Over the last four years I have been studying Aramaic, Latin. Greek and Hebrew as part of a Masters of Theological Studies. One soon learns how many different ways it is possible to translate something into another language and how this translation can give it a different interpretation to what others translate it.
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Recently I was told that a leading priest in the Divine Will movement, who doesn't believe that Joseph lived in the Divine Will on earth, drew their attention to the 31st meditation by Mary in the book by the servant of God Luisa Piccarreta entitled "The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will". In this he quoted out of its context: "I was the only creature to enter Heaven with the Kingdom of the Divine Will established in its Soul". He seems to interpret this as meaning Mary was the first creature to enter Heaven with the Kingdom of the Divine Will established in her soul and thus St Joseph didn't live in the Divine Will. However this translation seems more of a paraphrase than a translation. One translation of the Barese dialect of the original into Italian is "ero l'unica creatura che entrava in Cielo che aveva fatto la Divina Volontà sulla terra come si fa in Cielo, e che aveva formato il suo Regno nell'anima mia".
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The term "first creature" is different to "only creature". If it was in Italian then first creature would be translated as prima creatura but could mean first in number or event or first in status or importance. Prima as an adverb means "before". However when I checked an Italian edition (quoted above) they used the word "unica" which can mean "only" or "unique". We also see that "unica creatura"means "only creature" but "creatura unica" means "unique creature" in modern Italian.
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It is also interesting that in the regional dialects of Italy the word creatura is also used to mean an infant or small child and figuratively it means a protege (A person guided and protected by a more prominent person). Thus it is possible to translate it as "I was the unique little child, who entered Heaven, who had done the Divine Will on earth as it is done in Heaven, and who formed his Kingdom in my soul." This would fit with the wider understanding of the littleness teaching stressed in living in the Divine Will. Our Lady is that little Chaya (living creature in Hebrew) and Luisa is the very little Chaya. Piccarreta means "very little one". St Joseph is the Hidden Chaya who is eclipsed in Our Lady. Our Lord is the superior Chaya. We could also translate it as "I was the unique protege, who entered heaven etc" or "I was the unique little one, who entered Heaven etc."
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I have discussed these chayot elsewhere:
The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta is known as the little daughter of the Divine Will. She mirrors the littleness (katnut) or lowliness (shiflut) of Our Lady. Elsewhere I have discussed that the name Piccarreta means 'very little one' and the mention of this 'very little one' in the Zohar as one of the four chayot (living creatures of the Throne).
“… ‘This is the Chayah which I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chabar’ (Ezekiel 10:20). Now, which chayah is here indicated? Rabbi Jose replied in the name of Rabbi Chiya that the reference is to the little Chaya. ‘But is there such a little chayah?’ ‘Yes, assuredly there is. There is a little one and a superior one and there is also a very little one. This (very little one) is alluded to in the last part of the verse under discussion: “And under his feet a likeness of a brickwork of Sapphire (or sapphire stone)’. What was this [very little one] which they saw? They beheld the precious stone which the Holy One will build the future Sanctuary, as it is written: ‘I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with sapphires’(Isaiah 54:11)” (Zohar 126a).
‘His feet’ refers to the superior Chayah who is El Chai himself the God of Israel. The ‘likeness of a brick work’ refers to the little Chayah who is the Lady of Israel (Matronita). The ‘Sapphire Stone’ is the ‘very little one’ (Piccaretta) from whom the future Sanctuary or era of Sanctification shall be built. The Zohar reveals that besides the two Chayot called the superior male Chayah (Metatron/ Yeshua) and the little female Chayah (Matronita/ Our Lady), there is a ‘very little Chayah’ (Nukvah/ Luisa). The fourth Hidden chayah not mentioned in this passage is the hidden Tzaddik Joseph. These Chayot (living creatures) are connected with the mystery of the Galgal (wheel) in Ezekiel and Isaiah and the rounds (galgalim) in the yehiot (fiats) of Creation, Redemption and Sanctification. The concept of littleness mentioned in Luisa's writings are shiflut (lowliness), bitul (total self sacrificing humility) and katnut (littleness or smallness).
sèmbe che lla volondà tóje,
come 'ngile acchessí 'ndèrre.
and in Italian it is:
sia fatta la tua volontà,
come in cielo così in terra
The whole prayer of the Our Father is in Barese dialect:
Attàne Nèste, (Attane is father and neste Our)
ca sta 'ngile,
sandificàte jè u nome tuje,
venghe à nú u Régne tuje,
sèmbe che lla volondà tóje,
come 'ngile acchessí 'ndèrre.
Annúscece josce u pane nèste de tutte le di,
é llívece à nnú le díbete nèste,
come nú le levàme à ll'alde,
é nnon z'inducénne à nnú 'ntendazióne,
ma líbberace d'o' male,
Amen.
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Thus this part of Meditation 31 can be translated as: - "Now, my little girl, do you want to know who this woman is who all Heaven praises and remains enraptured with? It is I, She who never did her own will. The Divine Will is without boundaries in me so that it expands to the most beautiful heavens, the most radiant suns, seas of beauty, love and holiness. It is with these that I give light to everyone, love and holiness to all. I enclose everything and everyone within my Heaven. It was the work of the Divine Will operating in me that worked such a great Sign. I was the unique little one, who entered Heaven, who had done the Divine Will on earth as it is done in Heaven and who had formed his Kingdom in my soul. Now, the whole Celestial Court, in looking at me, was astounded. This was because looking at me one way they found in me heaven. Then, turning to gaze at me in a different way, they found in me the sun. Then not being able to detach their gaze, they looked at me more deeply and they saw me as the ocean. They also found in me a very crystal clear earth which was my humanity adorned with the most beautiful blossoms. This so enraptured them that they exclaimed: “How beautiful She is! All creation has centred itself in Her! She lacks nothing! Among all the works of her Creator, She works only for the completion of all creation! "
St Joseph in the Kingdom of the Divine Will: Dispute for the Sake of Heaven
