New Testament

11.2 Mary is still in the Temple. She is now coming out with other virgins from the inner part of the Temple.

There must have been a ceremony because there is the scent of incense in the air of a red sunset. It must be late October, because the sky, already calmly restful as is usual in clear October days, is bending over the gardens of Jerusalem, where the yellow ochre leaves about to fall add gold red spots to the silvery green of the olive-trees.

The crowd, or rather the host of white dressed virgins, crosses the rear yard, then climbs the steps, goes through a porch and enters another square yard, not quite so splendid, without any other door except the one leading into it. It must be the yard allocated to the small dwellings of the virgins assigned to the Temple, because each girl moves towards her cell, like a little dove to its nest. They look like a flock of doves that separate after gathering together. They are all speaking in low but joyful voices, before separating. Mary is silent. Before leaving the other girls, She bids them goodbye affectionately and then goes to Her little room in a corner on the right hand side.

11.3 One of the teachers, an elderly lady, but not so old as Anna of Phanuel, joins Her. «Mary, the High Priest wants to see You.»

Mary looks at her somewhat surprised, but does not ask any question. She only replies: «I will go at once.»

I do not know whether the large hall, which She enters, is the house of the High Priest or whether it is part of the dwellings of the women assigned to the Temple. I know it is wide and bright, tastefully arranged. In addition to the High Priest, a stately man in his robes, there are also Zacharias and Anna of Phanuel.

Mary bows down on the threshold and does not enter until the High Priest says to Her: «Come in, Mary. Do not be afraid.» Mary looks up again and slowly moves forward, not because She is unwilling, but because of a somewhat unintentional seriousness, which makes Her look more of a woman.

Anna smiles at Her to encourage Her and Zacharias greets Her: «Peace to you, cousin.»

The High Priest observes Her very carefully and then he remarks to Zacharias: «She is obviously of the stock of David and Aaron…»

«My child, I am aware of Your grace and goodness, I know that every day You are growing in grace and knowledge before God and men. I know that the voice of God whispers His sweetest words to Your heart. I know that You are the Flower of God’s Temple and that a third Cherub is before the Testimony since You were here. And I would like Your perfume to continue to rise with the incense every day. But the Law says differently. You are no longer a girl, but a woman. And every woman must be a wife in Israel to bear a son to the Lord. You shall follow the commandment of the Law. Do not be afraid, do not blush. I am aware of Your royalty. The Law that prescribes that each man is to be given a woman of his own stock will protect You. But even if that were not the case, I would do so, so that Your magnificent blood might not be corrupted. Don’t You know anyone of Your stock, Mary, who might be Your husband?»

Mary lifts Her face full of blushes. Her eyes are shining with tears which begin to appear and with a trembling voice She replies: «No, nobody.»

«It is not possible for Her to know anyone, because She came here in Her childhood and David’s race has been struck too severely and scattered too widely to allow the various branches to gather like foliage around the royal palm» says Zacharias.

«We shall then leave the choice to God.»

11.4 The tears that Mary had restrained so far, gush out and fall on Her trembling mouth. She looks imploringly at Her teacher.

«Mary has consecrated Herself to the Lord for His glory and for the salvation of Israel. She was but a little child just learning to read and write and She had already made Her vow…» says Anne, helping Her.

«Is that why You are crying then? Not because You wish to resist the Law?»

«Just for that… nothing else. I shall obey you, Priest of God.»

«This confirms what I have always been told of You. How long have You been consecrated to the Lord?»

«I have always been, I think. I was not yet in this Temple, and I had already given Myself to the Lord.»

«But are You not the little one who came twelve years ago and asked me to be allowed to enter?»

«I am.»

«Well, then, how can You say that You already belonged to God then?»

«If I look back, I find I was consecrated… I do not remember when I was born, neither do I remember how I began to love My mother and to say to My father: “Father, I am your daughter”… But I remember that I gave My heart to God, although I do not know when it started. Perhaps it was with the first kiss that I was able to give, with the first word that I learned to say, with the first step that I took… Yes, I think I find My first recollection of love with My first steady step… My house… near the house there was a garden full of flowers… and there was an orchard and some fields… and there was a spring of water at the rear, under the hill, and the water gushed out from a hollow rock that formed a grotto… it was full of long and thin herbs that hung down forming small green waterfalls everywhere and they seemed to be weeping because the thin little leaves, that seemed an embroidery work, had tiny little drops of water on them and when the drops fell they tinkled like little bells. Also the spring seemed to be singing. And there were birds on the olive and apple-trees above the spring and white doves used to come and wash in the clear water of the fountain… I was no longer thinking of all that, because I had put all My heart in God and, with the exception of My father and mother, whom I loved in life and in death, every other worldly thing had disappeared from My heart… But you have made Me think of it… I must find when I gave Myself to God… and the things of My first years come back to My mind… I loved that grotto, because I heard a voice sweeter than the song of the water and the warbling of the birds say to Me: “Come, My Beloved”. I loved those herbs covered with tinkling and sparkling diamond drops, because I could see in them the sign of My Lord and I used to say to Myself: “O soul of Mine, see how great Your God is, He Who made the cedars of Lebanon for the eagles, has also made these little leaves that bend down under the weight of a little mosquito and He made them for the joy of Your eyes and as a protection for Your little feet”. I loved that silence of pure things: the light breeze, the silvery water, the purity of the doves… I loved the peace that hovered over the little grotto, and descended from the apple and olive-trees, now full of blossoms, then laden with beautiful fruit… And I do not know… the voice seemed to be saying to Me, yes, just to Me: “Come, specious olive; come, sweet apple; come, sealed spring; come, My dove”… Sweet is the love of a father, sweet the love of a mother… sweet their voices calling Me… but this, this one! Oh! in the earthly Paradise I think that she, who became guilty, heard it thus, and I do not understand how she could prefer a hiss to this voice of love, how she could desire any other knowledge that was not God… With My lips which still tasted of My mother’s milk, but with My heart full of celestial honey, I then said: “Here I am. I am coming. I am Yours. No one will have My body, but You, My Lord, neither will My soul have any other love…” And while saying so, it seemed to Me that I was repeating things already said and that I was fulfilling a rite already fulfilled, and the chosen Spouse was not a stranger to Me, because I already knew His ardour and My sight had been formed at His light and My capacity for loving had been fulfilled in His embrace… When? I do not know. Beyond life, I would say, because I feel I always had Him, and that He always had Me, and that I exist because He wanted Me for the joy of His Spirit and Mine…

11.5 Now I obey you, o Priest. But please tell Me how I am to behave… I have neither father nor mother. Please be My guide.»

«God will give You Your husband and he will be a holy man, because You have entrusted Yourself to God. You will tell him Your vow.»

«And will he agree?»

«I hope so. Pray, my child, that he may understand Your heart. Go now. May God always accompany You.»

Mary withdraws with Anna. Zacharias stays with the High Priest.

The vision ends in this way.

• Anne de Phanuël (mistress of the Virgin Mary in the Temple)
• The Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem (consecrated virgin)
• Zacharie (father of John the Baptist)

[Mary] goes to Her little room in a corner on the right hand side.

11.3

One of the teachers, an elderly lady, but not so old as Anna of Phanuel, joins Her. «Mary, the High Priest wants to see You.»

Mary looks at her somewhat surprised, but does not ask any question. She only replies: «I will go at once.»

I do not know whether the large hall, which She enters, is the house of the High Priest or whether it is part of the dwellings of the women assigned to the Temple. I know it is wide and bright, tastefully arranged. In addition to the High Priest, a stately man in his robes, there are also Zacharias and Anna of Phanuel.

Mary bows down on the threshold and does not enter until the High Priest says to Her: «Come in, Mary. Do not be afraid.» Mary looks up again and slowly moves forward, not because She is unwilling, but because of a somewhat unintentional seriousness, which makes Her look more of a woman.

Anna smiles at Her to encourage Her and Zacharias greets Her: «Peace to you, cousin.»

The High Priest observes Her very carefully and then he remarks to Zacharias: «She is obviously of the stock of David and Aaron…»

«My child, I am aware of Your grace and goodness, I know that every day You are growing in grace and knowledge before God and men. I know that the voice of God whispers His sweetest words to Your heart. I know that You are the Flower of God’s Temple and that a third Cherub is before the Testimony since You were here. And I would like Your perfume to continue to rise with the incense every day. But the Law says differently. You are no longer a girl, but a woman. And every woman must be a wife in Israel to bear a son to the Lord. You shall follow the commandment of the Law. Do not be afraid, do not blush. I am aware of Your royalty. The Law that prescribes that each man is to be given a woman of his own stock will protect You. But even if that were not the case, I would do so, so that Your magnificent blood might not be corrupted. Don’t You know anyone of Your stock, Mary, who might be Your husband?»

Mary lifts Her face full of blushes. Her eyes are shining with tears which begin to appear and with a trembling voice She replies: «No, nobody.»

«It is not possible for Her to know anyone, because She came here in Her childhood and David’s race has been struck too severely and scattered too widely to allow the various branches to gather like foliage around the royal palm» says Zacharias.

«We shall then leave the choice to God.»

11.4

The tears that Mary had restrained so far, gush out and fall on Her trembling mouth. She looks imploringly at Her teacher.

«Mary has consecrated Herself to the Lord for His glory and for the salvation of Israel. She was but a little child just learning to read and write and She had already made Her vow…» says Anne, helping Her.

«Is that why You are crying then? Not because You wish to resist the Law?»

«Just for that… nothing else. I shall obey you, Priest of God.»

«This confirms what I have always been told of You. How long have You been consecrated to the Lord?»

«I have always been, I think. I was not yet in this Temple, and I had already given Myself to the Lord.»

«But are You not the little one who came twelve years ago and asked me to be allowed to enter?»

«I am.»

«Well, then, how can You say that You already belonged to God then?»

«If I look back, I find I was consecrated… I do not remember when I was born, neither do I remember how I began to love My mother and to say to My father: “Father, I am your daughter”… But I remember that I gave My heart to God, although I do not know when it started. Perhaps it was with the first kiss that I was able to give, with the first word that I learned to say, with the first step that I took… Yes, I think I find My first recollection of love with My first steady step… My house… near the house there was a garden full of flowers… and there was an orchard and some fields… and there was a spring of water at the rear, under the hill, and the water gushed out from a hollow rock that formed a grotto… it was full of long and thin herbs that hung down forming small green waterfalls everywhere and they seemed to be weeping because the thin little leaves, that seemed an embroidery work, had tiny little drops of water on them and when the drops fell they tinkled like little bells. Also the spring seemed to be singing. And there were birds on the olive and apple-trees above the spring and white doves used to come and wash in the clear water of the fountain… I was no longer thinking of all that, because I had put all My heart in God and, with the exception of My father and mother, whom I loved in life and in death, every other worldly thing had disappeared from My heart… But you have made Me think of it… I must find when I gave Myself to God… and the things of My first years come back to My mind… I loved that grotto, because I heard a voice sweeter than the song of the water and the warbling of the birds say to Me: “Come, My Beloved”. I loved those herbs covered with tinkling and sparkling diamond drops, because I could see in them the sign of My Lord and I used to say to Myself: “O soul of Mine, see how great Your God is, He Who made the cedars of Lebanon for the eagles, has also made these little leaves that bend down under the weight of a little mosquito and He made them for the joy of Your eyes and as a protection for Your little feet”. I loved that silence of pure things: the light breeze, the silvery water, the purity of the doves… I loved the peace that hovered over the little grotto, and descended from the apple and olive-trees, now full of blossoms, then laden with beautiful fruit… And I do not know… the voice seemed to be saying to Me, yes, just to Me: “Come, specious olive; come, sweet apple; come, sealed spring; come, My dove”… Sweet is the love of a father, sweet the love of a mother… sweet their voices calling Me… but this, this one! Oh! in the earthly Paradise I think that she, who became guilty, heard it thus, and I do not understand how she could prefer a hiss to this voice of love, how she could desire any other knowledge that was not God… With My lips which still tasted of My mother’s milk, but with My heart full of celestial honey, I then said: “Here I am. I am coming. I am Yours. No one will have My body, but You, My Lord, neither will My soul have any other love…” And while saying so, it seemed to Me that I was repeating things already said and that I was fulfilling a rite already fulfilled, and the chosen Spouse was not a stranger to Me, because I already knew His ardour and My sight had been formed at His light and My capacity for loving had been fulfilled in His embrace… When? I do not know. Beyond life, I would say, because I feel I always had Him, and that He always had Me, and that I exist because He wanted Me for the joy of His Spirit and Mine…

11.5 «Now I obey you, o Priest. But please tell Me how I am to behave… I have neither father nor mother. Please be My guide.»

«God will give You Your husband and he will be a holy man, because You have entrusted Yourself to God. You will tell him Your vow.»

«And will he agree?»

«I hope so. Pray, my child, that he may understand Your heart. Go now. May God always accompany You.»

Mary withdraws with Anna. Zacharias stays with the High Priest.

The vision ends in this way.

• Obedience to the Virgin Mary
• Simon ben Boëthos (high priest during the Virgin Mary's childhood)
• Virginity of the Virgin Mary
• Words of the Virgin Mary

I loved the peace that hovered over the little grotto, and descended from the apple and olive-trees, now full of blossoms, then laden with beautiful fruit… And I do not know… the voice seemed to be saying to Me, yes, just to Me: “Come, specious olive; come, sweet apple; come, sealed spring; come, My dove”… Sweet is the love of a father, sweet the love of a mother… sweet their voices calling Me… but this, this one! Oh! in the earthly Paradise I think that she, who became guilty, heard it thus, and I do not understand how she could prefer a hiss to this voice of love, how she could desire any other knowledge that was not God… With My lips which still tasted of My mother’s milk, but with My heart full of celestial honey, I then said: “Here I am. I am coming. I am Yours. No one will have My body, but You, My Lord, neither will My soul have any other love…”

• Adam and Eve
• Creation of the Virgin Mary's soul
• Defense of the Work
• Memories of God
• The Virgin Mary - New Eve

12.1 I see a rich hall with a beautiful floor, curtains, carpets and inlaid furniture. It must be still part of the Temple: there are priests in it, including Zacharias, and many men of every age, from twenty to fifty approximately.

They are all talking in low but animated voices. They seem to be anxious about something I do not know. They are dressed in their best clothes, which seem to be new or just recently washed and they are obviously dressed for some special feast. Many have removed the piece of cloth covering their heads, others still wear it, particularly the elder ones, whereas the young people show their bare heads, some dark blond, some brown, some black, only one auburn. Their hair is mostly short, but some wear it long down to their shoulders. They do not all know one another, because they observe one another inquisitively. But they seem to be akin somehow, because it is clear that they are all concerned with the same matter.

12.2 In a corner I can see Joseph. He is talking to a hale and hearty elderly man. Joseph is about thirty years old. He is a handsome man with short and rather curly hair, dark brown like his beard and his moustache, which cover a well shaped chin and rise towards his rosy-brown cheeks, which are not olive-coloured as is normal in most people with a brown complexion. His eyes are dark, kindly and deep, very serious and perhaps somewhat sad. But when he smiles, as he does now, they become gay and young looking. He is dressed in light brown, very simple but very tidy.

12.3 A group of young Levites comes in and they take up position between the door and a long narrow table, which is against the same wall as the door, which is left wide open. A single curtain hanging down to about twenty centimetres from the floor is drawn to cover the empty space.

The curiosity of the group increases. It grows more so when a hand pulls the curtain to one side to admit a Levite, who is carrying in his arms a bundle of dry branches on which one in blossom is gently laid: it looks like a light foam of white petals, with a vague pinkish hue that spreads softer and softer from the centre to the top of the light petals. The Levite lays the bundle of branches on the table very gently to avoid detracting from the miracle of the branch full of flowers among so many dry ones.

Whispering spreads in the hall. They all stretch their necks and sharpen their eyes to see. Zacharias, who is near the table with the other priests, also endeavours to see. But he can see nothing.

Joseph, in his corner, gives a quick glance to the bundle of branches and when the man he was speaking to says something to him, he shakes his head in denial as if to say: «Impossible» and smiles.

12.4 A trumpet is heard beyond the curtain. They all become quiet and turn in an orderly way towards the door, which is now completely clear as the curtain has been pulled to one side. The High Priest enters surrounded by elders. They all make a deep bow. The Pontiff goes to the table and begins to speak, standing up.

«Men of the race of David, gathered here at my request, please listen. The Lord has spoken, glory be to Him! From His Glory a ray has descended and, like the sun in springtime, it has given life to a dry branch which has blossomed miraculously, whereas no other branch on earth is in bloom today, the last day of the Feast of Dedication, and the snow that fell on the mountains in Judah has not yet melted and everything is white between Zion and Bethany. God has spoken and has made Himself the father and the guardian of the Virgin of David Who has Him alone as Her protection. A holy girl, the glory of the Temple, She deserved the word of God to learn the name of a husband agreeable to the Eternal One. And he must be very just to be chosen by the Lord as the protector of the Virgin so dear to Him! For this reason our sorrow in losing Her is alleviated and all worries about Her destiny as a wife cease. And to the man appointed by God we entrust with full confidence the Virgin blessed by God and by ourselves. The name of the husband is Joseph of Jacob of Bethlehem, of the tribe of David, a carpenter in Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph: come forward. It is an order of the High Priest…»

There is a lot of whispering. Heads move around, eyes cast inquisitive glances, hands make signs: there are expressions of disappointment and relief. Someone, particularly amongst the older people, must be happy that it was not his fate.

Joseph, blushing and embarrassed moves forward. He is now near the table, in front of the Pontiff, whom he has greeted reverently.

«Everyone must come here to see the name engraved on the branch. And everyone must take his own branch to make sure that there is no deception.»

The men obey. They look at the branch gently held by the High Priest and then each takes his own: some break it, some keep it. They all look at Joseph. Some look and are silent, others look and congratulate him. The elderly man to whom Joseph was speaking before, exclaims: «I told you, Joseph! Who feels less certain, is the one who wins the game!» They have all now passed before the Pontiff.

12.5 The High Priest gives Joseph his branch in bloom, he lays his hand on his shoulder and says to him: «The spouse the Lord has presented you with, is not rich, as you know. But all virtues are in Her. Be more and more worthy of Her. There is no flower in Israel as beautiful and pure as She is. Please, all go out now. You, Joseph, stay here. And you, Zacharias, since you are Her relative, please bring in the bride.»

They all go out, except the High Priest and Joseph. The curtain is drawn once again over the door.

Joseph is standing in a very humble attitude, near the Priest. There is silence, then the Priest says to Joseph: «Mary wishes to inform you of a vow She made. Please help Her shyness. Be good to Her, Who is so good.»

«I will put my strength and my manly authority at Her service and no sacrifice on Her behalf will be heavy for me. Be sure of that.»

Mary enters with Zacharias and Anna of Phanuel.

«Come, Mary» says the Pontiff. «Here is the spouse that God has destined to You. He is Joseph of Nazareth. You will therefore go back to Your own town. I will leave You now. May God give You His blessing. May the Lord protect You and bless You, may He show His face to You and have mercy on You. May He turn His face to You and give You peace.»

Zacharias goes out escorting the Pontiff. Anna congratulates Joseph and then she goes out too.

12.6 The betrothed are now facing each other. Mary, full of blushes, is standing with Her head bowed. Joseph, who is also red in the face, looks at Her and tries to find the first words to be said. He eventually finds them and a bright smile lights up his eyes. He says: «I welcome you, Mary. I saw You when You were a little baby, only a few days old… I was a friend of Your father’s and I have a nephew, the son of my brother Alphaeus, who was a great friend of Your mother. He was her little friend, because he is only eighteen years old, and when You were not yet born, he was only a little boy and he cheered up Your sad mother who loved him so much. You do not know us because You were only a little girl when You came here. But everyone in Nazareth loves You and they all think and speak of Joachim’s little Mary, Whose birth was a miracle of the Lord, Who made the barren old lady blossom wonderfully… And I remember the evening You were born… We all remember it because of the prodigy of a heavy rain that saved the country and of a violent storm during which the thunderbolts did not damage even a stem of heather and it ended with such a large and beautiful rainbow that the like has never been seen again. And then… who does not remember Joachim’s happiness? He dandled You showing You to his neighbours… As if You were a flower that had descended from Heaven, he admired You and wanted everyone to admire You, a happy old father who died talking about his Mary, Who was so beautiful and good and Whose words were so full of wisdom and grace… He was quite right in admiring You and in saying that there is no other woman lovelier than You are! And Your mother? She filled Your house and the neighbourhood with her songs and she sang like a skylark in springtime when she was carrying You, and afterwards when she held You in her arms. I made a cradle for You. A tiny little cradle, with roses carved all over it, because Your mother wanted it like that. Perhaps it is still in the house… I am old, Mary. When You were born I was beginning to work. I was already working… I would never have believed that I was going to have You as a spouse! Perhaps Your parents would have died a happier death if they had known, because they were my friends. I buried Your father, mourning over his death with a sincere heart, because he was a good teacher to me.»

Mary raises Her face, little by little, taking heart, as She hears Joseph speak to Her in this way, and when he mentions the cradle She smiles gently and when Joseph speaks of Her father, She holds out Her hand to him and says: «Thank you, Joseph.» A very timid and gentle «thank you.»

Joseph holds Her little jasmine hand in his short and strong hands of a carpenter and he caresses it with an affection that expresses more and more confidence. Perhaps he is waiting for more words. But Mary is silent once again. He then goes on: «As You know, Your house is still intact, with the exception of the part that was demolished by order of the consul, to build a road for the waggons of the Romans. But the fields, what is left of them — You know that because of Your father’s illness much of the property had to be disposed of — have been rather neglected. For over three years the trees and the vines have never been pruned and the land is untilled and hard. But the trees that saw You when You were a little girl are still there, and if You agree, I will at once take care of them.»

«Thank you, Joseph. But you have your work…»

«I will work in Your orchard in the morning and in the evening. The days are getting longer and longer. By springtime I want everything to be in order for Your happiness. Look: this is a branch of the almond tree near the house. I wanted to pick it

— the hedge is so ruined that one can enter anywhere, but I will remake it solid and strong — I wanted to pick it, because I thought that if I should be the chosen one, You would have been pleased to have a flower from Your garden. But I was not expecting to be the chosen one as I am a Nazirite[1] and I have obeyed because it is an order of the Priest, not because I wish to get married. Here is the branch, Mary. With it I offer You my heart, that, like it, has bloomed up till now only for the Lord and is now blooming for You, my spouse.»

12.7 Mary takes the branch. She is moved and looks at Joseph with a face that has become more and more confident and bright. She feels certain of him. When he says to Her «I am a Nazirite», Her face becomes bright and She takes courage: «Also I am all of the Lord, Joseph. I do not know whether the High Priest told you…»

«He only told me that You are good and pure, that You wish to inform me of a vow, and that I must be good to you. Speak, Mary. Your Joseph wants You to be happy in all Your desires. I do not love You with my body. I love You with my soul, holy girl given to me by God! Please see in me a father and a brother, in addition to a husband. And open Your heart to me as to a father and rely on me as on a brother…»

«Since My childhood I have consecrated Myself to the Lord. I know this is not the custom in Israel. But I heard a voice requesting My virginity as a sacrifice of love for the coming of the Messiah. Israel has been waiting for Him for such a long time!… It is not too much to forgo the joy of being a mother for that!»

Joseph gazes at Her as if he wanted to read Her heart, then he takes Her tiny hands which are still holding the branch in blossom and he says: «I will join my sacrifice to Yours and we shall love the Eternal Father so much with our chastity that He will send His Saviour to the world earlier, and will allow us to see His Light shining in the world. Come, Mary. Let us go before His House and take an oath that we shall love each other as the angels do.

12.8 Then I will go to Nazareth to prepare everything for You, in Your house, if You wish to go there, or elsewhere if You wish so.»

«In My house… There was a grotto down at the bottom… Is it still there?»

«It is, but it is no longer Yours… But I will build another one for You where it will be cool and quiet during the hottest hours of the day. I will make it as similar as possible to the older one. And tell me: whom do You want with You?»

«Nobody. I am not afraid. Alphaeus’ mother, who has always come to see Me, will keep Me company during the day. At night I prefer to be alone. No harm can befall Me.»

«And now I am there, too. When shall I come and get You?»

«Whenever you wish, Joseph.»

«Then I will come as soon as the house is ready. I will not touch anything. I want You to find it as Your mother left it. But I want it to be bright and clean, to welcome You without any sadness. Come, Mary. Let us go and tell the Most High that we bless Him.»

I do not see anything else. But I feel in my heart the sense of confidence that Mary feels.

• The Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem (consecrated virgin)

They all go out, except the High Priest and Joseph. The curtain is drawn once again over the door.

Joseph is standing in a very humble attitude, near the Priest. There is silence, then the Priest says to Joseph: «Mary wishes to inform you of a vow She made. Please help Her shyness. Be good to Her, Who is so good.»

«I will put my strength and my manly authority at Her service and no sacrifice on Her behalf will be heavy for me. Be sure of that.»

Mary enters with Zacharias and Anna of Phanuel.

(...) (The High Priest goes out with Anna and Joseph and Maria speak together.]

«I will work in Your orchard in the morning and in the evening. The days are getting longer and longer. By springtime I want everything to be in order for Your happiness. Look: this is a branch of the almond tree near the house. I wanted to pick it — the hedge is so ruined that one can enter anywhere, but I will remake it solid and strong — I wanted to pick it, because I thought that if I should be the chosen one, You would have been pleased to have a flower from Your garden. But I was not expecting to be the chosen one as I am a Nazirite and I have obeyed because it is an order of the Priest, not because I wish to get married. Here is the branch, Mary. With it I offer You my heart, that, like it, has bloomed up till now only for the Lord and is now blooming for You, my spouse.»

12.7 Mary takes the branch. She is moved and looks at Joseph with a face that has become more and more confident and bright. She feels certain of him. When he says to Her «I am a Nazirite», Her face becomes bright and She takes courage: «Also I am all of the Lord, Joseph. I do not know whether the High Priest told you…»

«He only told me that You are good and pure, that You wish to inform me of a vow, and that I must be good to you. Speak, Mary. Your Joseph wants You to be happy in all Your desires. I do not love You with my body. I love You with my soul, holy girl given to me by God! Please see in me a father and a brother, in addition to a husband. And open Your heart to me as to a father and rely on me as on a brother…»

«Since My childhood I have consecrated Myself to the Lord. I know this is not the custom in Israel. But I heard a voice requesting My virginity as a sacrifice of love for the coming of the Messiah. Israel has been waiting for Him for such a long time!… It is not too much to forgo the joy of being a mother for that!»

Joseph gazes at Her as if he wanted to read Her heart, then he takes Her tiny hands which are still holding the branch in blossom and he says: «I will join my sacrifice to Yours and we shall love the Eternal Father so much with our chastity that He will send His Saviour to the world earlier, and will allow us to see His Light shining in the world. Come, Mary. Let us go before His House and take an oath that we shall love each other as the angels do.

12.8 Then I will go to Nazareth to prepare everything for You, in Your house, if You wish to go there, or elsewhere if You wish so.»

«In My house… There was a grotto down at the bottom… Is it still there?»

«It is, but it is no longer Yours… But I will build another one for You where it will be cool and quiet during the hottest hours of the day. I will make it as similar as possible to the older one. And tell me: whom do You want with You?»

«Nobody. I am not afraid. Alphaeus’ mother, who has always come to see Me, will keep Me company during the day. At night I prefer to be alone. No harm can befall Me.»

«And now I am there, too. When shall I come and get You?»

«Whenever you wish, Joseph.»

«Then I will come as soon as the house is ready. I will not touch anything. I want You to find it as Your mother left it. But I want it to be bright and clean, to welcome You without any sadness. Come, Mary. Let us go and tell the Most High that we bless Him.»

I do not see anything else. But I feel in my heart the sense of confidence that Mary feels.

• Chastity of Saint Joseph
• Virginity of the Virgin Mary

«I welcome you, Mary. I saw You when You were a little baby, only a few days old… I was a friend of Your father’s and I have a nephew, the son of my brother Alphaeus, who was a great friend of Your mother. He was her little friend, because he is only eighteen years old, and when You were not yet born, he was only a little boy and he cheered up Your sad mother who loved him so much. You do not know us because You were only a little girl when You came here. But everyone in Nazareth loves You and they all think and speak of Joachim’s little Mary, Whose birth was a miracle of the Lord, Who made the barren old lady blossom wonderfully… And I remember the evening You were born… We all remember it because of the prodigy of a heavy rain that saved the country and of a violent storm during which the thunderbolts did not damage even a stem of heather and it ended with such a large and beautiful rainbow that the like has never been seen again. And then… who does not remember Joachim’s happiness? He dandled You showing You to his neighbours… As if You were a flower that had descended from Heaven, he admired You and wanted everyone to admire You, a happy old father who died talking about his Mary, Who was so beautiful and good and Whose words were so full of wisdom and grace… He was quite right in admiring You and in saying that there is no other woman lovelier than You are! And Your mother? She filled Your house and the neighbourhood with her songs and she sang like a skylark in springtime when she was carrying You, and afterwards when she held You in her arms. I made a cradle for You. A tiny little cradle, with roses carved all over it, because Your mother wanted it like that. Perhaps it is still in the house… I am old, Mary. When You were born I was beginning to work. I was already working… I would never have believed that I was going to have You as a spouse! Perhaps Your parents would have died a happier death if they had known, because they were my friends. I buried Your father, mourning over his death with a sincere heart, because he was a good teacher to me.»

Mary raises Her face, little by little, taking heart, as She hears Joseph speak to Her in this way, and when he mentions the cradle She smiles gently and when Joseph speaks of Her father, She holds out Her hand to him and says: «Thank you, Joseph.» A very timid and gentle «thank you.»

• Anne of Aaron (mother of the Virgin Mary)
• Birth of the Virgin Mary
• Joachim of David (father of the Virgin Mary)

13.1 How beautiful Mary is dressed as a bride, among Her joyful friends and teachers! There is also Elizabeth amongst them.

She is dressed in snow-white linen, so soft and refined that it looks like precious silk. She is wearing around Her slender waist a burin wrought belt in gold and silver, made of medallions held together by little chains — each medallion is an embroidery of gold threads on heavy silver burnished by age. Probably because the belt is too long for Her, still a gentle girl, the last three medallions hang down in the front and fall amongst the folds of the very wide dress that is so long as to form a sort of train. On Her feet She is wearing white leather sandals with silver buckles.

Around Her neck the dress is held by a chain of small gold roses and silver filigree, reproducing on a smaller scale the design of the belt. Running through large holes on the loosely cut neck, the chain gathers the cloth and forms a kind of small frill. Mary’s neck emerges from the white pleated cloth with the grace of a stem wrapped in a precious fabric and seems even more slender and whiter than ever, the stem of a lily ending in a lily-like face, which is even paler than usual for the excitement – and purer. The face of a most pure victim.

Her hair no longer hangs over Her shoulders. It is arranged in a knot of plaits in a charming style, and precious burnished silver hairpins, all made with embroidered filigree at the top, hold it in position. Her mother’s veil is placed over the plaits and it falls in beautiful folds under the precious thin plate that encircles Her snow-white forehead. The veil falls down Her sides and since Mary is not as tall as Her mother, it falls lower than Her hips, whereas it reached Anne’s waist. She has nothing on Her hands, but is wearing bracelets on Her wrists. Her wrists are so thin that the heavy bracelets of Her mother cover the back of Her hands and would fall to the ground if She tossed Her hands.

13.2 Her friends gaze upon Her and admire Her. They twitter gaily like sparrows asking questions and expressing their admiration.

«Are they Your mother’s?»

«They are antique, are they not?»

«How beautiful, Sarah, this belt is!»

«And what about this veil, Susan? How refined it is. Just look at those lilies woven in it!»

«Let me see Your bracelets, Mary. Were they Your mother’s?»

«Yes, she wore them. But they belonged to My father’s mother.»

«Oh! Look. They have the seal of Solomon interwoven with thin little branches of palm and olive-trees and amongst these there are lilies and roses. Oh! Who did such perfect and refined work?»

«They belong to the House of David» explains Mary. «The women of the family have worn them for centuries, when they get married and they are left in heritage to the heiress.»

«Certainly! You are the heiress…»

«Did they bring You everything from Nazareth?»

«No, they did not. When My mother died, My cousin took My trousseau to her house to keep it safely. Now she has brought it back to Me.»

«Where is it? Where is it? Show it to Your friends.»

Mary does not know what to do… She would like to be kind, but she is not anxious to pull out all the things which are nicely laid in three heavy trunks.

Her teachers come to Her help: «The groom is about to arrive» they point out. «This is not the moment to cause confusion. Leave Mary alone. You are tiring Her. Go and get ready.»

The chattering group go away somewhat sulkily. Mary can now enjoy in peace the company of Her teachers who say words of praise and blessing to Her.

13.3 Elizabeth has also approached. And as Mary, deeply moved, is crying because Anna of Phanuel has called Her «daughter» and has kissed Her with true motherly love, Elizabeth says to Her: «Mary, Your mother is not here, and yet she is present. Her soul is rejoicing with Yours. Look, the things that You are wearing are giving You her caresses once again. You can still find in them the flavour of her kisses. One day, a long time ago, the day You came to the Temple, she said to me: “I have prepared Her dresses and Her trousseau, because I wish to be the one who weaves Her linen and makes Her bridal dresses, so that I shall not be absent on the day of Her joy”. And listen. In the last days, when I was assisting her, every evening she wanted to caress Your first little dresses and the ones You are now wearing and she would say: “I can smell the jasmine perfume of my little one and I want Her to perceive here the kiss of Her mummy”. How many kisses on this veil that is now shading Your forehead! There are more kisses than threads!… And when You will wear the cloth woven by her, just think that it was woven more by her motherly love than by the spool. And these jewels… Even in hard circumstances they were saved by Your father for You, that You might be beautiful in this hour, as befits a princess of the House of David. Be happy and cheerful, Mary. You are not an orphan, because Your parents are with You and Your husband is a father and a mother to You, such is his perfection…»

«Yes, that is true! I certainly cannot complain. In two months he has been here twice, and today he has come for the third time, facing the rain and the windy weather, to take orders from Me… Fancy: orders from Me, a poor woman and much younger than he is! And he has denied Me nothing. He does not even wait for Me to ask. I think an angel must tell him what I want, because he tells Me before I can speak. The last time he said: “Mary, I think that You prefer to stay in Your father’s house. Since You are a daughter heiress, You can do so, if that is Your wish. I will come to Your house. However, in order to accomplish the rite, You will go for one week to my brother Alphaeus’ house. Mary already loves You so much. And from there the procession will start that will take You to Your house in the evening of the wedding day”. Was that not very kind of him? It did not even matter to him if the people should say that he has not a house which I would like… I would have liked it, because he is there and he is so good. Certainly… I prefer My own house… because of memories… Oh! Joseph is so good!»

«What did he say about Your vow? You haven’t told me yet.»

«He made no objection. On the contrary, when I told him the reasons, he said: “I will join my sacrifice to Yours”.»

«He is a holy young man» says Anna of Phanuel.

13.4 The «holy young man» is coming in just now in the company of Zacharias.

He is really magnificent. All dressed in gold yellow he seems an eastern sovereign. A splendid belt supports his pouch and his dagger, the former of morocco embroidered in gold, the latter with a morocco sheath and gold decorations. On his head he is wearing a turban, that is the usual piece of cloth worn like a hood, as is still customary amongst certain people in Africa, such as the bedouins, and it is held by a precious ring, a thin wire of gold, to which small bunches of myrtle are tied. He has on a new mantle, with fringes, and he wears it with great dignity. He is sparkling with joy. He has in his hands small bunches of myrtle in bloom.

«Peace to you, my spouse!» he greets Her. «Peace to everyone.» When he has received a reply to his greetings, he says: «I saw Your joy the day I gave You a branch from Your garden. I thought I should bring You some myrtle which I picked near the grotto You love so much. I wanted to bring You some of the roses that are already beginning to bloom near Your house. But roses do not last long. After a journey of several days I would have arrived here with only the thorns. And I want to offer You, my dear, only roses and spread Your way with soft scented flowers, so that Your feet may rest on them without touching anything dirty or harsh.»

«Oh! Thank you, you are so good! But what did you do to keep it so fresh?»

«I tied a vase to the saddle and I put the branches of the flowers in bud in it. During the journey they have burst into flower. Here they are, Mary. May Your forehead be garlanded with purity, the symbol of a bride, which, however, is much inferior to the purity of Your heart.»

Elizabeth and the teachers adorn Mary with a little garland of flowers which they form attaching the little white bunches of myrtle to the precious ring and they insert small white roses which they take from a vase placed on a small chest.

Mary is on the point of taking Her large white mantle to put it on Her shoulders, but Joseph precedes Her and helps Her to fasten it at the top of Her shoulders with two silver buckles. The teachers then arrange the folds with loving care.

13.5 Everything is ready. While they are awaiting I do not know what, Joseph takes Mary to one side and says to Her: «I have pondered a lot on Your vow these last days. I told You that I will share it with You. But the more I think of it, the more I realise that a temporary Naziritism is not sufficient, even if renewed several times. I have understood You, Mary. I do not yet deserve the word of Light, but a murmur of it comes to me. And it causes me to read Your secret, at least in its main lines. I am a poor ignorant man, Mary. A poor workman. I know nothing of letters and I have no treasures. But I place at Your feet my treasure: my absolute chastity, forever, to be worthy of being beside You, Virgin of God, “my sister spouse, enclosed garden, sealed fountain”, as our Ancestor says, who perhaps wrote the Song of Songs seeing You… I shall be the guardian of this garden of spices containing the most precious fruits and from which a spring of living water gushes out in a gentle surge: Your kindness, oh spouse, has conquered my soul with Your innocence, oh most beautiful one. You are more beautiful than dawn, You are a sun that shines because Your heart shines, You are full of love for Your God and for the world, to which You wish to give a Saviour with Your sacrifice of a woman. Come, my beloved spouse» and he takes Her gently by the hand and leads Her towards the door. All the others follow them and outside the joyful companions, all dressed in white and wearing veils, join them.

13.6 They go through yards and porches, among the crowds that watch them, up to a point that is not the Temple, but seems to be a hall used for ceremonies, because there are lamps and rolls of parchment as in synagogues. They go as far as a tall lectern, almost a desk, and they wait. The others stand in an orderly fashion behind them. Other priests and curious people gather at the end.

The High Priest enters solemnly.

There is whispering amongst the curious crowd: «Is he going to marry them?»

«Yes, because She is of royal and sacerdotal rank. A flower of David and Aaron, the bride is a virgin of the Temple. The groom is of the tribe of David.»

The Pontiff joins the right hand of the bride with the right hand of the groom and he blesses them solemnly: «May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be with you. May He join you and fulfil His blessing in you giving you His peace and numerous descendants with a long life and a happy death in the bosom of Abraham.» He then withdraws as solemn as when he entered.

The promise has been exchanged. Mary is Joseph’s spouse.

They all go out and they move in an orderly fashion to a hall where they stipulate the wedding contract which states that Mary, the daughter heiress of Joachim of David and of Anne of Aaron gives Joseph, as Her dowry, Her house and the estate attached to it, Her personal property and what She has inherited from Her father.

It is now all over.

13.7 The betrothed go out into the yard and they move towards the exit near the dwellings of the women assigned to the Temple. A comfortable heavy waggon is waiting for them. A tent is laid over it as a shelter and Mary’s heavy trunks are already loaded on it.

After farewell words, kisses and tears, blessings and advice, Mary gets into the waggon with Elizabeth, while Joseph and Zacharias sit in the front. They have taken off their best mantles and are all wearing dark ones.

The waggon departs at the heavy trot of a big dark horse. The Temple walls and then the city walls are receding and here is the country, new, fresh, blooming in the early springtime sunshine, with the corn a few inches off the ground, its little leaves, which look like emeralds, waving at a gentle breeze, which carries the scent of peach and apple flowers, of clover flowers and of wild mint.

Mary is weeping silently, under Her veil, and now and again She removes the tent and looks at the far away Temple and the city She has left…

• Engagement of Joseph and the Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem (consecrated virgin)

«Your husband is a father and a mother to You, such is his perfection…»

«Yes, that is true! I certainly cannot complain. In two months he has been here twice, and today he has come for the third time, facing the rain and the windy weather, to take orders from Me… Fancy: orders from Me, a poor woman and much younger than he is! And he has denied Me nothing. He does not even wait for Me to ask. I think an angel must tell him what I want, because he tells Me before I can speak. The last time he said: “Mary, I think that You prefer to stay in Your father’s house. Since You are a daughter heiress, You can do so, if that is Your wish. I will come to Your house. However, in order to accomplish the rite, You will go for one week to my brother Alphaeus’ house. Mary already loves You so much. And from there the procession will start that will take You to Your house in the evening of the wedding day”. Was that not very kind of him? It did not even matter to him if the people should say that he has not a house which I would like… I would have liked it, because he is there and he is so good. Certainly… I prefer My own house… because of memories… Oh! Joseph is so good!»

«What did he say about Your vow? You haven’t told me yet.»

«He made no objection. On the contrary, when I told him the reasons, he said: “I will join my sacrifice to Yours”.»

«He is a holy young man» says Anna of Phanuel.

• Chastity of Saint Joseph
• Words of the Virgin Mary

While they are awaiting I do not know what, Joseph takes Mary to one side and says to Her: «I have pondered a lot on Your vow these last days. I told You that I will share it with You. But the more I think of it, the more I realise that a temporary Naziritism is not sufficient, even if renewed several times. I have understood You, Mary. I do not yet deserve the word of Light, but a murmur of it comes to me. And it causes me to read Your secret, at least in its main lines. I am a poor ignorant man, Mary. A poor workman. I know nothing of letters and I have no treasures. But I place at Your feet my treasure: my absolute chastity, forever, to be worthy of being beside You, Virgin of God, “my sister spouse, enclosed garden, sealed fountain”, as our Ancestor says, who perhaps wrote the Song of Songs seeing You… I shall be the guardian of this garden of spices containing the most precious fruits and from which a spring of living water gushes out in a gentle surge: Your kindness, oh spouse, has conquered my soul with Your innocence, oh most beautiful one. You are more beautiful than dawn, You are a sun that shines because Your heart shines, You are full of love for Your God and for the world, to which You wish to give a Saviour with Your sacrifice of a woman. Come, my beloved spouse.»

• Bible - Song of Songs
• Chastity of Saint Joseph

13.8 Jesus says:

«What does the Book of Wisdom say, singing her praises? “Within wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle”. And it goes on listing her endowments, ending the period with the words… “almighty, all-surveying, penetrating all intelligent, pure and most subtle spirits. She is so pure she pervades and permeates all things. She is a breath of the power of God, hence nothing impure can find a way into her… image of His goodness. Although alone she can do all, herself unchanging, she makes all things new, she passes into holy souls, she makes them friends of God and Prophets”.

13.9 You have seen how Joseph, not by human culture, but by supernatural education can read in the sealed book of the Immaculate Virgin and how he borders upon prophetic truths by his “seeing” a superhuman mystery where others could only see a great virtue. Since he is imbued with this wisdom, which is a breath of the power of God and a definite emanation of the Almighty, he sails with a secure spirit the sea of this mystery of grace which is Mary. He penetrates with Her spiritual contacts, in which, rather than the lips, the two spirits speak to each other in the sacred silence of their souls, where God only can hear voices and those who are well liked by God, because they are His faithful servants and are full of Him.

The wisdom of the Just man, which increases by his union and closeness to Mary, Full of Grace, prepares him to penetrate the deepest secrets of God and enables him to protect and defend them from the snares of man and demon. And in the meantime it invigorates him. It makes the just man a saint, and the saint the guardian of the Spouse and of the Son of God.

Without removing the seal of God, he, a chaste man, now elevating his chastity to angelical heroism, can read the word of fire written by God on the virginal diamond, and he reads what his wisdom does not repeat, but is greater than what Moses read on the stone tablets. And to prevent profane eyes from prying into the mystery, he places himself, seal upon the seal, as an archangel of fire on the threshold of Paradise, within which the Eternal Father takes His delight, “walking in the cool of the evening” and talking to Her Who is His love, Garden of lilies in bloom, Air scented with perfumes, fresh morning Breeze, lovely Star, Delight of God. The new Eve is there, in front of him, not bone from his bones, nor flesh from his flesh, but companion of his life, living Ark of God, Whom he receives in guardianship and Whom he must return to God as pure as he received Her.

“Spouse to God” was written in the immaculate pages of that mystical book… And when in the hour of trial suspicion hissed its torture, he suffered as a man and as a servant of God, as no man suffered, because of the suspected sacrilege. But this was to be the future trial. Now, in this time of grace, he sees and he puts himself at the most true service of God. Then the storm of the trial will come, as for all saints, to be tested and made coadjutors of God.

13.10 What do you read in Leviticus? “Tell Aaron, your brother, that he must not enter the sanctuary beyond the Veil in front of the Throne of mercy that is over the Ark, whenever he chooses. He may die; for I appear in a cloud on the Throne of mercy, unless he has done these things first: he will offer a young bull for a sacrifice for sin and a ram for holocaust, he is to wear a linen tunic and cover his nakedness with a linen girdle”.

And Joseph really enters the sanctuary of God, when and as far as God wants, beyond the veil that conceals the Ark on which the Spirit of God hovers and he offers himself and will offer the Lamb, a holocaust for the sin of the world and in expiation of such sin. And he does that dressed in linen, and mortifying his virile limbs to abolish their faculty of sensation, which once, at the beginning of times, did triumph, impairing the rights of God on man and which will now be crushed in the Son, in the Mother and in the putative father, to lead men back to Grace and restore the right of God on man. He does that with his perpetual chastity.»

• Chastity of Saint Joseph