Herod the Great

Mary speaks of the Holy Family's obedience when Zacharias advised them to stay in Bethlehem.

Chapter title: The Adoration of the Magi. This is the "Gospel of faith".

Date of vision: Monday, February 28, 1944.

Calendar: October, year -4

Location (map): Bethlehem

Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus

Summary: Maria sees Bethlehem in the middle of the night. The town is asleep. Then she sees the star guiding the Magi, shining supernaturally bright. The star stops in front of the inn where the Holy Family is staying. The Wise Men and their servants stop to worship the Savior for the first time, bowing to the ground. They then withdrew until the following morning. For Maria, the vision stops and resumes three hours later.

The Magi are dressed in majestic garments. They come to respectfully greet the Child. They take the opportunity to tell his Mother about their journey, and offer her three gifts: gold, as befits a King, incense in his capacity as God, and myrrh because her Son, who is the Redeemer of the world, will have to die. Mary turns pale at this mention, but contains her suffering behind a smile. The three Wise Men want to greet the Child one last time, and leave. Joseph accompanies them to their mounts.

Jesus then gives a dictation for our contemporary times. He underlines the faith of the three men, their abandonment to God, for they do not doubt, and they entrust their journey to Him, without splitting hairs. Their hearts tremble only when they arrive in Jerusalem and the star is hidden, but their conscience reassures them. Christ thus declares that those who are accustomed to meditating and who have an upright conscience have learned to examine themselves, to rectify themselves at the slightest deviation from conduct.

The Three Wise Men are also very rich, but they are humble and therefore truly great because of their humility. They see themselves as dust before the Most High, and when they arrive at a poor house, they don't say to themselves, "It can't be done!" They adore it, and then they leave, preparing to go and see their King with dignity. So they put on their best clothes, unlike men who go to the Eucharist with a thousand material concerns.

Finally, Jesus gives two considerations. The first concerns Joseph, who is delighted with the gifts, but remains humble. He was not offended that Mary was in the limelight. He too was humble because he was truly great. The second focuses on Mary, who urges Jesus to bless, even when discouraged by our evil deeds. She kisses his pierced hand and declares: "You are the Savior. Save!". Jesus cannot refuse his Mother, but we must make the effort to go to her.

Chapter contents: 34.1: The Gospels of faith. 34.2 : The plan of the city of Bethlehem. 34.3 : A star creates an enchantment. 34.4 : The Magi stop there at night. 34.5: In broad daylight, they bring their gifts. 34.6: They kneel before the child. 34.7: The eldest tells the story of their journey. 34.8: The significance of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 34.9: They regretfully leave home. 34.10 : The Magi had faith in everything. 34.11 : They did not seek any personal interest. 34.12 : The uprightness of their conscience. 34.13 : Their humility before God. 34.14 : Their piety. 34.15 : They are humble, generous, obedient and respectful of one another. 34.16 : Joseph guardian and protector of Purity and Holiness, without usurping rights. 34.17 : Mary is our Advocate. 34.18 : Meditate and imitate.

Chapter title: The flight into Egypt. Teachings on the last vision linked to the advent of Jesus.

Date of vision and dictation: Friday, June 9, 1944

Calendar: End of November, year -4. Period of the Festival of Lights, end of Kisleu.

Location (map):Bethlehem

Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus

Summary: Joseph sleeps in the house in Bethlehem. He seems to be having a sweet dream, then seems to be troubled before waking up. After dressing, he goes to the Virgin, who is praying beside the Child. He tells her that they must leave at once, as an angel has warned him to flee to Egypt. Mary complied immediately, and prepared their belongings quickly but orderly. Joseph returns to take a share of their belongings, and sadly tells her that they must take as much as they can, as they will have to stay away for a long time. Mary continues to gather the few remaining belongings, then prepares Jesus. When he falls asleep, after taking his milk, Joseph returns and informs her that Herod wants the little one to die. This pierces Mary's heart. She weeps and declares that she is costing Joseph a lot, but he replies that she always consoles him, and that the Magi's wealth will help them in the early days. Both are sad to have to leave, to give up everything and not return to Nazareth, but as long as they still have Jesus, they have everything.

The Savior's parents leave the house, and after greeting the owner of the house, they set off in the direction of Egypt.

Jesus then gives a dictation and emphasizes the simplicity of this vision, which in no way diminishes the humanity of Mary and Jesus or the divinity of Christ. Too often," he says, "we get discouraged by thinking that Mary, Jesus and Joseph were strong and that "they were them". But suffering was always their faithful companion. They didn't know the passions that are akin to vices, because they closed their hearts to Satan. On the other hand, they had many passions, such as love of country, holy affections for their family, and so on. But they didn't let these passions get in the way when it came to following God's will.

Jesus, too, always followed God's will, even if it earned him the hatred of the Jews and the animosity of Judas. He goes on to criticize the great of this world, then dwells on Joseph's chastity and Mary's virginity, affirming them in black and white and going back on Matthew's words. Indeed, the evangelist took his sources directly from Mary, and her perpetual virginity was a known truth from the earliest times.

Christ dwells at length on the word "woman" in the Bible, to show that this term is not proscribed, infamous, impure language. He then turns to Matthew's words to say that Mary was "the true Mother of Jesus without being Joseph's wife. She will always remain: the Virgin, Joseph's wife".

Chapter contents: 35.1: A dream makes Joseph get up in the middle of the night. 35.2: At dawn we flee. 35.3: Mary hurries to gather her things. 35.4: She wakes the child and feeds him. 35.5: We have the wealth of the Magi and God with us. 35.6: Departure with three mounts. 35.7: Men, believing they were doing the right thing, made unreal what would have been so beautiful to leave real. 35.8: Our honorable human passions. 35.9: I did not seek worldly greatness. 35.10: Mary's virginity and Joseph's chastity. 35.11: Mary's grief torn from her home.

Christ, Judas, John and Simon have arrived in Bethlehem, near Rachel's tomb. They are approached by a local woman, who learns that Jesus has come to bring his Mother's salvation to some people in Bethlehem. She invites him to her home, and her husband welcomes them. But there is strong hostility towards the Messiah, as the massacre of the Innocents has taken place and left deep wounds among the people of Bethlehem. The Nativity shepherds, in particular, are hated by the locals, and the man who receives them is convinced that they let themselves be duped thirty years ago. So he curses the shepherds and the Magi, and blames himself for their credulity at the time. Jesus points out, however, that cursing is not permitted, as it is contrary to the commandment of love, and asks him if he is sure that his judgment is right, since the shepherds and magi may have told them the truth. He speaks of biblical prophecies - the Most High having anticipated the Savior's coming in an excess of love - and in particular mentions the star and the predictions in the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. His host recognizes him as a rabbi, but when Jesus wants to know where the shepherds Elijah and Levi are, he becomes openly hostile, as Jesus enjoins him not to hate them and declares that the Messiah has indeed been born here.

Judas then gets on his high horse, but Jesus calms him down and the group leaves. A little further on, the Iscariot explodes and would have liked Jesus to be worshipped, but he doesn't want to reduce to ashes all those who sin against him.

Finally, Jesus takes them to the place of his birth, the grotto in Bethlehem. John and Simon are moved, Judas is disgusted at first, but is then overcome by emotion. And Jesus tells them the story of his birth...

In Bethlehem, an innkeeper tells the apostles about the massacre of the Innocents, and he says: