The Catholic Church

25.6 Joseph goes back into the house with Mary, Who sits down again in the dim corner. «If You do not mind travelling by night, I would suggest we leave at sunset. It is very warm during the day. The night instead is cool and quiet. I am saying that for You, because I don’t want You to get sunstroke. It makes no difference to me to be in a scorching sun. But You…»

«As you wish, Joseph. I also think it is better to travel by night.»

«The house has been all tidied up. And the little orchard. The flowers are beautiful, as You will see. You are arriving just in time to see them all in bloom. The apple-tree, the fig-tree, the vines are laden with fruit as never seen before, and I had to put a support for the pomegranate, because its branches were so heavily laden with fruit already fully grown, something which has never been seen before at this time of the year. The olive-tree… You will have plenty of oil. It blossomed in a miraculous way, and not one flower was lost. All the flowers are now little olives. When they are mature, the tree will seem full of dark pearls. There isn’t another orchard as beautiful in the whole of Nazareth. Also Your relatives are surprised. Alphaeus says it is a miracle.»

«Your hands have worked it!»

«Oh! no! Poor me! What can I have done? I took care of the trees and I gave some water to the flowers… Do You know? I built a fountain for You down at the end, near the grotto, and I put a large basin there. So You will not have to go out to get water. I brought the water down from the spring which is above Matthew’s olive-grove. It is pure and plentiful. I brought a little stream down to You. I dug a small duct in the ground, I covered it properly, and now the water comes down, singing like a harp. I was not happy that You should go to the village fountain, and then carry the jars full of water back home.»

«Thank you, Joseph. You are so good!»

Joseph and Mary are now silent, as if they are tired. Joseph is also dozing. Mary is praying.

25.7 It is now evening. The host insists that they should eat something before leaving. Joseph, in fact, eats some bread and fish, while Mary takes only some milk and fruit.

They then depart. They get on their donkeys. Joseph has fastened Mary’s little trunk to his saddle, as he had done when coming to Jerusalem. And before She gets on Her donkey, he makes sure that Her saddle is properly fastened. I see that Joseph looks at Mary when she mounts Her saddle. But he does not say anything.

Their journey starts when the first stars begin to twinkle in the sky. They hurry to the town gates to reach them before they close. When they come out of Jerusalem, and they take the main road towards Galilee, the clear sky is already crowded with stars. There is solemn quietness in the country. One can hear only a few nightingales singing, and the beating of the hooves of the two donkeys on the hard road, baked by the sun.

• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• The Virgin Mary
• Words of the Virgin Mary

Regard it as something precious, more precious than your own life. Because it is the greatest gift that God can grant a believer in His Son.

• Pain and suffering
• The fruitfulness of suffering

I want you to love My Joseph, this wise, prudent, patient and good man, who is not separated from the mystery of Redemption, on the contrary, he is closely connected to it, because he suffered for it, consuming himself in sorrow for it, saving your Saviour at the cost of his own sacrifice because of his holiness.

• Communion of saints
• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Saints and blessed

Joseph was holy. His pure spirit lived in God. His charity was ardent and strong. And out of charity he saved your Saviour for you, both when he refrained from accusing Me to the elders, and when he saved Jesus in Egypt, leaving everything with prompt obedience.

• Communion of saints
• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Saints and blessed

Closed in My house, all alone, in the house where everything reminded Me of the Annunciation and the Incarnation, and where everything reminded Me of Joseph, married to Me with spotless virginity, I had to fight despair and Satan’s insinuation, and hope, hope, hope. And pray, pray, pray. And forgive, forgive, forgive Joseph’s suspicion, his disturbance and just despair.

• Annunciation
• Chastity of Saint Joseph
• Incarnation
• Virginity of the Virgin Mary

It is Passion time. Have pity on your Redeemer. Listen to His cries, and count His wounds and tears. The former were suffered, the latter shed for you. Let every other vision disappear before that one that reminds you of the Redemption accomplished for you.

• Passion of Jesus Christ
• Redeemer
• Redemption
• Suffering and pain of Jesus Christ
• The cry of Jesus Christ
• Wounds of Jesus Christ

• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Locations - House of Nazareth
• Passion of the Virgin Mary and Joseph
• Summary of EMV
• The Virgin Mary

Mary jolts at a loud firm knock at the door. She lays the distaff and spindle down and rises to go and open. Although Her dress is loose and wide it does not conceal the roundness of Her pelvis.

Joseph is standing in front of Her. Mary turns pale, also in Her lips. Her face is so white that it looks like a host. Mary looks at Joseph with sad enquiring eyes. Joseph looks at Her with imploring ones. They are both silent, looking at each other. Then Mary says: «At this time, Joseph? Is there anything you need? What do you want to tell Me? Come in.»

Joseph enters and closes the door. He is still silent.

«Speak, Joseph. What is it you want from Me?»

«I want You to forgive me.» Joseph bends down as if he wanted to kneel down. But Mary, Who is always so reserved in touching him, seizes him resolutely by his shoulders and stops him.

Mary’s face blushes and blanches in rapid succession, one moment it is all red and immediately afterwards it is as white as snow, as it was before. «You want Me to forgive you? I have nothing to forgive you, Joseph. I can but thank you once again for everything you have done here while I was away and for your love for Me.»

Joseph looks at Her, and I can see two large tears welling up in the cavity of his deep eyes, they remain there as if they were on the rim of a vase, and they then roll down on to his cheeks and his beard. «Forgive me, Mary. I mistrusted You. Now I know. I am not worthy of having such a treasure. I lacked in charity, I accused You in my heart, I accused You unfairly, because I did not ask You to tell me the truth. I sinned against God’s law, because I did not love You as I loved myself…»

«Oh! no! You have not sinned!»

«Yes, I have, Mary. If I had been accused of such a crime, I would have defended myself. But You… I was not giving You the possibility of defending Yourself, because I was about to take a decision without questioning You. I have been unfair to You, because I offended You with my suspicion. Also a single suspicion is an offence, Mary. Who suspects does not know. And I did not know You as I should have done. But for the torment I suffered… three days of torture, forgive me, Mary.»

«I have nothing for which to forgive you. On the contrary, I ask you to forgive Me for the pain I caused you.»

«Oh! Yes, it was a great pain! What a torture! Look! I was told this morning that my temples are white haired and my face wrinkled. These past days have been more than ten years of my life!

26.4 But why, Mary, have You been so humble as to conceal Your glory from me, Your spouse, and thus allow me to suspect You?»

Joseph is not on his knees, but he is bent so low that he is as good as kneeling down, and Mary lays Her tiny hand on his head and smiles. She seems to be absolving him. And She whispers: «If I had not been humble in the most perfect manner, I would not have deserved to conceive the Expected One, Who is coming to pay for the sin of pride that ruined man. And then I obeyed… God had requested such obedience. It cost Me so much… because of you, because of the pain that you were to suffer. But I could but obey. I am the handmaiden of the Lord, and servants do not discuss the orders they receive. They fulfil them, Joseph, even if they cause bitter tears.»

Mary weeps quietly while speaking. So quietly that Joseph, bent down as he is, does not notice it until a tear falls on the floor. He then lifts his head and — it is the first time I see him do this — he presses Mary’s little hands in his dark strong ones and he kisses the tips of the rosy slender fingers that protrude like fresh buds of a peach-tree from the circle formed by his own hands.

26.5 «Now we shall have to arrange for…» Joseph does not say anything else, but he looks at Mary’s body and She becomes purple and sits suddenly, to avoid Her figure being exposed to eyes watching Her. «We shall have to make haste. I will come here… We will complete the wedding… Next week. Is that alright?»

«Whatever you do is alright, Joseph. You are the head of the family, I am your servant.»

«No. I am Your servant. I am the happy servant of my Lord Who is growing in Your womb. You are blessed amongst all the women of Israel. This evening I will warn my relatives. And after… when I am here, we will work to prepare everything to receive… Oh! How can I receive God in my house? God… in my arms? I will die of joy!… I will never dare touch Him! I will never be able…!»

«You will be able, as I will, by the grace of God.»

«But You are… I am a poor man, the poorest of God’s children!…»

«Jesus is coming to us, poor people, to make us rich in God, He is coming to us two, because we are the poorest and we admit it. Rejoice, Joseph. The House of David has the King long waited for and our home will become more splendid than Solomon’s palace, because Heaven will be here and we shall share with God the secret of peace that men will be acquainted with later. He will grow among us, our arms will be the cradle for the Redeemer and our work will procure bread for Him… Oh! Joseph! We shall hear the voice of God calling us ‘father and Mother!’ Oh!…»

Mary cries with joy. Such happy tears! And Joseph, who is now kneeling at Her feet, is weeping with his head almost hidden in Mary’s wide dress, which falls in folds on to the plain floor of the room.

The vision ends here.

• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Suffering and pain of the Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary
• Words of the Virgin Mary

I am the handmaiden of the Lord, and servants do not discuss the orders they receive. They fulfil them, (...) even if they cause bitter tears.

• Chastity of Saint Joseph
• Obedience
• Servant of God
• Service
• Tears - Crying
• Words of wisdom

26.6 Mary says:

«No one must interpret My pallor erroneously. It was not caused by human fear. From a human point of view I should have expected to be stoned to death. But I was not afraid because of that. I was suffering because of Joseph’s pain. Neither was I upset by the thought that he might accuse Me. I was only sorry and afraid that he might be lacking in charity if he should insist in his accusation. That is why all My blood rushed to My heart when I saw him. It was the moment when even a just man might have offended Justice by offending charity. And I would have been extremely upset if a just man were to commit an error since he never erred.»

• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Passion of the Virgin Mary and Joseph
• Suffering and pain of the Virgin Mary