[The following passages are taken from the five volumes of The Poem of the Man-God (Vol:…), the

1943 Notebooks (N43:…), the 1944 Notebooks (N44:…), The Book of Azariah (AZ:…), and The End Times
and the Writings of Maria Valtorta (ET:…).

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Mary and Joseph
Women and Men
The Shepherds
The Lost Sheep, and A Soul's Salvation
The Magdalene and The Mother
The Grief of Little Marjiam
The Primacy and Love of Peter
Little Michael
Jesus with John, The Beloved Apostle
Mary and Jesus
Why Should Children Suffer
A Last Plea to Judas
Two Piercing Swords
The Holy Shroud
The Obedience and Love of Mary

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Dust on The Soul

Parents, Teachers, and Priests
Souls in Purgatory
Death - With Mary and Jesus
Guardian Angels
Soul to Soul

MARY AND JOSEPH

(Joseph has been chosen from a number of other candidates, as the future spouse of the fifteen-year-old Mary,
because of a branch he had brought which has flowered before the springtime season. The ceremony is now
over, and the couple are left alone…)

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…

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, and Who made the barren old lady blossom wonderfully… I remember the evening You
were born… We all remember it because of the prodigy of a heavy rain that saved the country. There
was 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, the like of which has never been seen again.

And then… who does not remember Joachim's happiness?… He was 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… 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 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. 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 wagons of the
Romans. The fields… have been rather neglected… 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, 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. 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, and, like my heart, it has
bloomed up till now only for the Lord, and is now blooming for You, my spouse »

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. 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. Then I will go to Nazareth to prepare everything
for You... »
(Vol. 1: 63-6)

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(Departing from The Poem for a moment, this commentary from Mary is included:)

"When I saw Joseph, all my natural anxiety fell like a cloud dissolving into a rainbow. It was enough
for me to look into his eyes, to read in them that he was an honest, faithful, pure, just man. His age,
more than twice my own, had left him with the clear gaze of a child. For although Evil had risen up
around him as he lived in the world, it had been unable to penetrate into his heart, filled with the love
of God.

"With what trust I placed my hand in his, sensing that I had found in him a loving father, a faithful
spouse, and a chaste companion. He would be like olive and fig trees shading a small house,
defending it from winds and the heat, and providing the refreshment and comfort of sweetness and
nourishment!

"My sweet spouse did not disappoint me! He really loved me, believed in me, even going against
appearances. He concealed his tears from me so as not to disturb Me. He had only smiles and help
for me. He guided me as his first attributed daughter, holding my hand to make me feel he was close
by with his love, avoiding obstacles for me, and anticipating my needs. He was patient, silent, and
chaste, chaste as only an angel can be.

"Oh, yes! Blessed be the Lord for this! I, whom the Eternal had destined to be the Queen of his
angels, had two angels as my subjects. There was my Guardian Angel, whose invisible presence I felt
stirring at my side continually, with flashes of light and heavenly perfume. And there was my angelic
consort, whose flesh, not darkened by the desire of blood, lived close to mine. We were like two lilies
blossoming in the same flowerbed…

"My holy and blessed Joseph! My heart does not cease to thank its Lord for having given him to me
as a consort. As a holy father, He provided for his Servant, and created this living defense for my
virginity, drawn out of the Temple. And the world's breath thus broke against Joseph, so that the din
and stench of human baseness did not penetrate where the eternal Virgin continued to praise the
Lord..."
(N44: 59-60)

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WOMEN AND MEN

(An edict has been issued for Mary and Jesus to register their place of origin at Bethlehem, and Mary tells
Joseph that She feels the time is drawing near for Jesus’ birth. Joseph exclaims:)

« Do You think it is already the time?… Oh! What shall we do? » Joseph is completely dismayed. He
looks at Mary with two pitiful eyes.

She realises this, and smiles. But She smiles more at Herself than at him. A smile that seems to say:
« He is a man, a just man, but a man. And he sees as a man. He thinks as a man. Have pity on him,
o soul of Mine, and guide him so that he may see as a spirit. » But Her kindness induces Her to
reassure him. She is not untruthful, She simply diverts his anxiety. « I do not know, Joseph. My time is
very close. But could the Lord not delay it, to relieve you from this worry? He can do everything. Don't
fear. »

« But the journey!… Think of the crowds. Will we find good lodgings? Will we be in time to come
back? And if… if You are to become a Mother there, what will we do? We have no home there… We
do not know anybody any longer. »

« Don't be afraid. Everything will be all right. God finds a shelter for the animal about to give birth. Do
you think He will not find one for His Messiah? We trust in Him, don't we? We always trust in Him.
The harder the trial, the more we trust. Like two children, we put our hands in His fatherly ones. He is
our guide. We rely entirely on Him. Consider how He has led us with love so far. A father, even the
best of fathers, could not do it with greater care. We are His children and His servants. We fulfill His
will. No harm can befall us… It cannot: God is with us. »

Joseph looks at Her and listens to Her, happy. The wrinkles on his forehead smooth away. He gets
up, no longer tired or worried. He smiles. « You are blessed, Sun of my soul! You are blessed,
because You see everything through the Grace, of which You are full! Don't let us waste time, then.
Because we must leave as soon as possible, and come back as soon as possible, because
everything is ready here for the… for the… »
« For our Son, Joseph. He must be such in the eyes of the world, remember that. The Father has
covered His coming with the veil of mystery and we must not lift that veil. Jesus will do it, when the
time comes… »

The beauty of Mary's face, look, expression and voice, when She says this « Jesus » cannot be
described. It is already an ecstasy. And the vision ends on it.

(Mary says:)

« I will not add much more, because My words are already a lesson.

But I wish to draw the attention of wives to one point. Too many marriages break up through the fault
of women, who do not possess that love, which is everything: kindness, pity and solace to their
husbands. The physical suffering that lies heavy on women does not lie heavily on men. But all the
moral worries do: necessities of work, decisions to be taken, responsibilities before the established
authorities and one's own family… oh! how many things weigh on man! And how much comfort he
also needs! And yet, a woman's selfishness is such that she adds the weight of useless and
sometimes unfair complaints, to the burden of her tired, disheartened, worried husband. And all this
because she is selfish. She does not love. Love is not the satisfaction of one's senses and utility. To
love is to satisfy him whom we love, beyond senses and utility, giving him the help he needs, so that
he may always be able to keep his wings open, in the skies of hope and peace…»
(Vol. 1: 131-3)

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THE SHEPHERDS

(Guided by an angel, some shepherds arrive at the stable in Bethlehem, to pay homage to the Baby Jesus. There
are twelve in all, including the boy Levi who was the first to see the angel. They bring with them some warm wool
for the Baby, and a sheep…)

They milk the sheep, and with the hem of a piece of linen, dipped into the warm creamy milk, Mary
moistens the lips of the Baby, Who sucks the sweet cream. They all smile, and even more so, when
Jesus falls asleep in the warmth of the wool, with the little bit of linen still between His lips…

(Then one of the shepherds says:)

« We are poor and ignorant, but we know that the Prophets say that the Saviour will be the Prince of
Peace. And he told us to come and adore Him. That is why He gave us His peace. Glory be to God in
the Most High Heaven, and glory to His Christ here, and You are blessed, Woman, Who gave birth to
Him: You are holy, because You deserved to bear Him! Give us orders as our Queen, because we will
be happy to serve You. What can we do for You? »

« You can love My Son, and always cherish the same thoughts as you have now. »

(One by one, the shepherds introduce themselves, and then Mary says:)

« I will remember your names. »

« We must go… But we will come back… And we will bring others to worship Him. »

« How can we go back to the sheep-fold, leaving the Child? »

« Glory be to God Who has shown Him to us! »

« Will You let us kiss His dress? » asks Levi, with an angelic smile.

And Mary lifts Jesus slowly, and sitting on the hay, envelops the tiny little feet in a linen, and offers
them to be kissed. And the shepherds bow down to the ground and kiss the tiny feet, veiled by the
linen. Those with a beard clean it first; almost everyone is crying, and when they have to go, they
walk out backwards, leaving their hearts there…

The vision ends thus, with Mary sitting on the straw with the Child on Her lap, and Joseph, who,
leaning with his elbow on the manger, looks and adores.
(Vol. 1: 152-4)

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THE LOST SHEEP, AND A SOUL’S SALVATION

(In the second year of His public life, Jesus has been telling a large crowd about the shepherd who has left the 99
sheep, and searched for and at last found his lost sheep...)

... Jesus has never turned round to look at the road behind Him, and on which Mary of Magdala has
arrived in the dim light of the evening. She is most elegant, but at least she is dressed, and she is
wearing a dark veil which conceals her features and figure. But when Jesus continues His speech
from the words: « I found you, my beloved one », Mary hides her hands under her veil and weeps,
softly and continuously.

People cannot see her, because she is on this side of the embankment which runs along the road.
Only the moon - now high in the sky - and Jesus’ spirit, can see her…

(Jesus comments to Maria Valtorta, about the Magdalene’s conversion:)

« ... She came to Me to satisfy the passing fancy of an idle woman who did not know how to while
away the time. And although her ears were almost deafened by the false homage of those who lulled
her - singing to her sensuality in order to make her their slave - she heard the clear severe voice of
Truth. Of the Truth that is not afraid of being despised or not understood, and speaks, looking at
God...

I made her hear the song of forgiveness... Forgiveness! It is like dew on the parching thirst of sinners.
Dew is not like hail... It descends so lightly, that even the most delicate flower... drinks its refreshing
moisture. Dew settles near roots, on parched clods of earth, and penetrates the soil… Forgiveness is
like such dew...
I did not say one word to Mary Magdalene. I looked at her for a moment, as if she were a statue, then
I left her... And the last words: "I do not insult. Do not insult. Pray for sinners. Nothing else"... Woe to
the apostle who says: "I am not going there because I know that I shall not be able to convert
anyone"... It is necessary to go, even if only one in a thousand will be saved... And where the apostle
is not able to convert.., God may intervene. And then? Who is greater?... »
(Vol. 2, p. 501-5)

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THE MAGDALENE AND THE MOTHER

(Jesus is in Capernaum, where Mary Magdalene’s sister - a very upset Martha - tells Him she is very worried
because Mary Magdalene has disappeared, and may have returned to her old haunts and ways. But Jesus
explains that Satan, after losing his prey, is trying to avenge himself, by instilling fear and doubt into her, Martha.
Then He says:)

« Not far from you, but in a place unknown to you, Mary feels that her last doubt on the infinity of
forgiveness received is being dissipated. Her weeping changes into smiles, and her shadow into
light... (She is) where there is peace, where souls are regenerated... Your sister is with My Mother... at
Nazareth. »

« But how did she go there if she does not know Your Mother, or Your house?… By herself… At
night… Without means… Wearing that dress… Such a long way… How? »

« How? As a tired swallow flies back to its native nest, crossing seas and mountains, through storms,
fog and hostile winds. As swallows fly to hibernating places. Instinct guides them, warmth invites
them, the sun calls them. She went to the ray inviting her… to the universal Mother. And we will see
her come back happily at dawn… coming out forever from darkness, with a Mother beside her, Mine,
never to be an orphan again. Can you believe that? »

« Yes, my Lord. »...

« And now go and rest. With My peace. »

(Vol. 2: 523)

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(Some time later, the Mother says to the Magdalene:)

« ... Remember that you wept on My breast your first happy tears. I am therefore your Mother,
because a baby weeps its first tears on its mother’s breast. I am your Mother, and will always be so.
What may be burdensome for you to tell the most kind sister, and the most loving nurse - come and
tell Me. I will always understand you. What you would not dare say to My Jesus... come and tell Me. I
will always be indulgent to you. And if you should like also to inform Me of your triumphs - but I would
prefer you told Him, like sweet-smelling flowers, because He is your Saviour, not I - I will rejoice with
you… »
(Vol. 2: 632-3)

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THE GRIEF OF LITTLE MARJIAM

(Jesus, with His apostles and women disciples, has rescued a little orphan boy Marjiam, from Doras, a cruel
landholder. The boy is very distressed, when asked to pray that Doras will repent…)

The child, in a fit of pain, shouts and cries, trembling, deranged, striking with his closed fists the air,
as he cannot strike the slave-driver. The women are amazed and touched, and they endeavour to
calm him. But he is really in a fit of grief and does not hear anything. He shouts: « I cannot, I cannot
love and forgive him. I hate him, I hate him on behalf of everybody, I hate him, I hate him!… » He is in
a pitiful and frightful state. It is the reaction of a creature who has suffered too much.

And Jesus says so: « That is Doras’ gravest felony: to drive an innocent child to hate… »

He then takes the child in His arms and speaks to him: « Listen, Marjiam. Do you want to go one day
with your mummy, your daddy, your little brother and the old father? »

« Yes… »

« Then you must not hate anybody. He who hates does not go to Heaven. You cannot pray for Doras
just now? Well, do not pray, but do not hate. Do you know what you must do? You must never look
back to think of the past… »

« But my father who suffers is not past… »

« That is true. But look, Marjiam, try and pray like this: "Our Father Who are in Heaven, please see to
what is my wish…" You will see that the Father will listen to you in the best possible way. Even if you
killed Doras, what would you do? You would lose the love of God, Heaven, the company of your
father and mother - and you would not relieve of his troubles the old man whom you love. You are too
little to be able to do it. But God can. Tell Him. Say to Him: "You know how much I love my old father,
and how I love all those who are unhappy. Will You please see to this matter, because You can do
everything". What? Do you not want to preach the Gospel? But the Gospel teaches love and
forgiveness! How can you say to one: "Do not hate. Forgive" if you cannot love and forgive? Leave
things to good God, and you will see how well He can arrange matters. Will you do that? »

« Yes, I will, because I love You. »

Jesus kisses the boy…

(Vol. 2: 368)

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 THE PRIMACY AND LOVE OF PETER

(It is now early in the third year of Jesus’ public life, and while travelling towards Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks
His apostles who people say that He is. One by one they give Him different answers, then Peter responds:)

« You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God » exclaims Peter, kneeling down with his arms
stretched upwards, towards Jesus, Who looks at him with His face bright with love, and Who bends to
raise and embrace him, saying:

« Simon, son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not the flesh and blood that revealed
this to you, but My Father in Heaven. Since the first day you came with Me, you have been asking
yourself that question, and because you are simple and honest, you have been able to understand
and accept the reply that came to you from Heaven. You did not see supernatural manifestations as
your brother, John and James did. You did not know My holiness as son, workman, citizen, as My
brothers Judas and James did. You did not receive any miracle, neither did you see Me work any. I
showed no sign of power to you as I did with Philip, Nathanael, Simon Cananean, Thomas and
Judas, who saw them. You were not subdued by My will, as Levi the publican was. And yet you
exclaimed: "He is the Christ!".

You believed since the first moment you saw Me, and your faith was never shaken. That is why I
called you Cephas. And that is why on you, Peter, I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall
not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth,
shall be bound also in Heaven. And whatever you loose on the earth shall be loosed also in Heaven,
o prudent faithful man, whose heart I have been able to test. And now, from this moment you are the
head, to whom obedience and respect are due as to another Myself. And I proclaim him such before
all of you. »

If Jesus had crushed Peter under a hailstorm of reproaches, Peter would not have wept so copiously.
He is weeping and is shaken by sobs, with his face on Jesus’ chest. His weeping can be compared
only to the tears he will shed in his grief for denying Jesus. He now weeps for many good humble
feelings... A little of the old Simon - the fisherman of Bethsaida who had laughed incredulously and
facetiously at his brother’s first announcement, saying: « Of course, the Messiah would appear just to
you!... » A good little of the old Simon crumbles under those tears, and from his vanishing frail human
nature, Peter appears, more and more clearly, the Pontiff of the Church of Christ.

When he raises his shy embarrassed face, he can make only one gesture to say everything, to
promise everything, to strengthen himself completely for his new ministry: he throws his arms round
Jesus’ neck, compelling Him to bend and kiss him, mingling his somewhat bristly grizzled hair and
beard with the soft golden hair and beard of Jesus. And he looks at Jesus with his large, loving,
imploring and adoring eyes, still shining and red with tears, holding the Master’s ascetic face, bent
over his own, in his rough large stumpy hands, as if it were a vase from which a vital liquid flowed...
and he drinks kindness, grace, confidence and strength from Jesus’ face, eyes and smile...
(Vol. 3: 371-2)

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LITTLE MICHAEL
(It is a very hot day, and Jesus, His apostles, and the former shepherd Matthias - who was at Bethlehem when
Jesus was born - are resting in a hay shed. A little boy approaches, and is fascinated by the sleeping Jesus. He
stumbles over Matthias, wakes him up, and whispers many questions. Matthias explains about Heaven, souls,
that Jesus is God, and that the angels came to visit the Baby Jesus on Christmas night. Jesus, now awake, can
resist no longer. He says:)

« Come here, child. »

Oh! the boy does not need to be told twice, and he throws himself on Jesus, caressing and kissing
Him, touching His forehead, His golden eyebrows and eyelids, with his little finger, looking at himself
in His blue eyes, rubbing himself against His soft beard and silky hair, repeating at each discovery:
« How lovely You are! Lovely! Lovely! » Jesus and Matthias smile.

Then, as the others wake up - because the boy is not so careful now about making too much noise -
the disciples and apostles smile, seeing such an accurate examination by the little man in the bud,
half-naked, plump, who moves blissfully up and down Jesus' body, scanning it from head to foot, and
ends up by saying: « Turn around! » And he explains why: « to see Your wings. » And when he is
disappointed, he asks: « Why have You not got wings? »

« I am not an angel, My child. »

« But You are God! How can You be God if You are not full of wings? How will You be able to go up to
Heaven? »

« I am God. Just because I am God I do not need wings. I do what I want and I can do everything. »

« Well, then, make my eyes like Yours. They are beautiful. »

« No. I gave you the ones you have, and I like them as they are. Ask Me, instead, to make your soul
just, so that you can love Me more and more. »

« You gave me that as well, so You must like it as it is » replies the little one with childish logic.

« Yes, I like it very much now, because it is innocent. But while your eyes will always be the hue of
ripe olives, your soul may change from white to black, if you are bad. »

« No, not bad. I love You and I want to do what the angels said when You were born: "Peace to God
in Heaven and glory to men of good will" » says the boy, which makes the adults laugh, and the little
fellow becomes mortified and quiet.

But Jesus comforts him while correcting him: « God is always Peace, My child. He is the Peace. But
the angels were giving Him glory because the Saviour was born, and they were giving men the first
rule to obtain the peace, which was to come from My birth: "to have good will". The one you want. »

« Yes, give it to me. Put it here where that man said that I have my soul » and with his forefingers he
beats his little chest several times.

« Yes, My little friend. What is your name? »

« Michael! »

« The name of the powerful Archangel. Well, I give good will to you, Michael. And may you be a
confessor of the true God, saying to persecutors what your angelic patron said: "Who is like God?".
May you be blessed now and always. » And He imposes His hands on him.

But the little one is not convinced. He says: « No, kiss me here. On my soul. And Your blessing will go
into it and will remain closed, inside it » and he uncovers his chest to be kissed - without anything
being interposed between his body and Jesus' divine lips.

All those who are present smile, and are moved at the same time. And quite rightly! The wonderful
faith of the innocent child, who has gone to Jesus - some may say by instinct, but urged by his soul -
is really touching, and Jesus points it out saying: « Oh! if everybody had the heart of a child!... »
(Vol. 3: 751-5)

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JESUS WITH JOHN, THE BELOVED APOSTLE

(Jesus has been invited to meet a group of Pharisees and other dignitaries in Jerusalem - some of whom are His
friends - who with very mixed reasons, wish to make Him their king. He refuses their offer, challenges their
motives, and escapes their subsequent anger by fleeing down a nearby valley…)

But someone has followed Him: John. John is half-naked, that is, he is wearing the short tunic of
fishermen, his hair is stiff and smooth as is typical of people who have been in water, he is panting
and nevertheless pale. He approaches his Jesus slowly: he seems a shadow sliding on the rugged
cliff. He stops not very far away. He watches Jesus… He does not move. He looks like a rock fixed to
the rock. His dark tunic makes him even more inconspicuous: only his face and bare legs and arms
can just be seen in the darkness of the night.

But when he hears - rather than sees - Jesus weep, he can resist no longer, and he approaches Him
and then calls Him: « Master! »

Jesus hears the whisper and looks up: He gathers His clothes ready to flee.

But John shouts: « What have they done to You, Master, that You no longer recognise John? »

And Jesus recognises His Beloved. He stretches out His arms and John throws himself into them,
and they both weep over two different sorrows - and one only love.

(John tells Jesus how, concerned for His safety, he had swum across a lake and had been following
Him for some time. Jesus explains the circumstances of His encounter, and then says:).

« You will make no mention of it, except when men want to present me as a common popular leader.
That will happen one day. You will be there and you shall say: "He was not a king of the Earth,
because He did not want to be one. Because His Kingdom was not of this world. He was the Son of
God, the Incarnate Word, and He could not accept what belongs to the earth. He wanted to come into
the world and take a body to redeem bodies and souls and the world, but He was not subjected to the
pomp of the world or to the incentives of sin, and there was nothing sensual and worldly in Him. The
Light was not enveloped in Darkness, the Infinite did not accept finite things. But of creatures limited
by flesh and sin, He made creatures more like Himself, by elevating to true royalty those who
believed in Him. And He founded His Kingdom in the hearts of men, before founding it in Heaven,
where it will be complete and eternal with all those who have been saved". You shall say that, John,
to all those who consider Me entirely a human being, to those who maintain that I am entirely
spiritual, and to those who deny that I was subject to temptation… and to grief… You shall tell men
that the Redeemer wept… and that they, men, were redeemed also by My tears… »

« Yes, Lord. How much You are suffering, Jesus!… »

« How much I redeem! But you console Me in My suffering. We shall depart from here at dawn. We
shall find a boat. If I say to you that we shall be able to proceed without oars, will you believe Me? »

«I would believe You even if You said that we can go without a boat… »
(Vol. 4: 322-4)

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MARY AND JESUS

(Jesus, all alone near the Sea of Galilee, is visited by His Mother and the apostle John. While John leaves them
alone for a while, Mary, the loving Mother, tends to her Son’s needs, including clothes. She says:)

« When men are away from their women, they must have everything new, so that they do not need to
have anything mended, in order to be properly dressed. But I have not wasted anything. This mantle
of Mine is Your old one, which I shortened and re-dyed. It is still all right for Me. But not for You. You
are Jesus… »

It is impossible to say what there is in this sentence. « You are Jesus ». A simple sentence. But all the
love of the Mother - of the disciple, of the ancient Hebrew women for the Promised Messiah, of the
Hebrew women of the blessed time in which Jesus lived - is in those few words…

I have never seen anything greater, more absolute, than these adorations of Mary for the Word of
God. He is Her Son, and She always remembers that He is Her God… She loves more than a
creature. Oh! She really is the daughter of God, free from sin! That is why She can love like this!…
(Vol. 4: 403-4)

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WHY SHOULD CHILDREN SUFFER?

(It is late at night, shortly before Jesus’ Passion and Death. Alone and praying in a friendly household, Jesus is
visited by Simon Peter, who has something on his mind. He says to Jesus:)
« You send me here and there. And people ask me questions and I must reply to them. I think that
what I ask You, other people may ask me. Because the thoughts of men are alike. Yesterday You said
that innocent and holy people will always suffer, nay, they will be the ones who will suffer on behalf of
everybody. I find it difficult to understand that, even if You say that they will wish that themselves. And
I think that as it is difficult for me, it may also be difficult for other people. If they ask me, what shall I
tell them? In this first journey a mother said to me: "It was not fair that my little girl should die with so
much pain, because she was good and innocent". And as I did not know what to say, I repeated Job's
words: "The Lord has given. The Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord". But I was
not convinced myself. And I did not convince her. The next time I would like to know what to say… »

« Listen. It seems an injustice, but it is a great justice that the best should suffer on behalf of
everybody. Now tell Me, Simon. What is the Earth?… The Earth is an altar, Simon. A huge altar. It
was to be the altar of everlasting praise to its Creator. But the Earth is full of sin. Therefore it must be
the altar of endless expiation and sacrifice, on which the victims are consumed. The Earth, like the
other worlds with which Creation is strewn, ought to sing psalms to God Who created it…

Consider this, Simon. What benefit does God get from Creation? What profit? None. Creation does
not make God greater, it does not sanctify Him, it does not make Him rich. He is infinite. He would
have been so, even if Creation had never existed. But God-Love wanted to have love. And He
created, to have love. God can get only love from Creation, and that love - which is intelligent and
free only in angels and in men - is the glory of God, the joy of angels, the religion for men. The day
that the great altar of the Earth should cease to give praises and entreaties of love, the Earth would
cease existing. Because once love is extinguished, expiation would cease also, and the wrath of God
would destroy the Earth that had become an earthly hell. So the Earth must love, in order to exist.

Also the Earth must be the Temple that loves and prays with the intelligence of men. But which
victims are always offered in the Temple? The pure, spotless, faultless victims. Those are the only
victims agreeable to the Lord. They are the early fruits. Because the best things are to be given to the
Father of the family, and the first fruits of everything, the choice things, are to be given to God, the
Father of the human family.

I said that the Earth has a double duty of sacrifice: that of praise, and that of expiation. Because
Mankind that has spread over the Earth sinned in the First men, and continuously sins by adding - to
the sin of estrangement from God - the other countless sins of his consent. These are to the voices of
the world, of the flesh, and of Satan. A guilty, very guilty Mankind that, although he has likeness to
God - having his own intelligence and divine help - is more and more sinful. Stars obey, plants obey,
elements obey, animals obey - and they praise the Lord as best they can. Men do not obey the Lord,
or praise the Lord, enough. Hence the necessity of victim-souls, that may love and expiate on behalf
of everybody. They are the children who, innocent and unaware, pay the bitter punishment of sorrow,
for those who can do nothing but sin. They are the saints, who willingly sacrifice themselves for
everybody… »

« But children… »

« You mean those who cannot yet offer themselves… And do you know when God speaks in them?
The language of God is spiritual. A soul understands it, and a soul has no age. Nay, I tell you that a
child's soul - as it is without malice, with regard to its capacity of understanding God - is more adult
than the soul of an old sinner. I tell you, Simon, that you will live so long as to see many children
teach adults, and even yourself, the wisdom of heroic love. But in those little ones who die for natural
reasons, God acts directly, for motives of so high a love that I cannot explain to you… We have let the
moon set, Simon… It will soon be dawn and you have had no sleep… »
« It does not matter, Master. I have lost a few hours of sleep and I have gained so much wisdom. And
I have been with You. But if You allow me, I will now go. Not to sleep. But to think of Your words
again. »

He is already at the door and is about to go out, when he stops, pensively, and says: « One more
question, Master. Is it right for me to say to someone who suffers, that sorrow is not a punishment,
but a… grace, something like… like our vocation, beautiful even if toilsome, beautiful even if it may
seem an unpleasant and sad thing to people who do not know? »

« Yes, you can say that, Simon. It is the truth. Sorrow is not a punishment, when one knows how to
accept it and use it rightly. Sorrow is like a priesthood, Simon. A priesthood open to everybody. A
priesthood that confers great power on the heart of God. It is a great merit. Sorrow, that was born at
the same time as sin, can appease the Justice. Because God can also use - for good purposes - what
Hatred created to give sorrow. I did not choose any other means to cancel the Sin. Because there is
no means greater than this one. »
(Vol. 5: 123-6)

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A LAST PLEA TO JUDAS

(Jesus has been betrayed by Judas, scourged, and sentenced to death on the Cross. Judas, overcome by panic,
runs through the streets of Jerusalem, and finds himself in the house of the Last Supper. He goes into the
Supper Room, and is suddenly face-to-face with Mary…)

She looks as pale as if She had lost all Her blood. Grief has made Her eyes resemble, even more,
those of Her Son… Uttering a frightened « Oh! » he leans against the wall.

« Judas! » says Mary, « Judas, why have you come? » The same words as Jesus'. And they are
spoken with sad love. Judas remembers them and shouts.

« Judas » repeats Mary « what have you done? To so much love have you replied by betraying? »
Mary's voice is a trembling caress.

Judas is about to run away. Mary calls him with a voice that should have converted a demon.
« Judas! Judas! Stop! Stop! Listen! I am telling you in His name: repent, Judas. He forgives… »
Judas has run away. Mary's voice, Her appearance, have been the coup de grace, or rather of
disgrace, because he resists Her…

(Jesus comments to Maria Valtorta:)

« My Mother… said to him: "Repent, Judas. He forgives… " Oh! I would have forgiven him! If he had
only thrown himself at the feet of My Mother saying: "Mercy", She, the Merciful Mother, would have
picked him up as a wounded man, and on his satanic wounds - through which the Enemy had imbued
him with the Crime - She would have shed Her tears that save. And She would have brought him to
Me, to the foot of the Cross… She is the Mother of virgins and saints, but She is also the Mother of
sinners…
Oh! Maternity of Mary Martyr!… You alone were able to speak those words to Judas. And You alone,
in that hour, when you felt the cross break You heart, were able to love and forgive…

Do not be like Judas, who closes his heart to this Mistress of Grace, and despairs saying: "He cannot
forgive me". He questions the words of the Mother of Truth, and consequently My words, which had
always repeated that I had come to save and not to lose, to forgive those who came to Me
repentant…

The new life for Mankind, and for individual men, begins from Mary. Her virtues and Her way of living
are your school. And in Her grief - in which all aspects appeared, also that of forgiveness for the killer
of Her Son - is your salvation"… »
(Vol. 5: 578, 581, 584-5)

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TWO PIERCING SWORDS

(Using ladders, and with great difficulty, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and John remove the nails and lower
Jesus down from the Cross…)

He is now in His Mother's lap. And He looks like a big tired child who is asleep, all cuddled up in his
mother's lap. Mary is holding Him with Her right arm round the shoulders of Her Son, and Her left one
stretched over the abdomen, supporting Him by the hips…

She wipes the tears that drop on the cold body covered with blood, and She thinks of cleaning it with
Her tears and Her veil, which is still round Jesus' loins. She pulls one end of it towards Herself and
She begins to clean and dry the holy limbs with it. And She continually caresses His face, then His
hands and His bruised knees, and then reverts to drying His Body, on which endless tears are
dropping.

And while doing so Her hand touches the gash on His chest. Her little hand, covered with the linen
veil, enters almost completely into the large hole of the wound. Mary bends to see in the dim light
which has formed, and She sees. She sees the chest torn open and the heart of Her Son. She utters
a cry then. A sword seems to be splitting Her heart. She shouts, and then throws Herself on Her Son.
And She seems dead, too.

They succour and console Her. They want to take Her divine Dead Son away from Her, and as She
shouts: « Where, where shall I put You? In which place, safe and worthy of You? » Joseph… says:
« Take courage, o Woman! My sepulchre is new and worthy of a great man. I give it to Him… But I
beg You, as it is getting dark, let us proceed… It is Preparation Day. Be good, o holy Woman! »

John and the women beg Her likewise, and Mary allows Her Son to be removed from Her lap. She
stands up, distressed, while they envelop Him in a sheet, begging: « Oh! do it gently! »

Nicodemus and John at the shoulders, Joseph at the feet, they lift the Corpse, enveloped not only in
the sheet, but resting also on the mantles which act as a stretcher. And they set out down the road.
Mary, supported by Her sister-in-law and by the Magdalene, goes down towards the sepulchre,
followed by Martha, Mary of Zebedee and Susanna, who have picked up the nails, the tongs, the
crown, the sponge and the cane.

On Calvary remain the three crosses. The central one is bare, and the other two have their living
trophies, who are dying…
(Vol. 5: 627-8)

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THE HOLY SHROUD

(In very graphic terms, Jesus describes to Maria Valtorta the suffering of all the physical parts of His Body - and
how each form of torture was a reparation for particular sins of man. He says:)

"You have seen the wreath of bruises around my kidneys. Your scientists… explain the manner in
which blood, sweat, and an overstrained body, in being mixed with the aromas, were able to produce
that natural painting of my lifeless, tortured Body…

"It would be better to say, 'This is the work of God' and bless God who has granted you possession of
the irrefutable proof of my Crucifixion, and the tortures preceding it!…

"Know that the fierce wounds to my kidneys were the most powerful chemical agent in the miracle of
the Turin Shroud. My kidneys - nearly shattered by the scourges - were no longer able to function.
Like those of people burned in a blaze, they were unable to filter. The urea - accumulated and spread
throughout my blood and my body - caused the sufferings of uric intoxication. And the reagent -
transuding from my corpse - fixed the impress upon the cloth. Whoever among you is a doctor, and
whoever among you is ill with uremia, can grasp the sufferings which the uric toxins must have
caused Me - so abundant as to leave an indelible imprint…"
(N44: 161-2)

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THE OBEDIENCE AND LOVE OF MARY

(Jesus comments to Maria Valtorta on His Mother’s torment, love, and prayer…)

« … She did not curse, She did not hate. She prayed, She loved, She obeyed. Always a Mother, to
the extent of thinking, among Her tortures, that Her Jesus needed Her virginal veil on His innocent
body, to defend His decency…

Later you heard Her say: "Father, I love You, and You have loved us!" She remembers, She proclaims
that God has loved Her… She loves Him. She does not grieve over Her sorrow, but over what Her
Son suffered. She does not shout because Her heart is broken, but because Mine is pierced. She
asks the Father the reason for that, not for Her sorrow. She asks the reason of the Father in the name
of their Son… »
(Vol. 5: 670)

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FROM MARIA VALTORTA’S OTHER WRITINGS

DUST ON THE SOUL

(Jesus says to Maria Valtorta:)

"In the eyes of the world you are as white as Alpine snow. But in my eyes you are still gray, because
of the dust covering you. How is the dust formed? Out of particles so tiny that they are invisible to the
naked eye. But a great many, placed together, make a gray film, tarnishing and dirtying things. It is
not necessary to be crushed by boulders, to die of suffocation or to appear ugly. A heap of dust can
also kill by asphyxia, and always makes one ugly.

"The boulders are mortal sins. The dust is venial sins. An imperfection is also dust - finer, but still
dust. And it must be removed, for if it accumulates - no matter how imperceptible and insignificant
each molecule is - it eventually asphyxiates the spirit and makes it dirty. The world does not see it. I
do. There are things which are apparently white, but which are not. Not by their own will, but because
other wills have stained and corrupted them. As long as there is life, there is danger. It is life itself
which is the danger.

"Look at the snow. How white it is! It has been formed high up, in my sky. Look at the lily. How pearly
it is! I created its silk. But if you look at snow and the lily under a microscope, you see how many
germs of impurity have introduced themselves into the whitest snowflake, during its fall through space
before landing on earth. And you see how many microscopic bits of dust tarnish the angelical silk of
the just-opened lily. For both the snow and the lily, as inanimate things, there is no blame if this
occurs.

"But for the rational soul there is. It can keep watch and make provisions. How? By using love. Love
is the microscope of the soul. The more one loves Me and sees things through Me, the more it sees
the little stains on its conscience. These do not drive Me away, because I know how you are made.
They do not drive Me away, however, if the soul undergoes them as inevitable, but does not provoke
them and, on the contrary, immediately seeks to cleanse itself. Always remember this.

"I remain. Indeed, you should seek to receive Me more often, sacramentally as well. There is nothing
but my Blood to wash away the grayness of your soul, and make it worthy of the King, of Me…"
(N43: 43-4)

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 PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND PRIESTS

(Jesus says:)

"The life of parents is a sacrifice, as is that of priests and teachers convinced of their mission. All
three groups are 'molders' of what does not die: the spirit, or the psyche, if you prefer. And since the
spirit stands in relation to the flesh in a proportion of 1000 to 1, consider the degree of perfection from
which parents, teachers, and priests ought to draw to be truly as they should. I say 'perfection'.
'Formation' is not enough. They must form the others, but in order to form them not as the deformed,
they must model them after a perfect model.

And how can they claim to, if they are imperfect themselves? And how can they become perfect
themselves, if they do not model themselves after the Perfect One, who is God? And what can make
man capable of modeling himself after God? Love. Always love. You are crude, formless iron. Love is
the furnace which purifies, melts and liquefies you, so as to flow through supernatural veins into the
form of God. Then you will be the 'molders' of others: when you have molded yourselves after the
perfection of God…"
(N43: 411)

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SOULS IN PURGATORY

(Jesus says:)

"I want to explain to you what Purgatory is, and what it consists of…

"The souls immersed in those flames suffer only from love…

"Never do your loved ones love you so much as after earthly death, for their love is now infused with
the Light of God, and in this Light they understand how you love them, and how they should have
loved you.

"They can no longer say words to you that ask for forgiveness and provide love. But they say them to
Me for you, and I take to you these words of your dead, who are now able to see and love you as
they should. I take them to you together with their request for love and their blessing. A blessing
already valid from Purgatory on, for it is already infused with the inflamed Charity which burns and
purifies them. Perfectly valid, later, from the moment when, freed, they come to meet you on the
threshold of Life or rejoin you therein, if you have already preceded them into the Kingdom of Love…"
(N43: 392, 395)

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 DEATH - WITH MARY AND JESUS

(Jesus says to a suffering and tormented Maria Valtorta:)

"The closer the hour of reunion with God comes, the more faith must be increased. For in the hour of
death, Satan has never tired of disturbing you with his deceits. Crafty, fierce, and flattering as he is,
he has sought to bend you with smiles, songs, roars, hisses, caresses, and scratches. And he
augments his operations to tear you away from Heaven. This is precisely the time to embrace the
Cross, so that the waves of the final Satanic storm will not submerge you. Afterwards, eternal Peace
comes.

"Cheer up, Maria. May the Cross be your strength now, and at the hour of death.

"Let the cross of death - man's last cross - have two arms. Let one be my Cross, and the other, the
name of Mary. Then death occurs in the peace of those liberated, as well, from the nearness of
Satan. For he, the Accursed One, does not endure the Cross, nor the Name of my Mother.

"Let this be made known to many. For you all have to die, and you all need this teaching to emerge
victoriously from the final snare of the one who hates you immensely."
(N44: 252)

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GUARDIAN ANGELS

(Jesus says:)

"The guardian angel of every creature worships therein the indwelling God, if the creature is in the
Lord's grace.

"You are living temples in which God dwells. Sin drives away the Divine Guest, but otherwise every
human spirit is the tabernacle, enclosed in the temple of your body. It is consecrated by the
Sacraments, in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are present, through the indissoluble
union of the Three Persons.

"When the creature is no longer in a state of grace, the angel, weeping, venerates the work of his
Creator. He can no longer venerate anything else. But since the creature is the work of his God, he
venerates the creature just as you venerate a place once inhabited by Me, and then profaned by my
enemies, but always worthy of veneration. Not because it contains Me, but because it contained Me.
To understand, remember the Holy Cenacle.

"This is why every angel remains with supreme respect alongside the one he is protecting. Happy is
the angel alongside a creature who can say, 'I worship You, my Lord, enclosed in this creature of
yours,' and does not need to fly to Heaven to encounter God's gaze!
"Let the clothing of your angel tell you the nature of his mission to you. To infuse hope into you.
Among the three virtues, it is the one which should be infused into you most, for your cross reduces it
to crumbles, and destroys it by the hour. And it must thus descend from Heaven to nourish you by the
hour. Faith is secure, as strong as the wings of your guardian. Love is as alive as the mantle adorning
his shoulders. But the robe is ample and shining, and says to you, 'Hope!' "
(N44: 403)

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SOUL TO SOUL

(Azariah describes the hidden work of souls, communicating with other souls.)

"Souls seek God. It often seems to you that they do not. You do not know the spiritual sufferings of a
soul enclosed in a body and subject to thoughts which are hostile to God. Those who possess these
disheartened souls do not, themselves, notice the tears of their blinded, chained soul going about - in
distress - in search of the Light... (Sometimes a soul receives) mysterious words to bear off with itself
in secret. Words which seem to have been spoken and received in vain, and which sometimes
reappear on one’s deathbed and win the final battle, delivering a spirit to God.

"Many words are not needed. Sometimes none. To see one another - a glance. Your eyes gaze in a
way that is no longer earthly. You look, but it is not you - Christ looks through you. You see, but you
do not see the man in front of you. You see his soul with your soul... While your lips are silent, your
soul loves. And by loving, it caresses and comforts the embittered, sick, irate soul speaking to you.
You also sometimes speak and say commonplace words to commonplace listeners, from whom you
want to keep your secret hidden. But... now and then a spiritual gem falls from your lips, like a spark
escaping from the Fire possessing you. And the one speaking with you receives it and meditates
upon it, and his soul awakens, reflects, and sometimes decides…"
(Az: 270-2)

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THE TIMES OF THE APOCALYPSE

(On 27th August 1943, Jesus spells out the critical periods of the Apocalyptic times. His message begins as
follows:)

"Even in the Apocalypse, the periods seem to be confused, but that is not the case. It would be better
to say they are reflected in the future times, under increasingly grandiose aspects.

"We are now in the period I call ‘of the forerunners of the Antichrist’. Then the period of the Antichrist,
who is the forerunner of Satan, will come. He will be helped by the manifestations of Satan: the two
beasts named in the Apocalypse. It will be a time worse than the current one. Evil is constantly
increasing. Once the Antichrist is defeated, the period of peace will come to give men - struck by
amazement at the seven plagues and the fall of Babylon - time to gather under my sign. (Then) the
anti-Christian epoch will rise to the maximum power in its third manifestation - that is, when the last
coming of Satan takes place..."
(N43: 273)

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(On 9th April 1944, Jesus says:)

"Maria, I told you in late May 1943: ‘Regarding the future, what do you want to know, poor soul?
Thank My mercy that, for now, it hides from you, to a great extent, the truth about the future’. Poor,
poor soul!...

"... It is the hour of the power of darkness. And people have wanted it of their own free wills. The
Kingdom of Evil is already set up. Whatever I did would be nullified by people’s free wills. Whatever
Good would be destroyed by Evil.

"Powerless, I witness this rush of mankind into spiritual death. There is no gift of Mine, no kindness of
Mine, no rebuke of Mine, no punishment of Mine, to use to stop mankind, redeemed by Me, to
voluntarily ruining itself in Satan. Like an enraged bull, mankind runs over everything - reason,
morals, faith - and goes and crashes against what is killing it. People’s desecrating hands are being
raised for a new crime which does not deserve forgiveness. And the Father does not want to forgive.
He lets you perish as you wanted.

"The only thing I can do, and am doing, is to hold back My Father’s wrath - and I am doing it out of
compassion for the saints who, rare like flowers in the desert, still pray, pray and do not make
protestations of custom and hypocrisy. Weary of the crimes of a brood for which My blood was shed
uselessly, the Father wants, really wants, to wield His Justice on you. And justice - since you are
guilty - would mean tremendous punishment which My Mercy does not want to be meted out, in
addition to those which you already mete out to yourselves.

(On the same day as Jesus’ message, the Holy Spirit says:)

"I am the comforter. I comfort those crushed by dismay and tortured by the present. I am the One
Who heals and sweetens the bitterness of the Words that speak the truth, which nowadays is really
bitter...

"Even if everything seems lost, trust. Even if the abyss of Evil spews out its demons to torment the
Earth, and to fertilize it to bear the Antichrist, and even if the abyss of the Heavens seems to shut
itself by decree of the Father, from Whom We proceed - We, the Word and the Spirit. Even so, We
are still working and loving, to save you people and defend you. I-Charity and the Word-Charity, I-
Sanctification and the Word-Redemption; We do not cease pouring forth - the One: the merits of His
Blood, the Other: the charisms of His Power - for the good of you people.

"Trust. Love has always conquered."

(ET: 136-8)

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DARKNESS AND HOPE

(Azariah says:)

"After the darkness the light. Always. In the creation of the world. In the birth of the day after the night.
In the succession of epochs and eras. Corruption generates elements of life from death…

"Like the grain cast in the furrows, and covered with manure in the gloomy winter months. That grain
seems degraded, buried under layers of dirt and the stench of dung. It seems lost to the sun, and the
sun to it. But precisely because it is there below, mortified, pressed down, and overwhelmed by the
dust and the wheat, it can take root. It is no longer a tenuous grain which the passer-by can crush
with his foot, the wind carry elsewhere, or the bird swallow. It may become a stable, cheerful, useful,
prosperous plant, multiplied in value and power, beneficial, and victorious under the intense sun of
the loveliest months.

"Light seems to grow dark, and death comes. Corruption spreads, and overflows with its burdensome
waves. Fear not. It’s what’s needed to rouse the drowsy, and make them desirous of voices from on
high. Struggle is useful to keep the athlete strong. The nausea of corruption prompts the desire for
what is pure. Darkness spurs people to seek the light…

"The era of the spirit will return after this time of materiality. The era of the Light will return after the
current concealment. The era of Life will succeed the almost mortal agony. The era of God will arise
to be a force in the final struggle. The era of God will reign over that of Satan.

"On your feet, O Christians, in the fullness of your charity for God, for your neighbour, for yourselves.
God has sent you His Son and your Brother, through the Mother, so that He would be your Master
and Redeemer, and you would be Children of God. And since you are children, God has infused the
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, and through you He cries out, ‘Abba! Father!

"Man, even the most perfect man, would never be able to pray with that loving violence which obtains
miracles, all miracles. And so it is, then, that the Spirit of God prays in you, through you, to obtain
what is useful and necessary for you, and what – as holy – is suitable for sanctifying you…

"What, then, are you afraid of?… Courage then, and do not be afraid of the things that pass…"
(Az: 304-5)

(Mary says:)

« Have faith. Be at peace. There is no misery which My Son cannot turn into riches, there is no
solitude which He cannot replenish, and there is no fault which He cannot cancel. The past no longer
exists, once love has cancelled it. Not even a dreadful past. Are you going to be afraid, when Disma,
the robber, was not? Love, and be afraid of nothing. »
(Vol. 3: 133)