly thing had disappeared from My heart... But you have made Me think of it... I must find when I gave Myself to God... and the things of My first years come back to My mind... I loved that grotto, because I heard a voice sweeter than the song of the water and the warbling of the birds say to Me: “Come, My Beloved”. I loved those herbs covered with tinkling and spar­ kling diamond drops, because I could see in them the sign of My Lord and I used to say to Myself: “O soul of Mine, see how great Your God is, He Who made the cedars of Lebanon for the eagles, has also made these little leaves that bend down under the weight of a little mosquito and He made them for the joy of Your eyes and as a protection for Your little feet”. I loved that silence of pure things: the light breeze, the silvery water, the purity of the doves... I loved the peace that hovered over the little grotto, and descended from the apple and olive-trees, now full of blossoms, then laden with beautiful fruit... And I do not know... the voice seemed to be saying to Me, yes, just to Me: “Come, specious olive; come, sweet apple; come, sealed spring; come, My dove”... Sweet is the love of a father, sweet the love of a mother... sweet their voices calling Me... but this, this one! Oh! in the earthly Paradise I think that she, who became guilty, heard it thus, and I do not understand how she could prefer a hiss to this voice of love, how she could desire any other knowledge that was not God... With My lips which still tasted of My mother's milk, but with My heart full of celestial honey, I then said: “Here I am. I am coming. I am Yours. No one will have My body, but You, My Lord, neither will My soul have any other love... ” And while saying so, it seemed to Me that I was repeating things already said and that I was ful­ filling a rite already fulfilled, and the chosen Spouse was not a stranger to Me, because I already knew His ardour and My sight had been formed at His light and My capacity for loving had been fulfilled in His embrace... When? I do not know. Beyond life, I would say, because I feel I always had Him, and that He always had Me, and that I exist because He wanted Me for the joy of His 11. 5 Spirit and Mine... 5Now I obey you, o Priest. But please tell Me how I am to behave... I have neither father nor mother. Please be My guide. » «God will give You Your husband and he will be a holy man, 78

because You have entrusted Yourself to God. You will tell him Your vow. » «And will he agree? » «I hope so. Pray, my child, that he may understand Your heart. Go now. May God always accompany You. » Mary withdraws with Anna. Zacharias stays with the High Priest. The vision ends in this way. 12. Joseph is chosen husband of the Virgin. 4th September 1944. 1I see a rich hall with a beautiful floor, curtains, carpets and inlaid furniture. It must be still part of the Temple: there are priests in it, including Zacharias, and many men of every age, from twenty to fifty approximately. They are all talking in low but animated voices. They seem to be anxious about something I do not know. They are dressed in their best clothes, which seem to be new or just recently washed and they are obviously dressed for some special feast. Many have removed the piece of cloth covering their heads, others still wear it, particularly the elder ones, whereas the young people show their bare heads, some dark blond, some brown, some black, on­ ly one auburn. Their hair is mostly short, but some wear it long down to their shoulders. They do not all know one another, be­ cause they observe one another inquisitively. But they seem to be akin somehow, because it is clear that they are all concerned with the same matter. 2In a corner I can see Joseph. He is talking to a hale and hearty elderly man. Joseph is about thirty years old. He is a handsome man with short and rather curly hair, dark brown like his beard and his moustache, which cover a well shaped chin and rise to­ wards his rosy-brown cheeks, which are not olive-coloured as is normal in most people with a brown complexion. His eyes are dark, kindly and deep, very serious and perhaps somewhat sad. But when he smiles, as he does now, they become gay and young looking. He is dressed in light brown, very simple but very tidy. 3 A group of young Levites comes in and they take up posi­12. 1 12. 2 12. 3 79

tion between the door and a long narrow table, which is against the same wall as the door, which is left wide open. A single cur­ tain hanging down to about twenty centimetres from the floor is drawn to cover the empty space. The curiosity of the group increases. It grows more so when a hand pulls the curtain to one side to admit a Levite, who is car­ rying in his arms a bundle of dry branches on which one in blos­ som is gently laid: it looks like a light foam of white petals, with a vague pinkish hue that spreads softer and softer from the cen­ tre to the top of the light petals. The Levite lays the bundle of branches on the table very gently to avoid detracting from the miracle of the branch full of flowers among so many dry ones. Whispering spreads in the hall. They all stretch their necks and sharpen their eyes to see. Zacharias, who is near the table with the other priests, also endeavours to see. But he can see nothing. Joseph, in his corner, gives a quick glance to the bundle of branches and when the man he was speaking to says something to him, he shakes his head in denial as if to say: «Impossible» and smiles. 4A trumpet is heard beyond the curtain. They all become quiet and turn in an orderly way towards the door, which is now com­ pletely clear as the curtain has been pulled to one side. The High Priest enters surrounded by elders. They all make a deep bow. The Pontiff goes to the table and begins to speak, standing up. «Men of the race of David, gathered here at my request, please listen. The Lord has spoken, glory be to Him! From His Glory a ray has descended and, like the sun in springtime, it has given life to a dry branch which has blossomed miraculously, where­ as no other branch on earth is in bloom today, the last day of the Feast of Dedication, and the snow that fell on the mountains in Judah has not yet melted and everything is white between Zion and Bethany. God has spoken and has made Himself the father and the guardian of the Virgin of David Who has Him alone as Her protection. A holy girl, the glory of the Temple, She deserved the word of God to learn the name of a husband agreeable to the Eternal One. And he must be very just to be chosen by the Lord as the protector of the Virgin so dear to Him! For this reason our sorrow in losing Her is alleviated and all worries about Her des-8012. 4

tiny as a wife cease. And to the man appointed by God we entrust with full confidence the Virgin blessed by God and by ourselves. The name of the husband is Joseph of Jacob of Bethlehem, of the tribe of David, a carpenter in Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph: come forward. It is an order of the High Priest... » There is a lot of whispering. Heads move around, eyes cast in­ quisitive glances, hands make signs: there are expressions of dis­ appointment and relief. Someone, particularly amongst the older people, must be happy that it was not his fate. Joseph, blushing and embarrassed moves forward. He is now near the table, in front of the Pontiff, whom he has greeted rever­ ently. «Everyone must come here to see the name engraved on the branch. And everyone must take his own branch to make sure that there is no deception. » The men obey. They look at the branch gently held by the High Priest and then each takes his own: some break it, some keep it. They all look at Joseph. Some look and are silent, others look and congratulate him. The elderly man to whom Joseph was speak­ ing before, exclaims: «I told you, Joseph! Who feels less certain, is the one who wins the game! » They have all now passed before the Pontiff. 5The High Priest gives Joseph his branch in bloom, he lays his 12. 5 hand on his shoulder and says to him: «The spouse the Lord has presented you with, is not rich, as you know. But all virtues are in Her. Be more and more worthy of Her. There is no flower in Is­ rael as beautiful and pure as She is. Please, all go out now. You, Joseph, stay here. And you, Zacharias, since you are Her relative, please bring in the bride. » They all go out, except the High Priest and Joseph. The cur­ tain is drawn once again over the door. Joseph is standing in a very humble attitude, near the Priest. There is silence, then the Priest says to Joseph: «Mary wishes to inform you of a vow She made. Please help Her shyness. Be good to Her, Who is so good. » «I will put my strength and my manly authority at Her ser­ vice and no sacrifice on Her behalf will be heavy for me. Be sure of that. » Mary enters with Zacharias and Anna of Phanuel. 81

«Come, Mary» says the Pontiff. «Here is the spouse that God has destined to You. He is Joseph of Nazareth. You will therefore go back to Your own town. I will leave You now. May God give You His blessing. May the Lord protect You and bless You, may He show His face to You and have mercy on You. May He turn His face to You and give You peace. » Zacharias goes out escorting the Pontiff. Anna congratulates Joseph and then she goes out too. 6The betrothed are now facing each other. Mary, full of blush­ es, is standing with Her head bowed. Joseph, who is also red in the face, looks at Her and tries to find the first words to be said. He eventually finds them and a bright smile lights up his eyes. He says: «I welcome you, Mary. I saw You when You were a little baby, only a few days old... I was a friend of Your father's and I have a nephew, the son of my brother Alphaeus, who was a great friend of Your mother. He was her little friend, because he is only eighteen years old, and when You were not yet born, he was only a little boy and he cheered up Your sad mother who loved him so much. You do not know us because You were only a little girl when You came here. But everyone in Nazareth loves You and they all think and speak of Joachim's little Mary, Whose birth was a miracle of the Lord, Who made the barren old lady blos­ som wonderfully... And I remember the evening You were born... We all remember it because of the prodigy of a heavy rain that saved the country and of a violent storm during which the thun­ derbolts did not damage even a stem of heather and it ended with such a large and beautiful rainbow that the like has never been seen again. And then... who does not remember Joachim's hap­ piness? He dandled You showing You to his neighbours... As if You were a flower that had descended from Heaven, he admired You and wanted everyone to admire You, a happy old father who died talking about his Mary, Who was so beautiful and good and Whose words were so full of wisdom and grace... He was quite right in admiring You and in saying that there is no other woman lovelier than You are! And Your mother? She filled Your house and the neighbourhood with her songs and she sang like a sky­ lark in springtime when she was carrying You, and afterwards when she held You in her arms. I made a cradle for You. A tiny little cradle, with roses carved all over it, because Your moth-8212. 6

er wanted it like that. Perhaps it is still in the house... I am old, Mary. When You were born I was beginning to work. I was al­ ready working... I would never have believed that I was going to have You as a spouse! Perhaps Your parents would have died a happier death if they had known, because they were my friends. I buried Your father, mourning over his death with a sincere heart, because he was a good teacher to me. » Mary raises Her face, little by little, taking heart, as She hears Joseph speak to Her in this way, and when he mentions the cra­ dle She smiles gently and when Joseph speaks of Her father, She holds out Her hand to him and says: «Thank you, Joseph. » A very timid and gentle «thank you. » Joseph holds Her little jasmine hand in his short and strong hands of a carpenter and he caresses it with an affection that expresses more and more confidence. Perhaps he is waiting for more words. But Mary is silent once again. He then goes on: «As You know, Your house is still intact, with the exception of the part that was demolished by order of the consul, to build a road for the waggons of the Romans. But the fields, what is left of them — You know that because of Your father's illness much of the property had to be disposed of — have been rather neglect­ ed. For over three years the trees and the vines have never been pruned and the land is untilled and hard. But the trees that saw You when You were a little girl are still there, and if You agree, I will at once take care of them. » «Thank you, Joseph. But you have your work... » «I will work in Your orchard in the morning and in the even­ ing. The days are getting longer and longer. By springtime I want everything to be in order for Your happiness. Look: this is a branch of the almond tree near the house. I wanted to pick it — the hedge is so ruined that one can enter anywhere, but I will remake it solid and strong — I wanted to pick it, because I thought that if I should be the chosen one, You would have been pleased to have a flower from Your garden. But I was not expecting to be the chosen one as I am a Nazirite* and I have obeyed because it is an order of the Priest, not because I wish to get married. Here is the branch, Mary. With it I offer You my heart, that, like it, has * Nazirite: consecrated to the Lord. Numbers 6: 1-21. 83

12. 7 12. 8bloomed up till now only for the Lord and is now blooming for You, my spouse. » 7Mary takes the branch. She is moved and looks at Joseph with a face that has become more and more confident and bright. She feels certain of him. When he says to Her «I am a Nazirite», Her face becomes bright and She takes courage: «Also I am all of the Lord, Joseph. I do not know whether the High Priest told you... » «He only told me that You are good and pure, that You wish to inform me of a vow, and that I must be good to you. Speak, Mary. Your Joseph wants You to be happy in all Your desires. I do not love You with my body. I love You with my soul, holy girl given to me by God! Please see in me a father and a brother, in addition to a husband. And open Your heart to me as to a father and rely on me as on a brother... » «Since My childhood I have consecrated Myself to the Lord. I know this is not the custom in Israel. But I heard a voice request­ ing My virginity as a sacrifice of love for the coming of the Mes­ siah. Israel has been waiting for Him for such a long time!... It is not too much to forgo the joy of being a mother for that! » Joseph gazes at Her as if he wanted to read Her heart, then he takes Her tiny hands which are still holding the branch in blos­ som and he says: «I will join my sacrifice to Yours and we shall love the Eternal Father so much with our chastity that He will send His Saviour to the world earlier, and will allow us to see His Light shining in the world. Come, Mary. Let us go before His House and take an oath that we shall love each other as the angels do. 8Then I will go to Nazareth to prepare everything for You, in Your house, if You wish to go there, or elsewhere if You wish so. » «In My house... There was a grotto down at the bottom... Is it still there? » «It is, but it is no longer Yours... But I will build another one for You where it will be cool and quiet during the hottest hours of the day. I will make it as similar as possible to the older one. And tell me: whom do You want with You? » «Nobody. I am not afraid. Alphaeus' mother, who has always come to see Me, will keep Me company during the day. At night I prefer to be alone. No harm can befall Me. » «And now I am there, too. When shall I come and get You? » 84

«Whenever you wish, Joseph. » «Then I will come as soon as the house is ready. I will not touch anything. I want You to find it as Your mother left it. But I want it to be bright and clean, to welcome You without any sadness. Come, Mary. Let us go and tell the Most High that we bless Him. » I do not see anything else. But I feel in my heart the sense of confidence that Mary feels. 13. The wedding of the Virgin and Joseph. The closeness to the full fo Grace makes of a just man a saint, worthy to be the guardian of the Spouse and Son of God. 5th September 1944. 1How beautiful Mary is dressed as a bride, among Her joyful 13. 1 friends and teachers! There is also Elizabeth amongst them. She is dressed in snow-white linen, so soft and refined that it looks like precious silk. She is wearing around Her slender waist a burin wrought belt in gold and silver, made of medallions held together by little chains — each medallion is an embroidery of gold threads on heavy silver burnished by age. Probably because the belt is too long for Her, still a gentle girl, the last three me­ dallions hang down in the front and fall amongst the folds of the very wide dress that is so long as to form a sort of train. On Her feet She is wearing white leather sandals with silver buckles. Around Her neck the dress is held by a chain of small gold roses and silver filigree, reproducing on a smaller scale the de­ sign of the belt. Running through large holes on the loosely cut neck, the chain gathers the cloth and forms a kind of small frill. Mary's neck emerges from the white pleated cloth with the grace of a stem wrapped in a precious fabric and seems even more slen­ der and whiter than ever, the stem of a lily ending in a lily-like face, which is even paler than usual for the excitement-and pur­ er. The face of a most pure victim. Her hair no longer hangs over Her shoulders. It is arranged in a knot of plaits in a charming style, and precious burnished sil­ ver hairpins, all made with embroidered filigree at the top, hold it in position. Her mother's veil is placed over the plaits and it falls in beautiful folds under the precious thin plate that encir­ 85

13. 2cles Her snow-white forehead. The veil falls down Her sides and since Mary is not as tall as Her mother, it falls lower than Her hips, whereas it reached Anne's waist. She has nothing on Her hands, but is wearing bracelets on Her wrists. Her wrists are so thin that the heavy bracelets of Her mother cover the back of Her hands and would fall to the ground if She tossed Her hands. 2Her friends gaze upon Her and admire Her. They twitter gai­ ly like sparrows asking questions and expressing their admira­ tion. «Are they Your mother's? » «They are antique, are they not? » «How beautiful, Sarah, this belt is! » «And what about this veil, Susan? How refined it is. Just look at those lilies woven in it! » «Let me see Your bracelets, Mary. Were they Your mother's? » «Yes, she wore them. But they belonged to My father's moth­ er. » «Oh! Look. They have the seal of Solomon interwoven with thin little branches of palm and olive-trees and amongst these there are lilies and roses. Oh! Who did such perfect and refined work? » «They belong to the House of David» explains Mary. «The women of the family have worn them for centuries, when they get married and they are left in heritage to the heiress. » «Certainly! You are the heiress... » «Did they bring You everything from Nazareth? » «No, they did not. When My mother died, My cousin took My trousseau to her house to keep it safely. Now she has brought it back to Me. » «Where is it? Where is it? Show it to Your friends. » Mary does not know what to do... She would like to be kind, but she is not anxious to pull out all the things which are nicely laid in three heavy trunks. Her teachers come to Her help: «The groom is about to arrive» they point out. «This is not the moment to cause confusion. Leave Mary alone. You are tiring Her. Go and get ready. » The chattering group go away somewhat sulkily. Mary can now enjoy in peace the company of Her teachers who say words of praise and blessing to Her. 86

Elizabeth has also approached. And as Mary, deeply moved, is crying because Anna of Phanuel has called Her «daughter» and has kissed Her with true motherly love, Elizabeth says to Her: «Mary, Your mother is not here, and yet she is present. Her soul is rejoicing with Yours. Look, the things that You are wearing are giving You her caresses once again. You can still find in them the flavour of her kisses. One day, a long time ago, the day You came to the Temple, she said to me: “I have prepared Her dresses and Her trousseau, because I wish to be the one who weaves Her lin­ en and makes Her bridal dresses, so that I shall not be absent on the day of Her joy”. And listen. In the last days, when I was as­ sisting her, every evening she wanted to caress Your first little dresses and the ones You are now wearing and she would say: “I can smell the jasmine perfume of my little one and I want Her to perceive here the kiss of Her mummy”. How many kisses on this veil that is now shading Your forehead! There are more kisses than threads!... And when You will wear the cloth woven by her, just think that it was woven more by her motherly love than by the spool. And these jewels... Even in hard circumstances they were saved by Your father for You, that You might be beautiful in this hour, as befits a princess of the House of David. Be happy and cheerful, Mary. You are not an orphan, because Your parents are with You and Your husband is a father and a mother to You, such is his perfection... » «Yes, that is true! I certainly cannot complain. In two months he has been here twice, and today he has come for the third time, facing the rain and the windy weather, to take orders from Me... Fancy: orders from Me, a poor woman and much younger than he is! And he has denied Me nothing. He does not even wait for Me to ask. I think an angel must tell him what I want, because he tells Me before I can speak. The last time he said: “Mary, I think that You prefer to stay in Your father's house. Since You are a daugh­ ter heiress, You can do so, if that is Your wish. I will come to Your house. However, in order to accomplish the rite, You will go for one week to my brother Alphaeus' house. Mary already loves You so much. And from there the procession will start that will take You to Your house in the evening of the wedding day”. Was that not very kind of him? It did not even matter to him if the people should say that he has not a house which I would like... I would 8713. 3

13. 4have liked it, because he is there and he is so good. Certainly... I prefer My own house... because of memories... Oh! Joseph is so good! » «What did he say about Your vow? You haven't told me yet. » «He made no objection. On the contrary, when I told him the reasons, he said: “I will join my sacrifice to Yours”. » «He is a holy young man» says Anna of Phanuel. 4The «holy young man» is coming in just now in the company of Zacharias. He is really magnificent. All dressed in gold yellow he seems an eastern sovereign. A splendid belt supports his pouch and his dagger, the former of morocco embroidered in gold, the lat­ ter with a morocco sheath and gold decorations. On his head he is wearing a turban, that is the usual piece of cloth worn like a hood, as is still customary amongst certain people in Africa, such as the bedouins, and it is held by a precious ring, a thin wire of gold, to which small bunches of myrtle are tied. He has on a new mantle, with fringes, and he wears it with great dignity. He is sparkling with joy. He has in his hands small bunches of myr­ tle in bloom. «Peace to you, my spouse! » he greets Her. «Peace to every­ one. » When he has received a reply to his greetings, he says: «I saw Your joy the day I gave You a branch from Your garden. I thought I should bring You some myrtle which I picked near the grotto You love so much. I wanted to bring You some of the roses that are already beginning to bloom near Your house. But roses do not last long. After a journey of several days I would have ar­ rived here with only the thorns. And I want to offer You, my dear, only roses and spread Your way with soft scented flowers, so that Your feet may rest on them without touching anything dirty or harsh. » «Oh! Thank you, you are so good! But what did you do to keep it so fresh? » «I tied a vase to the saddle and I put the branches of the flow­ ers in bud in it. During the journey they have burst into flower. Here they are, Mary. May Your forehead be garlanded with puri­ ty, the symbol of a bride, which, however, is much inferior to the purity of Your heart. » Elizabeth and the teachers adorn Mary with a little garland 88

of flowers which they form attaching the little white bunches of myrtle to the precious ring and they insert small white roses which they take from a vase placed on a small chest. Mary is on the point of taking Her large white mantle to put it on Her shoulders, but Joseph precedes Her and helps Her to fasten it at the top of Her shoulders with two silver buckles. The teachers then arrange the folds with loving care. 5Everything is ready. While they are awaiting I do not know what, Joseph takes Mary to one side and says to Her: «I have pondered a lot on Your vow these last days. I told You that I will share it with You. But the more I think of it, the more I realise that a temporary Naziritism is not sufficient, even if renewed several times. I have understood Yon, Mary. I do not yet deserve the word of Light, but a murmur of it comes to me. And it causes me to read Your secret, at least in its main lines. I am a poor igno­ rant man, Mary. A poor workman. I know nothing of letters and I have no treasures. But I place at Your feet my treasure: my ab­ solute chastity, forever, to be worthy of being beside You, Virgin of God, “my sister spouse, enclosed garden*, sealed fountain”, as our Ancestor says, who perhaps wrote the Song of Songs seeing You... I shall be the guardian of this garden of spices containing the most precious fruits and from which a spring of living water gushes out in a gentle surge: Your kindness, oh spouse, has con­ quered my soul with Your innocence, oh most beautiful one. You are more beautiful than dawn, You are a sun that shines because Your heart shines, You are full of love for Your God and for the world, to which You wish to give a Saviour with Your sacrifice of a woman. Come, my beloved spouse» and he takes Her gently by the hand and leads Her towards the door. All the others follow them and outside the joyful companions, all dressed in white and wearing veils, join them. 6They go through yards and porches, among the crowds that watch them, up to a point that is not the Temple, but seems to be a hall used for ceremonies, because there are lamps and rolls of parchment as in synagogues. They go as far as a tall lectern, al­ most a desk, and they wait. The others stand in an orderly fashion behind them. Other priests and curious people gather at the end. * enclose garden, Song of Songs 4: 12. 13. 5 13. 6 89

13. 7The High Priest enters solemnly. There is whispering amongst the curious crowd: «Is he going to marry them? » «Yes, because She is of royal and sacerdotal rank. A flower of David and Aaron, the bride is a virgin of the Temple. The groom is of the tribe of David. » The Pontiff joins the right hand of the bride with the right hand of the groom and he blesses them solemnly: «May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be with you. May He join you and fulfil His blessing in you giving you His peace and numerous descendants with a long life and a happy death in the bosom of Abraham. » He then withdraws as solemn as when he entered. The promise has been exchanged. Mary is Joseph's spouse*. They all go out and they move in an orderly fashion to a hall where they stipulate the wedding contract which states that Mary, the daughter heiress of Joachim of David and of Anne of Aaron gives Joseph, as Her dowry, Her house and the estate at­ tached to it, Her personal property and what She has inherited from Her father. It is now all over. 7The betrothed go out into the yard and they move towards the exit near the dwellings of the women assigned to the Temple. A comfortable heavy waggon is waiting for them. A tent is laid over it as a shelter and Mary's heavy trunks are already loaded on it. After farewell words, kisses and tears, blessings and advice, Mary gets into the waggon with Elizabeth, while Joseph and Zacharias sit in the front. They have taken off their best mantles and are all wearing dark ones. The waggon departs at the heavy trot of a big dark horse. The Temple walls and then the city walls are receding and here is the country, new, fresh, blooming in the early springtime sunshine, with the corn a few inches off the ground, its little leaves, which look like emeralds, waving at a gentle breeze, which carries the * spouse. In Israel, also at the time of Our Lady, a marriage comprised two phas­ es: the engagement and the wedding. The rite of the engagement, by which the marriage was essentially established, implied that the young couple should be blessed by a priest while holding each other's hand; a legal contract was made in regard to property and rights. During this first phase they did not live together. The wedding was the solemn accomplishment of the contract and the couple be­ gan to live together. 90

scent of peach and apple flowers, of clover flowers and of wild mint. Mary is weeping silently, under Her veil, and now and again She removes the tent and looks at the far away Temple and the city She has left... The vision ends in this way. 8Jesus says: «What does the Book of Wisdom* say, singing her praises? “Within wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle”. And it goes on listing her endowments, ending the pe­ riod with the words... “almighty, all-surveying, penetrating all intelligent, pure and most subtle spirits. She is so pure she per­ vades and permeates all things. She is a breath of the power of God, hence nothing impure can find a way into her... image of His goodness. Although alone she can do all, herself unchanging, she makes all things new, she passes into holy souls, she makes them friends of God and Prophets”. 9You have seen how Joseph, not by human culture, but by su­ pernatural education can read in the sealed book of the Immacu­ late Virgin and how he borders upon prophetic truths by his “see­ ing” a superhuman mystery where others could only see a great virtue. Since he is imbued with this wisdom, which is a breath of the power of God and a definite emanation of the Almighty, he sails with a secure spirit the sea of this mystery of grace which is Mary. He penetrates with Her spiritual contacts, in which, rath­ er than the lips, the two spirits speak to each other in the sacred silence of their souls, where God only can hear voices and those who are well liked by God, because they are His faithful ser­ vants and are full of Him. The wisdom of the Just man, which increases by his union and closeness to Mary, Full of Grace, prepares him to penetrate the deepest secrets of God and enables him to protect and defend them from the snares of man and demon. And in the meantime it invigorates him. It makes the just man a saint, and the saint the guardian of the Spouse and of the Son of God. Without removing the seal of God, he, a chaste man, now ele­ * Book of Wisdom, 7: 22-27. 13. 8 13. 9 91

vating his chastity to angelical heroism, can read the word of fire written by God on the virginal diamond, and he reads what his wisdom does not repeat, but is greater than what Moses read on the stone tablets. And to prevent profane eyes from prying into the mystery, he places himself, seal upon the seal, as an archan­ gel of fire on the threshold of Paradise, within which the Eternal Father takes His delight, “walking in the cool of the evening” and talking to Her Who is His love, Garden of lilies in bloom, Air scented with perfumes, fresh morning Breeze, lovely Star, De­ light of God. The new Eve is there, in front of him, not bone from his bones, nor flesh from his flesh, but companion of his life, liv­ ing Ark of God, Whom he receives in guardianship and Whom he must return to God as pure as he received Her. “Spouse to God” was written in the immaculate pages of that mystical book... And when in the hour of trial suspicion hissed its torture, he suffered as a man and as a servant of God, as no man suffered, because of the suspected sacrilege. But this was to be the future trial. Now, in this time of grace, he sees and he puts himself at the most true service of God. Then the storm of the trial will come, as for all saints, to be tested and made coadjutors of God. 10What do you read* in Leviticus? “Tell Aaron, your brother, that he must not enter the sanctuary beyond the Veil in front of the Throne of mercy that is over the Ark, whenever he chooses. He may die; for I appear in a cloud on the Throne of mercy, unless he has done these things first: he will offer a young bull for a sac­ rifice for sin and a ram for holocaust, he is to wear a linen tunic and cover his nakedness with a linen girdle”. And Joseph really enters the sanctuary of God, when and as far as God wants, beyond the veil that conceals the Ark on which the Spirit of God hovers and he offers himself and will offer the Lamb, a holocaust for the sin of the world and in expiation of such sin. And he does that dressed in linen, and mortifying his vir­ ile limbs to abolish their faculty of sensation, which once, at the beginning of times, did triumph, impairing the rights of God on man and which will now be crushed in the Son, in the Mother and in the putative father, to lead men back to Grace and restore the * What do you read in: Leviticus 16: 2-4. 9213. 10

right of God on man. He does that with his perpetual chastity. Was Joseph not on Golgotha? Do you think he is not amongst the co-redeemers? I tell you solemnly that he was the first and therefore he is great in the eyes of God. Great for his sacrifice, his patience, his perseverance, his faith. Which faith is greater than this one that believed without seeing the miracles of the Messiah? 11Praise be to My putative father, an example to you of what you lack most: purity, faithfulness and perfect love. Praise be to the magnificent reader of the sealed Book, filled with Wisdom to be able to understand the mysteries of Grace and chosen to pro­ tect the Salvation of the world from the snares of all enemies. » 14. Joseph and Mary arrive in Nazareth. 6th September 1944. 1A very blue sky of a mild February is over the hills of Gali­ lee. The gentle hills that I have never seen in the early history of Mary, are now instead as familiar to me as if I were born there. The main road is fresh looking because of last night's rain and it is neither dusty nor muddy. It is hard and clean as if it were the street of a town and it runs between two hedges of hawthorn in bloom. The hedges are so white that they look like a snowfall. The scenary is broken by the monstrous conglomerations of cacti, with thick leaves like palettes, spiked with stings and decorated with the huge granades of their peculiar fruits, grown without stem on the top of the leaves. Because of their colour and shape, the cactus leaves always give me the impression of sea depths and coral reefs, of jellyfish and other deep sea animals. Beyond the hedgerows there is the country. The purpose of the hedges is to fence in the grounds of the various owners, and thus they stretch in every direction forming a strange geometrical de­ sign of curves and angles, lozenges, squares, semicircles and the most unbelievable acute and obtuse angled triangles, a design all sprayed with white, like a strange ribbon thrown over the coun­ try just for fun and over which hundreds and hundreds of birds fly, chirp, sing, in the joy of love, while working to build their nests. In the fields the corn is taller than in Judaea. The mead­ ows are full of flowers and there are hundreds of fruit-trees all13. 11 14. 1 93

14. 2in full bloom, that look like clouds of vegetables, white, red, pink, with all shades of these colours: they seem to be an answer to the light clouds in the sky, which the setting sun paints pink, light li­ lac, periwinkle violet, opal blue and coral orange. With the light evening breeze the first petals fall from the trees in blossom and they look like a swarm of little butterflies searching for pollen on wild flowers. And from tree to tree there are festoons of vines still barren, except at the top of the fes­ toons, where there is more sunshine, and the first little innocent, surprised, trembling leaves are beginning to open. The sun is setting peacefully in the sky, which is so benign in its deep blue. The light makes it even more limpid and causes the snow on Mount Hermon and other far away mountain tops to shine. 2A waggon is moving along the road. It is the waggon that is carrying Joseph, Mary and Her cousins. Their journey is at an end. Mary is looking with the eagerness of those who want to know, or better, want to recognise what they have already seen, but can no longer remember and they smile when a faint memory comes back to them and rests, like a light, on this or that thing, on this or that point. Elizabeth, Zacharias and Joseph help Her to re­ member, pointing to various places and houses. Nazareth is already showing its houses, spread out on the un­ dulations of its hills. Lit up from the left by the setting sun, it shows the white of its low wide little houses bordered in pink and surmounted by terraces. Some of them, fully illuminated by the sun, seem to be near a fire, so red are the fronts of the houses be­ cause of the sun, that also lights up the water of the ponds and of the low wells, with practically no parapets, and from which squeaky pails of water are being pulled up for the houses as well as water-bags for the orchards. Children and women rush to the side of the road and look in­ to the waggon and greet Joseph who is well known to them. But they are somewhat embarrassed and shy with regards the other three travellers. But when the waggon enters the little town, there is no longer any embarrassment or shyness. Many people of all ages are gath­ ered at the entrance of the village under a rustic arch of flowers 94

and branches, and there is an outburst of shrill voices and a toss­ ing of branches and flowers as soon as the waggon appears from behind the corner of the last house lying before it in the coun­ try. It is the women, girls and children of Nazareth greeting the bride. The men, more serious, are standing behind the excited and shouting crowd and they are greeting solemnly. The waggon is not covered now by the tent, which was re­ moved before reaching the village, both because the sun was no longer annoying them and to enable Mary to see Her native land. Mary thus appears in all the beauty of a lovely flower. White and blonde like an angel, She smiles lovingly at everybody: at the children who throw Her flowers and kisses; at the girls of Her own age who call Her by name; at the elderly women who bless Her with their cheerful voices. She bows to the men and in par­ ticular to one who is perhaps the rabbi or the elder of the town. The waggon proceeds slowly along the main road, followed for a considerable distance by the crowd, for whom the arrival is an event. 3«There is Your house, Mary» says Joseph, pointing with his whip to a little house which is just under the edge of an undula­ tion of the hill. Behind the house there is a lovely large kitch­ en garden all in bloom, at the end of which there is a small ol­ ive-grove. Behind the olive-grove there is the usual boundary hedge of hawthorn and cactus. The fields that once belonged to Joachim, are farther beyond... «As You can see, very little is left for You» says Zacharias. «Your father's illness was a long and expensive one. Also the ex­ penses to repair the damage done by the Romans were heavy. See? The road took away the three main rooms and the house was cut down in size. In order to enlarge it, without excessive ex­ penses, a part of the mountain was adapted, where the grotto is. Joachim kept his supplies there and Anne her looms. You will do as You think best. » «Oh! It does not matter if only little is left. It will be sufficient for Me. I will work... » «No, Mary. » It is Joseph who is speaking. «I will work. You will do nothing but weave and sew things for the house. I am young and strong and I am Your husband. Please do not humili­ ate me with Your work. »14. 3 95

14. 4«I shall do as you wish. » «Yes, in this case I do want it. In everything else Your wishes are the law. But not with regards to this. » 4They have arrived. The waggon stops. Two women and two men, about forty and fifty years of age respectively, are at the entrance and many children and young boys are with them. «May God give You peace, Mary» says the elder man and one of the women approaches Mary embracing and kissing Her. «He is my brother Alphaeus and she is Mary, his wife, and these are their children. They have come to greet You and to tell You that their house is Yours if You wish so» says Joseph. «Yes, come Mary, if it is painful for You to live by Yourself. The country is beautiful in springtime and our house is in the middle of fields full of flowers. And You will be the loveliest flower there» says Mary of Alphaeus. «Thank you, Mary. I would come so willingly. But I am so anxious to see and recognise My own home. I left it when I was a little girl, and I have forgotten what it is like... Now I have found it again... and I feel I have found also My lost mother, My be­ loved father, and that I can hear the echo of their words... and I smell the perfume of their last breath. I feel I am no longer an or­ phan, because once again I have around Me the embrace of these walls... Please understand Me, Mary. » Mary's voice trembles and Her eyes begin to shine with tears. Mary of Alphaeus replies to Her: «As You wish, my dear. I want You to feel that I am Your sister and friend, and also a mother to You, since I am so much older than You are. » The other woman has come forward: «Hello, Mary. I am Sa­ rah, Your mother's friend. I saw You being born. And this is Al­ phaeus, Alphaeus' nephew, and a great friend of Your mother. What I did for Your mother, I am willing to do for You, if You wish so. See? My house is the one nearest to Yours and Your fields are now ours. But if You want to come, come whenever You wish. We will open a passage through the hedge and we shall be to­ gether, yet each of us will be at home. This is my husband. » «Thank you all and for everything. Thank you for all the good you did to My parents and for your love for Me. May God the Al­ mighty bless you for it. » 96

5The heavy trunks are unloaded and carried into the house. 14. 5 They go in. I now recognise the little house of Nazareth, as it was during the life of Jesus. Joseph takes Mary by the hand and they go in. On the thresh­ old he says to Her: «And now, on this threshold, I want a promise from You. That whatever may happen to You, whatever You may need, there is no other friend whom to turn to but Joseph and that, for no reason whatsoever, may You worry all by Yourself. Remember that I am everything for You and it will be a joy for me to make Your life happy and, since happiness is not always in our power, I will at least make it peaceful and safe. » «I do promise, Joseph » The door and windows are opened. The last searching rays of sun enter. Mary has now taken off Her mantle and veil, because, with the exception of the myrtle flowers, She has still Her bridal dress on. She then goes into the kitchen garden in bloom. She looks and smiles. Still held by the hand by Joseph, She goes round the gar­ den. She looks as if She were taking possession of a lost place. And Joseph shows Her his work: «See? I dug a hole here to gather the rain water, because these vines are always thirsty. I cut off the oldest branches of this olive tree to strengthen it and I transplanted these apple trees because two of them had with­ ered. Over there I planted some fig trees. When they grow up they will shelter the house both from the excessive heat of the sun and from inquisitive people. The pergola is the old one. I only changed the rotten poles and I did some trimming. It will give You a lot of grapes, I hope. And here, look» and he leads Her proudly to­ wards the side of the hill at the back of the house, which limits the northern side of the garden, «here I dug a grotto and I have reinforced it and when these little plants take roots, it will be al­ most identical to the one You had. There is no spring... but I hope to convey a little stream there. I will work in the long summer evenings, when I come to see You... » 6«What do you mean? » asks Alphaeus. «Are you not getting 14. 6 married this summer? » «No. Mary wants to weave Her woollen clothes, the only things missing from Her trousseau. And I agree with Her. Mary is so young that it does not matter if we wait for a year or more. In 97

14. 7the meantime She will get used to the house... » «Well! You have always been somewhat different from other people and you still are. I do not know who would not be in a hur­ ry to get married to a beautiful flower like Mary, and you are de­ laying things by months!... » «A joy awaited for a long time is a joy to be taken delight in more intensely» replies Joseph with a gentle smile. His brother shrugs his shoulders and asks: «Well, then, when are you thinking of getting married? » «When Mary is sixteen. After the feast of the Tabernacles. The winter evenings will be sweet for the newly weds!... » and he smiles again looking at Mary. A smile of a gentle secret under­ standing. A smile of a brotherly chastity giving comfort. He then resumes his tour of the garden. «This is the big room under the mountain. If You agree, I will use it as a workshop when I come here. It is joined to the house, but not in the house. So I will not annoy You with noise and disorder. However, if You wish other­ wise... » «No, Joseph. That is perfectly all right. » 7They go back into the house and light the lamps. «Mary is tired» says Joseph. «Let us leave Her in peace with Her cousins. » They all say goodbye and go out. Joseph stays for a few mo­ ments and speaks to Zacharias in a low voice. «Your cousin is leaving Elizabeth with You for a little while. Are You happy? I am. Because she will help You... to become a perfect housewife. With her You will be able to arrange Your things and Your furniture, and I will come every evening to help You. With Elizabeth You can purchase the wool and whatever You may need. And I will see to the expenses. Remember, You have promised to come to me for everything. Goodbye, Mary. Sleep the first night as the landlady of this house and may the angel of God make Your sleep peaceful. May the Lord be always with You. » «Goodbye, Joseph. May you also be under the wings of God's angel. Thank you, Joseph. For everything. As far as I can, I will requite your love with Mine. » Joseph says goodbye to His cousins and goes out. And the vision ends with him. 98

15. Conclusion to the Pre-Gospel. [6th September 1944. ] 1Jesus says: «The cycle is over. It has been so sweet and gentle and with it your Jesus has taken you out of the turmoil of these days* with­ out any shock. Like a baby wrapped in soft woollen swaddling clothes and laid on soft cushions, you have been immersed in those blissful visions so that you might not perceive the cruelty of men who hate instead of loving one another, and be terrorised by such ferocity. You could no longer endure certain situations, and I do not want you to die because of them, because I take care of My “spokesman”. 2The reason why victims have been tortured by utter despair is about to cease in the world. Therefore, Mary, the time of your dreadful suffering for too many reasons in such strong contrast with your feelings, will come to an end as well. But your suffer­ ing will not cease: you are a victim. But part of it: this, will cease. Then the day will come when I will say to you, as I said to Mary of Magdala when she was dying**: “Rest. It is now time for you to rest. Give Me your thorns. It is now time for roses. Rest and wait. I bless you, o blessed soul”. That is what I was saying to you, and it was a promise which you did not understand, as the time was approaching when you were to be immersed in, rolled over, chained and filled with thorns, in deepest darkness... I am repeating that to you now, with the joy which only the Love, Which I am, can feel when It can stop one of Its beloved from suffering. I am now telling you that that time of sacrifice is ceasing. And I, Who know, say to you, on behalf of the world which does not know, on behalf of Italy, of Viareggio, of this little village, where you brought Me — meditate on the meaning of these words — I say to you “thanks” as is due to holocausts for their sacrifices. 3When I showed you Cecily, the virgin-spouse***, I told you that she became impregnated with My perfumes, behind which * these days : World War II was raging in the area where M. V. lived (Viareggio), and even in the remote village where she had taken refuge (S. Andrea di Compito). ** Mary of Magdala... dying : in “The notebooks. 1944”, vision of 30th March. *** Cecily, the virgin spouse : visions and dictations of 22nd 23re July 1944 (The Notebooks. 1944). 15. 1 15. 2 15. 3 99

she dragged her husband, brother-in-law, servants, relatives, friends. You played the role of Cecily in this mad world, and you do not know, but I am telling you, I Who know. You became satu­ rated with Me, with My word, you informed people of My desires and the best among them understood and following you, a vic­ tim, many more have risen, and if your fatherland and the places dearer to you are not completely ruined, that is due to the fact that many victims have been consumed after your example and your ministry. Thank you, My blessed one. But go on. I have great need to save the earth, to buy the earth again, and you victims are the money. 4May Wisdom, which taught saints and teaches you directly, elevate you more and more in the understanding of the Science of life and in its practice. Pitch your little tent near the house of the Lord. Or rather, pitch the pegs of your own dwelling in the abode of Wisdom and live there without ever coming out. You will rest, under the protection of the Lord Who loves you, like a bird among flowery branches and He will shelter you from all spiritual storms and you will be in the light of the glory of God, from Whom words of peace and truth will descend for you. Go in peace. I bless you, o blessed soul. » 5Immediately afterwards Mary says: «A present to Mary for her feast from Mother. A chain of pre­ sents. And if there are some thorns amongst them, do not com­ plain to the Lord Who has loved you as He has loved few people. I told you at the beginning: “Write about Me. All your sorrows will be comforted”. You can now see that it was true. This gift had been put aside for this time of excitement, because we do not take care only of the spirit, but we also look after matter, which is not the queen but a useful servant to the spirit in fulfilling its mission. Be grateful to the Most High, Who is really a Father to you, also in an affectionately human sense, and lulls you with sweet ecstasies to conceal from you what would frighten you. Love Me more and more. I have led you into the secrecy of My early years. You now know everything about Mother. Love Me as daughter and sister in our destiny of victims. And love God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit with perfect love. The bless-10015. 4 15. 5

ing of the Father, of the Son and of the Spirit passes through My hands, is scented with My motherly love for you and it descends and rests upon you. Be supernaturally happy. » 16. The Annunciation. 8th March 1944. 1What I see. Mary, a very young girl: She looks fifteen years old, at the most. She is in a small rectangular room: a room most suitable for a girl. Along one of the longer walls there is a bed: a low bed, without bedstead, covered with thick mats or carpets, which appear to be laid on boards or cane-trellis, because they are very stiff and without any curve, as is usual with our beds. Against the other wall there is a kind of bookcase with an oil lamp, some rolls of parchment, some needlework carefully fold­ ed: it seems to be embroidery work. Beside the bookcase, towards the door, which opens onto the kitchen garden and which is now covered by a curtain gently moved by a light breeze, there is the Virgin sitting on a low stool. She is spinning some linen which is as white as snow and as soft as silk. Her little hands, just a little darker than linen, are whirl­ ing the spindle very quickly. Her beautiful young face is slightly bent forward and She is smiling gently as if She were caressing or following some sweet thought. There is a great silence in the little house and in the kitchen garden. There is a great peace both on Mary's face and in the surrounding place. There is peace and order. Everything is neat and tidy and the room, although very modest looking and very modestly furnished — it is almost as bare as a cell — has some­ thing austere and regal about it because of its cleanliness and the care with which everything is laid: the clothes on the bed, the rolls, the lamp, the copper pitcher near the lamp, with a bunch of branches in bloom in it. I do not know whether they are peach or pear branches. They are certainly branches of a fruit-tree, with pinkish white flowers. 2Mary begins to sing in a low voice, then She raises Her voice slightly. But She does not sing loudly. Still, it is a voice vibrating in the little room and one can perceive the vibration of Her soul16. 1 16. 2 101

16. 3in it. I do not understand the words as they are spoken in Hebrew. But as now and again She repeats «Jehovah» I realize that it is a sacred song, perhaps a psalm. Mary is probably remembering the songs of the Temple. And it must be a happy memory because She lays Her hands in Her lap, while still holding the yarn and the spindle, and lifts Her head leaning against the wall: Her face is beautifully flushed and Her eyes are lost behind... I wonder what sweet thought. Her eyes are shining with tears, which appear but do not overflow and they make Her eyes look larger. And yet those eyes are smiling, they are smiling at a thought they can see and by which Mary is abstracted from the earthly world. Mary's face, flushed and girded by the plaits She wears rolled up like a crown around Her head, seems a beautiful flower, as it emerges from Her plain white dress. The song changes into a prayer: «Most High Lord God, do not delay any longer in sending Your Servant to bring peace to the world. Grant us the favourable time and the pure and prolific vir­ gin for the coming of Your Christ. Father, Holy Father, grant Me, Your servant to offer My life for this purpose. Grant Me to die af­ ter seeing Your Light and Your Justice on earth and after know­ ing that our Redemption has been accomplished. O Holy Father, send the Promise of the Prophets to the earth. Send the Redeemer to Your maidservant, so that in the hour of My death, Your abode may be opened to Me, as its gates have already been opened by Your Christ for all those who have hoped in You. Come, come, O Spirit of the Lord. Come to the faithful who are expecting You. Come, Prince of Peace!... » Mary remains absorbed in this way... 3The curtain moves fast, as if someone behind it ventilated it with something or shook it to draw it. And a pearl white light mixed with pure silver makes the slightly yellow walls clearer and makes the colours of the cloths brighter and Mary's raised face more spiritual. And in such light, while the curtain is still drawn on the mystery to be accomplished, the Archangel pros­ trates himself: the curtain no longer moves: it is hanging stiff against the doorposts like a wall separating the inside from the outside. It must necessarily take a human appearance. But it is a tran­ shuman appearance. Of what flesh is this beautiful and gleam­ ing figure made? With what substance did God form it to make 102

it perceptible to the senses of the Virgin? Only God can possess such substances and use them so perfectly. It is a face, a body, eyes, a mouth, hair and hands like ours. But they are not our dull matter. It is a light that has taken the colour of flesh, of eyes, hair, lips, a light that moves and smiles, looks and speaks. 4«Hail, Mary, full of Grace, Hail! » The voice is a sweet arpeg­ 16. 4 gio as of pearls thrown on a precious metal plate. Mary is startled and lowers Her head. And She is even more startled when She sees the shining creature kneeling at about a metre from Her and looking at Her with infinite veneration, his hands crossed over his chest. Mary jumps to Her feet and She squeezes against the wall. She turns pale and red alternately. Her face shows surprise and fear. She subconsciously presses Her hands against Her breast hiding them under Her large sleeves. She stoops, endeavouring to conceal Her body as much as possible. An attitude of gentle modesty. «No. Do not fear. The Lord is with You! You are blessed amongst all women! » But Mary continues to be afraid. Where has that extraordi­ nary being come from? Is he a messenger of God or of the De­ ceiver? «Do not fear, Mary! » repeats the Archangel. «I am Gabriel, the Angel of God. My Lord has sent me to You. Do not be afraid, because You have found grace in the eyes of God. And You will conceive and bear a Son and You will call Him “Jesus”: He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High (and such He will really be). And the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Ancestor David and He will rule over the House of Jacob forever, and His reign will have no end. Understand, o Holy Virgin loved by God, Daughter blessed by Him, called to be the Mother of His Son, what Son You will generate! » «How can this come about, since I do not know man? Perhaps the Lord God will no longer accept the offer of His maidservant and does not want Me a Virgin for His love? » «Not by deed of man You will be a mother, Mary. You are the Eternal Virgin, the Holy Virgin of God. The Holy Spirit will come upon You and the power of the Most High will cover You with its shadow. So the Child born of You will be called Holy and Son 103