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Saint Joseph

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GRM 34

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Chapter title: The Adoration of the Magi. This is the "Gospel of faith".

Date of vision: Monday, February 28, 1944.

Calendar: October, year -4

Location (map): Bethlehem

Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus

Summary: Maria sees Bethlehem in the middle of the night. The town is asleep. Then she sees the star guiding the Magi, shining supernaturally bright. The star stops in front of the inn where the Holy Family is staying. The Wise Men and their servants stop to worship the Savior for the first time, bowing to the ground. They then withdrew until the following morning. For Maria, the vision stops and resumes three hours later.

The Magi are dressed in majestic garments. They come to respectfully greet the Child. They take the opportunity to tell his Mother about their journey, and offer her three gifts: gold, as befits a King, incense in his capacity as God, and myrrh because her Son, who is the Redeemer of the world, will have to die. Mary turns pale at this mention, but contains her suffering behind a smile. The three Wise Men want to greet the Child one last time, and leave. Joseph accompanies them to their mounts.

Jesus then gives a dictation for our contemporary times. He underlines the faith of the three men, their abandonment to God, for they do not doubt, and they entrust their journey to Him, without splitting hairs. Their hearts tremble only when they arrive in Jerusalem and the star is hidden, but their conscience reassures them. Christ thus declares that those who are accustomed to meditating and who have an upright conscience have learned to examine themselves, to rectify themselves at the slightest deviation from conduct.

The Three Wise Men are also very rich, but they are humble and therefore truly great because of their humility. They see themselves as dust before the Most High, and when they arrive at a poor house, they don't say to themselves, "It can't be done!" They adore it, and then they leave, preparing to go and see their King with dignity. So they put on their best clothes, unlike men who go to the Eucharist with a thousand material concerns.

Finally, Jesus gives two considerations. The first concerns Joseph, who is delighted with the gifts, but remains humble. He was not offended that Mary was in the limelight. He too was humble because he was truly great. The second focuses on Mary, who urges Jesus to bless, even when discouraged by our evil deeds. She kisses his pierced hand and declares: "You are the Savior. Save!". Jesus cannot refuse his Mother, but we must make the effort to go to her.

Chapter contents: 34.1: The Gospels of faith. 34.2 : The plan of the city of Bethlehem. 34.3 : A star creates an enchantment. 34.4 : The Magi stop there at night. 34.5: In broad daylight, they bring their gifts. 34.6: They kneel before the child. 34.7: The eldest tells the story of their journey. 34.8: The significance of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 34.9: They regretfully leave home. 34.10 : The Magi had faith in everything. 34.11 : They did not seek any personal interest. 34.12 : The uprightness of their conscience. 34.13 : Their humility before God. 34.14 : Their piety. 34.15 : They are humble, generous, obedient and respectful of one another. 34.16 : Joseph guardian and protector of Purity and Holiness, without usurping rights. 34.17 : Mary is our Advocate. 34.18 : Meditate and imitate.

GRM 34.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

34.6 Mary is sitting with the Child in Her lap and Joseph is standing near Her. But She also gets up and bows when She sees the Magi entering. She is all dressed in white. She is so beautiful in Her plain white dress which covers Her from Her neck down to Her feet, from Her shoulders to Her slender wrists. She is so beautiful with Her head crowned with Her blond plaits, Her face more rosy due to the emotion, with Her eyes smiling so sweetly while Her mouth gives a greeting: «May God be with you», that the three Magi stop for a moment, completely astonished. They then proceed and prostrate themselves at Her feet. And they ask Her to sit down.

They do not sit down, although She asks them to do so. They remain kneeling, relaxing on their heels. Behind them, also on their knees, are the three servants. They are immediately after the threshold. They have placed the three gifts they were carrying in front of the Magi, and now they are waiting.

The three Wise Men contemplate the Child, Who I think must be nine to twelve months old, He is so lively and strong. He is sitting on His Mother’s lap and smiles and prattles with a shrill voice like a little bird. He is all dressed in white like His Mother, with tiny sandals on His little feet. His dress is a very simple one: a small tunic, from which His restless feet protrude, and His plump little hands which would like to get hold of everything, and above all, a most beautiful little face in which two dark blue eyes shine, and a pretty mouth with dimples at the sides shows its first tiny teeth when it smiles. His pretty little curls are so bright and soft that they seem gold dust.

Detail

The Three Wise Men meet Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

GRM 34.9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

34.9 They then hand the Child back to Mary and they stand up.

Mary also gets up. They bow to one another, after the youngest has given an order to the servant, who goes out. The three Men carry on speaking for a little while. They cannot make up their minds to depart from the house. Tears shine in their eyes. At last they move towards the door, accompanied by Mary and Joseph.

The Child wanted to get down and give His hand to the oldest of the three, and He walks thus, held by His hands by Mary and the Wise Man, both of whom bend down to steady Him. Jesus walks with a hesitant step, like all children, and He laughs stamping His little feet on the strip of the floor lit up by the sun.

When they reach the threshold — we must not forget that the room is as long as the house — the Magi take leave kneeling down once again kissing Jesus’ feet. Mary, bending down over the Child, takes His hand and guides it, in a blessing gesture over the head of each Wise Man. It is already a sign of the cross, traced by Jesus’ little fingers, guided by Mary.

The three Men go down the steps. The caravan is already there waiting for them. The horses’ studs shine in the setting sun. People have gathered in the little square watching the unusual sight.

Jesus laughs clapping His hands. His Mother has lifted Him up on the wide parapet of the landing and is holding Him against Her breast with an arm so that He does not fall. Joseph has gone down with the Magi and is holding the stirrup to each of them while they mount their horses and the camel.

Servants and masters are now all on horseback. The starting command is given. The three Men bow down as low as the necks of their mounts in a final gesture of homage. Joseph bows down. Also Mary bows and then She guides Jesus’ hand again in a gesture of goodbye and blessing.

Detail

The Three Wise Men have told of their journey, offered their gifts, and worshipped Christ. Now they are leaving.

GRM 34.16

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

But, My dear children, there are two more lessons in this vision.

The behaviour of Joseph who knows how to keep ‘his’ place. He is present as the guardian of Purity and Holiness. But not as the usurper of their rights. It is Mary with Jesus who receives the homage and the words. Joseph rejoices because of Her and does not grieve because he is a secondary figure. Joseph is a just man: he is the Just Man. And he is always just. Also at the present moment. The fumes of the feast do not go to his head. He remains humble and just.

He is happy for the gifts. Not for himself, but because he thinks that with them he will be able to make his Spouse’s and the sweet Child’s lives more comfortable. There is no greed in Joseph. He is a workman and will continue to work. But he is anxious that ‘They’, his two loves, should be comfortable. Neither he nor the Magi know that those gifts will be needed for an escape and a life in exile, when riches vanish like clouds scattered by winds, as well as for their return to their country, where they have lost everything, customers and household furnishings, and where only the walls of their house have been saved, protected as they were by God, because there He was united to the Virgin and became Flesh.

Joseph is humble, in fact, although he is the guardian of God and of the Mother of God and Spouse of the Most High, he holds the stirrups of these vassals of God. He is a poor carpenter, because sustained human pressures have deprived David’s heirs of their royal wealth. But he is always the offspring of a king, and has the manners of a king. Also of him it must he said: ‘He was humble, because he was really great’.

Detail

Jesus speaks of the Magi who arrived in Bethlehem by night with three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh (see EMV 34.1-9).

GRM 35

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Chapter title: The flight into Egypt. Teachings on the last vision linked to the advent of Jesus.

Date of vision and dictation: Friday, June 9, 1944

Calendar: End of November, year -4. Period of the Festival of Lights, end of Kisleu.

Location (map):Bethlehem

Cycle: Birth and childhood of Jesus

Summary: Joseph sleeps in the house in Bethlehem. He seems to be having a sweet dream, then seems to be troubled before waking up. After dressing, he goes to the Virgin, who is praying beside the Child. He tells her that they must leave at once, as an angel has warned him to flee to Egypt. Mary complied immediately, and prepared their belongings quickly but orderly. Joseph returns to take a share of their belongings, and sadly tells her that they must take as much as they can, as they will have to stay away for a long time. Mary continues to gather the few remaining belongings, then prepares Jesus. When he falls asleep, after taking his milk, Joseph returns and informs her that Herod wants the little one to die. This pierces Mary's heart. She weeps and declares that she is costing Joseph a lot, but he replies that she always consoles him, and that the Magi's wealth will help them in the early days. Both are sad to have to leave, to give up everything and not return to Nazareth, but as long as they still have Jesus, they have everything.

The Savior's parents leave the house, and after greeting the owner of the house, they set off in the direction of Egypt.

Jesus then gives a dictation and emphasizes the simplicity of this vision, which in no way diminishes the humanity of Mary and Jesus or the divinity of Christ. Too often," he says, "we get discouraged by thinking that Mary, Jesus and Joseph were strong and that "they were them". But suffering was always their faithful companion. They didn't know the passions that are akin to vices, because they closed their hearts to Satan. On the other hand, they had many passions, such as love of country, holy affections for their family, and so on. But they didn't let these passions get in the way when it came to following God's will.

Jesus, too, always followed God's will, even if it earned him the hatred of the Jews and the animosity of Judas. He goes on to criticize the great of this world, then dwells on Joseph's chastity and Mary's virginity, affirming them in black and white and going back on Matthew's words. Indeed, the evangelist took his sources directly from Mary, and her perpetual virginity was a known truth from the earliest times.

Christ dwells at length on the word "woman" in the Bible, to show that this term is not proscribed, infamous, impure language. He then turns to Matthew's words to say that Mary was "the true Mother of Jesus without being Joseph's wife. She will always remain: the Virgin, Joseph's wife".

Chapter contents: 35.1: A dream makes Joseph get up in the middle of the night. 35.2: At dawn we flee. 35.3: Mary hurries to gather her things. 35.4: She wakes the child and feeds him. 35.5: We have the wealth of the Magi and God with us. 35.6: Departure with three mounts. 35.7: Men, believing they were doing the right thing, made unreal what would have been so beautiful to leave real. 35.8: Our honorable human passions. 35.9: I did not seek worldly greatness. 35.10: Mary's virginity and Joseph's chastity. 35.11: Mary's grief torn from her home.

GRM 35.1-3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

My spirit sees the following scene.

It is night. Joseph is sleeping in his little bed in his very small room: the peaceful sleep of a man after a hard day’s honest and diligent work.

I can see him in the dark room, because a thin ray of moonlight filters in through the window shutters left ajar, either because Joseph is too warm in the little room or because he wants to be woken by the early rays of light at daybreak and get up at once. He is lying on one side and is smiling at some vision he sees in his dream.

But his smile turns into an expression of anxiety. He is now sighing deeply as if he had a nightmare and he awakes with a start. He sits up on his bed, rubs his eyes and looks around. He looks at the little window where the feeble light comes in. It is the dead of night but he grasps his robe, which is lying at the bottom of the bed, and still sitting on the bed he pulls it on over the white short-sleeved tunic he is wearing next to his skin. He pulls the blanket away, puts his feet on the floor and looks for his sandals. He puts them on and ties them. He stands up and goes towards the door facing his bed, not the one at the side of his bed leading into the large room where the Magi were received.

He knocks very gently, a very soft knocking with the tips of his fingers. He must have heard a voice asking him to enter because he opens the door carefully and sets it ajar without making any noise. Before going to the door he has lit a small single flame oil lamp, and lights his way with it. He goes in. The room is a little larger than his own, and there is a low bed in it, near a cradle, with a night lamp in a corner, the flickering flame of which seems like a little star with a soft golden light that allows one to see without disturbing anyone sleeping.

35.2 But Mary is not sleeping. She is kneeling near the cradle in Her light coloured dress and is praying, watching Jesus Who is sleeping peacefully. Jesus is the same age as I saw Him in the vision of the Magi: a Child about one year old, beautiful, rosy and fair haired. He is sleeping with His curly head sunk in the pillow and a clenched fist under His chin.

«Are You not sleeping?» Joseph asks Her in a low surprised voice. «Why not? Is Jesus not well?»

«Oh, no! He is alright. I am praying. Later I will sleep. Why have you come, Joseph?» Mary speaks, kneeling on the same spot.

Joseph speaks in a very low voice so as not to awaken the Child, but it is an excited voice. «We must go away from here at once. It must be at once. Prepare the coffer and a sack with everything You can put in them. I’ll prepare the rest, I’ll take as much as I can… We will flee at dawn. I would go even sooner but I must speak to the landlady…»

«But why this flight?»

«I will tell You later. It’s because of Jesus. An angel said to me: ‘Take the Child and His Mother and escape to Egypt.’ Don’t waste any time. I’m going to prepare what I can.»

35.3 There is no need to tell Mary not to waste time. As soon as She heard Joseph mention an angel, Jesus and flight, She understood that Her Creature was in danger and She jumped to Her feet, Her face whiter than wax, holding one hand against Her heart, completely distressed. And She began to move about, quick and agile, laying the clothes in the coffer and in a large sack which She placed on Her bed still untouched. Although She is disheartened, She does not lose Her head: She acts quickly but orderly. Now and again, when passing near the cradle, She looks at the Child Who is sleeping calmly.

«Do you need help?» Joseph asks now and again, peeping into the room through the door ajar.

«No, thank you,» replies Mary every time.

Only when Her sack is full, and it is obviously very heavy, She calls Joseph to help Her to close it and take it off the bed. But Joseph does not want any help, he prefers to do it himself, and he takes the long sack into his little room.

«Shall I also take the woollen blankets?» asks Mary.

«Take as much as You can. We will lose the rest. Do take as much as You can. Things will be useful because… because we will have to stay away for a long time, Mary!…» Joseph is very sad in saying so. And one can easily imagine how Mary feels. She folds Her blankets and Joseph’s, sighing deeply. Joseph ties the blankets with a rope and while doing so, he says: «We shall leave the quilts and the mats. Even if I take three donkeys I cannot overload them. We will have a long and uncomfortable journey, partly in the mountains and in the desert. Cover Jesus well. The nights will be cold both up in the mountains and in the desert. I have taken the gifts of the Magi because they will be very useful down there. I am going to spend all the money I have to buy two donkeys. We cannot send them back, so I will have to buy them. I’ll go now, without awaiting dawn. I know where to find them. You finish preparing everything.» And he goes out.

Mary gathers a few more things, then, after looking at Jesus, She goes out and comes back with some little dresses which appear to be still damp: perhaps they were washed the day before. She folds them, wraps them up in a cloth, and adds them to the other things. There is nothing else.

She looks around and in a corner She sees one of Jesus’ toys: a little sheep carved in wood. She picks it up sobbing, and kisses it. On the wood there are traces of Jesus’ little teeth and the ears of the little sheep are all nibbled. Mary caresses the thing without any value, a plain piece of light wood, which, however, is of great value to Her, because it tells Her of Joseph’s love for Jesus and speaks to Her of Her Child. She adds it to the other things placed on the closed coffer.

Detail

This chapter illustrates the Flight into Egypt.

Matthew 2, 13-23: After they had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Arise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I warn you, for Herod will seek out the child to destroy him." So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and fled to Egypt, where he stayed until Herod's death, to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by the prophet: Out of Egypt I called my son.

Then Herod, seeing that the Magi had mocked him, flew into a rage. He sent to kill all the children up to the age of two in Bethlehem and throughout the region, according to the date he had been told by the magi. Then was fulfilled the word spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: A cry goes up in Ramah, weeping and long lament: it is Rachel who weeps for her children and does not wish to be consoled, for they are no more.

After Herod's death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said to him: "Arise, take the child and his mother, and depart for the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Arkelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee and came to live in a town called Nazareth, so that the word spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.

GRM 35.2-3.5-6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Mary is not sleeping. She is kneeling near the cradle in Her light coloured dress and is praying, watching Jesus Who is sleeping peacefully. Jesus is the same age as I saw Him in the vision of the Magi: a Child about one year old, beautiful, rosy and fair haired. He is sleeping with His curly head sunk in the pillow and a clenched fist under His chin.

«Are You not sleeping?» Joseph asks Her in a low surprised voice. «Why not? Is Jesus not well?»

«Oh, no! He is alright. I am praying. Later I will sleep. Why have you come, Joseph?» Mary speaks, kneeling on the same spot.

Joseph speaks in a very low voice so as not to awaken the Child, but it is an excited voice. «We must go away from here at once. It must be at once. Prepare the coffer and a sack with everything You can put in them. I’ll prepare the rest, I’ll take as much as I can… We will flee at dawn. I would go even sooner but I must speak to the landlady…»

«But why this flight?»

«I will tell You later. It’s because of Jesus. An angel said to me: ‘Take the Child and His Mother and escape to Egypt.’ Don’t waste any time. I’m going to prepare what I can.»

35.3 There is no need to tell Mary not to waste time. As soon as She heard Joseph mention an angel, Jesus and flight, She understood that Her Creature was in danger and She jumped to Her feet, Her face whiter than wax, holding one hand against Her heart, completely distressed. And She began to move about, quick and agile, laying the clothes in the coffer and in a large sack which She placed on Her bed still untouched. Although She is disheartened, She does not lose Her head: She acts quickly but orderly. Now and again, when passing near the cradle, She looks at the Child Who is sleeping calmly.

«Do you need help?» Joseph asks now and again, peeping into the room through the door ajar.

«No, thank you,» replies Mary every time.

Only when Her sack is full, and it is obviously very heavy, She calls Joseph to help Her to close it and take it off the bed. But Joseph does not want any help, he prefers to do it himself, and he takes the long sack into his little room.

«Shall I also take the woollen blankets?» asks Mary.

«Take as much as You can. We will lose the rest. Do take as much as You can. Things will be useful because… because we will have to stay away for a long time, Mary!…» Joseph is very sad in saying so. And one can easily imagine how Mary feels. She folds Her blankets and Joseph’s, sighing deeply. Joseph ties the blankets with a rope and while doing so, he says: «We shall leave the quilts and the mats. Even if I take three donkeys I cannot overload them. We will have a long and uncomfortable journey, partly in the mountains and in the desert. Cover Jesus well. The nights will be cold both up in the mountains and in the desert. I have taken the gifts of the Magi because they will be very useful down there. I am going to spend all the money I have to buy two donkeys. We cannot send them back, so I will have to buy them. I’ll go now, without awaiting dawn. I know where to find them. You finish preparing everything.» And he goes out.

Mary gathers a few more things, then, after looking at Jesus, She goes out and comes back with some little dresses which appear to be still damp: perhaps they were washed the day before. She folds them, wraps them up in a cloth, and adds them to the other things. There is nothing else.

She looks around and in a corner She sees one of Jesus’ toys: a little sheep carved in wood. She picks it up sobbing, and kisses it. On the wood there are traces of Jesus’ little teeth and the ears of the little sheep are all nibbled. Mary caresses the thing without any value, a plain piece of light wood, which, however, is of great value to Her, because it tells Her of Joseph’s love for Jesus and speaks to Her of Her Child. She adds it to the other things placed on the closed coffer.

(...) 35.5 Joseph comes back. «Are you ready? Is Jesus ready? Have You taken His blankets and His little bed? We can’t take His cradle, but He must have at least His little mattress: poor Baby, Whose death they are seeking!»

«Joseph!» shouts Mary, while She grasps his arm.

«Yes, Mary, His death. Herod wants Him dead… because he is afraid of Him, that filthy beast, because of his human kingdom he is afraid of this innocent Child. I do not know what he will do when he realises that He has escaped. But we shall be far away by that time. I don’t think he will revenge himself by seeking Him as far as Galilee. It would be very difficult for him to find out that we are Galileans, least of all that we are from Nazareth and who we are exactly. Unless Satan helps him to thank him for being his faithful servant. But… if that should happen… God will help us just the same. Don’t cry, Mary. To see You crying is a greater pain for me than having to go into exile.»

«Forgive Me, Joseph. I am not crying for Myself, or for the few things I am losing. I am crying for you… You have already had to sacrifice yourself so much! And now once again you will have no customers, no home. How much I am costing you, Joseph!».

«How much? No, Mary. You do not cost me. You comfort me. Always. Don’t worry about the future. We have the gifts of the Magi. They will help us for the first days. Later I will find some work. A good clever workman will always make his way. You have seen what happened here. I haven’t got enough time for all the work I have.»

«I know. But who will relieve your homesickness for your native land?»

«And what about You? Who will relieve Your longing for Your home which is so dear to You?»

«Jesus. Having Him, I have what I had there.»

«And I, having Jesus, have my native land, in which I had hope up to some months ago. I have my God. You can see that I lose nothing of what is dear to me above all things. The only important thing is to save Jesus, and then we have everything. Even if we should never see this sky again, or this country or the even dearer country of Galilee, we shall always have everything, because we shall have Him. 35.6 Come, Mary, it is starting to dawn. It is time to say goodbye to our hostess and load our things. Everything will be alright.»

GRM 35.5-6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

35.5 Joseph comes back. «Are you ready? Is Jesus ready? Have You taken His blankets and His little bed? We can’t take His cradle, but He must have at least His little mattress: poor Baby, Whose death they are seeking!»

«Joseph!» shouts Mary, while She grasps his arm.

«Yes, Mary, His death. Herod wants Him dead… because he is afraid of Him, that filthy beast, because of his human kingdom he is afraid of this innocent Child. I do not know what he will do when he realises that He has escaped. But we shall be far away by that time. I don’t think he will revenge himself by seeking Him as far as Galilee. It would be very difficult for him to find out that we are Galileans, least of all that we are from Nazareth and who we are exactly. Unless Satan helps him to thank him for being his faithful servant. But… if that should happen… God will help us just the same. Don’t cry, Mary. To see You crying is a greater pain for me than having to go into exile.»

«Forgive Me, Joseph. I am not crying for Myself, or for the few things I am losing. I am crying for you… You have already had to sacrifice yourself so much! And now once again you will have no customers, no home. How much I am costing you, Joseph!».

«How much? No, Mary. You do not cost me. You comfort me. Always. Don’t worry about the future. We have the gifts of the Magi. They will help us for the first days. Later I will find some work. A good clever workman will always make his way. You have seen what happened here. I haven’t got enough time for all the work I have.»

«I know. But who will relieve your homesickness for your native land?»

«And what about You? Who will relieve Your longing for Your home which is so dear to You?»

«Jesus. Having Him, I have what I had there.»

«And I, having Jesus, have my native land, in which I had hope up to some months ago. I have my God. You can see that I lose nothing of what is dear to me above all things. The only important thing is to save Jesus, and then we have everything. Even if we should never see this sky again, or this country or the even dearer country of Galilee, we shall always have everything, because we shall have Him.

35.6 Come, Mary, it is starting to dawn. It is time to say goodbye to our hostess and load our things. Everything will be alright.»

Mary gets up obediently. She puts on Her mantle while Joseph makes up a last parcel and goes out with it.

Mary lifts the Child gently, wraps Him in a shawl and clasps Him to Her heart. She looks at the walls that have given Her hospitality for some months and She touches them caressingly with one hand. Happy house, that deserved to be loved and blessed by Mary!

She goes out. She goes through Joseph’s little room, into the large room. The landlady, in tears, kisses Her goodbye and, lifting the edge of the shawl, she kisses the forehead of the Child Who is sleeping calmly. They go down the outside steps.

The first light of dawn enables them to see faintly. In the dim light, three little donkeys can be seen. The strongest is loaded with the goods and chattels. The other two are saddled. Joseph is busy fastening the coffer and bundles on the pack-saddle of the first one. I can see his carpenter’s tools tied in a bundle on top of the sack.

After more tears and goodbyes, Mary mounts the little donkey, while the landlady is holding Jesus in her arms, and kissing Him once again. She then hands Him back to Mary. Joseph, too, mounts after tying his donkey to the one loaded with the goods, in order to be free to hold the reins of Mary’s donkey.

The flight begins while Bethlehem, still dreaming of the phantasmagoric scene of the Magi, is sleeping peacefully, unaware of what is impending over it.

And the vision ends thus.

Detail

Joseph asked Mary to pack as much as possible, as they had to flee to Egypt. After getting everything ready, Mary wakes Jesus and gets him ready. Then Joseph reappears.

GRM 35.7-8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

(...) You are so hampered by your humanity — it really overwhelms your souls too much — that you cannot follow My ways and you fall; or you stop disheartened. You go on saying to yourselves and to those who would like to assist you, quoting the examples of the Gospel for you: ‘But Jesus, but Mary, but Joseph (and so on for all the saints) were not like us. They were strong, they were immediately comforted in their sorrow, also in the little sorrow which they experienced, they did not feel passion. They were already beings out of this world’.

35.8 That little sorrow! They did not feel passion!

Sorrow has been our faithful friend and it had all the most varied forms and names.

Passion… do not use a word wrongly, by calling passion the vices which mislead you. Be honest and call them ‘vices’, and capital ones in addition. It is not true that we did not know them. We had eyes to see and ears to hear, and Satan caused those vices to dance in front of us and around us, showing them to us with their heap of filth in action, or tempting us with his insinuations. But, since we firmly wanted to please God, his filth and insinuations, instead of achieving the purpose intended by Satan, obtained the very opposite. And the more he worked, the more we took shelter in the light of God, disgusted as we were with the muddy darkness he showed to the eyes of our bodies and of our souls.

But we did not ignore passions in our hearts, in their philosophical setting. We loved our country, and in our country we loved our little Nazareth above every other town in Palestine. We were fond of our house, of our relatives and friends. Why should we not? We did not become slaves to our feelings because nothing is to be our master except God. But our feelings were made good companions.

My Mother uttered a cry of joy when, after about four years, She went back to Nazareth and entered Her house, and kissed the walls where Her ‘yes’ had opened Her bosom to receive the Son of God. Joseph joyfully greeted his relatives and his little nephews, who had grown in numbers and in years, and he rejoiced when he saw that his fellow citizens remembered him and they sought him because of his ability. I Myself appreciated friendship and because of Judas’ betrayal, I suffered as for a moral crucifixion. And why not? Neither My Mother nor Joseph ever placed more love for their home or their relatives before the will of God.