THE APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES ARRIVED PREVIOUSLY IN JERUSALEM AND WERE PRESENT AT THE PASSING AWAY OF THE MOST BLESSED MARY
And now, according to the decree of the divine will, the day was approaching in which the true and living Ark of the covenant was to be placed in the temple of the celestial Jerusalem, with a greater glory and higher jubilee than its prophetic figure was installed by Solomon in the sanctuary beneath the wings of the cherubim (III King 8, 8).
Three days before the happiest Transition of the great Lady, the Apostles and disciples were gathered in Jerusalem and in the Cenacle (upper room house). The first one to arrive was Saint Peter, who was transported from Rome by the hands of an angel.
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| St. Peter was transported by the hands of the angel |
At that place the angel appeared to him and told him that the passing away of the most blessed Mary was imminent and that the Lord commanded him to go to Jerusalem in order to be present at that event. Thereupon the angel took him up and brought him from Italy to the Cenacle (upper room house). Thither the Queen of the world had retired, somewhat weakened in body by the force of her divine love; for since She was so near to her end, She was subjected more completely to love’s effects.
The great Lady came to the entrance of her oratory in order to receive the vicar of Christ our Saviour. Kneeling at his feet She asked his blessing and said: “I give thanks and praise to the Almighty, that He has brought to me the holy Father for assisting me in the hour of my death.”
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| Kneeling before St. Peter, She ask for his blessing |
Then came Saint Paul (St. Paul
was already converted before now), to whom the Queen showed the same reverence
with similar tokens of her pleasure at seeing him. The Apostles saluted Her as
the Mother of God, as their Queen and as Mistress of all creation; but with a
sorrow equal to their reverence, because they knew that they had come to
witness her passing away. After these Apostles came the others and the
disciples still living. Three days after, they were all assembled in the
Cenacle. The heavenly Mother received them all with profound humility,
reverence and love, asking each one to bless Her. All of them complied, and
saluted Her with admirable reverence. By orders of the Lady given to saint
John, and with the assistance of saint James the less, they were all hospitably
entertained and accommodated.
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| St. Paul also came |
Some of the Apostles who had
been transported by the angels and informed by them of the purpose of their
coming, were seized with tender grief and shed abundant tears at the thought of
losing their only protection and consolation. Others were as yet ignorant of
their approaching loss, especially the disciples, who had not been positively
informed by the angels, but were moved by interior inspirations and a sweet and
forcible intimation of God’s will to come to Jerusalem. They immediately
conferred with saint Peter, desirous of knowing the occasion of their meeting;
for all of them were convinced, that if there had been no special occasion, the
Lord would not have urged them so strongly to come. The apostle saint Peter, as
the head of the Church, called them all together in order to tell them of the
cause of their coming, and spoke to the assembly: “My
dearest children and brethren, the Lord has called and brought us to Jerusalem
from remote regions not without a cause most urgent and sorrowful to us. The
Most High wishes now to raise up to the throne of eternal glory his most
blessed Mother, our Mistress, our consolation and protection. His divine decree
is that we all be present at her most happy and glorious Transition. When our
Master and Redeemer ascended to the right hand of his Father, although He left
us orphaned of his most delightful presence, we still retained his most blessed
Mother. As our light now leaves us, what shall we do? What help or hope have we
to encourage us on our pilgrimage? I find none except the hope that we all
shall follow Her in due time.”
Saint Peter telling them the cause their coming together
