What the Beautiful Lady

Said on the Mountain

The Beautiful Lady spoke to the two shepherds. “ She wept all the while she spoke to us”, said Maximin and Melanie later. Together, or separately, the two children repeated the same words with sight variations that never affected the sense. Whether her questioners were pilgrims, public officials or ecclesiastics, investigators or journalists, friendly, neutral or hostile, they all heard the same message. “Come near, my children, do not be afraid. I am here to tell you a great news.”

“We listened. All our attention was on her.”

Like Maximin and Melanie we are invited to let her message come into our lives. With them we listen and graze at the crucifix, dazzling with glory.

“If my people will not obey, I shall be compelled to loose the arm of my Son. It is so heavy that I can no longer restrain it.”

“How long have suffered for you! If my Son is not to abandon you, I am obliged to entreat Him without ceasing. But you take no heed of that. No matter how well you pray in the future, no matter how well you act, you will never be able to make up to me what I have endured on your behalf.”

“I have given you six days to work. The seventh I have reserved for myself, yet no one will give to me. This is what causes the weight of my Son’s arm to be so crushing.”

“The cart drivers cannot swear without bringing my Son’s name. These are two things which make my Son’s arm so heavy.”

“If the harvest is spoiled, it is your own fault. I warned you last year by means of the potatoes. You paid no need. Quite the contrary, when you discovered that the potatoes had rotted, you swore, you abused my Son’s name.  They will continue to be spoiled, and by Christmas time this year there will be  none left.”

The local dialect word for potatoes (pommes de terre) puzzled Melanie. In dialect one says “la ruff”. The word “pommes” reminded here only of apples. She returned to Maximin for help. But the Lady said,

“Ah! You do not understand French, my children. When then, listen. I shall say it differently."

"Si la recolta se gasta…”