Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 24.7
O holy friendship with God, beatitude of His faithful ones, wealth unequalled by anything else, he who possesses you is never alone, and never tastes the bitterness of despair. O holy friendship, you do not eradicate sorrow, because sorrow was the destiny of a God incarnate and can thus be the destiny of man. But you make this sorrow sweet in its bitterness, and you mix it with a light and a caress which relieve the cross with a celestial touch.
GRM 24.8
You give Me too much sorrow, My children, behind whose faces I see the Enemy appear, that is, he who hurls himself against My Jesus. Too much sorrow! I would like to be the Source of Grace for everybody. But too many among you do not want Grace. You ask for ‘graces’, but with a soul devoid of Grace. How can Grace succour you if you are Her enemies?
GRM 24.9
Entrust your eternal good, your spirit, to the Only One Who can preserve it unhurt from the demons: ‘Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit’. Oh! If with humbleness and love you surrender your spirit to God, He will lead it as a father leads his little one, neither will He allow anything to hurt your spirit.
GRM 24.9
24.9 The great mystery of Good Friday is approaching. It is commemorated and celebrated in churches. But it is necessary to celebrate and commemorate it in your hearts, and to beat your breasts like those who were descending from Golgotha and say: ‘In truth, this Man was the Son of God, the Saviour’, and say: ‘Jesus, for the sake of Your Name, save us’, and say: ‘Father, forgive us’, and finally say: ‘I am not worthy, but if You forgive me and come to me, my soul will be healed, and I no longer want to commit sin, because I no longer wish to be ill and hateful to You’.
Pray, children, with the words of My Son. Say to the Father for your enemies: ‘Father, forgive them’. Call the Father Who has withdrawn indignant at your errors: ‘Father, Father, why have You forsaken me? I am a sinner. But if You forsake me, I will perish. Come back, Holy Father, that I may be saved’. Entrust your eternal good, your spirit, to the Only One Who can preserve it unhurt from the demons: ‘Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit’. Oh! If with humbleness and love you surrender your spirit to God, He will lead it as a father leads his little one, neither will He allow anything to hurt your spirit.
Jesus, in His agony, prayed to teach you how to pray. I am reminding you of it in these days of His Passion.
When Mary gives this dictation, we're approaching Good Friday.
GRM 24.9
‘I am not worthy, but if You forgive me and come to me, my soul will be healed, and I no longer want to commit sin, because I no longer wish to be ill and hateful to You’.
GRM 25
Chapter title: John the Baptist's presentation at the Temple and Mary's departure. Joseph's Passion.
Date of vision and dictation: Wednesday April 5 and Thursday April 6, 1944 (Holy Week)
Calendar: Tuesday, August 13, year -5
Location (map): Jerusalem
Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus
Summary: Mary, Elizabeth and Zechariah are in Jerusalem for the presentation of John the Baptist in the Temple. On their arrival, Mary asks about Joseph at a stable where all pilgrims must pass, but the holy man is not there. The group continues on to the Temple.
The rite of purification takes place, and the priests are happy to give this feast for one of their own. The people are astonished that Elizabeth is the mother: at first, they all think that Mary is John's progenitor. But they realize that this is not possible, since Mary is already pregnant, while John is only a few days old. When Elizabeth presents the baby at the Temple, there is no longer any room for doubt, and everyone is astonished.
The rite is over, and Joseph is still nowhere to be seen. Zechariah suggests waiting with Zebedee's parents, so that if the carpenter doesn't arrive, his wife can go back up to Galilee with some sinners passing through the house. Nevertheless, they waited as long as they could, and eventually Joseph arrived.
He greets the Virgin with joy and respect, and wishes to see the child. Elizabeth and Zechariah grant his wish, then take their leave. St. Joseph suggested that the Full of Grace leave at night, to make the journey more pleasant for her. She agreed. It was while he was getting ready that Joseph became aware of Mary's pregnancy. But he says nothing...
Next, Mary gives a dictation on Joseph's Passion. She explains that it lasted three days, but that it was intense: the Virgin had to fight against the temptation of discouragement. She could see her husband's suffering, but she could not relieve it in obedience to God's command to keep silent. Mary kept silent and Joseph suffered, but he was holy, and it was for this reason that God granted him his enlightenment.
Finally, Mary always urges us to pray for grace, and to act with confidence, everywhere and at all times.
Chapter contents: 25.1: Arriving at the Temple, Mary is surprised not to see Joseph. 25.2: Zacharias received with honors. The crowd is astonished by the mother's age. 25.3: Mary does not find Joseph at the inn. She waits for him with Zebedee's parents. 25.4: Joseph arrives and apologizes. 25.5: He worries about Mary. 25.6: Zechariah and Elizabeth leave. Mary returns to a magnificent garden. 25.7: Joseph leaves at night, noticing Mary's condition. 25.8: A lover's pain is the greatest gift God can give to those who believe in his Son. 25.9: Joseph also had his Passion. Mary's suffering at this time. 25.10 : Joseph's great holiness. 25.11: You too must live your passion. 25.12: After Easter (1944), there will be silence before the pain of the Redeemer.
GRM 25.1
25.1 This is what I see the night between the Wednesday and Thursday of the Holy Week.
I see Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary and Samuel getting off a comfortable waggon, to which Mary’s little donkey is also tied. Mary is holding little John in Her arms and Samuel has a lamb and a basket with a pigeon in it. They get off at the usual stable, which must be the stopping place for all the pilgrims to the Temple, who leave their mounts there.
Mary calls to the owner and asks him whether anybody arrived from Nazareth the day before or early that morning. «Nobody, woman,» replies the little old man. Mary is surprised, but does not say anything else.
She gets Samuel to fix her little donkey, and then She joins the two elderly parents, and She explains Joseph’s delay: «He must have been held up by something. But he will certainly come today.» She takes the child again from Elizabeth to whom She had handed him before, and they all set out for the Temple.
GRM 25.1-2
25.1 This is what I see the night between the Wednesday and Thursday of the Holy Week.
I see Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary and Samuel getting off a comfortable waggon, to which Mary’s little donkey is also tied. Mary is holding little John in Her arms and Samuel has a lamb and a basket with a pigeon in it. They get off at the usual stable, which must be the stopping place for all the pilgrims to the Temple, who leave their mounts there.
(...) [They go to the Temple.]
25.2 Zacharias is received with honour by the guards, and is greeted and congratulated by other priests. He is very handsome today, in his priestly robes and his joy of happy fatherhood. He looks like a patriarch. I think that Abraham must have been like him when he rejoiced offering Isaac to the Lord.
I see the ceremony of the presentation of the new Israelite and the purification of his mother. The ceremony is more stately than Mary’s, because the priests celebrate it solemnly for the son of another priest. They all rush round the group of women and the child, and are happily engaged with them.
Also some curious people have come near and I can hear their comments. Since Mary is holding the child in Her arms while they move to the appointed place, the people think She is the mother.
But a woman says: «It’s not possible. Can’t you see that She is pregnant? The baby is only a few days old and she is already with child.»
«And yet,» points out another one «only She can be the mother. The other woman is old. She must be a relative. But she certainly cannot be the mother at her age.»
«Let us follow them, and we will see who is right.»
And their surprise becomes even greater when they see that it is Elizabeth who fulfils the purification rite: she offers the bleating lamb in holocaust and the pigeon for sin.
«She is the mother. Didn’t I tell you?»
«No!»
«Yes.»
The people whisper, still incredulous. They whisper so much that a peremptory «Ssst!» comes from the group of priests present at the rite. They are silent for a moment, but start whispering even louder when Elizabeth, radiant with holy pride, takes the child and moves forward in the Temple to make the presentation to the Lord.
«It is she!»
«It’s always the mother who makes the offering.»
«What miracle can this be?»
«What will that child be, who has been granted to that woman at such an old age?»
«What sign can it be?»
«Don’t you know?» says one, who has just arrived panting. «It’s the son of Zacharias, the priest of the house of Aaron, the one who became dumb when he was offering incense in the Sanctuary.»
«It’s a mystery! A mystery! And now he speaks once again! The birth of his son has untied his tongue.»
«I wonder what spirit spoke to him and paralysed his tongue to accustom him to be silent about the secrets of God!»
«It is a mystery! What secret truth does Zacharias know?»
«Will his son be the Messiah expected by Israel?»
«He was born in Judaea. Not in Bethlehem and not of a virgin. He can’t be the Messiah!»
«Who is he, then?»
But the answer remains in the silence of God and the people are left to their curiosity.
The ceremony is over. The priests are now joyfully paying compliments to the mother and her child. The only one who is hardly noticed, even avoided almost with disgust when they become aware of Her condition, is Mary.
Luke 1, 65-66 : Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosened, and he [Zechariah] spoke and blessed God.
Fear seized all the people in the neighborhood, and throughout the mountainous region of Judea, all these events were recounted. All who heard of them kept them in their hearts and said, "What then will this child be?" Indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
GRM 25.3-5
25.3 After all the congratulations, most of them go out onto the road. Mary wants to go to the stable to see whether Joseph has arrived. He has not. Mary is disappointed and worried.
Elizabeth is anxious about Her. «We can stay until midday, then we must go, to be home before night. He is too young to be out at night.»
And Mary, calm and sad: «I will stay in one of the yards of the Temple. I will go to My teachers… I do not know. I will do something.»
Zacharias makes a proposal which is immediately accepted as a good solution: «Let us go to Zebedee’s relatives. Joseph will certainly look for You there. If he should not come there, it will be quite easy for You to find someone who will accompany You to Galilee, because the fishermen from Gennesaret are continuously going to and coming from that house.»
They take the little donkey and go to Zebedee’s relatives, who are the very same people with whom Joseph and Mary stayed four months before.
The time passes quickly, but there is no sign of Joseph. Mary controls Her grief lulling the baby, but it is obvious that She is worried. Although it is so warm that everybody is perspiring, She has not taken off Her mantle, concerned as She is to conceal Her condition.
25.4 At long last, Joseph is announced by a loud knocking at the door. Mary’s face shines, cheerful again.
Joseph greets Her, because She is the first to go and meet him and greet him reverently. «The Lord’s blessing on you, Mary!»
«And on you, Joseph. And praised be the Lord that you have come! Here, Zacharias and Elizabeth were about to leave, to be at home before night.»
«Your messenger arrived in Nazareth, when I was at Cana, working there. I was told the other evening. And I left at once. But although I have travelled without stopping, I am late, because the donkey lost one of his shoes. Please forgive me.»
«I am to be forgiven by you, because I have been away from Nazareth for such a long time! But see, they were so happy to have Me with them, that I decided to please them up till now.»
«You have done well, Woman. Where is the baby?»
They enter the room where Elizabeth is giving milk to little John, before departing. Joseph congratulates the parents on the sturdiness of the child, who screams and kicks, as if they were thrashing him, because he has been taken away from his mother’s breast to be shown to Joseph. They all laugh at his protests. Also Zebedee’s relatives, who have come in with fresh fruit, milk and bread for everybody, and a large tray of fish, laugh and join in the conversation.
25.5 Mary speaks very little. She is sitting quiet and silent in Her little corner, with Her hands on Her lap under Her mantle. Even when She drinks a cup of milk, and eats a bunch of golden grapes with a little bread, She speaks very little, and hardly moves. Her looks at Joseph are a mixture of pain and enquiry.
He also looks at Her. And after some time, bending over Her shoulder, he asks Her: «Are You tired or are You not well? You look pale and sad.»
«I am sorry I have to part from little John. I am very fond of him. I held him on My heart only a few minutes after he was born…»
Joseph does not ask any more questions.
It is time for Zacharias to depart. The waggon stops at the door and they all go towards it. The two cousins embrace each other fondly. Mary kisses the baby many times before putting him in the lap of his mother, who is already sitting in the waggon. She then says goodbye to Zacharias, and asks him to bless Her. When kneeling before the priest, Her mantle slips off Her shoulders, and Her figure appears in the bright light of the summer afternoon. I do not know whether Joseph notices Her figure at this moment, because he is intent on saying goodbye to Elizabeth. The waggon leaves.
GRM 25.4
They enter the room where Elizabeth is giving milk to little John, before departing. Joseph congratulates the parents on the sturdiness of the child, who screams and kicks, as if they were thrashing him, because he has been taken away from his mother’s breast to be shown to Joseph. They all laugh at his protests. Also Zebedee’s relatives, who have come in with fresh fruit, milk and bread for everybody, and a large tray of fish, laugh and join in the conversation.
Joseph has arrived in Jerusalem and wants to see the child of Zechariah and Elizabeth.