Notes for this theme

Elisabeth and Zacharie

Page 6 of 9

Reading comfort

GRM 24

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Chapter title: Circumcision of John the Baptist. Mary is a source of grace for those who welcome the Light.

Date of vision: Tuesday, April 4, 1944 (Holy Tuesday).

Date of dictation: Tuesday, April 4, 1944. On a typed copy, Maria Valtorta notes: "The Blessed Virgin Mary dictated these words on Holy Wednesday."

Calendar: Friday, July 12, year -5

Location (map): Hebron

Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus

Summary: It's John's circumcision. Zachariah's house is crowded. They talk about the child's name, and want to give him his father's name, but Elisabeth is adamant: his name will be John. Zechariah's opinion is sought, and he writes that his name will indeed be John, "God is gracious". His tongue loosens and he says his hymn. Elizabeth is overjoyed. The circumcision takes place, and the little one calms down in the Virgin's arms. Zechariah goes to her and asks her forgiveness for not recognizing her, even though she is pregnant with the Savior. He blesses her, and the Immaculate replies that all praise must go to God. The Immaculate also asks him to pray for her, for if being the mother of the Savior is a blessed destiny, being the mother of the Redeemer must be a destiny of excruciating suffering.

In the dictation that follows, Mary explains that God forgives those who recognize their fault and repent. She invites us to rid our souls of all that weighs them down, and to welcome God's Light. The Virgin goes on to explain that those who possess God, who have God's friendship, are never alone, for even if this does not take away our suffering, He gives us light and caresses that lighten our cross. We must also know how to thank the Most High for his graces.

Finally, the Immaculate explains that we make her suffer a lot, because we reject grace. When she gives the dictation, Good Friday is approaching, so she invites us to pray in the words of her Son on the Cross. Finally, she reminds Maria that, while she sees her joys, her suffering has always grown exponentially, until she receives her dead Son in her arms.

Chapter contents: 24.1: The house in celebration. 24.2: The name. The miracle. The Benedictus. 24.3: Only Mary can soothe little John's pain on his return from circumcision. 24.4: Zacharias, now able to speak again, prostrates himself before Mary. 24.5: Mary asks for his prayers for the Coredemptrix she will become. 24.6: God forgives the repentant. 24.7: He makes pain sweet in its bitterness. 24.8: The pain of seeing an enemy of Jesus. 24.9: The mystery of Good Friday. 24.10: An ever-increasing pain.

Keywords

GRM 24.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

24.1 I see the house rejoicing. It is the day of the circumcision.
Mary has made sure that everything is beautiful and in good order. The rooms are bright with light, the most beautiful cloths, the nicest furnishings are shining everywhere. There are a lot of people. Mary moves agile amongst the various groups. She is very beautiful in Her most beautiful white dress.
Elizabeth, respected by everybody as a matron, is enjoying her feast most happily. The child is laid on her lap, sated with milk.

Keywords

GRM 24.2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

24.2 It is now the moment for the circumcision.
«We will call him Zacharias. You are old. It is only fair that the child be called after you,» say the men.
«Not at all!» exclaims Elizabeth. «His name is John. His name must be the witness of the power of God.»
«But has there ever been a John in our kinship?»
«It does not matter, his name is to be John.»
«What do you say, Zacharias? You want your name, don’t you?»
Zacharias shakes his head in denial. He takes his tablet and writes: «His name is John.» And as soon as he finishes writing, he adds, with his tongue now free: «because God has granted a great grace to me, his father, and to his mother, and to this new servant of His who will spend his life for the glory of the Lord, and will be called great forever in the world and in the eyes of God, because he will give converted hearts to the Most High Lord. The angel said so, and I did not believe. It but now I believe, and the Light is now in me. The Light is amongst us, but you do not see it. It is its destiny not to be seen, because the souls of men are encumbered and idle, but my son will see It, and will speak of It, and will turn to It the hearts of the just in Israel. Oh! Blessed are those who believe in It and will always believe in the Word of the Lord. And blessed be You, o Eternal Lord, God of Israel, because You have visited and redeemed Your people, and You have raised up for us a powerful Saviour in the house of Your servant David. As You promised by mouth of the holy Prophets from ancient times, that You would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us, to show Your mercy to our ancestors, and thus remember Your holy covenant. This is the oath You swore to our father Abraham; that You would grant us, free from fear, deliverance from the hands of our enemies, to serve You in Heaven and thrive in Your presence all our days» and he continues to the end.
The people present are most surprised at the name, at the miracle, at the words of Zacharias.
Elizabeth, who at the first words of Zacharias had uttered a cry of joy, is now weeping, embracing Mary, Who is caressing her happily.

Keywords

GRM 24.3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

24.3 I do not see the circumcision. I only see them bring back John, who is screaming at the top of his voice. Not even his mother’s breast can calm him down. He is kicking like a little colt. Then Mary takes him, and lulls him, and he turns quiet, and lies down peacefully.
«Now just look!» says Sarah. «He is quiet only when She picks him up!»
The people begin to go away slowly. In the room now there are only Mary, holding the baby in Her arms, and Elizabeth who is in a state of bliss.

Keywords

GRM 24.4-5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

24.4 Zacharias comes in, and closes the door. He looks at Mary with his eyes full of tears. He wants to speak. Then he is silent. He moves forward. He kneels down in front of Mary. «Bless the poor servant of the Lord,» he says to Her. «Bless him, because You can do so, since You are carrying Him in Your womb. The word of the Lord was spoken to me when I admitted my error and I believed everything I had been told. I see You, and Your happy destiny. I adore the God of Jacob in You. You are my first Temple, where once again a priest, I can pray the Eternal Father again. You are blessed because You obtained grace for the world and You are now bringing the Saviour to it. Forgive Your servant if he did not see Your majesty before. When You came here, You brought us all the graces, because everywhere You go, o Full of Grace, God works His miracles, and holy are those walls which You enter, holy become the ears which listen to Your voice, and holy the flesh You touch. Holy the hearts, because You grant Grace, Mother of the Most High, Virgin of the Prophets, expected to bring the Saviour to the people of God.»
24.5 Mary smiles, full of humbleness and She speaks: «Praise be to the Lord. To Him only. From Him, not from Me, comes every grace. And He grants it to you, that you may love Him, and that it may help you to reach perfection in the following years to deserve His Kingdom that My Son will open to the Patriarchs, to the Prophets, to the just of the Lord. And since you can now pray before the Holy, please pray for the maidservant of the Most High, because to be Mother of the Son of God is blissful, to be Mother of the Redeemer must be a destiny of deepest sorrow. Pray for Me, because I feel My weight of sorrow increasing from hour to hour. And I shall have to bear it all My life. And even if I do not see the details, I feel that it will be heavier than if the whole world were placed on My shoulders of a woman, and I were to offer it to Heaven. I, I alone, poor woman! My Child! My Son! Ah! Your son no longer cries if I lull him. But shall I be able to lull Mine, to soothe His pain?… Pray for Me, priest of God. My heart shudders like a flower in a storm. I look at men, and I love them. But I see the Enemy appear behind their faces, and make them enemies of God, and of My Son Jesus…»
And the vision ends with the paleness of Mary and Her tears, that cause Her eyes to shine brightly.

Detail

Zechariah has just discovered that Mary is the All-Holy One, the one who bears the Savior.

Keywords

GRM 25

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

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.

Keywords

GRM 25.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

Detail

Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary and the servant Samuel presented John to the Temple.

Keywords

Samuel of Hebron (servant of Zechariah and Elizabeth)

GRM 25.1-2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

Detail

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.

Keywords

GRM 25.2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«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?»

Annotation

Luke 1, 8-11 and 21-22: While Zechariah was ministering to God during the time allotted to the priests of his group, 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 (...) The people were waiting for Zechariah, and were astonished that he lingered in the sanctuary. When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they understood that he had had a vision in the sanctuary. He made signs to them and remained mute.

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, saying, "What will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.

Keywords

GRM 25.3-5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.