Skip to content

Notes for this keyword

Anne of Bethlehem

Theme: Characters in The Gospel as it was revealed to me · Page 1 of 2

Reading comfort

Aa

GRM 34

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

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.

GRM 35.2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«We must go away from here at once. It must be at once. Prepare the coffer and a sack with everything You can put in them. I’ll prepare the rest, I’ll take as much as I can… We will flee at dawn. I would go even sooner but I must speak to the landlady…»

«But why this flight?»

«I will tell You later. It’s because of Jesus. An angel said to me: ‘Take the Child and His Mother and escape to Egypt.’ Don’t waste any time. I’m going to prepare what I can.»

GRM 35.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

35.6 Come, Mary, it is starting to dawn. It is time to say goodbye to our hostess and load our things. Everything will be alright.»

Mary gets up obediently. She puts on Her mantle while Joseph makes up a last parcel and goes out with it.

Mary lifts the Child gently, wraps Him in a shawl and clasps Him to Her heart. She looks at the walls that have given Her hospitality for some months and She touches them caressingly with one hand. Happy house, that deserved to be loved and blessed by Mary!

She goes out. She goes through Joseph’s little room, into the large room. The landlady, in tears, kisses Her goodbye and, lifting the edge of the shawl, she kisses the forehead of the Child Who is sleeping calmly. They go down the outside steps.

The first light of dawn enables them to see faintly. In the dim light, three little donkeys can be seen. The strongest is loaded with the goods and chattels. The other two are saddled. Joseph is busy fastening the coffer and bundles on the pack-saddle of the first one. I can see his carpenter’s tools tied in a bundle on top of the sack.

After more tears and goodbyes, Mary mounts the little donkey, while the landlady is holding Jesus in her arms, and kissing Him once again. She then hands Him back to Mary. Joseph, too, mounts after tying his donkey to the one loaded with the goods, in order to be free to hold the reins of Mary’s donkey.

The flight begins while Bethlehem, still dreaming of the phantasmagoric scene of the Magi, is sleeping peacefully, unaware of what is impending over it.

And the vision ends thus.

GRM 73.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

In all sincerity, I must admit that we were all drunk, even I, then an adolescent, also my wife, then only a few years old… because we all believed them, and in a poor Galilean woman we saw the Virgin Mother mentioned by the Prophets. But She was with Her husband, a rough Galilean! If She was the wife, how could She be the “Virgin”? To cut a long story short: we believed. Gifts, worshipping… houses opened to give them hospitality!…

Oh! They played their roles very well! Poor Anne! She lost her property and her life, and also the children of her oldest daughter, the only one left because she was married to a merchant in Jerusalem, lost all their property because their house was burned down and the whole holding was laid waste by Herod’s order. Now it is an uncultivated field where herds feed.

Detail

An inhabitant of Bethlehem talks about the Nativity (he is hostile to the Messiah) and he says:

GRM 74

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus is in Bethlehem with John, Judas and Simon the Zealot. They go into the town itself, as Christ wants to show them where the three kings greeted him. Then Judas shows his practicality and uses trickery to obtain information about Anne of Bethlehem, who had given shelter to the Holy Family. He passes off the apostolic group as Judeans from Jerusalem, and the innkeeper, a man named Hezekiah, tells them about the massacre of the Innocents and the death of Anne. Jesus goes to visit the ruins, then speaks to the people of Bethlehem. But when he speaks of his Mother and the Messiah, they become openly hostile. The crowd becomes agitated and throws stones, but Jesus is unable to appease them or comfort their pain. In a heroic gesture, Judas protects Jesus and the group withdraws. So the Savior doesn't insist, and decides to go and meet the shepherds at the Nativity.

GRM 74.3-6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«We have come from far, man. We are Judaeans of the Asiatic communities. This gentleman, born in Bethlehem and persecuted, is now looking for some dear friends. We are with Him. We have come from Jerusalem, where we worshipped the Most High in His House. Can You give us some information?»

«My lord… your servant… will do everything for you. Give me your orders.»

«We want some information on many… and particularly on Anne, the woman whose house was opposite your hotel.»

«Oh! poor woman! You will find her only in Abraham’s bosom. And her children with her.»

«Is she dead? How?»

«Don’t you know of Herod’s massacre? The whole world talked about it and even Caesar called him “a pig who feeds on blood”. Oh! What have I said? Don’t report me! Are you really a Judaean?»

«Here is the sign of my tribe. So? Speak up.»

«Anne was killed by Herod’s soldiers, with all her children, except one daughter.»

«But why? She was so good?»

«Did you know her?»

«Yes, very well.» Judas lies shamelessly.

«She was killed because she gave hospitality to those who said they were the father and mother of the Messiah…

74.4

Come here, into this room… Walls have ears and it is dangerous to talk about certain things.»

They go into a low dark room. They sit down on a low couch.

«Now… I am very clever. I am not a hotel keeper for nothing. I was born here, the son of sons of hotel keepers. I have malice in my blood. And I did not take them. I could have found a hole for them. But… poor, unknown Galileans as they were… Oh! no! Hezekiah will not fall into the trap! And I felt… I felt they were different… that woman… Her eyes… something… no, no… She must have had a demon inside Her and She spoke to him. And She brought him… not to me… but to town. Anne was more innocent than a little lamb, and she gave them hospitality a few days later, when She already had the Child. They said He was the Messiah… Oh! the money I made during those days! The census was nothing like it! Many people came here who had nothing to do with the census. They came even from the seaside, even from Egypt to see… and it lasted for months! What a profit I made! The last to come were three kings, three powerful people, three sorcerers… I would not know! What a train! An endless one! They took all the stables and they paid in gold for so much hay that could have lasted a month, and they went away the following day, leaving it all here. And what gifts they gave to the hostlers and the women! And to me! Oh! I can only speak well of the Messiah, whether He was a true or false one. He made me earn bags of money. And I had no disasters. None of My family died, because I had just got married. So… but the others!»

74.5

«We would like to see the places of the slaughter.»

«The places? But every house was a place of slaughter. There were people killed for miles around Bethlehem. Come with me.»

They go up a staircase into a large terraced roof. From it, one can see a lot of countryside and the whole of Bethlehem spread on the hills like an open fan.

«Can you see the ruined spots? Over there also the houses were burnt down because the fathers defended their children with their weapons. Can you see over there that kind of well covered with ivy? Those are the remains of the synagogue. It was burnt down with the ruler of the synagogue who stated that it was the Messiah. It was burnt down by the survivors, who were wild because of the slaughter of their children. We had trouble for that after… And over there, and there, there… see those sepulchres? The victims are buried there… They look like little sheep spread all over the green, as far as the eye can see. All the innocents and their fathers and mothers… See that vat? Its water was red after the killers washed weapons and hands in it. And the brook at the back here, did you see it? It was pink because of the blood which had flowed into it from the sewers. And there, over there, in front of us. That is what is left of Anne’s house.»

Jesus is crying.

«Did You know her well?»

Judas replies: «She was like a sister for His Mother. Is that right, my friend?»

Jesus replies simply: «Yes.»

«I understand» remarks the hotel keeper who becomes pensive.

74.6

Jesus bends forward to speak to Judas in a low voice.

«My friend would like to go on those ruins» says Judas.

«Let Him go! They belong to everybody!»

They go downstairs, say goodbye and go out. The host is disappointed. Perhaps he was hoping to earn something.

They cross the square. And they climb the little staircase still left.

«From here» says Jesus, «My Mother made Me wave My hand to the Three Wise Men and we left from here to go to Egypt.»

People look at the four men on the ruins. One asks: «Are they relatives of Anne?»

«They are friends.»

A woman shouts: «Don’t do any harm to the poor dead woman, don’t you do it, as her other friends did when she was alive, and then they ran away.»

Jesus is standing on the landing against the little wall enclosing it. He is therefore about two metres higher up than the square, with nothing behind Him. The outline of His figure is clearly cut against the sun shining behind Him: it forms a halo around His golden hair and makes His snow white linen tunic look even whiter, as it is the only garment on Him, since His mantle has slipped off His shoulders and is now lying at His feet like a multicoloured pedestal. Further back, there is the green unkempt background of what was Anne’s kitchen garden and field, now laid waste and strewn with debris.

Detail

The apostolic group, made up of Jesus, Judas, John of Zebedee and Simon the Zealot, go to Anne's Inn, which once housed the Holy Family. Judas takes the hand, not telling the whole truth.

GRM 75.2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

They threw stones at me, as they do with lepers and unclean people, they treated me like a murderer… and I had to hide in the woods, and live like a wolf… until I found a master. Oh! it’s no longer Anne… He is hard and cruel… If a sheep gets hurt, if a wolf preys on a lamb, he either beats me till I bleed or he takes my poor pay, and I have to work in the woods for other people, I must do something, to pay him back three times the value. But it does not matter. I have always said to the Most High: “Let me see Your Messiah, at least let me know that He is alive, and all the rest is nothing”. My Lord, I have told You how the people in Bethlehem treated me, and how my master deals with me. I could have repaid them in their own coins, I could have wronged them, stealing, so that I would not suffer under my master. But I preferred to suffer, to forgive, to be honest, because the angels said: “Glory to God in the Highest Heaven and peace on earth to men of goodwill”.

Detail

Elijah tells how he was driven out of Bethlehem. He had to find himself a new master, whose name he does not give.