LITMIR.BIZ

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Christ. So it was not a new thing to see Jesus Christ. John knew Jesus Christ first, not in the exterior, but in the secret virtue that Christ communicates within. This pure and sublime communication is experienced within. Oh, the experience of this! The Holy Spirit communicates these ineffable communications. Those that experience them have a germ of life given to them that they cannot fully distinguish.

      Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” (Luke 1:42–43)

      When the soul receives the impression of the Word, she cries out to the one who communicates this, as does Elizabeth when she receives the Word, Blessed are you among women! Oh, the great blessing we have when Jesus Christ is communicated to us! Oh, wonderful fertility for that which was sterile is now fertile! Mary is blessed among women, because she was destined not only to bear the mystical Word in her as a chosen soul, but also in reality and in the body. This is why Elizabeth said to her, Blessed is the fruit of your womb! This is the blessing of a double benediction. Not only does she contain the treasure of divinity, but because this fruit extends from infinity and communicates infinity, all creation is blessed in him. The other souls in whom Jesus Christ is formed and carried in their hearts will also bless others through the fruit of their heart. Mary’s heart is made fertile so the Word can be produced in other hearts. Mary has a double fertility of both her heart and her womb in bringing Jesus Christ to the earth.

      Elizabeth cries again, And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? Mary who produces the Word in hearts has come to see Elizabeth in the flesh. Oh, the great advantage that the souls in whom Jesus Christ is formed communicate to others! If we knew the blessing that they give, we would be charmed. Oh, great and admirable things that they express to us!

      For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. (Luke 1:44–45)

      Elizabeth discovers a great mystery that proves the communications between interior souls. If a person in the apostolic state speaks to another one, grace produces a certain thrill of joy in the heart. This is the communication of the Word that expresses and imprints this in the apostolic soul who speaks. The marvelous effect in the heart and these words are immediate. God touches John in this moment. O wonderful impact of these communications! So different from what we imagine! They are the conversions that surprise the world and we do not know the cause of them, but these grand things come only by faith. The promises of God are infallible when faith is made without hesitation and defiance. Mary was very happy when she first believed. Her happiness came from her faith.

      And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46–47)

      Mary loses herself in this immense happiness and does not defend herself from this joy. That would be propriety and contrary to truth and simplicity. Propriety deprives God of his very great glory. We must know God’s goodness and publish this, when God moves us to do this. The truth moves Mary to speak without excuse or embarrassment, without hiding what God out of his mercy has done for her. She says, My soul magnifies the Lord and publicize the effects of his goodness and power. My spirit rejoices, not only in that which is ordinary. My spirit is always ravished by God and passes into him. The joy that I have causes me ecstasy and this joy is in God my Savior. I am his child and he is within me; he is my Savior. And as my Savior, he gives me powerful and abundant redemption. Annihilated souls know not to defend themselves from his glory or to hide from others the mercies of God.

      “For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.” (Luke 1:48)

      Following this, Mary says that God has given her justice. She confesses that God has looked with favor on her, not because of her qualities, but because of his mercy. God sees the depths of Mary’s humiliation and pours mercy on her. God’s mercy forms Jesus Christ within the soul and this annihilates Mary. This annihilation is profound because of the great plenitude of the Word within the soul. God is pleased to fill this valley. No one else will ever be as annihilated as Mary. Oh, the profound wonder of the annihilation of Mary, which can never be comprehended except by contemplating the graces that God has given her! Mary does not say that God looks upon her purity, or her saintliness, or her virtues, but her lowliness and humiliation. She has nothing of her own but her lowliness and humiliation. That is why she adds, all generations will call me blessed.

      “For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:49)

      With strength Mary explains this. She says that the Mighty One has done great things. And she adds, His name is holy. Mary says that God has raised her to this eminent grace, yet she claims none of this holiness as her own. God is holy within her. It is as if she would add, “For me I am in the most profound annihilation that a creature can be in.” We are astonished when we see certain interior souls who have no difficulty confessing and publishing the mercies of God. Confessing that everything is of God, they give God all the glory and keep nothing for themselves. God is all and in all. The soul is then exempt from propriety. This is why she is in a state to publish the mercies of God without attributing anything to herself and stealing anything from God. If she does not do this and hides what God does, then she becomes proprietary.

      “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.” (Luke 1:50–51)

      The moment that the soul enters into the fear of displeasing God, He acts and fills and blesses her with mercy, as one sees a father soothing a child with caresses after a moment of displeasing him. The father fills the child with goodness and caresses, so that she loses the fear but keeps a loving respect. There are some souls who filled with respect and love do not fear. Their generous love banishes all fear, and gives them a strong and vital boldness.

      These souls speak of his rigorous mercy. Justice is their portion and God is pleased when they exercise the courage that he has given them. He shows them, the strength of his arm. But, I say O God! You content some souls with the simple touch of your justice. You touch them with your hand like a father and caress them like a tender and timid infant. Yet God places on his strong and courageous children a heavy weight. Does this mean that he loves them less? No, to the contrary God will give them a whole other part of an inheritance. The mercy and caresses are for the weak and timid infant. God pours his mercy on those who fear but he is pleased to extend his power on those who love him with a strong love, vigorous and pure. God leads these devoted and strong souls. God also scatters the proud in the thoughts of their hearts who would limit divine power and prevent his arm from being heard.

      Mary speaks here of our Savior who pours out his favor on all people, extending his mercy from generation to generation. God’s salvation passes in succession through all centuries, as Adam passed his sin down through all the ages. The Savior came to bring salvation to all those who have the sin of Adam. Mary sees that God sent Jesus Christ with all the strength of his arm who is the Word, Jesus Christ, the Son with all the strength of the Father. The Father’s power is incarnated and deployed in Jesus Christ the man. God is all in his Word, as his Word is all in him. God in this incarnation has sent Jesus Christ with all the strength of his arms.

      God extends justice through Jesus Christ with all his strength and power to suffer for the sins of the whole world. What courage God has given one human and what strength he has placed in him. Divine justice touches simply. The souls with the purest love also have divine justice. Jesus Christ was entirely devoted to divine justice, because he was entirely devoted to the glory of God the Father and only to God’s interests. This is why God deploys Jesus with all the strength of his arm and his character, to support all the weight of a just God. The excessive suffering of Jesus Christ was so extreme because he presented this justice. Therefore God’s arms were outstretched, enough to consume and carry millions of worlds for God.

      When bearing divine justice, all torments are sweet with the prize of divine justice. The justice of God contains all his attributes and character. Therefore it is jealous because all the attributes look at God alone.

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