Letters to Mother Teresa Maria

Letters to Mother Teresa Maria - Volume 1

CEV 2022 cover page
Work details
Author	Maria Valtorta, Mother Teresa Maria
Full title	Letters to Mother Teresa Maria - Volume 1
Pages	375
Publication date	February 24, 2022
Publisher	Centro Editoriale Valtortiano
ISBN	ISBN 978-88-7987-385-7
Distribution	Bookstores - online sales - Publisher's site
First Italian Edition
Title	Lettere a Madre Teresa Maria - volume primo
Publication year	2012
Publisher	Centro Editoriale Valtortiano
French translation
Translator	Yves d'Horrer

This correspondence of Maria Valtorta with her spiritual mother, spans two volumes, from December 18, 1945 to September 9, 1957.

The publisher summarizes it as follows: "The correspondence of Maria Valtorta recounts day by day a moving human story under the beam of a heroic asceticism. It is almost the reflection of a drama that was precisely that of the Incarnation: to make the gift of God accepted by a stubborn world and by a priestly caste." Indeed, it is a correspondence in which Maria Valtorta reveals her most personal feelings about the events that will occur during this crucial period. At the time of her first letter, the visions and dictated texts that make up The Gospel as Revealed to Me were already well advanced, but the time of the trials that would accompany its publication is mainly the subject of the correspondence in volume 2 (1947-1957).

Volume 1, which covers the year 1946, reveals the human nature and the soul of Maria Valtorta more deeply than her writings recorded in the Notebooks from 1945 to 1950. She found in Mother Teresa Maria of Saint Joseph (1900-1985), a cloistered Carmelite, the soul that would accompany her.

Maria Valtorta signs her letters "Sister Maria of the Cross" in reference to September 14, 1944, the feast of the Holy Cross where Jesus asked her to unite with Him.

Contents of Volume 1

• Introduction: Maria Valtorta and Mother Teresa of Saint Joseph (p. 5)
• Letters:
• December 1945 (p.9)
• January 1946 (p. 26)
• February 1946 (p. 52)
• March 1946 (p. 69)
• April 1946 (p.95)
• May 1946 (p. 110)
• June 1946 (p. 151)
• July 1946 (p. 196)
• August 1946 (p.224)
• September 1946 (p. 256)
• October 1946 (p. 290)
• November 1946 (p. 315)
• December 1946 (p. 342)
• Historical notes on the main characters mentioned in the letters (p. 355)

The first letters of Volume 1

On December 18, 1945

"Most Reverend Mother,

Your pictures, your affection, everything moved and thrilled me. If I had not been even more cloistered than you, I would have come to see you. But I am in a cage, and this cage will only open when I fly to heaven. However, I come in spirit to walk back and forth in the Carmel. Do you hear me?

I cannot write because I suffer too much. But I hope to be able to do it soon.

Bless me, and please believe that I am extremely grateful to you.

My respects to all the Mothers.

Maria Valtorta"

------

"Peace be with you

Most Reverend Mother,

Again thank you for all the gifts and sweetnesses you sent me yesterday.

We have found each other despite your cloister and mine, and I truly recognize in this one of those kindnesses of the Father, or the Spouse, that Jesus has always had for His little crucified one.

I have always desired to know the Carmelites. As a child, I used to say: "If I have the vocation, I will be a cloistered sister, and a Carmelite." The enclosure came: it was thirteen years yesterday, but knowledge of a Carmel had never happened. All I knew about it came from "The Story of a Soul", which I read until I knew it by heart and took for my second Gospel, the Gospel that a little soul can follow: that of spiritual childhood.

My will to know Carmelites and unite with them to pray for God's cause in this secularized world was always present... And then Jesus says to my soul: "Do you really want to know them?" He must have thought: "What a child!?" But He made them pass before my window at the very moment I needed a reliquary, for a little being I want to become a true "Christian".

Now that he will have on his heart the petals of the Rose lit by Jesus, he can only love as soon as his heart starts to beat. Now, whoever loves at the beginning... will at least regain their living love, like an underground root that makes a new shoot grow before dying.

So thank you for this little baby who must be born. And thank you for Marta, who so much wanted an image of little Thérèse resembling the saint. And thank you for me who never stops looking and looking again at the artistic images illuminated by an artist.

"Here is the Servant of the Lord! - The Fire that burns me will never go out!" A program and a promise... And, with God's help, a truth. Ah yes! Even in Heaven, our love will not go out. On the contrary, it will blaze higher than ever: it will be perfect Fire... And "we will live by love"!

I send you a lullaby. Hopefully the music, passing from one transcriber to another, is accurate. I know how to sing it, but I do not know if the notes are correct.

And I send you the translation of the "Scorched Rose" that I had made when I recognized in this poetry my destiny and desire.

A Scorched Rose

Jesus, when I see you supported by your Mother leaving her arms | Trying trembling on our sad earth | Your first steps | Before you I would like to scorch a rose | In its freshness | So that your little foot gently rests | On a flower!....

This scorched rose is the faithful image | Divine Child | Of the Heart that wants to immolate itself for you without sharing | Every moment. | Lord, on your altars more than one fresh rose | Likes to shine | It gives itself to you..... but I dream of something else: | "It's to scorch myself!..."

The rose in its brilliance can embellish your feast | Lovely Child, | But the scorched rose, simply one throws away | At the wind's whim. | A scorched rose gives itself without seeking | To be no more. | As it happily surrenders to you | Little Jesus.

One walks without regret on scorched rose petals | And these debris | Are a simple ornament arranged without art | I understood it. | Jesus, for your love I have wasted my life | My future | In mortal eyes forever a withered rose | I must die!...

For you, I must die, Child, Supreme Beauty | What a happy fate! | I want by scorching myself to prove that I love you | O my Treasure!.. | Under your childish steps, I want with mystery | To live down here | And I would still like to soften at Calvary | Your last steps!....

Gloss on the Divine

To the world (what extreme happiness) | I said an eternal yes! | ... Raised higher than myself | I have no other support than my God.

And now I proclaim it | What I esteem near Him | Is to see and feel my soul | Supported without any support!....

Though I suffer without Light | In this life which is but a day | I at least possess on earth | The heavenly life of Love...

On the path I must follow | More than one peril meets | But for Love I want to live well | In the darkness of exile.

Love, I have experience | Of the good, the evil it finds in me | Knows to profit (what power) | It transforms my soul into itself.

This fire that burns in my soul | Penetrates my heart without return | Thus in its charming flame | I go consuming myself with Love!...

And do not laugh, for I translated them to pray again, with the pleasure of the company of little Thérèse, whose book has never left me for so many years! I had only her to keep me fraternal company in my exile as a refugee...

And now? In my enclosure? What do I do? Can I say that I suffer? The doctor assures it, and my flesh as well. But my soul does not say so. It declares: "I do the will of God," so I do not suffer since God is Love and not Pain.

So what do I do? Everything and nothing: I love, "because now my only work is to love," as Saint John of the Cross says.

I stop so as not to be indiscreet by taking too much of your time, and so as not to disobey the doctor who tells me: "Rest, rest, rest!" Fine! When I am dead, my hands will rest, as will my shoulders... and they will have time to rest awaiting Judgment!

To all most reverend Mothers, and especially to sister Luigia Giacinta and sister Teresa Cherubina, I send my supernatural wishes and respectful greetings. And to you, most reverend Mother, I send very special wishes... Let us meet at midnight, at Christmas, at the first wailing of Jesus... I beg you to recommend me to Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph, as I do every day, offering some of my many sufferings.

With respectful greetings,

Maria Valtorta

December 18, 1945

The small case with Our Lady of Lourdes has not left me for more than five years. It is now a little worn. But it could not be more "mine". Thanks again for everything.

Contrary to his intention, Father Migliorini could not come. I imagine it displeased them. The reason was the deluge this morning.

I forgot, in my letter, to ask you to please pray for the new priest. I will pray for him too, so I want to know his first name.

A thousand new respects,

Maria

Contents of Volume 2

Letters to Mother Teresa Maria - Volume 2

CEV 2022 cover page
Work details
Author	Maria Valtorta, Mother Teresa Maria
Full title	Letters to Mother Teresa Maria - Volume 2
Pages	379
Publication date	February 24, 2022
Publisher	Centro Editoriale Valtortiano
ISBN	978-88-7987-386-4
Distribution	Bookstores - online sales - Publisher's site
First Italian Edition
Title	Lettere a Madre Teresa Maria - volume secundo
Publication year	2013
Publisher	Centro Editoriale Valtortiano
French translation
Translator	Yves d'Horrer

• Introduction (p. 5)

Letters

• from 1947 (pp. 9-140)
• from 1948 (pp. 141-185)
• from 1949 (pp. 186-273)
• from 1950 (pp. 274-327)
• from 1951 (pp.328-341)
• from 1952 (pp. 342-346)
• from 1953 (pp. 347-350)
• from 1955 (pp.351-352)
• from 1956 (pp.353-355)
• from 1957 (356-358)
• Historical notes on the main characters mentioned in the letters (p. 359)

The first letter of Volume 2

On January 6, 1947

May Peace be with you

My very dear Mother and sister in the Lord,

I could not write to you yesterday because... it was a day of struggle. I will describe it later, and you will see that I do not exaggerate.

I write now, at 7 a.m. on January 6, to thank you for everything and to announce that Marta arrived without problems around 7:30 p.m.

I did not see the triumphant entry of Marta changed into... a goods wagon, or a bus, or more simply a donkey. Indeed, Father Pennoni arrived at 7 p.m. and Eroma, who had opened the door for him and led him to my room—the Father had to go to Eroma's at number 109 to be let in, because I was home alone and locked up—had closed the shutters so that curious people could not look inside. I was in darkness, and somewhat unwell, but I rejoiced at the moonlight entering and whitening my nativity scene. How beautiful it was under that moonbeam!

That’s why I did not see Marta-donkey. I saw nothing until Father Pennoni left at 8 p.m. Then I saw... But what's wrong with you, my Mother? That's far too much! Do you really not want me to die of fatigue?

I admired everything. From the charming notebook of the children in adoration before the Child Jesus to Sister Luigia Giacinta's basket and its contents offered by Mother Teresa, from the rose-flowered pastry on white to the fruits worthy of a billionaire... treats forbidden to poor wretches like me, from precious oil to good milk of which... we greatly needed after talking animatedly with Father Pietro on an empty stomach: we had only had a light snack at 11 a.m. and I really did not know where it had ended up 9 hours later!

The milk... Yes. I can say I drank milk. Because if you consider we need half a liter for breakfast and dinner for little Marta, and that she takes some for my little animals, not to mention what she uses for cooking, you see immediately that... it runs out quickly.

I often tell Marta: "I drank it," but that is not true. I prefer that she has a bit left for dinner, poor Marta who toils all day and lives on a few poorly seasoned vegetables at least five days out of seven. Have you noticed how exhausted she looks? I see her thin and pale, and it is another big worry... Be blessed for everything.

After playing... the child, very happy to open the Epiphany gifts, I read the notes. You will say, "Well, good for you! The material things come first! What a shame!" No: I always keep what is moral and spiritual for last, to crown my joy. Because the last bite is what leaves the confession in the mouth, and the sweetest of confessions is love. And your three letters brought me love, a mother's love and sisters' love. Be blessed for this love you give me!

Before responding to your letters, I will tell you about my schedule since Marta left until last night: 36 full hours... like an egg!

So: as soon as Marta left, I undertook to write down a memory (by which I hope... to help little Thérèse bring two hearts to God) for the daughter of my good friends, who died twenty years ago at the age of thirteen of a sudden peritonitis. The faith of her parents, which was not very strong, completely disappeared... and since they no longer have the comfort of faith to help them face their pain, they do not know peace. I try to find Christian words to fertilize... the desert. But now I take advantage of the twentieth anniversary of her death and of her mother's desire to have a piece of memory of Lia written by me; so I took up the pen.

When I have it typed, I will make a copy for you. I spoke of the other life, that of God, I said that spirits survive... I hope to bring peace to them and lead them to look up to God, by whom the angelic Lia certainly is. Help me with your prayer. I started by sending little Thérèse, whose eyes resemble Lia's, to smile and give peace. A calendar can also help obtain this miracle. God uses the most unexpected things to bring souls to Him... Let us hope! Peace would finally arrive, after twenty years of hopeless pain.

I was writing when Eroma came to complain about her brother's originality. You know about this, right? This man is exemplary in all respects: he is hardworking, serious, a good family father, and even a good Christian, but for two years he has had a real mania, probably caused by a nervous breakdown due to the war. He developed the fixed idea that his wife - Eroma's sister - betrays him with his brother, the brother of his woman, imagine! He saw everywhere proof of her betrayal. He was tormented by it, to the point of beating these poor women... If you had heard the cries of the three little children! The heart tightened... The woman, who is a real angel, greeted us without reacting.

This man knows who I am, he learned it from Dora.... But he had never come, despite great respect for me, greater than that of many.

On the evening of January 2, at 11 p.m., Jesus said to me: "The daughter of Mencarini shall be named Maria-Cristina, so that Christ may always be among them." And He explains: "She is born the first Friday of the month, and the first Friday of the year, within the octave of my Name. She is consecrated to me."

I write but, given the late hour, I do not send Marta to Eroma. I think: I will do it tomorrow. The next day, the first Friday of the month and the year, while Father Mariano was here with holy communion, at 6 a.m., Eroma came in front of the shutters saying: "Pray, because Anna is not well."

Anna had been in labor since 2 a.m., but she was exhausted and things were going badly. I said yes, and nothing else because I had the host in my mouth. I offered this communion for Anna and the baby to be born. Half an hour later, Anna gave birth to a little girl, without any problems.

I then sent Marta to carry the note where I had written: "That the child be called Maria-Cristina, so that Jesus may be among you." Nothing else.

But on Saturday, when I saw how much Eroma suffered because her brother was rambling about the baby's resemblance to his brother (!), I told her: "Be vigilant, Eroma, because it is Jesus who asked that she be given this name."

Back home, Eroma announced: "She must be called Maria-Cristina" and Guido Mencarini, looking grim, went to register the baby at the civil registry. His wife stayed home, in tears... Eroma was furious...

Father Pietro arrived. Eroma, green with rage, led him to me and left.

I spoke and told all my story to Pennoni; I even worried because he wanted to excuse Migliorini and cast doubt on the circumstances I reported regarding Professor Gedda, who came here to find a fool while he makes difficulties for me.

Pennoni left at 8:30 p.m., and I... softened and restored myself with your love and culinary delicacies. That's how Saturday ended.

Come to yesterday! At 6 a.m., Father Mariano arrived with communion. At 6:30 a.m., Azarias asked me to write... which I did while chattering my teeth until 10 a.m. Then Father Pennoni arrived, to whom I showed letters from my fiancé, from my wounded, from my nuns, from family friends, from companions, etc.: all these constitute as much proof that I have always been in good nervous health, have a good character and am a serious person. I speak of interests and hit hard when I say that I will have to create an income so that Marta and I can live.

But Pennoni is very fair. It’s his tactic: he starts by worrying a little then, when the discussion opens, he is loyal and just. He severely censures Father Migliorini, gives his opinion on the Work, recommends a very serious case that can degenerate into scandal among religious. By the way, I ask you to pray for this intention as well. Father Pennoni left at 1:30 p.m., and we began thinking about lunch. The soup was almost ready when one of my hens cut off a foot; hemorrhage, disinfection, bandage to stop the blood spurting everywhere. Naturally, I was the doctor, then also nurse, and had to eat holding the hen firmly in the basket beside me. The soup, thick and overcooked, went down as best it could.

Marta had to cut my bread and side dish into bites, because one-handed you are quite clumsy, and this hen is so silly that, if I let it go, it would tear off its bandages and faint... Once the side dish was swallowed, we attacked the beautiful tart from my little sisters. I brought a piece near my mouth... Ding, ding! The bell rings. Marta goes to the door. It is Eroma’s brother who brings a letter for me. He delivers it and leaves. Marta opens it and hands it to me. I read it. It says:

"Dear Miss, please excuse me if I take the liberty of writing to you without the honor of knowing you, but I feel I know you well through a shared faith; the Christian faith.

I am pleased to inform you of the birth of my fourth child, Maria-Cristina. She will receive Holy Baptism on the first Easter of the year, the day of recognition of Our Lord.

You certainly know, Miss, that my family had a sad past that destroyed all peace; this was caused by my erroneous ideas about my wife’s brother. My desire is to end this past. That is why I am addressing you, Miss, and I ask you to intervene in this act of reconciliation, to give more grace and value to my recognition of the just merit my wife deserves for all the sufferings and offenses I caused her.

By your prayer, Miss Maria, and by forgiveness, I will find back that peace that comes from God’s grace.

Respectfully,

Guido Mencarini

P.S. I would be pleased if Maria Cristina has my brother Alberto as godfather and his fiancée as godmother."

I assure you, my Mother, that before such evident proof that it is indeed Jesus who speaks to me and performs miracles by His word, I had such a convulsion that I made the bed shake. I thanked Jesus for this family He pacified, and also for me, since He gave me proof that it is really He who comes to me. Note that shortly before, I had cried with Pennoni saying: "You who know my torment - which is to always fear being subject to a diabolical deception, because I do not believe I am capable of being the "voice" of God - you should at least feel pity and not increase my torment with all the insinuations you make about the Work."

But also note that, for three nights, I have been with visible and tangible Jesus, to such an extent that, on the night of the 2nd to the 3rd, while writhing under stomach pains - because now, there are these too -, I said to Jesus: "I can’t take it anymore. I don’t know what to take to calm this burning cramp like fire. Put your hand on my stomach and relieve me." Indeed, Jesus had passed His good-opened hand over my stomach and everything calmed and has not returned until now... and yesterday morning, unseen, Jesus gave me such joyful peace that I believed I would die in ecstasy. Then I thought: "What grace is happening to me?"

Here is the grace: a pacified family, and I am reassured that it is indeed the Lord. The poor slice of tart ended badly because emotion, the hen, the need to watch over sending someone to tell the repentant to come and to Pennoni to come back, all this more or less helped prevent me from finishing my meal...

Mencarini arrived immediately, I was alone with him because Marta was looking for Pennoni. He confessed like he probably had never confessed to a priest. And I, who have been keeper since April 2 of words for him, related those Jesus gave me in a vision: "When the time comes, you will use them for Guido Mencarini." In my head, the divine words do not stop, they just pass. But these stopped, as firmly as the secret ones about the future of the Church did. But that's another story, and I cannot talk about it here… I reported them to this man with the clear sincerity of Jesus, who does not do circumlocutions when healing the wounds of hearts: He is gentle but explicit.

I gave him a small crucifix detached from my rosary, making Mencarini promise that when the devil tries to take possession of his thoughts, he will kiss this crucifix and repel the temptation. He promised me. He asked me to speak myself to Eroma to explain everything and advise her not to humiliate the penitent.

So I did that too. I had barely finished when Pennoni arrived...

"What happened?

- This is what happened: at Còmpito, you told me once: "To believe that it is Jesus [who speaks to you] and that you are a friend of Jesus, you should obtain conversions through your prayers and through writings. My cousins converted. Read this letter, it recounts a miracle preceded by this and that", and I repeated what I just wrote to you, my little mother.

Pennoni turned pale, flushed, pale, flushed, and exclaimed, after hearing and reading everything:

"It is undeniable that God's finger is here."

He left from here very moved and I, finally at peace, was able to have a cup of tea and kept repeating: "Thank you, Lord!" ... But it was 7 p.m.!

Today, at 4 p.m., Maria-Cristina will be baptized with Alberto, Eroma and Anna's brother, as godfather. After two years of offenses, slanders and... prohibitions, he will finally be able to see his sister again and be treated honorably, as befits an honest man. May everything be for the glory of God!

Now that I have troubled you with all this matter, I announce that I will soon send you the first year of the Gospel, with the empty boxes. You will find passages you have already read. But it doesn't hurt to read them again, and one understands them better when organized chronologically by the facts. You will be able to meditate at leisure!

Meanwhile, Father Migliorini will wait for what I will never send him anymore. Have you seen the stupid and disrespectful "modifications" he wants to make? Pennoni said, unwittingly:

"Before, Father Migliorini believed in it, but today he no longer believes that this Work is supernatural. Therefore..." I had understood by myself that he no longer believed, but confirmation of this news is always precious. Pennoni also said: "I fear you want to distance us," that is, turn to others.

I answered: "If I find souls who hear God better than you and do what you do not do, then yes, surely."

I read the letter... this "real wolf" that is Father Migliorini knows well how to pretend to be a lamb! I recall his ascetic poses... A whole scenario meant to cover a spirit of pride, disobedience and lie.

I will obey... by sending you what I was able to make of the lace work... and you will be content with what I send. You are always happy with everything, my little Mother.

If only you were here! How sweet that would be... Not only for material matters, but especially to be isolated and protected from all the malevolent and the slanderers.

I read in your addition: will we see the Kingdom of God in souls and in the world? I declare to you that we will not see it. And let's pray that we do not witness the war of Satan and men against the Church. But if the Church is holy, too many of its ministers are defective, to the point that they... provoke the war against the Church themselves. Have you read Mary's words to this soul about the priests? Don't you think they are very clear? I even saw Mary crying because of the priests, especially because of the Servites of Mary since 1943, then in 1944, when I believed them honest.

What a long letter! Did I give you a headache? But this time, I am done.

Today, I was able to savor the tart. Yesterday, I had not tasted it. It is delicious. It is in harmony with the weather: it is white like all of Viareggio today. It has been snowing for seven hours... I now write to the little sisters, then I rest. And tomorrow...

... Interruption. Christian Maria-Cristina has been brought back from church... I resume the letter... And tomorrow I will resume my mission as... the Lord's pen-pusher.

My shoulders are broken with pain, my liver hurts, and so on. But strength and courage! I am eager to hear what Father Luigi writes to you.

Pennoni was amazed when I told him: "I followed Father Migliorini's advice and asked the opinion of, not a learned, pious and prudent person, but seven! Five of them have already answered me not to give in and not even reply any more, because the best answer to some letters and proposals is precisely not to answer."

He did not dare to ask who these seven advisors are and, even if he had done so, I would not have said. Of these seven, I still await the answer of Father Luigi and the confessor of my cousin Giuseppe. Be sure, however, that I will never mention your name nor Father Luigi's. I know how to contain myself prudently.

My dear Mother, I leave you and ask forgiveness for having abused you with this long letter. But you are my Mother... Let us love each other saintly in the Lord and with the Lord.

Marta thanks and greets you.

Sister Maria of the Cross

Person who presents themselves to a priest to confess their sins and have them forgiven by God by receiving the sacrament of penance (or reconciliation).