From the Montly Page of December 2005

The quatrain, a four-line verse, was in Alexandrina’s time very popular.  During pilgrimages, both male and female voices improvised challenging quatrains. There were often lengthy dialogues, more or less poetical and public, and even courting couples addressed each other in verse, that is, in quatrains.  It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that Alexandrina, who was very intelligent, also learned the art.  And she learned it well, as can be seen here, even if translation can’t show it in the best way: 

Sing joyfully, my soul,
The Infant God is being born!
It is to give Heaven to you
That He became so tiny. 

My heart beats wings,
Flying to the crib where he lies :
To give Jesus all,
To serve and to love Him. 

The fire that devours me,
I inherited it from my Jesus.
It began in the crib
And it took Him to the Cross. 

I am hungry for Jesus ;
I run to the crib
To eat of His virtues :
Only they keep me alive.

If you look carefully, the subjects in these quatrains are her constant themes:  the Cross, the redemption, limitless, unconditional love of Jesus, who is for her the "Everything" that stoops down to her "nothing".  Let’s observe as she declares this radical passion in the following prayer, a prayer that is not much longer than an ejaculation: 

Jesus, my eyes, my smiles are Yours, the palpitations of my heart and all my being – my life and death, my time and eternity – they are all Yours. 

Jesus’ Appeals

Chiaffredo and Eugenie Signorile published a book with the title Venite a Me - Richiami di Gesù, that is, "Come to Me. Jesus’ Appeals".  Really, Jesus’ appeals are very abundant in the Feelings of the Soul’s pages.  Here they are some of them:

Go, beloved souls, go, holy souls, go and conquer souls!

I am hungry, I am thirsty!  Bring them to my Divine Heart. 

I ask for them, I ask for them:  I do not want to be offended! 

Form armies.  Teach, conquer, nail yourselves to the life of Christ! 

I am the Lord, the Lord Jesus, who came to earth to fulfil the will of my Father.

In name of Him I ask for reparation, reparation and love.  (2-3-51) 

I am hungry, I am thirsty!  Come and satiate me! 

It is the hunger and thirst of love that devours my heart. 

I am hungry, I am thirsty!   I will say as I said long ago when I lived on earth:  If you knew who asks you for a drink! 

Just as I asked the Samaritan at the well for water, today I ask for the love of hearts. 

If you knew who is this beggar of love... It is Jesus who asks to be loved:  believe Me.  I thirst for love, I thirst for purity, I thirst for victim-souls!  (21-7-50) 

I do not want the souls come to me through fear and force. Poor souls, it is enough for them to experience remorse and the fear of having offended Me! 

There are many priests who want to take the souls by the force and intimidation, but such methods are useless. If only they would speak to them of the tenderness, mercy and love of my Divine Heart!  (4-12-48) 

Jesus comes down from Heaven and He speaks through His spokeswoman.  Listen, my children: 

You will be my children if you love Me and follow my Law. 

You will belong to my Father:  burn yourselves in my love.  I will give you all the graces you need. 

You will be my children if you profess my Law. 

You will be my children if, for love of me you take up your cross. 

You will be my children if for love of me you will be apostles of virtue.  (30-10-53) 

This Christmas, may young people take to heart these appeals that our Saviour, the eternal Son of God who came to live among the men, directs towards them.  The matter is urgent. No more time can be lost:  "I am hungry, I am thirsty!”, Jesus repeats. 

"Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will!"