Main and secondary characters — notes (page 11/175)

GRM 22.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

[Elizabeth speaks to Mary and she says :]
«How painful it is to see him dumb, my Zacharias! But I hope that when the baby is born also the father will be freed from his punishment. Will You pray, too, since You are the Seat of the Power of God and the Cause of delight in the world. To obtain this grace I make my offers to the Lord, as best I can. I offer my creature: because it belongs to Him, as He lent it to His servant to grant her the joy of being called “mother”. It is the testimony of what God has done for me. I want his name to be “John”. Isn’t my son a grace? And didn’t God grant me it?»
«And God, I am sure, will grant you the grace. I will pray… with you.»
«I suffer so much seeing him dumb!…» Elizabeth is crying. «When he writes, as he can no longer speak to me, there seem to be mountains and oceans between me and my Zacharias. After so many years of sweet conversation, now there is nothing but silence from his mouth. And particularly now, when it would be so nice to talk about him who is about to come. I even refrain from speaking to avoid seeing him getting strained in his efforts to reply to me by gestures. I have cried so much! How much did I long for You! The people of the village watch, talk and criticise. Such is the world. But when one has a pain or a joy, one needs to be understood, not criticised. But now my life seems completely improved. I feel a joy in me since You came here. I feel that my test is about to end and that I shall soon be completely happy. I am right, am I not? I have resigned myself to everything. But if God would only forgive my husband! If I could only hear him pray once again!»

Annotation

Luke 1, 5-25 : In the days of Herod the Great, king of Judea, there was a priest of the Abia tribe named Zacharias. His wife was also a descendant of Aaron; her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God: they followed all the Lord's commandments and precepts blamelessly. They had no children, for Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now, while Zechariah, during the time allotted to the priests of his group, was ministering to God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to go and offer incense in the sanctuary of the Lord. The whole multitude of people were praying outside at the time of the incense offering. The angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. At the sight of the angel, Zacharias was overwhelmed with fear.

The angel said to him: "Fear not, Zechariah, for your supplication has been heard: your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. You will rejoice and be glad, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. He will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb; he will cause many sons of Israel to return to the Lord their God; he will go before, in the presence of the Lord, with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, to bring back the rebellious to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare for the Lord a people well disposed."

Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How am I to know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."

The angel replied: "I am Gabriel, and I stand in the presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. But behold, you will be silenced, and until the day it comes true, you will no longer be able to speak, because you have not believed my words; they will be fulfilled in their own time."

The people waited for Zechariah, wondering why he lingered in the sanctuary. When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they understood that, in the sanctuary, he had had a vision. He made signs to them and remained mute. When he had completed his time of liturgical service, he returned home. Some time later, his wife Elisabeth conceived a child. For five months, she kept the secret. She said to herself: "This is what the Lord has done for me, in these days when he has set his eyes to erase what was my shame before men."

Keywords

GRM 22.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«How painful it is to see him dumb, my Zacharias! But I hope that when the baby is born also the father will be freed from his punishment. Will You pray, too, since You are the Seat of the Power of God and the Cause of delight in the world. To obtain this grace I make my offers to the Lord, as best I can. I offer my creature: because it belongs to Him, as He lent it to His servant to grant her the joy of being called “mother”. It is the testimony of what God has done for me. I want his name to be “John”. Isn’t my son a grace? And didn’t God grant me it?»
«And God, I am sure, will grant you the grace. I will pray… with you.»

Detail

Elizabeth wanted her child to be called John, which means "God is gracious".

Keywords

Jean-Baptiste

GRM 22.6-9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

22.6 I see Mary Who is spinning very quickly under the pergola, where the grapes are growing bigger and bigger. Some time must have elapsed because the apples are beginning to redden on the trees and the bees are humming near the fig flowers already mature.
Elizabeth is now quite stout, and she is walking heavily. Mary looks at her carefully and lovingly. Also Mary’s sides appear more round when She gets up to pick up the spindle which has fallen far away from Her. The expression on Her face has changed. It is more mature; before She was a girl, now She is a woman.
The women go into the house because it is now getting dark, and the lamps are lit in the room. While waiting for supper, Mary begins to weave.
«Do You never get tired?» asks Elizabeth, pointing to the loom.
«No, you can be sure of that.»
«I am exhausted by this heat. I have not suffered any longer, but now the weight is too heavy for my old kidneys.»
«Take courage. You will soon be free. How happy you will then be.
22.7 I am longing to be a mother. My Child! My Jesus! What will He be like?»
«As beautiful as You are, Mary.»
«Oh no! More beautiful! He is God. I am His maid. What I meant is, will He be fair or dark? Will His eyes be like a clear sky, or like the eyes of a mountain deer? I imagine Him more beautiful than a cherub, with golden curly hair, His eyes the same colour as the Sea of Galilee when the stars begin to peep on the horizon, His tiny little mouth as red as a pomegranate that bursts when it matures in the sun, and His cheeks as pink as this pale rose, with two little hands that could be contained in the hollow of a lily, they are so small and tiny, and two tiny feet that I can hold in the hollow of My hand, so soft and smooth, even more so than the petal of a flower. See. The idea I have of Him is taken from all the beautiful things that nature suggests to Me. And I can hear His voice. When He cries — because My Child will cry a little when He is hungry or sleepy, and it will always be a great pain for His Mummy Whose heart will be pierced every time She hears Him cry — when He cries, His voice will be like the bleating that now comes from a little lamb, only a few hours old, when it seeks its mother’s breast, and her warm maternal fleece to sleep. When He laughs — and My heart in love with my Creature will then be full of Heaven, for I can be in love with Him, because He is My God, and it will not be against My consecrated virginity to love Him as a lover — His voice when He laughs will be like the merry cooing of a happy little dove which is full and content in its cosy little nest. And I think of Him when He is taking His first steps… a little bird hopping on a flowery meadow. The meadow will be His Mother’s heart, it will be laid under His tiny pink feet with all Her love, so that He may not tread on anything that may hurt Him. Oh, how I will love My Child! My Son!
22.8 Also Joseph will love Him.»
«But You will have to tell Joseph.»
Mary’s face darkens, and She sighs. «Yes, I will have to tell him… I wish Heaven would tell him, because it is so difficult to tell.»
«Shall I tell him? We will ask him to come for John’s circumcision…»
«No. I have entrusted God with the task of informing him of his happy destiny of putative father of the Son of God, and He will do so. The Spirit said to Me that evening: ‘Be silent. Entrust Me with the task of justifying You’. And He will do so. God never lies. It is a great trial, but with the help of the Eternal Father, it will be overcome. No one must learn from My mouth what the goodness of the Lord has done. Certainly you are the exception, because the Spirit revealed it to you.»
«I have not mentioned it to anybody, not even to Zacharias who would have been very happy. He thinks you are a mother according to nature.»
«I know. And I decided that out of prudence. The secrets of God are holy. The angel of the Lord did not reveal My divine maternity to Zacharias. He could have done so, if God had wanted, because God knew that the time for the Incarnation of His Word in Me was already imminent. But God hid this joyful light from Zacharias, who rejected your late maternity as something impossible. I have complied with the will of God, as you have seen. You perceived the secret living in Me. He did not perceive anything. Until the screen of his incredulity does not fall before the power of God, he will be separated from supernatural lights.»
Elizabeth sighs and turns silent.
22.9 Zacharias comes in. He offers some parchment rolls to Mary. It is the hour of prayer before supper. Mary prays in a loud voice instead of Zacharias. Then they settle down at the table.
«When You are no longer with us, how we shall regret having no longer anyone to pray for us,» says Elizabeth, looking at her dumb husband.
«You will pray then, Zacharias,» says Mary.
He shakes his head and writes: «I will never be able to pray again for other people. I became unworthy when I doubted of my God.»
«Zacharias, you will pray. God forgives.»
The old man wipes a tear and sighs.
After supper, Mary goes back to the loom.
«That’s enough!» says Elizabeth. «You will become too tired.»
«Your time is approaching, Elizabeth. I want to prepare for your child clothes worthy of him who will precede the King of the House of David.»
Zacharias writes: «Of whom will He be born? And where?»
Mary replies: «Where the Prophets said, and of whom the Eternal Father will choose. Whatever our Most High Lord does, is well done.»
Zacharias writes: «Well, in Bethlehem then! In Judah. We shall go and worship Him, woman. And You will come to Bethlehem, too, with Joseph.»
And Mary, bowing Her head over the loom says: «I will come.»
The vision ends thus.

Keywords

GRM 22.7

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«My Child! My Jesus! What will He be like?»
«As beautiful as You are, Mary.»
«Oh no! More beautiful! He is God. I am His maid. What I meant is, will He be fair or dark? Will His eyes be like a clear sky, or like the eyes of a mountain deer? I imagine Him more beautiful than a cherub, with golden curly hair, His eyes the same colour as the Sea of Galilee when the stars begin to peep on the horizon, His tiny little mouth as red as a pomegranate that bursts when it matures in the sun, and His cheeks as pink as this pale rose, with two little hands that could be contained in the hollow of a lily, they are so small and tiny, and two tiny feet that I can hold in the hollow of My hand, so soft and smooth, even more so than the petal of a flower. See. The idea I have of Him is taken from all the beautiful things that nature suggests to Me. And I can hear His voice. When He cries — because My Child will cry a little when He is hungry or sleepy, and it will always be a great pain for His Mummy Whose heart will be pierced every time She hears Him cry — when He cries, His voice will be like the bleating that now comes from a little lamb, only a few hours old, when it seeks its mother’s breast, and her warm maternal fleece to sleep. When He laughs — and My heart in love with my Creature will then be full of Heaven, for I can be in love with Him, because He is My God, and it will not be against My consecrated virginity to love Him as a lover — His voice when He laughs will be like the merry cooing of a happy little dove which is full and content in its cosy little nest. And I think of Him when He is taking His first steps… a little bird hopping on a flowery meadow. The meadow will be His Mother’s heart, it will be laid under His tiny pink feet with all Her love, so that He may not tread on anything that may hurt Him. Oh, how I will love My Child! My Son!»

Detail

Mary said to Elizabeth:

Keywords

GRM 22.7-8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Oh, how I will love My Child! My Son! Also Joseph will love Him.»
«But You will have to tell Joseph.»
Mary’s face darkens, and She sighs. «Yes, I will have to tell him… I wish Heaven would tell him, because it is so difficult to tell.»
«Shall I tell him? We will ask him to come for John’s circumcision…»
«No. I have entrusted God with the task of informing him of his happy destiny of putative father of the Son of God, and He will do so. The Spirit said to Me that evening: ‘Be silent. Entrust Me with the task of justifying You’. And He will do so. God never lies. It is a great trial, but with the help of the Eternal Father, it will be overcome. No one must learn from My mouth what the goodness of the Lord has done. Certainly you are the exception, because the Spirit revealed it to you.»

Detail

Mary speaks of her child and she says:

Keywords

GRM 22.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«No one must learn from My mouth what the goodness of the Lord has done. Certainly you are the exception, because the Spirit revealed it to you.»
«I have not mentioned it to anybody, not even to Zacharias who would have been very happy. He thinks you are a mother according to nature.»
«I know. And I decided that out of prudence. The secrets of God are holy. The angel of the Lord did not reveal My divine maternity to Zacharias. He could have done so, if God had wanted, because God knew that the time for the Incarnation of His Word in Me was already imminent. But God hid this joyful light from Zacharias, who rejected your late maternity as something impossible. I have complied with the will of God, as you have seen. You perceived the secret living in Me. He did not perceive anything. Until the screen of his incredulity does not fall before the power of God, he will be separated from supernatural lights.»
Elizabeth sighs and turns silent.

Detail

Mary tells Elizabeth about her motherhood and she says:

Keywords

GRM 22.9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

22.9 Zacharias comes in. He offers some parchment rolls to Mary. It is the hour of prayer before supper. Mary prays in a loud voice instead of Zacharias. Then they settle down at the table.
«When You are no longer with us, how we shall regret having no longer anyone to pray for us,» says Elizabeth, looking at her dumb husband.
«You will pray then, Zacharias,» says Mary.
He shakes his head and writes: «I will never be able to pray again for other people. I became unworthy when I doubted of my God.»
«Zacharias, you will pray. God forgives.»
The old man wipes a tear and sighs.
After supper, Mary goes back to the loom.
«That’s enough!» says Elizabeth. «You will become too tired.»
«Your time is approaching, Elizabeth. I want to prepare for your child clothes worthy of him who will precede the King of the House of David.»
Zacharias writes: «Of whom will He be born? And where?»
Mary replies: «Where the Prophets said, and of whom the Eternal Father will choose. Whatever our Most High Lord does, is well done.»
Zacharias writes: «Well, in Bethlehem then! In Judah. We shall go and worship Him, woman. And You will come to Bethlehem, too, with Joseph.»
And Mary, bowing Her head over the loom says: «I will come.»
The vision ends thus.

Annotation

Luke 1, 5-25 : In the days of Herod the Great, king of Judea, there was a priest of the Abia tribe named Zacharias. His wife was also a descendant of Aaron; her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God: they followed all the Lord's commandments and precepts blamelessly. They had no children, for Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now, while Zechariah, during the time allotted to the priests of his group, was ministering to God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to go and offer incense in the sanctuary of the Lord. The whole multitude of people were praying outside at the time of the incense offering. The angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. At the sight of the angel, Zacharias was overwhelmed with fear.

The angel said to him: "Fear not, Zechariah, for your supplication has been heard: your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. You will rejoice and be glad, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. He will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb; he will cause many sons of Israel to return to the Lord their God; he will go before, in the presence of the Lord, with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, to bring back the rebellious to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare for the Lord a people well disposed."

Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How am I to know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."

The angel replied: "I am Gabriel, and I stand in the presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. But behold, you will be silenced, and until the day it comes true, you will no longer be able to speak, because you have not believed my words; they will be fulfilled in their own time."

The people waited for Zechariah, wondering why he lingered in the sanctuary. When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they understood that, in the sanctuary, he had had a vision. He made signs to them and remained mute. When he had completed his time of liturgical service, he returned home. Some time later, his wife Elisabeth conceived a child. For five months, she kept the secret. She said to herself: "This is what the Lord has done for me, in these days when he has set his eyes to erase what was my shame before men."

Keywords

GRM 22.10-11

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

22.10 Mary says:
«The first charity towards our neighbours is to be exerted towards our neighbours. This must not seem a pun to you. There is charity towards God and charity towards our neighbours. Charity towards our neighbours comprises also charity towards ourselves. But if we love ourselves more than our neighbours, we are no longer charitable, we are selfish. Also in lawful matters, we must be so holy as to always give priority to the needs of our neighbour. Be sure, My children, that God provides for the generous by means of His power and His bounty.
22.11 It was this certainty that led Me to Hebron to assist My relative in her condition. And to My eagerness for human help, God, giving beyond measure as He is wont, added an unforeseen gift of supernatural assistance. I went to give material help and God sanctified My good intention by sanctifying, through it, the fruit of Elizabeth’s womb, and by means of that sanctification, by which the Baptist was presanctified, He relieved the physical pain of the elderly daughter of Eve, who had conceived at an unusual age.
Elizabeth, a woman of fearless faith and confident submission to God’s will, deserved to understand the mystery that was enclosed within Me. The Spirit spoke to her through the bouncing in her womb. The Baptist pronounced his first speech, as the Announcer of the Word, through the veils and the diaphgrams of veins and flesh that separated and united him at the same time to his holy mother.
Neither did I deny My prerogative of being the Mother of the Lord, because she was worthy of the information and the Light had revealed Itself to her. To deny it would have meant denying God the praise that it was just should be given to Him, the praise that I bore in Me, and which, since I could not tell anyone, I repeated to the grass, to the flowers, to the stars, to the sun, to the singing birds and the patient sheep, to the warbling waters, to the golden light that kissed Me descending from Heaven. But it is sweeter to pray together rather than say our prayers by ourselves. I would have liked all the world to know of My destiny, not for My own sake, but that they might join Me in praising My Lord.
Prudence forbade me to reveal the truth to Zacharias. That would have implied going beyond the work of God. And if I was His Spouse and Mother, I was still His servant, and I could not take the liberty of substituting Him and exceeding Him in a decree, simply because He had loved Me beyond measure.
Elizabeth in her holiness understood, and was silent. Because a holy person is always submissive and humble.»

Keywords

GRM 22.11

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Prudence forbade me to reveal the truth to Zacharias. That would have implied going beyond the work of God. And if I was His Spouse and Mother, I was still His servant, and I could not take the liberty of substituting Him and exceeding Him in a decree, simply because He had loved Me beyond measure.
Elizabeth in her holiness understood, and was silent. Because a holy person is always submissive and humble.

Keywords

GRM 23

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Chapter title: Birth of John the Baptist. All suffering subsides in Mary's womb.

Date of vision and dictation: Monday, April 3, 1944 (Holy Monday)

Calendar: Thursday, July 4, year -5

Location (map): Hebron

Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus

Summary: Mary and Elizabeth stroll through Zachariah's house. They walk slowly and Mary is attentive to everything. Caring for her relative, she goes to help Sarah, the servant, then invites Elizabeth to walk a little further. They go to see the doves, and Elizabeth is moved by their affection for her. Her condition makes her fear death and worry for her husband and child. Mary reassures her that all will be well, and invites her to trust in God. As Elizabeth's suffering returns, they return home. The work of the Precursor's mother begins. Mary comforts Zacharias and prays with the old man. When he falls asleep (it's the middle of the night), she takes care of him and continues her prayer.

Elizabeth calls the Virgin and asks her to place her hand on her immaculate womb. Mary soothes her, tells her to trust in God, and tells her that Jesus is there. When her cousin has calmed down, she leaves. Zachariah is still asleep. The Immaculate prays intensely, until the old priest wakes up. But John is still not born.

Mary continues to pray, and soon dawn breaks. A little later, to the great joy of both parents, John is born. Zacharias receives the child, and Mary brings him back to his mother. The baby calmed down as soon as he was on Mary's breast. Elizabeth asks her if Zacharias can speak, but unfortunately he cannot. The Virgin tells her to hope again in the Lord...

After the vision, the Full of Grace gives dictation to Maria and explains that, while she was preserved from the Fault and the pains of childbirth, her spiritual motherhood was nonetheless filled with suffering. Mary then invites us to always come to her, for she is the eternal bearer of Jesus. She prays unceasingly for us and for our salvation.

Chapter contents: 23.1: A vision of peace in the midst of dark hours. 23.2: Mary helps Elisabeth and Sarah in the garden. 23.3: She reassures an Elisabeth who is afraid of dying. 23.4: She watches over everything in the house. 23.5: Ailing Elisabeth calls her to her bedside. 23.6: She returns to reassure Zechariah. 23.7: Zechariah is nervous, Mary prays. 23.8: The boy is brought to the father. Mary brings him back to the mother. 23.9: The heartbreak of Mary's spiritual childbirth. 23.10: Come to me, the eternal bearer of Jesus.