Summary of EMV

Jesus is alone in Jerusalem. Maria saw him looking in a particular direction, but the vision was short-lived. It resumed later and the mystic discovered the interior of the Temple. There are doctors of the Law there, including Gamaliel, Hillel and Chammaï, who are discussing David's prophecy and the Messiah. The first two argue that the Savior is already on Earth, while the other claims that Iseaël's slavery has only increased and that "the peace that should have been brought by him whom the prophets call 'the Prince of Peace' is far from reigning over the world". Jesus intervenes and declares that Gamaliel is right. He is asked what they are basing this on, and for a while the characters talk about the Nativity and the massacre of the Innocents. Then Hillel asks where the boy's wisdom comes from, and they want to examine him properly. He is given a scroll, and then comes the theme of the Forerunner. Jesus asserts that he is already on earth and that he will shortly precede Christ. Moreover, the Son of Joseph prophesies about the Kingdom of God and the Kingship of Christ, which is entirely spiritual. He even asserts that God's Sanctuary will no longer be torn down and destroyed, and Hillel understands his words by quoting another passage from the Book of Haggai.

Gamaliel then speaks to him of the Peace spoken of by the prophet, and Jesus responds with the words of the Gloria: "Peace to men of good will". However, Israel does not have this good will, so it will not have Peace and will reject its Messiah. Finally, Jesus returns once more to the Forerunner, following a remark by Shammai, asserting that he will shortly precede Christ. He ends by saying that if everyone were just like Hillel, salvation would come to Israel. Hillel offers to stay with him, but the Child says he must remain in solitude. And so the vision ends.

Maria then explains how she knew who Hillel and Gamaliel were (thanks to the voice of her inner counselor). Finally, Jesus gives a dictation on the recovery of Jesus and Mary in the Temple, and the grief of Mary and Joseph. He returns to the famous question, "My son, why have you done this to us?"

Maria sees the carpenter's bench in Nazareth. Jesus is working there. Mary arrives and calls her Son: they go into a room where Joseph is dying. Jesus goes close to his father, tries to revive him and sits his Mother down. He then prays and comforts the dying man. Joseph dies peacefully in his arms, surrounded by his Son and his most holy Bride.

Jesus then gives dictation, emphasizing Mary's suffering at this moment, for she truly loved her Joseph. To find strength in this trial, and to give her fiat, she clings to Jesus. She also clings to God in the hour of trial.

Jesus invites us to do the same, and to call on him at the hour of our death, for between his stockings it loses all its harshness. Jesus said for all of us: "Lord, into your hands I commend my spirit", for all those who die thinking of him, so that our agonies may be softened.

Mary gives Maria a lesson and returns to the Infancy Gospel. She dwells on the discreet miracles that punctuated his hidden life. The Virgin also returns to the spirtual evolution of her husband, then declares that the visions were given according to Maria's needs, for she would not have borne to see certain things, and Heaven is not cruel: it acts to comfort us, not to panic us.

Mary dwells on the Magi's gifts, which vanished like snow in Egypt, barely enabling them to re-establish their home and workshop in Nazareth. The Holy Family gained no material goods from Jesus, but all that mattered to Joseph and Mary was keeping their treasure, Christ.

The Virgin goes on to encourage Maria as she experiences great suffering, declaring that martyrdom "does not lie in the form of torture, but in the constancy with which the martyr endures it". We must live it in God and ask for his help, because what we cannot do, he will do in us...

Jesus prepares to leave Nazareth. Mary is clearly distressed. Her Son eats, and after her bag is ready, Mary isolates herself for a moment. Jesus goes to join her, and it turns out that she is weeping in Joseph's workshop. Jesus speaks to her and they both go into the garden, where Jesus gives her his recommendations. Then they recite the Lord's Prayer together, to lean on God in this hour of trial. Jesus then leaves, leaving his Mother in Nazareth.

Christ then gives dictation, and speaks of Mary's suffering following her separation from Christ. For a moment, he explains why he is giving the Work, and how he gives the lessons. Then he declares that this vision applies to all those who must undergo painful renunciation and leave their families. This lesson is for parents and children alike.

Mary has suffered separation from her Son, but she has not rebelled against God's Will. She wept - but who wouldn't have wept, guessing how her Child would suffer? She knew that her relatives were full of human common sense, and that they would not understand Christ's departure or preaching. She knew how her Son would encounter hostility during His ministry. She also wept, suffered and made amends, for all mothers who have to part with their offspring. The tears of the Mother and the Blood of Jesus Christ strengthen those who have to show heroism, and they strengthen consecrated souls and victim souls in particular.

In the hour of trial, Mary prays with Jesus. Suffering does not prevent her from praying, on the contrary. And Jesus tells us that we must always pray with him, for it is Jesus who justifies us.

John baptizes at the Jordan. Maria hears him preach to the crowd. Meanwhile, Jesus arrives in a very simple way, without showing himself to his Forerunner. But the Forerunner seems to sense something, and turns to face his cousin. He immediately goes to his Lord, and proclaims that he is the Lamb of God. Everything then happens as the Gospel relates. Jesus then gave dictation, saying that John needed no signs. Nevertheless, there was a series of Christic manifestations, so that his nature as God-Man could not be denied by his contemporaries.

Jesus is in the desert and is tempted by Satan. First, the Devil talks to him about the woman, but he sees that his words have no effect and tries to make Jesus bend by talking to him about bread. Jesus responds as in the Gospel, then comes the temptation to go to the Temple and the temptation to worship Satan, to gain power. The Savior replies that the Lord God is the one to be worshipped, and the Devil disappears with a roar of rage. The angels then appear to serve the Messiah.

Jesus then gives a dictation, and returns to the sympathetic aspect of Satan. If the soul is not careful, it can fall into his traps. Christ explains that he first uses carnal attraction and greed to tempt the children of God; then he counters with the moral side (pride) and the spirit, taking away the love and fear of God.

The Master shows how he behaved: through silence and prayer. There's no point arguing with Satan, because he's stronger than we are in dialectics. "Only God can defeat him", so we can use God's Word to defend ourselves, because he can't stand it.

After temptation comes victory, as the angels serve us, showering us with grace and blessings. We must have the will to defeat Satan, and have faith in God's help and prayer.

Jesus walks near the ford of the Jordan. A group passes by, and among them are John and James of Zebedee. It is John who notices the Master and naturally goes towards Him, while his brother follows behind. He greets him, calling him the Lamb of God. Jesus asks him whom he is looking for, and the Beloved replies that he is looking for the Master. He knows this because John the Baptist told him so, and he calls him Lamb because that's what he heard the Forerunner call him. John the Baptist is now imprisoned, and they no longer have their guide. However, John shows up, and he introduces James. He asks where Jesus lives, and Jesus points out that whoever follows him will have to abandon everything: "home, parents, way of thinking, even life." He's not a rich man, and you have to be spiritually reborn in God to follow him. The two men nevertheless want to follow him, and Jesus accepts their request.

Christ then gives two dictations. The first deals with purity and virginity, including consecrated virginity. He explains that "there are many ways of being a virgin", and returns to those who make a vow to the Lord. If souls make a vow, but give in to sensuality (even that of thought), they are only half virgins.

The Master then returns to his own temptation in the desert and the sensuality the Devil proposed. Then he dwells on the pure, who see God. Finally, he focuses on John, the Pure One among the disciples, who was his first disciple.

John is by the lake, in Bethsaida. James is with him. He calls Peter and Andrew, who are returning to the shore, for they are in a boat. When they get close, Andrew asks why they haven't come and John asks why they haven't accompanied them to see the Master. Peter grumbles, not at all convinced that it's Christ, but John insists, even saying that it's the Messiah and that he knows everything. James intervenes and repeats Jesus' words to him; John then jumps in, and Peter has the kind of turnaround we love: he wants to go and see the Lord. He even reproaches Andrew for not accompanying them, even though he saw Christ at John's baptism. They put everything back in place and leave, but suddenly Peter is worried: if Jesus knows everything, he'll know that Simon almost called him a liar. But John reassures him that the Savior is very good. He even tells him that Jesus already knew about his reactions last night, and yet encouraged him to come, because he is a man of good will.

Peter is pleased, and asks about Jesus. He learns that he is a craftsman from Nazareth and that, when John and James wanted to give him some denarii, as was the custom, he gave them directly to the poor. This further reassures good Simon, who wants to go and see the Messiah.

Maria sees John of Zebedee. He sees the Master and calls out to him. The two men talk. Jesus was praying and thinking about what he was going to say to the synagogue, but seeing spiritually that John was looking for him, he went to meet him. The son of Zebedee asks him if Jesus loves him, and Christ returns the question. John then reveals that he loves him very much, that his soul, according to him, had always been looking for him. When the Savior asks him what he will do if he has to leave his father, mother, brothers and sisters, as well as life, wife and love, John replies that Christ's love will take the place of father, mother, brothers, sister and wife. When Jesus speaks of his death, John doesn't want that to happen at all, and asks him for permission to love his Lord. Jesus grants it. James' brother is happy.

They then talk about Andrew and Peter, and Jesus heads for the synagogue. On the way, he comforts the child James, who is about to cry because he ran too fast. They talk briefly about the children of the Exodus and Limbo, and the boy is promised that he will go straight to Heaven when he dies, if he is good. This gives John the opportunity to ask the Master about his parentage. He confirms that he has no nephews, brothers or sisters, only cousins and his Mother. Finally, Jesus goes to preach in the synagogue.

He reads from the Book of Jeremiah, addressing the people of Israel who are weeping because of foreign occupation. Some say they still have the Temple, but the Lord reminds them that prayer is only holy if we have love for our neighbor. The rich who make great offerings, but are hard-hearted, are not accepted by God. So Christ urges them to be of good will, to be sincere and kind. He reminds us that the Law is simple, if we give the Commandments the light of love. After alluding to the Eucharist, he encourages souls to love.

Having finished his speech, he returns to Peter and Andrew. Jesus states Peter's character: he is a man who should refrain from judging without first informing himself, but he sincerely acknowledges his wrongs. The Master also asks Andrew why he didn't come earlier, and Peter confesses that it was he who held him back. The fisherman also confesses his weaknesses, and Jesus already gives him some initial advice. For the moment, God is not asking him to tear out his heart and separate himself from his most holy affections, but he is asking him to practice justice, love mercy, and apply himself totally to following his God. This pleases Peter. Andrew says nothing, but the Lord promises that he will become a lion. The Galileans leave him, but John wants to follow him to Jerusalem. Simon of Jonah encourages him to go and see Christ, and Jesus agrees to let John accompany him.

Jesus ends with a dictation on John's humility. He is the one who brings Peter to the Savior, but since the son of thunder knew Andrew's shyness, and John was just, Andrew fades into the background of his Gospel and lets people believe that Andrew is the Lord's first apostle.

How many, by comparison, proclaim themselves to be great apostles when their success comes from a combination of things, not only holiness, but also human audacity, luck, the fact that some people are less bold than we are, but perhaps holier than we are.

Christ encourages us not to glorify ourselves when we act well: we must always have a clear eye and "give to whom it may concern the praise that is due to him". We need to recognize the apostles through whom we can do our work effectively. We must be able to say: "I am the active instrument, but this one has more love than I do, prays better than I do, and it's thanks to him that I have the strength to act.

John is the favorite, he is the pure, the loving, the obedient, and he is very humble. Jesus mirrored himself in him, and his Mother felt as if she had a second son.

Jesus leaves Capernaum and goes to Bethsaida. Peter welcomes him and invites him to stay in his house. Christ accepts, and Simon de Jonas is delighted. Jesus retires to pray, and later goes outside. He meets a few children, including one who doesn't want to play at war. Jesus supports his point of view, explaining that war is God's punishment. When the kids point out that the kid refuses because he always loses, Jesus smiles and declares that we shouldn't refuse something when it harms us: that's selfishness. You should refuse something when it harms everyone, even if you're sure you'll win. The conversation continues, and Jesus speaks to them for a moment about the Last Judgment and the approaching Redemption, drawing on the book of Nehemiah. The children recognize that he is the Messiah, and he promises to take them with him if they are good and obedient to their parents.

Philip comes to him and Jesus invites him to follow. The apostle accepts, and Jesus tells him about Nathanael. The old man goes to fetch Bartholomew, and everything goes according to the Gospel.

Jesus then goes to Bethsaida to preach. The Savior comes to reiterate the law of the Decalogue, which was simple in the beginning. Nothing else is needed, and the Messiah enjoins us above all to love. He even encourages us to love our enemies.

When the sermon is over, Jesus says he's going to Jerusalem. Peter is torn, but decides to follow the Master. James of Zebedee, Andrew, Philip and Nathanael embark. Jesus accepts them, and the group prays together. Christ then sends them away, explaining that he will continue to pray during this time. The Son of Man needs prayer to continue to be the Redeemer.