IT SEEMS the times of tribulations will not transpire in one fell swoop, like in an end-time movie where the world heaves with final gyration and the surviving hero survives amid total desolation to start a fresh civilization.
My take is that these apocalyptic times would take some years to unfold, perhaps even a decade or two, as could be concluded from the Blessed Mother's message to Pedro Regis, saying mankind now faces "long years" of trials. However, some messages from Heaven tell us that some historic events are to happen short term , such as the Warning, whose details were given to St. Faustina Kowalska and the visionaries of Medjugorje and Garanbandal. This column devoted much space to the Warning in previous issues.
But we are not left without consolation and even encouragement in these trying times which, mystics say in chorus, will accelerate. The mystics bringing even the most terrifying tidings also convey to us words of solace from Heaven, counsels meant to strengthen all amid even the severest threat of evil.
And so let me introduce one of my favorite mystics named Maria Valtorta.
She was born March 14, 1897 and died October 12, 1961. She was a Franciscan tertiary and a lay member of the Servants of Mary. She spent most of her life bedridden after being rendered lame by a man who hit her back. Under this condition, Valtorta encountered Jesus Christ who showed her events in the long, long past, including His life on earth, extending even to some visions in the Last Judgement.
Some have described her as being among the greatest mystics of all times. By order of Jesus Himself, she wrote by hand the events she had witnessed. Her writings were later published in 12 volumes which her supporters titled Poem of the Man-God (although it was not a poem that you and I know from school).
I have confidence in Valtorta (let me refer to her by her surname so as not to cause confusion) not only because theologians and other Church leaders are pushing her deserved sainthood. In 1948 when the scholarly Pope Pius XII was asked whether changes were needed in Valtorta's writings, he replied: "Publish this work just as it is."
There is also a testimony of a spiritual "daughter" of St. Padre Pio named Rosi Giordani who, in a letter to Dr. Emilio Pisani, the editor and publisher of Maria Valtorta's works, wrote as follows on Jan. 7, 1989:
"My name is Rosi Giordani, a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio. I am from Bologna, but have been living here for many years with my mother, who was born in 1897, like Maria Valtorta. Father has been at rest for twelve years in the cemetery of this town. In 1981 I was present with Mother at the Basilica of the Annunciation in Florence for the celebration of the anniversary of Maria Valtorta's death. I was with dear Domenico Fiorillo. I embraced Marta and listened to her lovely talk.
"I am writing particularly to tell you the following: a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio from the outset, Mrs. Elisa Lucchi, known as Malvina, from Forlì, a year before Padre Pio's death asked him in Confession, "Father, I have heard mention of Maria Valtorta's books. Do you advise me to read them?" Padre Pio replied, "I don't advise you to-I order you to!"
Here, I share with readers excerpts from Jesus' words to Valtorta, as He commented on the event in the Gospel wherein He and some of the apostles were being tossed by huge waves on a fishing boat far from the shore.
"The apostles were men, Maria. They were full of good will, but still very much 'men.' Man thinks he is always capable of everything. When he is really capable of doing something he is full of haughtiness and attachment to his 'ability.' Peter, Andrew, James and John were good fishermen and consequently they thought they were unexcelled in handling a boat. As far as they were concerned I was a great 'Rabbi', but a mere nothing as a sailor. Thus they thought I was unable to help them, and when on the boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, they begged Me to sit down because I was not capable of doing anything else. Also their love for Me was behind their attitude, as they did not want Me to do any material work. But their attachment to their own ability was greater than their love.
"I do not impose Myself, Maria, except in exceptional cases. I generally leave you free and wait. On that day, tired as I was and being requested to rest, that is to let them act, clever as they were, I went to sleep. In My sleep there was mingled also the ascertainment of how man is 'man' and wants to do things by himself without feeling that God asks but to help him. I saw in those 'spiritually deaf men', in those 'spiritually blind men', all the spiritually deaf and blind people, who throughout centuries would ruin themselves, because 'they wanted to do by themselves', although I was bent over their needs awaiting to be asked to help them.
"When Peter shouted: 'Save us!', My bitterness dropped like a stone. I am not 'man', I am the God-Man. I do not behave as you do. When someone rejects your advice or your help, and you see him in trouble, even if you are not so bad as to rejoice at it, you are uncharitable enough to look at him disdainfully and indifferently, without being moved by his shouts for help. Your attitude means: 'When I wanted to help you, you did not want me? Well, help yourself now.' But I am Jesus, I am the Savior. And I save, Maria. I always save as soon as I am asked to.
"The poor men might object: 'In that case, why do You allow single or collective storms to break out?' If by My power I should destroy Evil, you would consider yourselves the authors of Good, which in actual fact is a gift of Mine, and you would not remember Me any longer. You would never remember Me. My poor children, you are in need of sorrow to remember that you have a Father. As the prodigal son remembered he had a father when he was hungry.
"Misfortunes persuade you of your nothingness, of your ignorance, which is the cause of so many errors, or your wickedness, the cause of so much mourning and grief, of your faults, the cause of the punishments which you inflict upon yourselves, as well as of My existence, of My power and of My goodness.
"That is what today's Gospel teaches you. 'Your' Gospel of the present time, my poor children. Call Me. Jesus does not need sleep except when He is in anguish because He sees that He is not loved by you. Call Me and I will come." (More in the next column)