Dear Readers’ Group Members,

Dear Readers’ Group Members,

Here’s wishing us all a happy, holy and peace-filled Christmas. And may the coming year bring us wisdom, love and joy – in whatever situations we will be facing – knowing that God has made available the wonderful writings of Maria Valtorta, to supplement the Gospels in helping us to draw more understanding of what His plans are for us, and for all those of good will on this Earth.

In Bulletin # 51 I said: "For a number of years, many attempts to challenge opponents of Maria Valtorta – debating with them the authenticity of her writings as Private Revelation – have been unsuccessful. Arguments have produced counter-arguments, going nowhere and succeeding only as distractions for both the faithful and for Maria’s potential readers…"

On 4^th October last (the Feast of St. Francis of Assissi), many of us began a Novena for the Beatification of Maria Valtorta, concluding on 47^th anniversary of Maria’s death. That very morning, providentially, I was revising the Index for The Book of Azariah p. 172 (p. 179 in the new soft-covered edition), and the following passage jumped out at me:

That was my wake-up call, reminding me (in the words of Padre Pio) to "pray, hope, and don’t worry". Hope is a favourite word of mine, and my favourite definition of this word is: A PASSION FOR THE POSSIBLE.

You are about to enter a time machine that surfaces in the land of Israel of 2000 years ago. Your guide and narrator is the eyewitness of the millennium, Maria Valtorta, who saw the Gospel happen. She offers you a series of powerful visions from the time of Christ - remarkable insights that clarify and expand current knowledge of Scripture, a deep reservoir of spiritual and cultural information from the Gospel era, as it happened, as Israel experienced it twenty centuries ago. The words of Jesus are recorded verbatim, as heard by the crowds: simple words growing richer and fresher at each scrutiny. A miracle almost impossible to imagine!

Scholars and writers, who acknowledge the prodigy, are creating spin-off works, guided by its fountain of scriptural, scientific and topographic information.

Where did she get it? How did such vital intelligence on Gospel times get transported into the twenty-first century? If human high-tech can abolish time and distance for mundane matters, will the Supreme Intellect not create greater things for immortal souls?

Look and see! Read and discover! It is a miraculous time-capsule of recorded words and continuous actions along the pathways of the Messiah; major revelation on the events that shook Heaven and Earth; surprise for the world - surpassing even that of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Your guide and reporter is the humble Maria Valtorta, who holds the microphone placed in her hand by God. She will take you, by will of the Holy Spirit, to an era that the best historical minds have never been able to reconstruct.

Maria Valtorta: A Victim Soul

Maria Valtorta has been exalted, denounced; highly recommended, attacked mercilessly; joyously propagated, cruelly blocked; approved by a pope, opposed by a cardinal; utilized by serious scholars, resented by high profile theologians; given the Imprimatur by bishops in Asia and south of the equator, and removed from the shelves of religious communities in the West.

They have been propagated throughout the world in many languages; put on the Index of Forbidden Books by Vatican officials; sold in the Vatican Bibliotecque off St. Peter’s square; slammed by editors of religious magazines; utilized as unequalled meditation by devout Catholics; driven underground by hostile criticism; appearing on countless websites on the world wide web; read secretly in homes; broadcast publicly on radio; advised against by uninformed spiritual directors; highly recommended by Pope Pius XII, Cardinal Bea, Padre Pio, Fr. Roschini, Fr.Gabriel Allegra, Fr. Gino Violini, Fr. Marco Giraudo, O.P. (Commissioner of the Holy Office), and by many discerning professors and holy people.

Celebrated or slandered, loved or feared, Maria Valtorta’s Gospel revelation is the great spirit-sorter of this age, from the highest ranks of the Church to the common believers. It is a Sign that is contradicted.

Yet it bears the wholesome fruit of its origin: the transformation of hearts and the restoration of goodness to human souls. The world has long been waiting! But is the world ready for this Messianic intervention?

You be the judge.

There has been a flood of inquiries about this new book, and right now I’m assembling its passages into a new "audio book" of 30 tracks to be entitled: "Why is Mary Crying?". Each track is 20 to 24 minutes in length, in MP3 format. It’s a very time-consuming process, but it’s an absolute gift and a blessing, to be spending time in concentration on every passage and sentence – about Mary, Mother and Co-Redemptrix. God willing, this new audio will available from the Readers’ Group before Christmas. Let me know if you’d like a copy. Its cost is expected to be about $Aust 15.00 – or $US 10.00.

May God bless and keep us all.

David D. Murray

Assistant Convenor.

(See Jesus’ interactions with Shammai and Hillel, in The Poem of the Man-God, Vol. 1, pp. 208-220)

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus [in the tomb], was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is it really significant?

Yes! The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'. But if the master got up from the table, folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because... The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

Almighty God, author of life, we come before you with our heart-felt request for the well-being of another person. Through the intercession of Maria Valtorta we ask that (Name) be healed of the effects of (Disease/condition) which limit (his/her) function in life. We simply ask this out of love, and having confidence in the support of Maria we await Your reply through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Today I read a commentary about Spiritual Communion from Bishop Roman Danylak, and was blown away

at the importance of it.

"...The Holy Mass of this feast is entirely a hymn to the power of God and the glory of Mary. Let us introduce ourselves, so as to understand rightly this liturgy of light and fire, into the sentiments of the Queen and Teacher of every creature who loves the Lord.

"Queen and Teacher! Of men. But also of angels... It is granted to raise a veil so that some greatly beloved souls may enjoy it... With the obstacle removed, you will be permitted to fix your spiritual gaze on the infinite Light which is Heaven, and in the Light you will understand better. Look, listen, and be blessed.

"When Lucifer's sin upset the order of Paradise and swept the less faithful spirits into disorder, a great horror struck all, almost as if something had been lacerated, destroyed - and without hope of seeing it rise again. In reality, that was so. The complete charity alone had existed up above before had been destroyed, and it had collapsed into an abyss from which there emerged the stench of Hell...

"Bewildered, as it is possible to be in Heaven, we, the ones faithful to the Lord, wept over God's pain and his indignation. We wept over the altered peace of Paradise, over the order violated, over the fragility of the spirits. We no longer felt sure about being flawless because we were made of pure spirit. Lucifer and those like him had proven to us that even the angel can sin and become a demon. We felt that pride - existing latently - might develop in us. We feared that no one, except for God, could resist it if Lucifer had yielded to it. We trembled at these dark forces which we had thought could not invade us - of whose existence, I might say, we had been ignorant - and which were brutally revealing themselves to us. Discouraged, we wondered, with throbs of light, 'But is being so pure of no use, then? Who, then, can ever give God the love He demands and deserves if even we are subject to sinning?'

"It was then that, uplifting our contemplation from the abyss and desolation to the Divinity and gazing fixedly at his Splendor, with a fear previously unknown, we contemplated the second Revelation of Eternal Thought. And if through the knowledge of the first there came Disorder, created by the proud - who did not want to adore the Divine Word - through knowledge of the second the peace which had been disturbed returned to us.

'We saw Mary in the eternal Thought. Seeing Her and possessing that wisdom which is comfort, security, and peace was one and the same thing. We saluted our future Queen with the song of our Light and contemplated Her in gratuitous and voluntary perfections. Oh, the beauty of that moment in which, for the comfort of his angels, the Eternal presented to them the jewel of his Love and Power! And we saw Her so humble as to make up by Herself alone for all creaturely pride.

"From then on She was our teacher in not turning gifts into an instrument of ruin. Not her corporeal effigy, but her spirituality spoke to us wordlessly, and we were preserved from every thought of pride by having contemplated for an instant, in the Thought of God, the Most Humble One. For ages and ages we worked in the sweetness of that radiant revelation. For ages and ages, through eternity, we have rejoiced and rejoice and shall rejoice in possessing Her whom we contemplated spiritually. The Joy of God is our joy, and we keep ourselves in his Light so as to be penetrated with it and to give joy and glory to Him who created us.

[The Book of Azariah, pp. 280-1 (HC), or 291-2 (SC)]

I just started back on Volume 1 again…..such a joy... However, I had forgotten how quickly Judas Iscariot is brought into the story. But I am finding solace in Simon the Zealot’s healing and acceptance as a disciple. Simon is one of my more favorite apostles for many various reasons, but especially based on his unwavering faith, prudence and the fatherly love shown to Judas Thaddeus and James when their father disowned them. I can understand why Simon was such a good companion to Lazarus and vice versa. HUGH KELLY, Cary NC. USA.

...Today I started Volume 5 (of The Poem) and could not put it down. It was the time of Lazarus’ death and I loved the way Mary Magdalene stood up to her sister with so much faith and obedience regarding notifying Jesus. She was brilliant and so obedient and Martha is really shown to be weak. Also I love the way Mary Magdalene speaks to the Judeans who "come to pay their respects". She is greatly to be admired - but how the Judeans, Martha and Lazarus remind her of her sinfulness during these scenes! Goodness...

CATHERINE LOFT, Glen Iris, Vic.

(One thing and another) led me to Maria Valtorta and Volume One of The Poem.  I was raised Catholic, but could never really connect the dots. The Poem has changed my life, and I trust it completely. I could go on and on, but I won't. I'm sure you feel somewhat the same. I hope in some small way I can begin to spread the message.  We'll see…

DAN BISHOP, New Hampshire, USA.

Am back into the 1943 Notebooks, and every time these are new words!! SUE CARROLL, Belmont, Qld.

I have been captivated with the 1943 and 1944 Notebooks as I hadn't read them before.  They are a gem for covering and explaining almost all aspects of our faith.  What a gift!

NOEL ASHCROFT, Mt. Lawley, W.A.

Every day I pray for the Beatification of Maria Valtorta, and let us hope and pray that the Good Lord will hear all our prayers soon. I am still reading and enjoying her first book as and when time permits. I not only read the book, also tell my friends about all the nice things revealed to Maria which we have never heard about, so in other words, I am sharing the book with my friends.  Thanks a million! JOYCE LILLYWHITE, Mumbai, India.

The writings of Maria Valtorta, and the Bible, are my constant companions. Always, they give me resolve and fortitude. And the "Pilgrim’s Guide to The Poem..." is invaluable. I’m so glad you produced it. Also, the ...Lessons of St. Paul to the Romans is so beautiful.

JANICE CORDEAUX, Kyneton, Vic.

...The writings of Maria Valtorta... will be the core of whatever work I do for God in my own life.

MARTIN KOSHY, Currambine, W.A.

[The Book of Azariah, p. 125 (HC), p. 130 (SC)]

This morning, I spontaneously reached out for the March 2008 bulletin which was lying on top of some unfiled papers. It was all about the new (160-page) book on Mary and going through the whole bulletin as if I was reading it for the first time, all the sorrows that Mary bore so heroically and with such absolute trust in God, just leapt off the pages at me. I was immensely comforted and strengthened, and I took out Mary, Mother of the Redeemer and the Church... which I just had not even started, since I bought it, because of the torrent of events I have been engulfed in - and I decided to read a section every day. I had prayed earlier for guidance from God, and he lead me straight to this book in the space of a few hours! Isn't it wonderful, how God acts and shows us what we must do, and the way we should travel spiritually - and in every other way in the course of our life's journey?

SHELAGH GOONAWARDENE, Burwood, Vic.

I am really enjoying the book on Mary. I read a few chapters everyday. It is really refreshing my mind on scenes in The Poem. CHARLES DONOVAN, Koondoola, W.A.

(If readers don’t have the "Sunday Gospels" set, you can down-load the Gospel tracks for the current month by visiting Steve Jost’s web-site: http://www.valtorta.org – then scroll down to: Click HERE to HEAR Gospels of Sundays & Feasts of the current  month – Ed.)