Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 20.5
You cannot believe how much peace it gives me to have Her near me. I think that to die seeing Her must be as sweet and even sweeter than the sweetest hour of oneâs lifetime.
Maria Valtorta speaks of Mary and says:
GRM 20.6-8
20.6 Mary says:
«I will not speak much, because You are very tired, My poor daughter. I only wish to draw your attention and the attention of readers to the constant habit of Joseph and Mine of giving priority to prayer. Tiredness, haste, worries, troubles never hindered our prayer, on the contrary they helped it. It was always the queen of our troubles, our relief, our light, our hope. If in sad moments it was a consolation, in happy ones it was a song. But it was always the constant friend of our souls. It detached us from the earth, from our exile, and it raised us up towards Heaven, our Fatherland.
Not only I, Who by now had God with Me and I had but to look at My bosom to worship the Holy of Holies, but also Joseph felt united to God when he prayed, because our prayers were a true adoration of our whole beings, which melted with God by worshipping Him and by being embraced by Him.
And please note that not even I, although I had the Eternal God in Me, not even I felt exempted from respectful homage to the Temple. The deepest holiness does not exempt anyone from feeling a mere nothing with regard to God and from converting such nothingness into an endless hosanna to Godâs glory, since He allows us to do so.
20.7 Are you weak, poor, faulty? Invoke the holiness of the Lord: âHoly, Holy, Holy!â Invoke the Blessed Holy One to assist you in your misery. He will come and instil His holiness into you. Are you holy and rich in merits in the eyes of God? Invoke the holiness of the Lord just the same. It is infinite and will increase yours. The angels, who are superior to the weaknesses of mankind, do not cease singing their âSanctusâ not even for an instant, and their supernatural beauty increases with each invocation of the holiness of our God. Imitate the angels.
Never divest yourselves of the protection of prayer, which blunts the weapons of Satan, the malice of the world, the incentives of the flesh and mental pride. Never lay down this weapon, which causes Heaven to open and pour out Its graces and blessings.
The world needs a shower of prayers to be purified from the sins that draw punishments from God. And since only few people pray, those few must pray as if they were many. They must multiply their living prayers to make up the necessary amount to obtain graces. Prayers are living when they are flavoured with true love and sacrifice.
20.8 My dear daughter, it is a good thing, pleasing to God and praiseworthy, that you should suffer because of the sufferings of My Jesus and Mine, in addition to your own. Your sympathetic love is so dear to Me. But do you want to kiss Me? Kiss the wounds of My Son. Dress them with the balm of your love. I suffered spiritually the pangs of the scourges, of the thorns and the torture of the nails and of the cross. And likewise I feel spiritually all the caresses given to my Jesus, as they are as many kisses given to Me. And then come. I am the Queen of Heaven. But I am always the MotherâŠÂ»
And I am happy.
GRM 20.6-7
20.6 Mary says:
«I will not speak much, because You are very tired, My poor daughter. I only wish to draw your attention and the attention of readers to the constant habit of Joseph and Mine of giving priority to prayer. Tiredness, haste, worries, troubles never hindered our prayer, on the contrary they helped it. It was always the queen of our troubles, our relief, our light, our hope. If in sad moments it was a consolation, in happy ones it was a song. But it was always the constant friend of our souls. It detached us from the earth, from our exile, and it raised us up towards Heaven, our Fatherland.
Not only I, Who by now had God with Me and I had but to look at My bosom to worship the Holy of Holies, but also Joseph felt united to God when he prayed, because our prayers were a true adoration of our whole beings, which melted with God by worshipping Him and by being embraced by Him.
And please note that not even I, although I had the Eternal God in Me, not even I felt exempted from respectful homage to the Temple. The deepest holiness does not exempt anyone from feeling a mere nothing with regard to God and from converting such nothingness into an endless hosanna to Godâs glory, since He allows us to do so.
20.7 Are you weak, poor, faulty? Invoke the holiness of the Lord: âHoly, Holy, Holy!â Invoke the Blessed Holy One to assist you in your misery. He will come and instil His holiness into you. Are you holy and rich in merits in the eyes of God? Invoke the holiness of the Lord just the same. It is infinite and will increase yours. The angels, who are superior to the weaknesses of mankind, do not cease singing their âSanctusâ not even for an instant, and their supernatural beauty increases with each invocation of the holiness of our God. Imitate the angels.
Never divest yourselves of the protection of prayer, which blunts the weapons of Satan, the malice of the world, the incentives of the flesh and mental pride. Never lay down this weapon, which causes Heaven to open and pour out Its graces and blessings.
The world needs a shower of prayers to be purified from the sins that draw punishments from God. And since only few people pray, those few must pray as if they were many. They must multiply their living prayers to make up the necessary amount to obtain graces. Prayers are living when they are flavoured with true love and sacrifice.
GRM 20.7
20.7 Are you weak, poor, faulty? Invoke the holiness of the Lord: âHoly, Holy, Holy!â Invoke the Blessed Holy One to assist you in your misery. He will come and instil His holiness into you. Are you holy and rich in merits in the eyes of God? Invoke the holiness of the Lord just the same. It is infinite and will increase yours. The angels, who are superior to the weaknesses of mankind, do not cease singing their âSanctusâ not even for an instant, and their supernatural beauty increases with each invocation of the holiness of our God. Imitate the angels.
GRM 20.7
Never divest yourselves of the protection of prayer, which blunts the weapons of Satan, the malice of the world, the incentives of the flesh and mental pride. Never lay down this weapon, which causes Heaven to open and pour out Its graces and blessings.
GRM 20.7
The world needs a shower of prayers to be purified from the sins that draw punishments from God. And since only few people pray, those few must pray as if they were many. They must multiply their living prayers to make up the necessary amount to obtain graces. Prayers are living when they are flavoured with true love and sacrifice.
GRM 20.8
20.8 My dear daughter, it is a good thing, pleasing to God and praiseworthy, that you should suffer because of the sufferings of My Jesus and Mine, in addition to your own. Your sympathetic love is so dear to Me. But do you want to kiss Me? Kiss the wounds of My Son. Dress them with the balm of your love. I suffered spiritually the pangs of the scourges, of the thorns and the torture of the nails and of the cross. And likewise I feel spiritually all the caresses given to my Jesus, as they are as many kisses given to Me. And then come. I am the Queen of Heaven. But I am always the MotherâŠÂ»
And I am happy.
GRM 21
Chapter title: Visitation to Elizabeth
Date of vision: Saturday, April 1, 1944
Calendar: Sunday, March 24, A.D. -5
Location (map): Hebron
Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus
Summary: Mary arrives in Hebron. Maria describes the place, then more specifically the Virgin's arrival. She stops in front of a rather luxurious house, where nothing is lacking, and the Immaculate Conception tries to make her presence known. An inquisitive little old lady presents her with a bell and asks her questions. Fortunately, a servant arrives - presumably a gardener - and saves the Mother from the gossip. Mary quickly goes inside after thanking the little old lady. The servant leads her inside and tells her about what has happened in the house: he mentions Elizabeth's childbirth, but also Zechariah's silence, for he is no longer able to speak. He tries to call his wife, Sarah, who is another servant, but instead, Elizabeth arrives. She sees Mary, Mary sees Elizabeth, and they both run to each other. They embrace in a warm embrace, and it's then that the Holy Spirit envelops Elizabeth. The Forerunner is sanctified, and John the Baptist becomes spotless. Elizabeth and Mary speak the words of the Gospel, then Zacharias arrives, but he doesn't realize Mary's spiritual state. Instead, he asks about the Virgin and Joseph, and Elizabeth simply reveals that she is a mother. But neither of them say more.
Maria then writes of how she received the vision, and declares that she saw Mary at Christ's burial.
Chapter contents: 21.1: Through the mountains of Judea. 21.2: Zechariah's wealthy estate in Hebron. 21.3: The strange bell and the opening of the gate. 21.4: Old Samuel gives news of Zechariah and Elizabeth. 21.5: Elizabeth and Mary's embrace, inner illumination, the Magnificat. 21.6: The arrival of Zechariah. 21.7: Visions according to his spiritual needs.
GRM 21.2-4
21.2 Mary, on Her donkey, is climbing up a rather well kept road, probably the main road. She is climbing because the village is higher up and it looks quite tidy. My internal warner says to me: âThis place is Hebron.â You spoke to me of Montana. I cannot help it. It is indicated to me with this name. I do not know whether Hebron is the whole area or only the village. That is what I hear and that is what I say.
Mary is now entering the village. It is evening. Some women on their doorsteps watch the arrival of the stranger and gossip with one another. Their eyes follow Her and they are not happy until they see Her stop in front of one of the prettiest houses, in the centre of the village, with a kitchen garden in the front, and a well cultivated orchard in the rear and around it. The orchard continues into a large meadow that rises and slopes according to the sinuosity of the mountain and ends in a wood of tall trees, beyond which I do not know what there is. The whole place is surrounded by a hedge of blackberries or wild roses. I cannot tell exactly which, because, if you remember, the flowers and leaves of these two thorny hedges are very much alike and until their branches bear fruit it is easy to confuse them. In front of the house, that is on the side that skirts the village, the place is enclosed by a small low white wall, on top of which there are rows of rose-bushes, at present without flowers, but already full of buds. In the centre there is an iron gate. It is easily understood that it is the house of a notable of the village and a well-to-do family, because everything shows comfort and great order, if not riches and pomp.
21.3 Mary gets off the donkey and goes to the gate. She looks through the iron bars, but does not see anyone. She endeavours then to make Herself heard. A little old woman, who more curious than the others has followed Her, shows Her a strange gadget that is used as a bell. It consists of two pieces of metal balanced on a kind of yoke, at the end of which there is a rope. When the rope is pulled, the two metal pieces strike each other and make the sound of a bell or gong.
Mary pulls the rope, but so gently, that there is only a faint tinkling, which no one hears. Then the little old woman, whose face is all nose and pointed-chin and whose tongue is worth ten put together, gets hold of the rope and pulls it several times with all her might. She makes enough noise to raise the dead! «Thatâs how You do it, woman. Otherwise, how can they hear You? You know, Elizabeth is old and so is Zacharias. Now he is dumb as well as deaf. Also the two servants are old, donât You know? Have You ever been here before? Donât You know Zacharias? Are YouâŠÂ»
Mary is rescued from the deluge of information and questions by a little old man who suddenly appears panting. He must be a gardener or a farmer, for he is holding a hoe in his hand and there is a pruning knife tied to his belt. He opens the gate and Mary enters thanking the little woman but⊠leaving her recent question unanswered. What a disappointment for the curious soul!
As soon as She is inside Mary says: «I am Mary of Joachim and Anne, from Nazareth. I am your mastersâ cousin.»
21.4 The man bows down and welcomes Her, he then calls out in a loud voice: «Sarah! Sarah!» He opens the gate again to let in the donkey that had been left outside. Mary, in fact, to get rid of the persistant little woman, had slipped inside very quickly and the gardener just as quickly had closed the gate in the face of the gossip.
When Mary arrives in Hebron for the visitation, an old woman comes to meet her. She is very talkative and curious, and Maria describes her as a gossip...
GRM 21.4
«Oh! What a great happiness and what an upheaval to this household! Heaven has granted a child to the barren one, may the Most High be blessed! But seven months ago, Zacharias came back dumb from Jerusalem. He now makes himself understood by gestures or by writing. Perhaps You already know. My landlady has longed so much for You in this joy and this travail! She always spoke to Sarah about You and she would say: âIf I only had little Mary with Me! I wish She were still in the Temple! I would send Zacharias to fetch Her. But now the Lord wanted Her married to Joseph of Nazareth. She is the only one who can comfort me in my pain and help me to pray to God, because She is so good. And they all miss Her in the Temple. On the last feast day, the last time I went to Jerusalem with Zacharias to thank the Lord for the child He has given me, Her teachers said to me: âThe Temple seems to be without the Cherubim of the Glory since Maryâs voice is no longer heard inside these wallsââ.» He then shouts again: «Sarah, Sarah! My wife is a little deaf. But come, please, Iâll show You the way.»
A servant of Elizabeth's house spoke to Mary and said: