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Considerations on the Word of God

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Reading comfort

Aa

GRM 10.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

10.5 The 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 meaning of the enigmatic word. The seventy weeks will be shortened 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 servants 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 receive 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…

Detail

Mary spoke to Anne of Phanuel and said to her:

Annotation

As I read Daniel, a great light dawned on me; it came from the depths of my heart, and my intelligence grasped the meaning of these secret words. The seventy weeks will be shortened thanks to the prayers of the righteous. Will the number of years be changed? No, prophecy does not lie. But the measure of prophetic time is not based on the course of the sun, but on that of the moon. That's why I say: "The hour is near when the son of a virgin will be heard to wander. "See Daniel 9:23-27.

Ah, if only this Light that loves me would tell me - since it tells me so many things - where is the happy virgin who will bear a son to God and the Messiah to his people! These sentiments are attested to in the revelations made to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231). Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875), Abbot of Solesmes, mentions it in his Année liturgique, on December 9: "Aged only three, she (the Virgin Mary) was already initiated into the secrets of divine love. I always got up in the middle of the night," she herself said in a revelation to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, "and went before the Altar of the Temple, where I asked God to observe all the precepts of his Law, and I begged him to grant me the graces I needed to be pleasing to him. Above all, I asked him to show me the time when this most holy Virgin, who was to give birth to the Son of God, would live. I begged him to preserve my eyes to see her, my tongue to praise her, my hands to serve her, my feet to walk at her bidding, my knees to adore the Son of God in her arms".

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus alludes to this in her letters: "Once, in your humility, you wished one day to be the little handmaid of the happy Virgin who would have the honor of being the Mother of God" (Letter to Céline, October 19, 1892, on her feast day(LT 137).

Book of Daniel 9, 23-27

Dn 9, 23-27 : From the beginning of your prayer, a word came forth, and I have come to make it known to you, for you are a man favored by God. So pay attention to the word and understand the vision. Seventy weeks have been determined upon your people and upon your holy city to shut up prevarication, to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in eternal righteousness, to seal up vision and prophet and to anoint the Holy of Holies. Know therefore and understand: from the going forth of a word commanding Jerusalem to be rebuilt until an anointed one, a leader, there are seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; she will be rebuilt, places and pregnant, in the distress of times. And after sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be cut off, and no one for him. And the people of a ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, and its end will be in the flood, and to the end there will be war, which is decreed touching the devastation. He will make a firm covenant with a great number for a week; and in the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and on the wing of abominations will come a destroyer, and that until the destruction and what has been decreed is poured out on the devastated.

GRM 31.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The Prophet says: ‘And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, will be the greatest, because out of you will come the Saviour’.

Annotation

Book of Micah

Mi 5, 1-4 : And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the smallest of the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me the one who is to rule Israel. His origins go back to ancient times, to the days of yore. But God will deliver up his people until the day when she who is to give birth will give birth, and those of her brothers who remain will join the sons of Israel.

He will stand up and be their shepherd by the power of the Lord, by the majesty of the name of the Lord, his God. They will dwell in safety, for from now on he will be great to the farthest reaches of the earth, and he himself will be peace!

GRM 31.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«It is also said that the Messiah will be called Nazarene…» objects Mary.

«True. But at least, until He is grown up, let Him grow up in Judaea. The Prophet says: ‘And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, will be the greatest, because out of you will come the Saviour’. He does not speak of Nazareth. Perhaps that title was given to Him for some reason unknown to us. But this is His land.»

«You say so, you, priest, and we… we listen to you with sad hearts, and we believe you. But how painful it is!… When shall I see that house where I became a Mother?» Mary is weeping, silently. And I understand Her grief. Oh! I do understand.

The vision ends with Mary’s weeping.

Detail

Zechariah wants Jesus to stay in Bethlehem, and Mary objects.

In a footnote, the editor says: "This is also recalled in Mt 2:23, although it is not really mentioned in the prophets. This is why the expression "it is said" instead of the usual "it is said" or "it is written" seems significant. Because he is a Nazarene (see 604.35 or 608.2), i.e. a native of Nazareth in Galilee, Jesus is also called a Galilean, as in 404.4 (which nevertheless justifies his birth in Judea) and in other passages. Jesus himself calls himself "the Galilean" in 590.21."

Annotation

Matthew 2:23: And [Joseph] came to live in a town called Nazareth, so that the word spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene.

GRM 35.10

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Matthew was not born after centuries. He was a contemporary of Mary. Matthew was not a poor ignorant man brought up in a forest and likely to believe any idle story. He was a clerk in the taxation office, as you would say nowadays, he was an excise man, as we said then. He could see, hear, understand, and distinguish truth from lies. Matthew did not hear things reported by third parties. He heard them directly from Mary’s lips to Whom he turned for information, prompted by his love for his Master and for the truth.

GRM 41.3-5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Gamaliel, surrounded by a compact group of disciples, is speaking of the coming of the Messiah, and founding his observations on Daniel’s prophecy, he states that the Messiah must have already been born, because the seventy prophesied weeks, from the time the decree of the reconstruction of the Temple was issued, expired some ten years before. Shammai opposes him stating that, if it is true that the Temple has been rebuilt, it is also true that the slavery of Israel has increased and the peace, which He Whom the prophets called «Prince of Peace» was to bring, is quite far from being in the world and in particular is far from Jerusalem. The town is in fact oppressed by an enemy who is so bold as to exert his domination inside the enclosure of the Temple, dominated by the Antonia Tower, full of Roman legionaries, ready to put down with their swords any riot that may break out for the independence of the country.

The dispute, full of captious objections, is dragged on endlessly. All the doctors show off their learning, not so much to beat their opponents as to display themselves to the admiration of the listeners. Their aims are quite obvious.

41.4 From the close group of the believers the clear voice of a boy is heard: «Gamaliel is right.»

There is a stir in the crowd and in the group of doctors. They look for the interrupter. But it is not necessary to search for him, because he does not hide. He makes his way through the crowd and goes near the group of the «rabbis». I recognise my Jesus adolescent. He is sure of Himself and open-hearted, His eyes are sparkling with intelligence. (...)

«On what do You base Your certainty?» asks Hillel.

(I will now put the names in front of the replies for the sake of brevity and clarity.)

Jesus: «On the prophecy which cannot be wrong about the time and the signs which took place at the time it came true. It is true that Caesar dominates us, but the world and Palestine were in such peace when the seventy weeks expired, that it was possible for Caesar to order the census in his dominions. Had there been wars in the Empire and riots in Palestine, he would not have been able to do so. Just as that time was completed, so the other period of sixty-two weeks plus one from the completion of the Temple is also being completed, so that the Messiah may be anointed and the remainder of the prophecy may come true for the people who did not want Him. Can you doubt that? Do you not remember the star that was seen by the Wise Men from the East, which stopped over the sky in Bethlehem of Judah and that the prophecies and the visions, from Jacob onwards, indicate that place as the one destined as the birthplace of the Messiah, son of the son of Jacob’s son, through David who was from Bethlehem? Do you not remember Balaam? ‘A Star will be born of Jacob’. The Wise Men from the East, whose purity and faith opened their eyes and ears, saw the Star and understood its Name: ‘Messiah’, and they came to worship the Light that had descended into the world.»

41.5 Shammai, glaring at Him: «Do you mean that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem-Ephrathah at the time of the Star?»

Jesus: «I do.»

Shammai: «Then he no longer exists. Don’t you know, Child, that Herod had all the born of woman, from one day up to the age of two years, slaughtered in Bethlehem and surrondings? You, Who are so wise in the Scriptures, must also know this: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah… it is Rachel weeping for her children’. The valleys and the hills in Bethlehem, which gathered the tears of the dying Rachel, were left full of tears, and the mothers have wept again on their slaughtered children. Amongst them, there certainly was the Mother of the Messiah.»

Jesus: «You are wrong, old man. The weeping of Rachel turned into a hosanna, because there, where she gave birth to ‘the son of her sorrow’, the new Rachel has given the world the Benjamin of the Heavenly Father, the Son of His right hand, Him Who is destined to gather the people of God under His sceptre and free it from the most dreadful slavery.»

Shammai: «How can that be, if He was killed?»

Jesus: «Have you not read about Elijah? He was carried off by the chariot of fire. And could the Lord God not have saved his Emmanuel so that He might be the Messiah of his people? He, Who parted the sea in front of Moses, that Israel might walk on dry ground towards its land, could He not have sent His angels to save His Son, His Christ, from the ferocity of man? I solemnly tell you: the Christ is alive and is amongst you, and when His hour comes, He will show Himself in His power.» Jesus, in saying these words, which I have underlined, has a sharp sound in His voice which fills the air. His eyes are brighter than ever, and with the gesture of command and promise He stretches out His right arm and hand and lowers them as if He were swearing. He is a boy, but is as solemn as a man.

Annotation

Daniel 9, 21-27: I was still speaking in prayer when Gabriel - the being I had seen at the beginning of the vision - came swiftly to me at the hour of the evening offering. He instructed me, saying: "Daniel, I have come out now to open your understanding. From the very beginning of your supplication, a word has arisen, and I have come to announce it to you, for you are loved by God. Understand the word and seek to understand the apparition.

Seventy weeks have been set aside for your people and your holy city, to put an end to perversity and put an end to sin, to atone for guilt and bring about eternal justice, to fulfill vision and prophecy, and to consecrate the Holy of Holies. Know and understand! From the moment the order to rebuild Jerusalem was given until the coming of a messiah, a leader, there will be seven weeks. For sixty-two weeks, the squares and walls will be rebuilt, but it will be in the distress of the times. And after the sixty-two weeks, a messiah will be removed. The people of a future leader will destroy the city and the Holy Place. Then, in a flood, its end will come. Until the end of the war, the devastations decided upon will take place.

For a week, this ruler will strengthen the covenant with a multitude; for half the week, he will cause the sacrifice and offering to cease, and on one wing of the Temple there will be the Abomination of Desolation, until the decided extermination grounds the author of this desolation."

GRM 46.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

But what a fool I am! You are hungry and I am talking to You of women. Your energy is exhausted. That is why that fragrance of the earth, that flower of creation, the fruit that gives and excites love, seems without any value to You. But look at these stones. How round and smooth they look, gilded by the setting sun! Don’t they look like loaves? Since You are the Son of God, all You have to say is: “I want” and they will become sweet-smelling bread,just like the loaves housewives are now taking out of their ovens, for the supper of their families. And these arid acacias, if You only wish so, will they not be filled with sweet fruit and dates as sweet as honey? Eat Your fill, Son of God. You are the Master of the earth. The earth is bowing down to put itself at Your feet and appease Your hunger.

Don’t You see that You are turning pale and unsteady at the mention of bread. Poor Jesus! Are You so weak that You cannot even perform a miracle? Shall I perform it for You? I am not Your equal, but I can do something. I will do without any strength for a whole year, I will gather it altogether, but I want to serve You because You are good, and I always remember that You are my God, even if now I have forfeited calling You so. Help me with Your prayers, that I may…»

«Be quiet! “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”.»

Detail

In the desert, Satan tempts Christ. After telling him about the woman, he tempts him by offering to satisfy his hunger.

GRM 46.14

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

It is useless to debate with Satan. He would win, because he is strong in his dialectics. Only God can beat him. And so you must have recourse to God, that He may speak for you, through you. You must show Satan that Name and that Sign, not so much written on paper or engraved on wood, but written and engraved in your hearts. My Name, My Sign. You should answer back to Satan, using the word of God, only when he insinuates that he is like God. He cannot bear that.

GRM 47.3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Only You have words that can give us light. They descend upon us, and where there was darkness and desolation because we had no guide, they shed light and sunshine.

Detail

John spoke to Jesus and said:

GRM 47.10

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

47.10 I will forestall a remark as well. In his Gospel, John mentioning his meeting with Me says: “And the following day”. It would therefore appear that the Baptist pointed Me out the day after My baptism and that John and James followed Me at once. But that conflicts with what the other Evangelists said about the forty days spent in the desert. But you should read as follows: “(John having already been arrested), one day, later, the two disciples of John the Baptist, the ones to whom he had pointed Me out saying: ‘Here is the Lamb of God’, on seeing Me again, called Me and followed Me”. After I had come back from the desert.

And we went back together to the shores of the lake of Galilee, where I had taken shelter to begin evangelising from there, and the two – after being with Me during the whole journey and then for one day in the hospitable house of a friend of My relatives – spoke of Me to the other fishermen. But it was the initiative of John, whose will to do penance had made his soul, already so limpid owing to his purity, a masterpiece of pellucidity in which the Truth was clearly reflected, bestowing on him also the holy daring of the pure and generous, who are never afraid of stepping forward, wherever they see that there is God, and truth and doctrine and the way of God. How much I loved him for that simple, heroical feature of his!

Annotation

John 1:35-39:

Still the next day, John was there with two of his disciples. Looking at Jesus coming and going, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God! The two disciples heard what he said, and followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw that they were following him, and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They replied, "Rabbi - which means Master - where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was around the tenth hour (about four o'clock in the afternoon).