In Flora’s footsteps

Flora Manfrinati, dead in the odour of sanctity on not so far 24th March 1954 and at present”Venerable”lived all her fairly short life-she was in fact born in the drainage of the Ferrarese marsh on July 7th 1907 –for deepening her knoweledge and love for Christ.
Love strengthened unceasingly by her devotion to the Blessed Vergin Mary whom she prayed and made everyone know as”Our Universal Lady” as “Mother of all the sorrows and all desires” as the One who says to her daughter Flora “Be afraid of the earthly exile, sek consolation under my mantle “and as the One who asks everyone to recite the invocation:”Our Universal Lady protect the Vatican and through the Vatican protect the world”.
The image of the Madonna as she appears on a picture portrayed by a friend of hers, a paintress, under Flora’s suggestion, is full of lovely sweetness, wrapped in anamazingly shining white mantle on a light azure field overspread with paradisiac light. At the foot of the Vergin lies the Vatican and under the Vatican the world. Let’s remark:a world heavily covered with such thick clouds that to our eyes the view of our planet is not very “clear”.
The protection of Our Lady- and exactly with the name of “Lady-the Madonna asked Flora to name her- both on the Vatican and on the world is well represented by the very wide mantle the arms of the Madonna spread out as to keep everyting under her motherly Mercy.
The whole image is surpirsingly “new” and arouses comfort and confidence in the ones who behold it. In the end the Madonna gives through Flora the following message of hope:”Every time human eye will rest on my image it will receive my blessing.
The mantle is trimmed with golden stars and crosses while the representation of the keys and papal tiara rises up at the two ends of the mantle…on the tip of the left foot of the Madonna lies an extraordinary bright golden star…the hands of the Madonna are open…to instil reliance, yes but also to remember the hands of her Son Jesus crucified by us… The seeming triunph of science mustn’t make us forget “the thirst for supernatural” present in the world just as the spread of materialism and hedonism can'’ silence that inner voice wich leads us on great ideals of love, generosity, peace.
We must not forget that even heaven with more frequent apparitions and messages intervenes in what can nowadays be really considered as a decisive fight between the good and evil… From this point of view we need approaching Flora’s esperience,”The little wild flower, soul exceptional of phisical and moral sofference, of deep charity, of overwhelming faith , of humility and total concealing, of incessant activity in her ordinary life and in her apostolate.
As a clear confirmation of the supernaturality of many of her statements we can think it was true she sometimes had to ask for an explanation of some of the things she had reported. Obviously it was God who directly enlightened”Wild-Flower”! Of the many contributions booklets, printed matter we have taken from to write something about Flora Manfrinati we must not underestimate the volume”A life for the others” by Victor Felisati Ed. Sate- Ferrara. 1970

“ THE MADONNA TO FLORA…”

All that is reported here was first brought to notice by the “fellow believers” of Flora Manfrinati, founder of “The Association of Our Universal Lady”- Educator Apostoles- with mother house in Turin in St. Francesco da Paola Street.
Willingly we collect this bunch of thoughts and expressions so excellent and so concrete that one can treasure them up if he wants. Edifyng and inspired words we are greatly grateful for to Flora but also to her companions who still carry on with zeal the task begun for the Madonna’s will. Flora was exhorted to “work in the shadow” and “to be like the shadow” and “to be like the shadow that doesn’t care if it is trampled upon”.
She prayed like this:”Oh, beautiful Mother,heavently star, come down with the flag, with the spear of triunph, come down to the earth as a warrior”! She said that Sanctity “doesen’t consist in running but in doing the things perfectly” She said that God doesen’t like noise but the silence of the absorbed soul.” She said not to measure our own strenght with the need of the purpose but to counterbalance our own deeds with God’s mercy.
She said not to be aroused! She stated that”everyting is in our hands with the Madonna’s help! That”Good will is sufficient and at the right moment Heaven will act: Jesus preferred solitude, the prayer, the Calvary and the sacrifice of the cross. My suffering has always been my gold boole. She said:” Suffering is much too precious for us to ask for death”She said that our richness is the cross””That our heart needs suffering” “ That our heart needs the cross to be sanctified! When the Madonna called her, she abandoned every thing and concentrated in prayers, conscious she would please the Good Mother of Heven.
The mantle stretched out on the Vatican and the world thrus confirms”Faith and Love”! To Flora the Madonna appeared as “THE LADY”! Often when Flora had to urge to care and commitment she said:”My Lady has told me…” We would like to wite down here the sentences collected in far-off 1959 in precious booklet titled “ The Madonna to a small wild flower “ booklet that brings togheter Flora’s notes during moments of very special intimacy with the Lady in the Years ranging from 1949 to 1954.
The prepace is by the assistant Bishop of Turin (Italy) Mons. Stefano Tinivella. This collection , plainly just a choice of sentences among the many Flora left us, has been edited by the Educator Apostles of 42, St Francesco da Paola Street, Turin. “…I am the Lady of dawn…. “The world and humans have dropped in the dark night. I am the dawn of a morning that will rise to enlighten the way to the men and lead them to the sunrise of the real light…” “…As I am the Mother of all, I wish to accept the prayers each of my sons will spontaneously offer me and welcome from the poor ignorant this simple desire to love me.
I don’t want a special prayer , I wish everyone opened his heart, said what he in that moment felt telling his own Mother that all can bestow…” “…I am the Queen of Heaven and the Earth, but at the same time I am the merciful Mother of all the mortals. I will give my sons all the possibilty and time to be converted, but woe betide the ones who hold out!” “I am the pilgrim Mother who wanders all over the world in search of hearts and souls; the ones who really want to deny me will fiend I am their Empress and will bend their Kness to the ground… I was given the power to fight and win… and after this battle our will be renewed…!” You will greet me by saying:”Hail, Lady of dawn! Your blessing, your love, your mercy descend in this very moment on the whole humanity and your peace wrap this corrupted and grieved world … To Flora, the Madonna ”… explained the meaning of “LADY” and said that with the name of Lady she wanted comprehend all the titles she is honoured with in the word.
“You will always invoke me like this:”MY LADY…!”
“Won’t you ask me what the rosary girding my hips means?
It means:The people who frequently say this prayer build up a garland which joins them to me”
“ The one who is with Mary and works with Mary avails himself of Mary”
“THIS IS THE TIME OF UNIVERSAL VERGIN”
It is time to fight in the open with the enemy of the Church, but have faith and be strong.
They say everywhere that the age punishment has come but I still want to tell everyone that it is the moment of the utmost love and mercy:

“ MY FORCE IS MIGHTIER THAN HUMAN POWER”.