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Poetic and sapiential books

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GRM 13.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.»

Detail

At the engagement ceremony in the Temple, Joseph joined Mary and took her aside for a moment.

Annotation

Song of Songs 4, 12

Ct 4, 12 : Enclosed garden, my betrothed sister, enclosed fountain, sealed spring.

GRM 13.8-9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

Detail

Book of Wisdom 7, 22-27
*Wis 7, 22-27 : In Wisdom there is an intelligent and holy spirit, unique and manifold, subtle and swift; piercing, sharp, clear and untouched; friend of good, lively, irresistible, beneficent, friend of men; firm, sure and peaceful, all-powerful and all-observing, penetrating all minds, even the most intelligent, the purest, the subtlest.

Wisdom, in fact, moves with a motion that surpasses all others; it passes through and penetrates all things because of its purity. For it is the breath of God's power, the pure emanation of the glory of the Sovereign of the universe.

She is the radiance of eternal light, the spotless mirror of God's activity, the image of his goodness. Because she is unique, she can do anything; and without leaving herself, she renews the universe. From age to age, it is transmitted to holy souls, to make of them prophets and friends of God.

GRM 42.5-7

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

42.5 Then Jesus bending over the dying man, whispers a psalm[1]. I know it is a psalm, but just now I cannot tell which one. It begins thus:

«‘Look after me, o Lord, because I hoped in You…

In favour of his friends who live on his earth he has accomplished all my wishes in a wonderful way…

I will bless the Lord Who is my advisor…

The Lord is always before me. He is on my right-hand side that I may not fall.

Therefore my heart exults and my tongue rejoices and also my body will rest in hope.

Because You will not abandon my soul in the dwelling place of the dead, neither will You allow Your friend to see corruption.

You will reveal the path of light to me and will fill me with joy showing me Your face’.»

Joseph cheers up a little and with a more lively look he smiles at Jesus and presses His fingers.

Jesus replies to the smile with a smile of His own and to the pressure on His fingers with a caress. And still bending over His putative father, He goes on softly:

«‘How I love your Tabernacles, o Lord.

My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord.

Also the sparrow has found a home and the little dove a nest for its young. I am longing for your Altars, Lord.

Happy are those who live in Your house… happy is the man who finds his strength in You. He inspired into his heart the ascents from the valley of tears to the chosen place.

O Lord hear my prayer…

O God, turn Your eyes and look at the face of Your Anointed…’»

Joseph, sobbing, looks at Jesus and makes an effort to speak as if to bless Him. But he cannot. He obviously understands, but he is impeded in his speech. But he is happy and looks at his Jesus with liveliness and trust.

«‘Oh! Lord»’, goes on Jesus. «‘You have favoured Your own country, You brought back the captives of Jacob…

Show us, o Lord, Your mercy and bring us back Your Saviour.

I want to listen to what the Lord is saying to me. He will certainly speak of peace to His people for His friends and for those who convert their hearts to Him.

Yes, His saving help is near… and the glory will live in our country. Love and loyalty have now met, righteousness and peace have now embraced. Loyalty reaches up from the earth and righteousness leans down from Heaven.

Yes, the Lord Himself bestows happiness and our soil gives its harvest. Righteousness will always precede Him and will leave its footprints on the path’.

You have seen that hour, father and you have worked for it. You have co-operated in the formation of this hour and the Lord will reward you for it. I am telling you,» adds Jesus, wiping a tear of joy which slowly runs down Joseph’s cheek.

He then resumes:

«‘O Lord, remember David and all his kindness.

How he swore to the Lord: I will not enter my house, nor climb into the bed of my rest, nor allow my eyes to sleep, nor give rest to my eyelids, nor peace to my temples until I have found a place for the Lord, a home for the God of Jacob…

Rise, o Lord and come to Your resting place, You and Your Ark of holiness (Mary understands, and She bursts into tears).

May Your priests vest in virtue and Your devote shout for joy.

For the sake of Your servant David, do not deprive us of the face of Your Anointed.

The Lord swore to David and will remain true to His word: “I will put on your throne the fruit of your womb”.

The Lord has chosen His home…

I will make a horn sprout for David, I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed’.

42.6 Thank you, My father on My behalf and on behalf of My Mother. You have been a Just father to Me and the Eternal Father chose you as the guardian of His Christ and of His Ark. You have been the lamp lit for Him and for the Fruit of the holy womb you have had a loving heart. Go in peace, father. Your Widow will not be helpless. God has arranged that She must not be alone. Go peacefully to your rest. I tell You.»

Mary is crying with Her face bent down on the blankets (they look like mantles) stretched on Joseph’s body, which is now getting cold. Jesus hastens to comfort him because he is breathing with great difficulty and his eyes are growing dim once again.

«‘Happy is the man who fears the Lord and joyfully keeps His commandments…

His righteousness will last forever.

For the upright He shines like a lamp in the dark, He is merciful, tender-hearted, virtuous…

The just man will be remembered forever. His justice is eternal and his power will rise and become a glory…’

You, father, will have that glory. I will soon come to take you, with the Patriarchs who have preceded you, to the glory which is waiting for you. May your spirit rejoice in My word.

‘He who lives in the shelter of the Most High, lives under the protection of the God of Heaven’.

You live there, o father.

‘He rescued me from the snares of fowlers and from rough words.

He will cover you with His wings and under His feathers you will find shelter.

His truth will protect you like a shield and you need not fear the terrors of night…

No evil will come near you because He ordered His angels to guard you wherever you go.

They will carry you with their hands so that you may not hurt your foot against stones.

You will tread on lions and adders, you will trample on savage lions and dragons.

Because you have hoped in the Lord, He says to you, o father, that He will free you and protect you.

Because you have lifted your voice to Him, He will hear you, He will be with you in your last affliction, He will glorify you after this life, showing you His Salvation even now’. And in future life, He will let you enter, because of the Saviour Who is now comforting you and Who very soon, oh! I repeat it, He will come very soon and hold you in His divine embrace and take you, at the head of all the Patriarchs, where the dwelling place has been prepared for the Just man of God who was My blessed father.

Go before Me and tell the Patriarchs that the Saviour is in the world and the Kingdom of Heaven will soon be opened to them. Go, father. May My blessing accompany you.»

42.7 Jesus has raised His voice to reach the heart of Joseph, who is sinking into the mists of death. His end is near. He is panting very painfully. Mary caresses him, Jesus sits on the edge of the little bed, embraces him and draws to Himself the dying man, who collapses, and passes away peacefully.

The scene is full of a solemn peace. Jesus lays the Patriarch down again and embraces Mary, Who at the last moment, broken-hearted, had gone near Jesus.

Annotation

Psalm 16 (15): Keep me, my God: I have made you my refuge.

I said to the Lord, "You are my God! I have no other happiness but you."

All the idols of the land, those gods I loved, + they continue to spread their ravages, and people rush after them. I will not offer them the blood of sacrifice; * their name will not come to my lips!

Lord, my portion and my cup: my fate depends on you. My portion is my delight; I even have the most beautiful inheritance!

I bless the Lord who advises me: even at night my heart warns me.

I keep the Lord before me without ceasing; he is at my right hand: I am steadfast.

09 My heart exults, my soul rejoices, my flesh rests in confidence:

10 you cannot abandon me to death nor let your friend see corruption.

You teach me the way of life: before your face, overflowing joy! At your right hand, eternal delight!

Psalms 84 (83): O Lord, you have loved this land, you have brought back the outcasts of Jacob; you have taken away the sin of your people, you have covered all their iniquity; you have put an end to all your anger, you have returned from your great fury.

Bring us back, God, our salvation; forget your resentment against us. Will you always be angry with us, will you maintain your wrath from age to age? Is it not you who will return to give us life and be the joy of your people?

Show us, Lord, your love, and give us your salvation.

I am listening: what will the Lord God say? What he says is peace for his people and his faithful; may they never return to their folly!

His salvation is near to those who fear him, and glory will dwell in our land.

Love and truth meet, justice and peace embrace; truth will spring from the earth, and justice from heaven.

The Lord will bestow his blessings, and our land will yield its fruit.

Righteousness shall go before him, and his steps shall mark out the way.

Psalm 85 (84): You have loved this land, O Lord; you have brought back the outcasts of Jacob; you have taken away the sin of your people, you have covered all their iniquity; you have put an end to all your anger, you have returned from your great wrath.

Bring us back, God, our salvation; forget your resentment against us.

Will you always be angry with us, will you maintain your wrath from age to age? Is it not you who will return to give us life and be the joy of your people?

Show us, Lord, your love, and give us your salvation.

I am listening: what will the Lord God say? + What he says is peace for his people and his faithful; may they never return to their folly!

His salvation is near to those who fear him, and glory will dwell in our land. Love and truth meet, justice and peace embrace; truth will spring from the earth, and justice from heaven.

The Lord will bestow his blessings, and our land will yield its fruit. Righteousness shall go before him, and his steps shall mark out the way.

Psalms 132 (131):

Remember, Lord, David and his great submission when he made an oath to the Lord, a promise to the Mighty One of Jacob: "I will never enter my tent, and never lie down on my bed; I will forbid all sleep to my eyes and all respite to my eyelids,

until I have found a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

Behold, it is announced to us in Ephrathah; we have found it near Yagar.

Let us enter the dwelling of God, let us bow down at the feet of his throne.

Ascend, O Lord, to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your strength!

Let your priests be clothed in righteousness, let your faithful shout for joy!

For the sake of David your servant, do not reject the face of your Messiah.

The Lord swore to David, and he will never take back his word: "It is a man from you whom I will place on your throne.

"If your sons keep my covenant, the will I make known to them, their sons, too, will forever sit on the throne set up for you."

For the Lord has chosen Zion; she is the dwelling place he desires:

"This is my resting place forever; this is the dwelling place I have longed for.

"I will bless, I will bless her crops to satisfy her poor with bread.

I will clothe its priests with glory, and its faithful will shout and shout for joy.

"There I will make David's strength spring forth; for my messiah I have lit a lamp.

18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but upon him the crown will blossom."

Psalms 112 (111): Alleluia! Praise, ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever!

From the rising of the sun to its setting, praise the name of the Lord!

The Lord dominates all peoples, his glory dominates the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God? He sits on high. But he lowers his gaze to heaven and earth.

From the dust he raises the weak, from the ashes the poor, to sit among princes, among the princes of his people.

He sets the barren woman in her home, a happy mother among her sons.

Psalm 90: When I stand under the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Mighty, I say to the Lord, "My refuge, my bulwark, my God, of whom I am sure!"

It is he who saves you from the hunter's nets and the evil plague; he covers and protects you. His faithfulness is your armor and shield.

You will not fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in broad daylight, nor the plague that prowls in the dark, nor the scourge that strikes at noon.

Let a thousand fall at your side, + ten thousand fall at your right, and you will remain beyond reach.

All you have to do is open your eyes and you'll see the wages of the wicked. Yes, the Lord is your refuge; you have made the Most High your stronghold.

Misfortune cannot touch you, nor danger approach your dwelling: he has given his angels the mission of guarding you on all your paths.

They will carry you on their hands so that your foot does not strike the stones; you will tread on the viper and the scorpion, and crush the lion and the dragon.

"Since he clings to me, I deliver him; I defend him, for he knows my name. He calls me, and I answer him; I am with him in his trial. "I want to set him free, to glorify him; + for many days I want to satisfy him, and I will make him see my salvation."

GRM 50.9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Jesus says a psalm. The one beginning: «He who rests in the help of the Most High, will live in the protection of the God of Heaven. He will say to the Lord: “You are my protector and my shelter. He is my God, I will hope in Him. He rescued me from the snares of fowlers and from harsh words” etc.» I find it in the fourth book. It is the second psalm in book four, I think it is number 90, (if I read the Roman number correctly).

The vision ends in this way.

Detail

Editor's note: Book , because the Bible used by Maria Valtorta includes the ancient subdivision into five books forming the collection of Psalms. The second psalm in Book 4 is Ps 90, now 91 according to the numbering of modern versions.

Annotation

Psalm 90: When I stand under the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Mighty, I say to the Lord, "My refuge, my bulwark, my God, of whom I am sure!"

It is he who saves you from the hunter's nets and the evil plague; he covers and protects you. His faithfulness is your armor and shield.

Thou shalt not fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in broad daylight, nor the plague that prowls in the dark, nor the scourge that strikes at noon.

Let a thousand fall at your side, let ten thousand fall at your right, and you will remain beyond reach. All you have to do is open your eyes and you'll see the wages of the wicked.

Yes, the Lord is your refuge; you have made the Most High your fortress. Misfortune cannot touch you, nor danger approach your dwelling: he has given his angels the mission of guarding you on all your paths.

They will carry you on their hands so that your foot does not strike the stones; you will tread on the viper and the scorpion, and crush the lion and the dragon.

"Since he clings to me, I deliver him; I defend him, for he knows my name. He calls me, and I answer him; I am with him in his trial. "I want to set him free, to glorify him; for many days I want to satisfy him, and I will make him see my salvation."

GRM 64.3-4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

64.3 Some children have rushed around them shouting: «The Master! The Master is here! Here is Jesus, here is Jesus!» and they draw close to Him, Who caresses them while speaking to His disciples.

«Simon, I am going into your house. You will all go and tell the people that I am back and then bring Me the sick ones.»

The disciples go away quickly in different directions. But the whole of Capernaum knows that Jesus has come, thanks to the children who are like bees swarming from the beehive to the various flowers; in our case to the houses, the streets and the squares. They come and go rejoicing, informing their mothers, passers-by, old people sitting in the sun, and they run back to be caressed by Him Who loves them. One of them, a daring boy says: «Speak to us and for us, today, Jesus. You know we love You and we are better than men.»

Jesus smiles at the young psychologist and promises: «I will speak just for you.» And followed by the children, He goes into the house and enters pronouncing His usual greeting of peace: «Peace to this house.»

People crowd into the big room at the back of the house, which is used as a store for nets, ropes, baskets, oars, sails, and provisions. Peter must have put it at Jesus’ disposal, because everything has been piled up in one corner to make room. The lake cannot be seen from here. Only its gently lapping waves can be heard. Instead one can see the low greenish wall of the kitchen garden, with the old vine and the leafy fig-tree. There are people even on the road, as they pass from the room into the kitchen garden and hence onto the road.

64.4 Jesus begins to speak. In the front row, there are five… high-ranking people, who have elbowed their way through the crowd taking advantage of the fear they strike into poor people. Their sumptuous garments and their pride announce them as Pharisees and doctors. But Jesus wants His little friends around Him, a crown of innocent little faces, of bright eyes, of angelical smiles, all looking up at Him. Jesus speaks and while speaking, now and again He caresses the curly head of a child who is sitting at His feet, resting his head on his little arm bent on Jesus’ lap. Jesus is speaking, sitting on a huge pile of baskets and ropes.

«“My Beloved went down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flocks in the gardens, and gather lilies… He pastures his flock among the lilies”, says Solomon, the son of David, from whom I descend, I, the Messiah of Israel.

My garden! Which garden is more beautiful and worthy of God than Heaven, where the flowers are the angels created by the Father? And yet, it is not so. The Only Begotten Son of the Father, the Son of man wanted another garden, because it is for the sake of man that I took flesh, without which I would not be able to redeem the faults of the flesh of man. A garden which might have been but little inferior to the heavenly one, if from the earthly Paradise the children of Adam, the children of God, had spread about, like sweet bees from a beehive, to populate the earth with holiness destined entirely for Heaven. But the enemy sowed brambles and thorns in Adam’s heart, and brambles and thorns have overflown from his heart on to the earth. It is no longer a garden, but a wild cruel forest in which fever stagnates and snakes nestle.

And yet the Beloved of the Father still has a garden in this world which is domineered by Mammon. The garden in which He feeds on His celestial food: love and purity; the bed where He picks the flowers dear to Him, flowers not stained with sensuality, greed, pride. These ones. (Jesus caresses as many of the children as He can, patting with His hand the little attentive heads, one big caress that touches them lightly and makes them smile happily). Here are My lilies.

Solomon in all his wealth, did not have a robe more beautiful than the lily that scents the valley, neither did he possess a diadem of a more splendid gracefulness than the one in the pearl chalice of a lily. And yet, for My heart, there is no lily worth one of these. There is no flower-bed, no garden of wealthly people, all cultivated with lilies, that I consider worth only one of these pure, innocent, sincere, simple, little children.

Men and women of Israel! You, great and humble people according to your wealth and position, listen! You are here because you want to know Me and love Me. You must therefore know the first condition to become Mine. I will not speak difficult words. Neither will I give you more difficult examples. I say to you: “Take example from these children”.

Which of you has no children, nephews, or little brothers in their childhood, at home? Are they not a restful comfort, a bond for parents, relatives, friends? Their souls are as pure as a clear dawn, their faces scatter clouds and inspire hope, their caresses dry your tears and give you new strength! Why is there so much power in them, although they are weak, defenceless and still unlearned? Because they have God in themselves, they have strength and wisdom in God. The true wisdom: they know how to love and believe. They know how to believe and want. They know how to live in such love and such faith. Be like them: simple, pure, loving, sincere, faithful.

There is no wise man in Israel greater than the smallest of these children, whose souls belong to God and His Kingdom belongs to them. Blessed by the Father, loved by the Son of the Father, flowers of My garden, may My peace be with you and with whoever will imitate you for My sake.

Detail

Jesus meets some children in Capernaum, and promises them a sermon just for them (the sermon takes place in 64.4).

Annotation

Song of Songs 6, 2-3

Ct 6, 2-3 : My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the herb beds, to lead his sheep to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, my beloved is mine, he who leads his sheep to feed among the lilies.