In the first pages of his work dedicated to Mary Most Holy1, the last he left us before departing for eternity, Msgr. João describes the itinerary of his own Marian devotion, citing the biblical figure of Jacob’s ladder, the ends of which touched earth and Heaven. The mysterious rungs contemplated in the patriarch’s dream (cf. Gn 28:11-19) symbolized, for our founder, the successive episodes that occurred along his journey of union with Our Lady.
In short, it can be affirmed that his spiritual life was a long and uninterrupted ascent in knowledge and of love of her who is called the “Mountain of God.”2
Hope and encounter
For the young João, the dawn of Marian devotion emerged during the period in which he was obliged to wage arduous battles to defend his innocence, a topic discussed in a previous article.
He resisted the pressure of relatives and colleagues to abandon his code of conduct and break with his uprightness, sustained by the hope of finding, after an exhaustive search, the one he should follow, whom he envisioned as an idealistic and disinterested man, moved exclusively by love of God and neighbour. In those moments of dire inner struggle, he would kneel on his bed and, in tears, pray Hail Marys one after another, entreating the Blessed Virgin for the grace to meet this man.
The spiritual life of Msgr. João consisted in a long, luminous and uninterrupted ascension in the knowledge and the love of Mary Most Holy
When the long-awaited encounter took place, on July 7, 1956, the luminous path that would lead him to total and definitive surrender to Our Lady lay open before João: consecration as a slave of love according to the method of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, which he made with Dr. Plinio as the mediator.
The guide and formation-giver to whom he entrusted himself was not a man of success according to worldly standards. On the contrary, he was a prophet, both persecuted and slandered, as generally happens to the true men of God (cf. Mt 5:12). It would be in the thick of the storms of adversity that befell the master that Our Lady would lead the disciple to ever closer union with her.
Devotion par excellence
It was during the diabetic emergency of Dr. Plinio in 1967 that, for the first time, Msgr. João beheld a reproduction of the miraculous fresco of Our Lady of Good Counsel venerated in the small Italian town of Genazzano.
Dr. Plinio, with his health seriously undermined and faced on all sides by the apparently irremediable failure of his vocation and of his work, and oppressed by an appalling interior trial, received the print of Mater Boni Consilii from a friend and intently contemplated it at length. As he looked at Our Lady’s countenance, the promise sank deep into his soul that would sustain him until death: She would bring him to the entire fulfilment of his mission.
Msgr. João, was at his side at that moment, and took note of that intense action of grace over him. Witnessing his spiritual father receive that mystical grace marked him indelibly, opening a new horizon in his relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary:3 a relationship of deepened intimacy with the Queen of Heaven, in a special way considered under the invocation of the Mother of Good Counsel.
The lively interest aroused in Msgr. João regarding the history of the fresco of Genazzano gave origin to the book he would write years later, The Mother of Good Counsel,4 narrating the wonders wrought by God through this devotion. What most captivated and enchanted him, however, was the expression of maternal love that appears on the face of Our Lady, as he describes:
“It is precisely this overflow of love and tenderness that the Author experiences each time he draws near Mater Boni Consilii. To be before the sacred fresco, to allow himself to be pervaded by the exchange of gazes between Mother and Son, to feel himself somehow included in this ineffable exchange, is a kind of ‘beatific pre-vision’ for him, which fills his soul with consolation and revives all his inner hopes. What joy, what support, and what spiritual sustenance he receives in that place, in the long conversations with his Mother.”5
“My son… have confidence!”
In November of 1978, Msgr. João had the joy of venerating the original image of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano for the first time. However, it was in 1984 that he experienced to what degree he was the special object of Mary’s love, and how ready She was to extend to him the solution to all of his problems and difficulties.
The consequences of a shameful defamation campaign launched that year against Dr. Plinio, obliged Msgr. João to go to Europe to gather opinions from renowned theologians that would help prove the innocence of his spiritual father and, in this way, protect his good fame and his work.
However, blaming himself for the media uproar in which the institution was embroiled, he embarked on the journey beset by anguish and interior trial. Hoping to receive some inspiration from Our Lady, he resolved to stop in Genazzano and pay her a visit.
The contemplation of that mystical grace received by his spiritual father opened for Msgr. João a new horizon: communication and intimacy with the Queen of Heaven
Stepping into the chapel that houses the sacred fresco, he was immediately drawn by the maternal expression of the Mother of Good Counsel. However, at a certain moment, one of those who were with him interrupted his contemplation to say that some dispatches had arrived from Brazil, recorded on cassette tape for his immediate attention.
Msgr. João hesitated momentarily. He wanted to prolong that sweet intimacy with his heavenly protector, yet he also knew that he should listen to the messages, which were certainly related to the arduous and delicate struggles that were unfolding at that time. He quickly came upon a solution: he would listen to them at low volume, right there, with the recorder held close to his ear.
Great was his surprise when he heard the familiar and beloved voice of Dr. Plinio: “My most dear João: Salve Maria! I know that you are in a state of affliction, involved in all of the problems of the uproar.6 What better place than Genazzano to beseech graces of Our Lady with regard to all of this. I wanted to transmit to you a piece of news that will fill you with happiness.”
With this, he went on to explain that one of the most dangerous and worrying situations had been resolved. “The case is closed,” he said, “so now it is behind you and behind me as well. I believe this has come about due to the intervention of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano.”
This news brought huge relief to Msgr. João and confirmed his hopes. The experience of the kindness and goodness of the Blessed Virgin Mary, together with the sentiment of inexpressible gratitude, flooded his soul with joy. As he gazed upon Our Lady, She seemed to smile at him and say: “My son, I am the one who did all of this. From now on, have confidence!”
Promises of aid
Deeply touched by this consolation, Msgr. João went closer to the fresco and knelt down. He was contemplating the subtle changes that were taking place in the countenance and the hues of the image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus, a phenomenon well known to devotees of Mater Boni Consilii, when, presently, he had the strong impression that the two were breathing like living people, with an even slightly perceptible rise and fall of the chest. As if that were not enough, it seemed to him that the Blessed Virgin was on the verge of speaking.
“Is this mere subjectivity on my part?” he said to himself, when one of others accompanying him said: “They are breathing! Do you see it as well?” “There can be no doubt. They really are breathing!” concluded Msgr. João, convinced by this testimony that the happening could not be attributed to his imagination.
“It seemed as if Our Lady declared: ‘Did you see my image breathing? This happens after a terrible trial. Now, why did I give you this sign? I want to show you that, even amid the hardest trials, you will never lack air in your lungs, that is, grace, sustenance and courage. After the storm will come the calm; after affliction, consolation; at the war’s end, peace. Anything may happen, giving the impression that the work will fall to pieces, but I will sustain it.”7
From that day onward, he was grounded in the conviction that nothing in this world could make him fear, for Our Lady was accompanying him with prodigious protection, maternal affection and assurance of help. And each time he visited her in Genazzano, She never failed to favour him with interior inspirations, guiding him in the most varied circumstances and even indicating to him the paths for the future.
Confidence amid the tempest
Such was the feeling of protection and affection that he felt at her feet, that a firm conviction was born in his soul: “Nothing in this world can do me harm”
Among the many words that maternal love whispered to the heart of the beloved son, one of the clearest was, undoubtedly, that spoken on August 1, 1995. He was praying at the foot of the holy image when he received, with all clarity, this word of forewarning from Our Lady: “Dr. Plinio will die, but do not worry, because I myself will guide things with strong help and protection.” Indeed, within a space of two months his spiritual father, teacher and guide would depart for eternity. Thanks to the Mother of Good Counsel, the faithful disciple was prepared and, with complete certainty and assurance, was the staunch support for his brothers in vocation at that crucial moment.
As will be described in the next article, after the death of Dr. Plinio, his work was battered by storms that would personally affect Msgr. João. However, he entrusted the future of the institution to the care of Our Lady and thus witnessed, over the years that followed, an extraordinary development in the various fields of activity of the Heralds of the Gospel – the association of the faithful of which he was founder – as well as a surprising increase in the number of vocations. The mantle of the Blessed Virgin protected him more than ever, and her heavenly hands blessed him in all his undertakings.
The greatest of all graces
It was July 2008. In the church of Our Lady of the Rosary, our founder was preaching a spiritual retreat attended by over a thousand members of the Heralds of the Gospel. The 12th day of that month had been dedicated especially to the administration of the Sacrament of Penance, and Msgr. João personally offered to attend those of his spiritual children who requested Confession. Since the priests present had occupied all the available confessionals, he decided to hear confessions in the presbytery of the church, between the main altar and the tabernacle. He would never have imagined, that Our Lady was waiting for him there to give him the greatest of all manifestations of her love.
As one of the penitents made his confession, Msgr. João raised his gaze on high towards the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the altarpiece. At that moment he became enraptured, oblivious to his surroundings. He saw the Blessed Virgin who drew him close to her in an embrace of indescribable affection, and caressed him with her hands. Inundated by immense, ineffable and perfect consolation, he could not hold back his tears.
“They that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness” (Sir 4:13), says Scripture, in speaking of wisdom. For long decades Msgr. João had kept vigilant watch, always seeking the glory of Mary Most Holy! And She rewarded him for this love, giving him an embrace of her sweetness. It was, without a doubt, the most sublime manifestation of affection, the greatest grace of a lifetime, granted by the “Mother of fair love” (Sir 24:24) to that especially beloved son.
Did Our Lady wish to strengthen him with a view to future events? We may make such a supposition, for, in fact, a painful and dolorous calvary would soon begin for him.
Years of suffering and of spiritual retreat
“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it” (Sg 8:7). Very truly, God often demands that the love that is purest and most heavenly be buffeted by the torrents of trial and submerged by apparent abandonment, but it is precisely in these hours that the flames of charity burn with the greatest splendour.
Two years after that mystical embrace, Msgr. João was once again visited by the cross. As mentioned earlier in this issue, in June 2010 he suffered a cerebrovascular accident, which left him with limited movement and which impaired his ability to speak until the end of his days.
While the penitent declared his faults, Msgr. João saw the Most Holy Virgin, who drew him close to herself in an embrace of ineffable tenderness
However, by a singular disposition of Providence, that which was taken from him physically was, at the same time, granted to him in the domains of the spirit, with unimaginable abundance. Msgr. João no longer had fluent use of the spoken word, but his gaze seemed to penetrate hearts and consciences, and move each of his sons and daughters more than his sermons, conferences and counsels had formerly enchanted them.
His paralyzed right side gave the overwhelming example of an immense sacrifice faced head-on and accepted continually to the end, and thus summoned all to follow in his footsteps and to ardently desire sanctity.
For Msgr. João, the years after 2010 were not only a long and painful ordeal, but also an extended period of recollection, a true spiritual retreat offered to him by Our Lady. Did the Mother of Good Counsel wish to spend some time with her beloved son, speaking more intimately to him in solitude and in silence?
Uninterrupted communication with Mary
With the passage of time, the sons and daughters who were privileged to have particularly close contact with Msgr. João noted that his union with the Blessed Virgin Mary reached mysterious heights. Every once in a while, he would open his soul, and making a valiant effort to overcome the barriers imposed by his speaking difficulty, he would express the requests that he addressed to the Mother of God in prayer, or he would improvise beautiful canticles in her praise. Thus, at times through very simple gestures, such as kissing an image of Our Lady or choosing a picture of her to be hung in his room, our founder revealed the tender and ardent growth of his devotion.
In particular, the photographs taken of Mater Boni Consilii a Genazzano always attracted him greatly, such as when he summed up in a few words the story of his filial love: “The first contact with her was in November 1978. From then on… an uninterrupted communication. There is something living about this painting! How beautiful it is! It seems to be alive!”
The house of God and the gate of Heaven
When contemplating such lofty peaks, should we consider them as belonging only to the realm of devotion? Or would it be more appropriate to recognize in such a relationship a true mystical union, a most elevated spiritual espousal?
Everything seemed to indicate that the sublime grace of 2008 brought, as a result, a promise from the Blessed Virgin: She would visit him once more, to enfold him in another embrace, superior to the first. But what were his desires and hopes, after so many years of yearning for this to take place? Respect and discretion prevented his children from exploring these depths, but many pondered how this new manifestation of Her love would unfold. Today we understand that the second embrace of Our Lady would be definitive and eternal, sealing the mystical espousal forever.
Today we understand that the second embrace of Our Lady, superior to the first, would be definitive and eternal, sealing forever the mystical espousal
Msgr. João entirely fulfilled his vocation; he followed the path marked out for him by God, he reached the top of the ladder and he was united eternally with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The promises made in the mysterious dream to the patriarch Jacob were realized also in him: “Your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves […] I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you” (Gn 28:14-15).
Msgr. João erected an immense work on this earth, entirely dedicated to Our Lady, and he led multitudes of souls up the glorious stairway of devotion to Her.
Upon entering the magnificent churches and basilicas that he built, or experiencing the splendour of the ceremonies that he idealized, or witnessing the marvellous fruits of fidelity, purity, perseverance and many other virtues won through his initiative and achievement, countless people “from the west to the east” are overcome with wonder, feel their faith revitalized and discover in the work of Msgr. João the face of the Holy Church, resplendent with beauty, the immaculate mirror of the heavenly countenance of Mary Most Holy, a pledge of the triumph of her Immaculate Heart on earth.
And all of them, with delight, may well make their own the words of Jacob as he awakened from his prophetic dream: “This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven!” (Gn 28:17). ◊
Notes
1 Cf. CLÁ DIAS, EP, João Scognamiglio. Mary Most Holy: The Paradise of God Revealed to Men. Houston: Heralds of the Gospel, 2020, v.I, p.25-29.
2 ST. LOUIS-MARIE GRIGNION DE MONTFORT. Prière Embrasée, n.25. In: Œuvres Complètes. Paris: Du Seuil, 1966, p.685.
3 Cf. CLÁ DIAS, op. cit., p.109.
4 Cf. CLÁ DIAS, EP, João Scognamiglio. Mãe do Bom Conselho [Mother of Good Counsel]. 3.ed. São Paulo: Lumen Sapientiæ, 2016. The first edition of the work was published in 1992.
5 CLÁ DIAS, Mary Most Holy: The Paradise of God Revealed to Men, op. cit., p.116-117.
6 The expression estrondo publicitário [publicity uproar] was used among the members the institution founded by Dr. Plinio to designate the ferocious defamatory campaigns and attacks against his person and works, that spanned various decades.
7 CLÁ DIAS, Mary Most Holy: The Paradise of God Revealed to Men, op. cit., p.123.
