Skip to content

Notes for this theme

Bible, tradition and sacred texts - Old and New Testaments

Page 2 of 221

Reading comfort

Aa

GRM 3.5-10

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

3.5 Jesus 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 wisdom. 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 virtue. All holy attributes joined together like a sweet-smelling bunch of flowers to become one beautiful thing that was this exceptional 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 anything else but to join her life to that of an honest man, certain that family joy lies in honesty.

3.6 And to be the emblem of 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 husband.

3.7 Although she was now approaching old age and had been 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 continuously kept burning. Therefore, in their affliction of their childless state, they spoke to each other “words of consolation in their thoughts and troubles”.

3.8 And when the time came, after having taught them in life, 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 hesitant, 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.

3.9 The words of the book of Wisdom appear to be written for 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 possessed 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.

3.10 But where are they now? Now children are not wanted, neither is chastity. I therefore say that love and marriage are desecrated.

Annotation

In all truth, they could repeat what the Book says when it sings the praises of Wisdom in the book of the same name: See Wis 8:2 below.

Anne, daughter of Aaron, was the strong woman of whom our forefather speaks. Solomon, from whom Jesus descended. Author of the "Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel" (Proverbs 1:1). For the quotation, see Proverbs 31:10-27.

Joachim had thus twice married wisdom "loving her more than any other woman": God's wisdom contained in the heart of the righteous woman. See Wis 8:9 below.

To be the emblem of the "strong woman", all she needed was to be crowned with children, for this is the glory of a wife, the justification of marriage, of which Solomon speaks. See Pr 31, 28.

Now an old woman, Joachim's wife for decades, she remained for him "the wife of his youth, his joy, his beloved hind, his graceful gazelle". See Pr 5:18-19. Almost unanimous tradition has it that Anne was married for more than 20 years (4 lustres) (cf. P.V. Charland, Les trois légendes de Madame Saincte Anne, volume 1 1898, page 11), and that she had Mary in her old age. This tradition is also confirmed by Marie d'Agreda(La Cité mystique de Dieu - Livre 1, Chapitre 15, § 209, page 518), as well as by Anne-Catherine Emmerich (La Vie de la Vierge Marie, Presses de la Renaissance, 2006, page 45).

In their sadness at being childless, they spoke to each other "words of comfort in their cares and woes": see Wis 8, 9 below.

The words of the Book of Wisdom seem to have been written for them: "For her sake I will have glory among the multitudes... For her sake I will have immortality, and I will leave an everlasting memory for those who come after me. "See Wis 8, 9-10.

Book of Wisdom 8, 2 and 8, 9-10

Wis 8, 2 : I loved her and sought her out from my youth; I sought her as my wife, and was enamored of her beauty.

Wis 8:9-10 : So I resolved to take her as my life's companion, knowing that she would be to me a counsellor of all good, and a comfort in my cares and sorrows. Through her, I said to myself, I would have glory in the assemblies, and, still young, honor with the old men.

Book of Proverbs 5, 18-19

Pr 5, 18-19 : Bless your spring, and rejoice in the wife of your youth. Charming doe, graceful gazelle, - let her charms intoxicate you at all times, be always enamored of her love!

Book of Proverbs 31, 10-31

Pr 31, 10-31 :

THE STRONG WOMAN.

ALEPH. Who can find a strong woman? Her price far outweighs that of pearls.

BETH. Her husband's heart trusts her, and profits will not fail her.

GHIMEL. She does him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

DALETH. She seeks wool and flax, and works with her cheerful hand.

HÉ. She is like the merchant's vessel, bringing her bread from afar.

VAV. She rises while it is yet night, and gives food to her house, and task to her maids.

ZAIN. She thinks of a field, and acquires it; with the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.

HETH. She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms.

TETH. She feels that her gain is good; her lamp is not extinguished in the night. YOD. She puts her hand to the distaff, and her fingers take up the spindle.

CAPH. She stretches out her hand to the unfortunate, she opens her hand to the needy.

LAMED. She does not fear the snow for her house, for all her house is clothed in crimson.

MEM. She makes herself blankets, byssus and purple are her garments.

NUN. Her husband is well known at the city gates, when he sits with the elders of the land.

SAMECH. She makes shirts and sells them, and delivers belts to the merchant.

AÏN. Strength and grace are her adornment, and she laughs at the future.

PHE. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and good words are on her tongue.

TSADÉ. She watches over the paths of her house, and does not eat the bread of idleness.

QOPH. Her sons rise up and proclaim her happy; her husband rises up and gives her praise:

RESCH. "Many daughters have shown themselves virtuous; but you, you surpass them all."

SCHIN. Deceitful is grace, and vain is beauty; the woman who fears Yahweh is the one who will be praised.

THAV. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works declare her praise at the gates of the city.

GRM 3.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

"The crown of children" is "the glory of the married woman, the justification of marriage, the one of which Solomon speaks".

GRM 3.9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

GRM 4.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

Detail

Anne sings this canticle, which reveals that she is pregnant. See annotation concerning the Feast of Lights and Mary's conception.

Annotation

Hope sows the seeds for the Festival of Lights. According to J Aulagnier, the Festival of Lights, or Encénies, took place, in Jesus' time, during the full moon following the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). This took place on Kislev 25 (December 10-22 for this period). Mary's conception took place on the following full moon, December 20-22. This corresponds to the event celebrated by the Church on December 8.

Marie d'Agreda reports that this conception took place on a Sunday (The Mystical City of God - Book 1, Chapter 15, § 218).

The fragrant air of Nissan. Nissan: March 21, i.e. 3 months to tell Joachim with certainty that he was expecting a baby.

GRM 4.3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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 without receiving the grace! Well, in the growing darkness, from inside 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 become 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 new Anne of Elkanah?

Detail

Mary's conception. Anne, Mary's mother, recounts when her wish was granted:

Annotation

Were you right in seeing in me a new Anne of Elkanah? Joachim had indeed spoken of the prophet Samuel's mother in EMV 3.

Under the feet of the cherubim: Cherubim (Kerubim) abounded in the decoration of Solomon's Temple (e.g. 1 Kings 6:23-35). The stars are probably the stars of David or Solomon's seal.

I had the impression that a fire was starting from behind the sacred Veil, from Glory itself, that it was coming rapidly towards me and that, as it crossed the air, it was singing in a celestial voice: "May what you have asked for happen to you! "This is the voice of the Redeemer, as we read in EMV 4.5: "Wisdom herself came down (...) and became a word to the barren woman" (p. 31).

What kind of child will ours be, then, to appear like the light of a star in the Temple and say: "I am" during the Festival of Lights? The star is part of Balaam's prophecy. Num 24:17-19. " I see him, but not as present; I contemplate him, but not closely. A star comes out of Jacob, a scepter rises from Israel. He breaks Moab's two flanks, he exterminates all the sons of tumult. Edom is his possession; Seir, his enemy, is his possession, and Israel displays his valour. Out of Jacob comes a dominator; he destroys in the cities what remains of Edom."

"I am" : the very name of God as defined to Moses, according toExodus 3:14-15. You will speak to the sons of Israel: "The one who sent me to you is: I AM". See the fact sheet on the Divine Name.

GRM 4.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

4.4 How 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 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, happiness. 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.

Detail

Anne does not suffer from her maternity (at more or less three months of pregnancy). Compare this with EMV 5, where Anne suffers from motherhood.

GRM 4.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Mary, then, we shall call her! Star of our sea, pearl, happiness. 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.

Detail

Anne and Joachim decide on their child's name.

Annotation

She will never offend the Lord: indeed, Miriam offended the Lord in Numbers 12:1-10.

Book of Numbers 12, 1-10

Mary, with Aaron, spoke against Moses concerning the Cushite woman he had taken; for he had taken a Cushite woman. They said, "Has Yahweh spoken only through Moses? Has he not also spoken through us?" And Yahweh heard him. But Moses was a gentle man, more gentle than any man on the face of the earth. Suddenly Yahweh said to Moses, Aaron and Mary, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." And they went out, all three of them; and Yahweh came down in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent. He called Aaron and Mary, who both came forward; and he said, "Listen to my words carefully: if you have any prophet of Yahweh, it is in a vision that I reveal myself to him, it is in a dream that I speak to him. Such is not my servant Moses; he is known to be faithful in all my house. 8I speak to him mouth to mouth, showing myself, not in riddles, and he beholds the face of Yahweh. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?" And Yahweh's anger was kindled against them; and he went away; the cloud withdrew from over the tent. And behold, Mary became a leper, white as snow. Aaron turned to Mary, and behold, she was a leper.

GRM 4.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«How 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…»

Annotation

Samuel is the son born to Hannah of Elkanah (1 Sa 1:20: Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her. When the time was up, Hannah conceived and bore a son, whom she named Samuel, "because," she said, "I asked Yahweh for him"). This choice also echoes the fate of Hannah Elkanah, whom the bride and groom have already quoted in EMV 3 and 4.

GRM 4.5-7

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

4.5 Jesus says:

«Wisdom, after enlightening them with dreams at night, descended “breath of the power of God, pure emanation of the glory 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 containing 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 natural She should have, being born of two saints, but, unique creature, 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.

4.6 You have seen the continuous generation of souls from God. Now think what must have been the beauty of this soul which the Father looked fondly on before time existed, which formed the delight of the Trinity, which Trinity longed to adorn it with its gifts, to present it to Itself. Oh! Most Holy Mary Whom God created 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 mystical 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 itself 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-smelling violet and jasmine, helianthus and cyclamen blended together 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 flowering 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 disease, 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 removes Grace? Original sin and the mortal one. Mary, the Immaculate, 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.

4.7 Later, I will let you contemplate mentally the depth of Mary’s virginity. You will have a spell of heavenly ecstasy, as when I allowed 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 children 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 possibility of existing and living without the contamination of Satan, leaving to God the administration of life, knowledge, and goodness, 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.»

Annotation

"After having enlightened them through the dreams of the night, Wisdom herself descended, as "an effluence of God's power, an all-pure emanation of the Almighty's glory" and became Word to the barren woman. Excerpt from the Book of Wisdom.

Book of Wisdom 7, 25

Wis 7, 25 : She is the breath of God's power, a pure emanation of the Almighty's glory; therefore nothing unclean can fall upon her.

Alone among all creatures, she had an immaculate soul. Cf. The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception proclaimed on December 8, 1854 by Pope Pius IX in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus. The dogmatic proclamation appears at the end of the document.

You have seen the continual generation of souls by God. In the vision of May 25, 1944. See Les cahiers de 1944.

Like a celestial rose petal, an immaterial and precious petal that was a jewel and a flame, that came down to animate flesh in a very different way than for others. In the old edition, it is written: Like a heavenly rose petal, an immaterial and precious petal that was a jewel and a flame, that was the breath of God, that came down to animate flesh in a way different from others. About the "Breath of God" (alito di Dio) part. The expression was corrected by Maria Valtorta on a typed copy. Initially, she had written "Part of God" (parte di Dio).

Mary, in whom all virtues and graces are united. "Mary, plain of graces". Compare this with St. Alphonsus de Liguori: "According to St. Bernardine, all gifts, all virtues and all graces are dispensed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, and as she wills"(St. Alphonsus-Marie de Liguori, Les Gloires de Marie, chapter 5).

In April, the land of Palestine resembled an immense garden where perfumes and colors delighted the hearts of men. But the most beautiful rose was still unknown. It was already blooming for God in the secret of the womb. In April, Mary had been conceived for 4 months

It was only at the moment when the vine gives its blood to be made into wine, when the sweet, strong smell of the must fills farmyards and nostrils, that she would smile, first to God and then to the world. Confirmation that Mary's birth took place in September (see EMV 5).

GRM 4.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

Detail

Jesus talks about his grandmother and sets out his future miracles.