Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 203.10 · Volume 3
When you pray the Father, you do not turn to a friend of the earth, but you apply to the Perfect Friend Who is the Father of Heaven. That is why I say to you: “Ask, and it will be given to you, search, and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you”. For the one who asks will receive, the one who searches always finds, the one who knocks will have the door opened to him.
GRM 203.12 · Volume 3
Pray with humbleness that God may avert temptations from you. Oh! humbleness! To know oneself for what one is! Without losing heart, but to know oneself! Say: “I may give in, even if I do not think I could do it, because I am but an imperfect judge of myself. Therefore, Father, if possible, deliver me from temptations by keeping me so close to You as not to allow the Evil One to harm me”. Because, remember, it is not God Who tempts you to evil things, but it is the Evil One who tempts you. Pray the Father that He may support your weakness so that it may not be led into temptation by the Evil One.
GRM 206.2-6 · Volume 3
The Kingdom of Heaven is the house of the nuptials of God with souls. The moment a soul enters it, is the day of the nuptials.
Now listen. It is a custom with us that virgins escort the bridegroom when he arrives, to take him with lights and songs to the nuptial house together with his sweet bride. When the procession leaves the house of the bride, who wearing a veil and deeply moved turns her steps to the place where she will be queen, that is, to a house which is not hers, but will become hers the moment she becomes one body with her husband, the procession of the virgins, who are generally friends of the bride, runs to meet the happy couple, forming a circle of lights around them.
Now it happened that in a town there was a wedding. While the bride and bridegroom were making merry with relatives and friends in the house of the bride, ten virgins went to their place, that is, to the hall in the groom’s house, to be ready to go out and meet him when the sound of cymbals and songs warned them that the young couple had left the bride’s house to come to the groom’s. But the feast in the house of the nuptials extended and night fell. As you know, the virgins always keep their lamps lit, so that they do not waste time at the right moment. Now, of these ten virgins, five were wise and five were foolish, and all their lamps were lit and shining. The wise ones, full of wisdom, had provided themselves with small flasks full of oil, to fill up their lamps in the event they should have to wait longer than expected, whereas the foolish ones had only filled their little lamps.
One hour went by after the other. Cheerful conversation, tales and jokes made their waiting pleasant. But later they did not know what to say or what to do, and weary and tired, the ten girls sat down more comfortably and slowly fell asleep with their lamps lit and close to them.
206.3
At midnight a cry was heard: “The bridegroom is coming, go and meet him!”. The ten girls got up on hearing the order, took their veils and garlands, adorned themselves and ran to the shelf where the lamps were. The light of five of them was already fading… The wicks, no longer sustained with oil, which was finished, were smoky, their light was becoming fainter and fainter and they would go out at the least whiff of air, whereas the flames of the other five lamps, which had been refilled by the wise virgins before they fell asleep, were still bright and became even brighter when more oil was added to the lamps.
“Oh” begged the foolish girls “give us some of your oil, otherwise our lamps will go out as soon as we move them. Yours are already so beautiful!…” . But the wise virgins replied: “The wind is blowing in the night outside and heavy drops of dew are falling. There is never enough oil to give a flame strong enough to withstand the wind and dampness. If we give you some, also our lights will begin to fade away. And the procession of the virgins would be really a sad one without the flickering flames of lamps! Go, run to the nearest vendor, beg, knock, make him get up to give you some oil”. And the foolish girls, panting, creasing their veils, staining their dresses, losing their garlands while pushing one another and running, followed the advice of their companions.
But while they were on their way to buy some oil, the bride and the bridegroom appeared at the end of the street. The five virgins, with their lamps lit, ran to meet them and the young couple entered the house in the midst of them for the final ceremony, when the virgins at the end would escort the bride to the nuptial room. The door was closed behind them and those who were outside were left out. And that was the case of the five foolish bridesmaids, who at last arrived with the oil, but found the door closed and in vain they knocked, hurting their hands and moaning: “Lord, lord, open the door for us! We were in the wedding procession. We are the propitiatory virgins chosen to bring honour and good luck to your wedding”. But the bridegroom, leaving for a moment the closest guests whose leave he was taking while the bride was entering the nuptial room, from the upper part of the house said to them: “I tell you that I do not know you. I do not know who you are. I did not see you rejoicing around my beloved bride. You are usurpers. You are therefore left out of the nuptial house”. And the five foolish girls, weeping, went away along the dark streets, with their useless lamps, their creased dresses and torn veils, while their garlands were practically destroyed or lost.
206.4
And now listen to the meaning of the parable. I told you at the beginning that the Kingdom of Heaven is the house of the nuptials of God with souls. All the faithful are called to the celestial wedding because God loves all His children. Sooner or later everybody arrives at the moment of the nuptials and it is a great fortune to arrive.
But listen further. You know how girls consider it an honour and fortune to be invited as bridesmaids of the bride. Let us see whom the various people represent and you will understand better. The Bridegroom is God. The bride is the soul of a just person who, after the period of engagement in the house of the Father, that is under the protection of and in obedience to God’s doctrine, living according to justice, is taken to the house of the Bridegroom for the wedding. The virgin-maids are the souls of the faithful, who following the example set by the bride – the fact that she was chosen by the Bridegroom because of her virtues means that she was a living example of holiness – endeavour to achieve the same honour by sanctifying themselves.
206.5
They are in a white, clean, fresh dress, with white veils, crowned with flowers. They are holding lighted lamps in their hands. The lamps are very clean, and the wicks are nourished with the purest oil so that they may not be unpleasant.
In a white dress. Justice steadily practised gives a white dress and the day will soon come when it will be most white, without even the most remote remembrance of stain, it will be of supernatural, angelical whiteness.
In a clean dress. One must always keep the dress clean through humility. It is so easy to dim the purity of the heart. And those
whose hearts are not pure cannot see God. Humility is like water that washes. A humble man soon notices that he has darkened his robe, because his eyes are not dimmed by the fumes of pride and thus he runs to his Lord and says: “I have stained the purity of my heart. I weep at Your feet to be cleansed. Oh! my Sun, purify my heart through Your benign forgiveness and Your paternal love!”
In a fresh dress. Oh! the freshness of a heart! Children have it by gift of God. The just have it by gift of God and through their own will. Saints have it by gift of God and through their will elevated to heroism. But will a sinner, whose soul is torn, burnt, poisoned and disgraced, ever be able to have a fresh robe? Oh! of course he will. He begins to have it the moment he looks at himself with disgust. He increases its freshness when he decides to change life. He brings it to perfection when through penance he washes, detoxicates, cures and recomposes his poor soul. And with the help of God, Who does not refuse assistance to anyone who asks Him for holy help, and through his own will elevated to super-heroism — because it is not necessary for him to protect what he has, but to rebuild what he destroyed and thus he must work twice, three times, seven times as much — and with untiring penance, relentless against his sinful ego, he will take his soul back to the freshness of a child’s soul. A new freshness, made precious by experience, which makes him the master of other people who were once like him, that is, sinners.
With white veils. Humility! I said[1]: “When you pray or do penance, do not let the world see you”. In the Wisdom Books it is written[2]: “It is right to keep the secret of the King”. Humility is the candid veil worn to defend the good we do and the good God grants us. We must not be proud of the privileged love granted to us by God, nor seek foolish human glory. The gift would be taken away at once. But from the depth of our hearts we must sing to our God: “My soul proclaims Your greatness, o Lord… because You have looked upon Your lowly handmaid”.»
Jesus makes a short pause and casts a glance at His Mother, Who blushes under Her veil and bends forward as if She wanted to tidy the hair of the boy sitting at Her feet, but in actual fact to conceal her deep-felt remembrance…
Crowned with flowers. A soul must weave its daily garland of virtuous deeds, because nothing withered or slovenly looking is to appear in the presence of the Most High. I said daily. Because a soul does not know when God-Bridegroom may appear and say: “Come”. Therefore you must never tire renewing the garland. Be not afraid. Flowers wither. But the flowers of virtuous wreaths do not wither. God’s angel, whom every man has at his side, picks up these daily wreaths and takes them to Heaven. And they will be there in the throne for the new blessed soul when it enters the nuptial house as the bride.
206.6
Their lamps are lit. They have them to honour the Bridegroom and to see the way. How refulgent faith is, and what a kind friend it is! It gives a flame as bright as a star, a flame that smiles because it is sure in its certainty, a flame that also brightens the instrument supporting it. Also the flesh of man nourished with faith seems to become brighter and more spiritual, even in this world, free from premature withering. Because he who believes holds onto God’s words and commandments in order to possess God, his ultimate aim, and therefore he shuns corruption, he is not perturbed or afraid, he feels no remorse, he is not compelled to make an effort to remember lies or to conceal evil deeds and remains young and handsome by means of the beautiful incorruptibility of saints: flesh and blood, mind and heart free from lust to contain the oil of faith, to give light without smoke. A constant will to feed that light forever. Everyday life, with its disappointments, ascertainments, contacts, temptations, disagreements, tends to diminish faith. No! It must not happen. Go every day to the source of the sweet, sapiential oil of God. A lamp with little oil can be put out by the least puff of wind or by the heavy dew of the night. The night… The hour of darkness, of sin, of temptation comes for everybody. It is night for the soul. But if the soul is filled to the brim with faith, its flame cannot be put out by the wind of the world or by the fog of sensuality.
And finally vigilance, vigilance, vigilance. He who is unwarily trustful and says: “Oh! God will come on time, while my light is still on”, and makes up his mind to go to sleep instead of keeping awake, and goes to sleep without providing what is necessary to get up and be ready at the first call, and he who waits until the last moment to procure the oil of faith or the strong wick of goodwill, runs the risk of being left out when the Bridegroom arrives. Be vigilant, therefore with prudence, perseverance, purity, confidence, so that you may always be ready for God’s call, because you really do not know when He will come.
206.7
My dear disciples, I do not want you to be afraid of God, on the contrary I want you to have faith in His goodness. Both you who will remain here, and you who will be going away, must consider that, if you do what the wise virgins did, you will be invited not only to escort the Bridegroom, but like the virgin Esther, who became queen[3] in the place of Vashti, you will be chosen and elected to be brides, as the Bridegroom “found more approval and favour with you than with anybody else”. I bless you, who are about to go away. Take My words with you for yourselves and for your companions. May the peace of the Lord always be with you.»
Jesus goes near the peasants to say goodbye to them once more, but John of Endor whispers to him: «Master, Judas is here now…»
«It does not matter. Take them to the wagon and do as I told you.»
If you act like wise virgins, you will not only be called to escort the Bridegroom, but, like the young Esther, who became queen instead of Vashti, you will be chosen and elected as brides. Vashti - Vashti, "the beloved" in Persian. First wife of Ahasuerus (= Xerxes, 486-465), king of Persia, who repudiated her for refusing to attend a feast (Esther 2, 1-18). Esther is also mentioned in EMV 136.2 and EMV 414.1.
Gospel of Matthew 25, 1-13
Mt 25, 1-13 : "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten brides invited to a wedding, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were careless, and five were far-sighted: the careless ones took their lamps without oil, while the far-sighted ones took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was late, they all dozed off to sleep. In the middle of the night, there was a cry: "Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet him." Then all the girls woke up and began to prepare their lamps. The carefree ones asked the provident ones, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." The provident girls replied, "That will never be enough for us and for you, so go and buy some from the merchants instead." As they went to buy some, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready entered the wedding hall with him, and the door was closed. Later, the other girls arrived in their turn and said, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" He replied, "Amen, I tell you, I don't know you."
Watch therefore, for you know not the day nor the hour.
Book of Esther 2, 1-18
Esther 2, 1-18: After these things, when King Ahasuerus' anger had subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done and the decision that had been made about her. Then the king's servants, who were on duty near him, said: "Let maidens be sought for the king, virgins and fair of countenance; let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all maidens, virgins and fair of countenance, to Susa, the capital, in the women's house, under the supervision of Aegeus, the king's eunuch and guardian of the women, who will provide for their grooming; and let the maiden who pleases the king become queen in Vashti's stead. " The king agreed, and so he did.
In Shushan, the capital, there was a Jew named Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Semei, son of Cis, of the race of Benjamin, who had been taken from Jerusalem among the captives deported with Jechonias, king of Judah, by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He brought up Edissa, who is Esther, his uncle's daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The girl was beautiful of form and graceful of face; on the death of her father and mother, Mordecai had adopted her as his daughter.
When the king's order and edict were published, and many girls were gathered in Shushan, the capital, under the supervision of Aegeus, Esther was also taken and brought to the king's house, under the supervision of Aegeus, keeper of the women. The girl pleased him and won his favor; he hastened to provide her with the things necessary for her toilet and sustenance, to give her seven maidens chosen from the king's household, and he made her spend time with them in the best apartment of the women's house. Esther made neither her people nor her birth known, for Mordecai had forbidden her to speak of them. Every day, Mordecai walked around the courtyard of the women's house to see how Esther was doing and how she was being treated.
And when the time came for each girl to go to King Ahasuerus, after having spent twelve months doing what was prescribed for women - and this was the time of their purification: for six months they purified themselves with myrrh oil, and for six months with the spices and perfumes used among women - and the girl went to the king, she was allowed to take with her what she wanted, to go from the women's house to the king's house. She would go there in the evening, and the next morning she would go to the second women's house, under the supervision of Susagaz, the king's eunuch and guardian of the concubines. She did not return to the king again, unless the king desired her and she was called by name.
When it was her turn to go to the king, Esther, daughter of Abihail, uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter, asked for no more than what Aegaeus, the king's eunuch and keeper of the women, appointed her; but Esther was pleasing to all who saw her. Esther was brought to King Ahasuerus, to his royal household, in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than any other woman, and she obtained grace and favor with him more than any other maiden. He put the royal diadem on her head, and made her queen in place of Vashti. The king gave a great feast to all his princes and servants, Esther's feast; he gave rest to the provinces and lavished largesse with royal munificence.
GRM 206.4 · Volume 3
The Kingdom of Heaven is the house of the nuptials of God with souls. All the faithful are called to the celestial wedding because God loves all His children. Sooner or later everybody arrives at the moment of the nuptials and it is a great fortune to arrive.
GRM 206.5 · Volume 3
One must always keep the dress clean through humility. It is so easy to dim the purity of the heart. And those
whose hearts are not pure cannot see God. Humility is like water that washes. A humble man soon notices that he has darkened his robe, because his eyes are not dimmed by the fumes of pride and thus he runs to his Lord and says: “I have stained the purity of my heart. I weep at Your feet to be cleansed. Oh! my Sun, purify my heart through Your benign forgiveness and Your paternal love!”
Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins and points out that they have clean clothes.
GRM 206.5 · Volume 3
“I have stained the purity of my heart. I weep at Your feet to be cleansed. Oh! my Sun, purify my heart through Your benign forgiveness and Your paternal love!”
GRM 206.5 · Volume 3
Humility! I said: “When you pray or do penance, do not let the world see you”. In the Wisdom Books it is written: “It is right to keep the secret of the King”. Humility is the candid veil worn to defend the good we do and the good God grants us. We must not be proud of the privileged love granted to us by God, nor seek foolish human glory. The gift would be taken away at once. But from the depth of our hearts we must sing to our God: “My soul proclaims Your greatness, o Lord… because You have looked upon Your lowly handmaid”.
I said, in EMV 172.5 and in EMV 172.8.
Book of Tobit 12, 7
Tb 12, 7 : It is good to keep the king's secret hidden, but it is honorable to reveal and publish the works of God.
GRM 206.14 · Volume 3
«Get up and let us go and rest. I bless you, citizens of Bethany. I bless you all and I give you My peace. And I particularly bless you, Lazarus, My friend, and you, Martha. I bless My oId and new disciples, whom I will be sending into the world to invite people to the wedding of the King. Kneel down, that I may bless you all. Peter, say the prayer I taught you, and say it here, standing beside Me, because that is how it is to be said by those who are destined by God for that task.»
They all kneel down on the hay, only Jesus and Peter remain standing. Jesus, tall as he is, is most handsome in His linen robe, and Peter, in his dark brown tunic, deeply moved, says the prayer, almost trembling, in a voice which although not beautiful is manly, going very slow for fear he might make a mistake: «Our Father…» The sobs of men and women can be heard…
Marjiam, kneeling just in front of Mary Who is holding his hands joined, is looking at Jesus with an angelical smile and says in a low voice: «Look, Mother, how lovely He is! And how lovely also my father is! I seem to be in Heaven… Will my mother be here, watching?»
And Mary, in a whisper ending in a kiss, replies: «Yes, My dear. She is here. And she is learning the prayer.»
«And what about me? Will I learn it?»
«She will whisper it to your soul while you sleep, and I will repeat it to you during the day.»
The boy bends back his little dark-haired head, resting it on Mary’s breast, and remains thus while Jesus blesses with the solemn Mosaic blessing.
Jesus has just told a parable. In front of a small congregation, it's Peter who has to recite the Lord's Prayer. This is what Jesus wants.
GRM 207.1-9 · Volume 3
Simon of Jonah comes forward, he reaches Jesus’ group and asks: «Is this the road to Bethlehem? John says that the last time You took another road.»
«That is true» replies Jesus. «But that was because we were coming from Jerusalem. This one is shorter. At Rachel’s sepulchre, which the women wish to see, we will part, as you decided some time ago. We will meet later at Bethzur, where My Mother wishes to stop.»
«Yes, we said so… But it would be so lovely if we were all there… particularly Your Mother… because, after all, She is the Queen of Bethlehem and of the Grotto, and She knows everything so well… If we heard the story from Her… it would be quite different, that’s what I mean…»
Jesus smiles looking at Simon, who has kindly expressed his desire.
«Which grotto, father?» asks Marjiam.
«The Grotto where Jesus was born.»
«Oh! Lovely! I will come, too!…»
«It would be lovely indeed!» say Mary of Alphaeus and Salome.
«It would be beautiful!… It would mean going back to the time… when the world did not know You, that is true, but did not hate You yet… It would mean finding once again, the love of simple people who could but love and believe, with humility and faith…. And I would be able to lay aside this burden of bitterness which has been lying heavily on My heart since I learned that You are so hated, and I would lay it in Your manger… The kindness of Your eyes, of Your breath, of Your childish smile must still be there… and they would caress My heart… It is so grieved!…» Mary is speaking slowly, in a low voice expressing desire and sadness.
«Then, we shall go there, Mother. You will lead us. You are the Teacher today and I am the Little Boy Who is learning.»
«Oh! Son! No! You are always the Master…»
«No, Mother. Simon of Jonah is quite right. In the land of Bethlehem You are the Queen. It is Your first castle. Mary, of the house of David, lead this little group to Your abode.»
The Iscariot is on the point of speaking, but he remains silent. Jesus, Who has noticed and understands, says: «If anyone does not wish to come, because he is tired or for any other reason, he is free to proceed to Bethzur.» But no one replies.
207.2
They proceed westwards, along the cool valley. The road then bends lightly to the north along a protruding hill and they thus reach the road which takes from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, near a cube-shaped building surmounted with a small dome, which is Rachel’s tomb. They all go near it and pray reverently.
«Joseph and I stopped here… Everything is exactly the same as then. Only the season is different. It was a cold day in the month of Chislev. It had rained and the roads were muddy, then an ice-cold wind began to blow and perhaps during the night there was frost. The roads had hardened, but furrowed by cart-wheels and crowded with people, they were like a sea crowded with boats and My little donkey had difficulty in proceeding…»
«And did You not, Mother?»
«Oh! I had You!…» and She looks at Him with a tender blissful face. She then resumes speaking: «It was getting dark and Joseph was very worried… a biting cold wind was blowing stronger and stronger… People were rushing towards Bethlehem, pushing one another and many took to abusing My little donkey because it was going so slowly in an effort to find suitable places for its hooves… It seemed to be aware that You were there… and that You were sleeping for the last time in the cradle of My bosom. It was cold… But I was warm. I could feel You coming… Coming? You could say: “Mother, I had been there nine months”. Yes. But now it was as if You were coming from Heaven. Heaven was bending down over Me and I could see its brightness… I could see God inflamed with joy for Your oncoming birth and those flames pierced Me, burned Me, abstracted Me from everything… Cold… wind… crowds… it was all… nothing! I saw God… Now and again, with an effort, I would succeed in bringing My spirit back to the earth and I would smile at Joseph, who was afraid I might be cold and tired, and he led the little donkey lest it should stumble and he wrapped Me in a blanket lest I should get cold… But nothing could have happened to Me. I felt no jolts. I seemed to be moving along a starry path, among snow-white clouds, supported by angels… And I smiled… First at You… I looked at You, through the barrier of the flesh, while You were sleeping, with Your little fists closed, in Your cradle of living roses, My lily-bud… Then I smiled at My spouse, who was so distressed, to encourage him… And then at the people who were not aware that they were already breathing the air of the Saviour…
We stopped near Rachel’s tomb to let the donkey rest for a moment and to eat a little bread and some olives, the provisions of poor people. But I was not hungry. I could not be hungry… I was nourished with My joy…
207.3
We took to the road again… Come. I will show you where we met the shepherd… Do not worry, I cannot go wrong. I am living that hour again and I can find every place because I see everything through a bright angelical light. Perhaps the angelical group is here once again, invisible to our bodies, but visible to our souls with its brightness, and everything is revealed and clear. They cannot be mistaken, and they are leading Me… for My joy and yours. Here: Elias came from that field into this one with his sheep, and Joseph asked him for some milk for Me. And we stopped over there, in that field, while he was drawing the warm nourishing milk and giving some advice to Joseph.
Come, come… Here is the path of the last little valley before Bethlehem. We took it because the main road was a confusion of people and horses, close to the town…
207.4
There is Bethlehem! Oh! Dear land of My fathers, you gave Me the first kiss of My Son! You opened your door, as good and fragrant as the bread of which you bear the name[1], to give the True Bread to the world dying of starvation! Like a mother, in whom there is still Rachel’s maternal love, you embraced Me, o holy land of David’s Bethlehem, first temple of the Saviour, of the morning Star born of Jacob to show Mankind the road to Heaven! Look how beautiful she is now in springtime! But she was also beautiful then, although fields and vineyards were bare! A thin veil of frost was sparkling on the bare branches, which looked as if they were covered with diamond dust, wrapped in a heavenly impalpable veil. The chimney of every house was smoking while supper was being prepared and the smoke, rising from terrace to terrace up to this brow, made the town look veiled as well… Everything was chaste, intimate, waiting… For You, Son! The earth perceived Your arrival… And also the people of Bethlehem would have perceived You, because they are not bad, even if you do not believe so. They could not give us hospitality… The good honest homes in Bethlehem were crowded with insensitive proud people, who are always arrogant, and are so nowadays as well, and they could not perceive You… How many Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, scribes, Essenes there were! Oh! Their being dull at present is a consequence of their being hard-hearted then. They closed their hearts to love for their poor sister that night… and they remained and still are in darkness. They rejected God then, by rejecting love for their neighbour.
207.5
Come. Let us go to the Grotto. It is useless to enter the town. The best friends of My Child are no longer there. Friendly Nature is quite sufficient to make a fire, with its stones, its stream, its wood. Nature perceived the coming of its Lord… There… come without hesitating… We go round here… There, over there are the ruins of David’s Tower. Oh! it is dearer to Me than a royal palace! Blessed ruins! Blessed stream! Blessed tree because, as if by miracle, you allowed the wind to pull down so many of your branches so that we might find firewood and light a fire!»
Mary descends quickly towards the Grotto, She crosses the little stream on a board acting as a bridge, She runs in the open space before the ruins and falls on Her knees at the entrance of the Grotto, She bends and kisses the ground. All the others follow Her. They are touched… The boy, who has not left Her one moment, seems to be listening to a wonderful story and his little dark eyes drink in Mary’s words and gestures without missing a single one.
Mary stands up and goes in saying: «Everything is exactly as then!… But then it was night… Joseph lit a lamp when I entered. Only then, dismounting from the little donkey I realised how tired and cold I was… An ox greeted us, I went near it, to feel its warmth and lean against the hay… Joseph laid the hay out here, where I am, to make a bed for Me, and he dried the hay for Me and for You, Son, at the fire he had lit in that corner… because he was as good as a father in his love of an angelical spouse… And holding each other’s hand, like brother and sister lost in the darkness of night, we ate our bread and cheese, then he went over there to kindle the fire and he took off his mantle to close the entrance… In actual fact he put a veil before the glory of God descending from Heaven. You, My Jesus… and I lay on the hay, in the warmth of the two animals, wrapped in My mantle and covered with a woollen blanket… My dear spouse!… In that hour of anxiety when I was all alone before the mystery of My first maternity, an hour full of uncertainty for every woman, and in My case, in My only maternity, it was also full of the mystery of what it would be to see the Son of God emerge from mortal flesh, he, Joseph, was like a mother, an angel to Me… he was My comfort then and always afterwards…
207.6
Then silence and sleep wrapped the Just man… so that he might not see what for Me was God’s daily kiss…
And with regards to Me, after the interval of human necessities, there came immeasurable waves of ecstasy from a heavenly sea and they raised Me higher and higher on their bright crests carrying Me up with them into an ocean of light, of joy, of peace, of love, until I was lost in the sea of God, of God’s bosom… A voice from the earth whispered: “Are You sleeping, Mary?”. Oh! it was so far away!… An echo, a remembrance of the earth!… And so faint it was that My soul did not stir, and I do not know how I replied, while I rose, I rose even higher into the depth of fire, of infinite beatitude of foreknowledge of God… up to Him… Oh! were You born of Me that night, or was I born of the Triune brightness? Did I give You or did You absorb Me to generate Me? I do not know… And then the descent, from choir to choir, from star to star, from cloud to cloud, a sweet, slow, blissful, placid descent, like a flower carried high in the sky by an eagle and then dropped, descending slowly, on the wings of the air, made more beautiful by a drop of rain, by a tiny piece of rainbow stolen in the sky… alights on its native soil… My diadem: You! You on My heart…
Sitting here, after adoring You on My knees, I loved You. At last I could love You without the barrier of the flesh, and I moved from here to take You to the love of him, who, like Me, was worthy of being one of the first to love You. And here, between these two rustic columns, I offered You to the Father. And here You rested for the first time on Joseph’s heart… Then I swaddled You and together we laid You here… And I lulled You while Joseph was drying hay at the fire and when it was warm he placed it on Your chest and then we both adored You, bending over You, as I am doing now, to inhale Your breath, contemplating the humiliation to which love can lead and shedding tears which are certainly shed also in Heaven for the unexhausted joy of seeing God.»
207.7
Mary, Who has been pacing to and fro while recalling the past, pointing out the places, panting with love, with bright tears shining in Her blue eyes and a smile of joy on Her lips, bends over Her Jesus, Who is sitting on a huge stone listening to Her recollection, and kisses His head, weeping, adoring as She did then…
«And then the shepherds… they were in here, adoring with their good souls and with the deep sigh of the earth which entered with them, with their scent of humanity, of herds and hay; and outside there were the angels, everywhere, who adored with their love, with their songs which no human creature can repeat, and with the love of Heaven, with the air of Heaven which came in with them, which they brought in, in all their brightness… Your birth, Blessed Son!…»
Mary has knelt down beside Her Son and weeps emotionally with Her head resting on His knees. No one dare speak for some time. More or less moved they all look around as if they expected to see the scene painted among the cobwebs and rough stones…
Mary collects Herself and says: «Now, I told you of the infinitely simple and infinitely great birth of My Son. With My woman’s heart, not with the wisdom of a master. There is nothing else, because it was the greatest thing on the earth, concealed under very ordinary appearances.»
207.8
«But the day after? And then later?» many ask, amongst them the two Maries.
«The following day? Oh! very simple! I was the mother who nurses her baby, washes him and swaddles him, as every mother does. I used to warm the water of the stream on a fire lit out there, so that the smoke would not hurt His little blue eyes, and then in the most sheltered corner in an old tub I washed My Child and put fresh swaddling clothes on Him. I washed His napkins in the stream and hung them out in the sun… and then — and it was My greatest joy — I suckled Him and He sucked and became rosier and happier… On the first day, at the warmest hour of the day, I sat out there to see Him properly. The light glimmers in here, it does not come in direct and the lamp and the flame of the fire made things look strange. I went out there, in the sun… and I looked at the Incarnate Word. The Mother then became acquainted with Her Son and the handmaid of God with Her Lord. And I was a woman and a worshipper… Then Anna’s house… the days near Your cradle, Your first steps, Your first word… But that happened later, in due course… And nothing, nothing was equal to the hour of Your birth… Only when I return to God I will find that fullness once again…»
«But… why set out at the last moment! How unwary of You! Why not wait? The decree provided for an extension for special cases such as birth or disease. Alphaeus said so…» says Mary of Alphaeus.
«Wait? Oh! no! That evening, when Joseph brought the news, You and I, Son, leapt for joy. It was the call… because You were to be born here, and nowhere else, as the Prophets had foretold[2], and that sudden decree was as if merciful Heaven wanted Joseph to erase even the memory of his suspicion. It was what I was waiting for, for You, for him, for the Judaic world and for the future world, forever and ever. We decided. And we acted accordingly. Wait! Can the bride delay her nuptial dream? Why wait?»
«Well… anything might have happened…» says Mary of Alphaeus once again.
«I was not afraid of anything. I rested in God.»
«But did You know that everything would happen thus?»
«Nobody told Me. And I never thought of it, so much so that to encourage Joseph, I let him and you doubt that there was still time for the birth. But I knew, I really knew that the Light of the World was to be born during the feast of the Dedication.»
«And you, mother, why did you not go with Mary? And why did father not think of it? After all you were both going to come here! Did we not all come?» asks Judas Thaddeus sternly.
«Your father had decided to come after the Dedication and he told his brother. But Joseph would not wait.»
«But at least you…» insists Thaddeus.
«Do not reproach her, Judas. By mutual consent we decided it was just to lay a veil on the mystery of this birth.»
«Did Joseph know that it was to take place with those signs? If You did not know, how could he have known?»
«We knew nothing, except that He was to be born.»
«So?»
«So divine Wisdom guided us, as it was right that it should. Jesus’ birth and His presence in the world were to appear devoid of uncommon features, which might arouse Satan… And you are aware that the present bitter hatred of Bethlehem people towards the Messiah is a consequence of Christ’s first epiphany. Demoniacal hatred made use of the revelation to cause bloodshed, and thereby intensify hatred.
207.9
Are you satisfied, Simon of Jonah, who are speechless and almost breathless?»
«Yes, so much… so much that I seem to be out of this world, in a holier place than if I were beyond the Velarium of the Temple… So much… that now that I have seen You in this place and in the light of that night, I am afraid that I did not behave with respect towards You, as if You were a great woman, but just a woman. Now… now I will not dare to call You: “Mary”, as I did before. Before You were the Mother of My Master. Now I have seen You on the crests of those heavenly waves, I have seen You as a Queen, and I, a poor wretch, prostrate myself, because I am a slave» and he throws himself on the ground kissing Mary’s feet.
Jesus speaks now: «Simon, stand up. Come here, close to Me» Peter goes to the left hand side of Jesus because Mary is on His right. «What are we now?» asks Jesus.
«We? Well, we are Jesus, Mary and Simon.»
«Very well. But how many are we?»
«Three, Master.»
«So we are a trinity. One day, in Heaven, the Divine Trinity had a thought: “It is now time that the Word should go to the world”. And in a throb of love the Word came upon the earth. He parted therefore from the Father and the Holy Spirit. He came to work on the earth. The Two Who had remained in Heaven contemplated the deeds of the Word, remaining more united than ever to blend Thought and Love to assist the Word working on the earth. The day will come when an order will be issued from Heaven: “It is time for You to come back because everything has been accomplished”, and then the Word will go back to Heaven, thus… (Jesus takes a step backwards leaving Mary and Peter where they were) and from the heights of Heaven, He will contemplate the deeds of the two who remained on the earth, who, by holy inspiration, will join together more than ever, to blend power and love to obtain the means of fulfilling the desire of the Word: “The redemption of the world through the perennial teaching of His Church”. And the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit will form a chain with Their beams to tie the two left on the earth more and more closely: My Mother, love; you, power. You will certainly have to treat Mary as a queen, but not as if you were a slave. Do you not think so?»
«I think everything You wish. I am overwhelmed! I… the power? Oh! If I am to be the power I must definitely lean on Her! Oh! Mother of my Lord, never abandon me, never, never…»
«Do not be afraid. I will always hold you by the hand, as I used to do with My Child until He could walk by Himself.»
«And after that?»
«And after I will support you with My prayers. Cheer up, Simon. Never doubt God’s power. I did not doubt it, neither did Joseph. You must not doubt it either. God gives us His help hour by hour, if we remain humble and faithful…
GRM 207.8
Mary knew that "it would be during the Festival of Lights that the Light of the world would be born", and she felt it in her heart.