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GRM 54.2-3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

A man, muffled up, is leaning against the rustic wall supporting a terrace, the nearest to the boundary of the property. He must have climbed up there along a path coasting the torrent.
When he sees Jesus approaching him, he shouts: «Go back. Back! Have mercy on me!» And he uncovers his trunk dropping his tunic to the ground. If his face is covered with scabs, his trunk is one big sore. Some of the sores have already become deep wounds, some are like burns, some are whitish and glossy, as if there was a thin white pane of glass on them.
«Are you a leper? What do you want of Me?»
«Don’t curse me! Don’t stone me. I have been told that the other evening You revealed Yourself as the Voice of God and the Bearer of Grace. I was also told that You gave assurance that by raising Your Sign, You will cure all diseases. Please raise it on me. I have come from the sepulchres… over there… I crept like a snake amongst the bushes near the torrent to reach here without being seen. I waited until evening before leaving because at dusk it is more difficult to see who I am. I dared… I found this man, the man of the house, he is good. He did not kill me. He only said: “Wait over there, near the little wall”. Have mercy on me” and as Jesus is going near him, all by Himself, because the six disciples and the landlord, as well as the two strangers, are far away and are evidently disgusted, he adds: «Don’t come nearer. Don’t! I am infected!» But Jesus proceeds. He looks at him so mercifully, that the man starts crying and kneels down almost touching the ground with his face, moaning: «Your Sign! Your Sign!»
«It will be raised when it is time. But now I say to you: Stand up. Be healed. I want it. And be the sign in this town that must recognise Me. Rise, I say. And do not sin, out of gratitude to God!»
The man rises slowly. He seems to emerge from the long flowery grass as from a shroud… and is healed. He looks at himself in the last dim light of the day. He is healed. He shouts: «I am clean! Oh! What shall I do for You now?»
«You must comply with the Law. Go to the priest. Be good in future. Go.»
The man is on the point of throwing himself at Jesus’ feet, but he remembers he is still impure, according to the Law, and he restrains himself. But he kisses his own hand, and throws a kiss to Jesus and weeps. He weeps out of joy.
54.3
The others are dumbfounded. Jesus turns away from the healed man and rouses them smiling. «My friends, it was only a leprosy of the flesh. But you will see leprosy fall from hearts. (...) »

Detail

Simon the Zealot is healed of leprosy. Six disciples are present: John and James of Zebedee, Peter and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael.

Keywords

GRM 54.3-5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Is it you that wanted Me?» He asks the two strangers. «Here I am. Who are you?»
«We heard You the other evening… in the Temple. We looked for You in town. A man, who said he is a relative of Yours, told us You stay here.»
«Why are you looking for Me?»
«To follow You, if You will allow us, because You have words of truth.»
«Follow Me? But do you know where I am going?»
«No, Master, but certainly to glory.»
«Yes. But not to a glory of this world. I am going to a glory which is in Heaven and is conquered by virtue and sacrifice. Why do you want to follow Me?» He asks them again.
«To take part in Your glory.»
«According to Heaven?»
«Yes, according to Heaven.»
«Not everybody is able to go there. Because Mammon lays more snares for those yearning for Heaven than for the others. And only he who has strong willpower can resist. Why follow Me, if to follow Me implies a continuous struggle against the enemy, which is in us, against the hostile world, and against the Enemy who is Satan?»
«Because that is the desire of our souls, which have been conquered by You. You are holy and powerful. We want to be Your friends.»
«Friends!!!» Jesus is silent and sighs. Then He stares at the one who has spoken all the time and who has now removed the mantle-hood from his head, and is bareheaded. He is Judas of Kerioth. «Who are you? You speak better than a man of the people.»
«I am Judas, the son of Simon. I come from Kerioth. But I am of the Temple. I am waiting for and dreaming of the King of the Jews. I heard You speak like a king. I saw Your kingly gestures. Take me with You.»
«Take you? Now? At once? No.»
«Why not, Master?»
«Because it is better to examine ourselves carefully before venturing on very steep roads.»
«Do You not believe I am sincere?»
«You have said it. I believe in your impulsiveness. But I do not believe in your perseverance. Think about it, Judas. I am going away now and I will be back for Pentecost. If you are in the Temple, you will see Me. Examine yourself.
54.4
And who are you?».
«I am another one who saw You. I would like to be with You. But now I am frightened.»
«No. Presumption ruins people. Fear may be an impediment, but it is a help when it originates from humbleness. Do not be afraid. Think about it, too, and when I come back…»
«Master, You are so holy! I am afraid of not being worthy. Nothing else. Because I do not doubt my love…»
«What is your name?»
«Thomas, also known as Didymus.»
«I will remember your name. Go in peace.»
Jesus dismisses them and He goes into the hospitable house for supper.
54.5
The six disciples who are with Him want to know many things.
«Why, Master, why did You treat them differently? Because there was a difference. Both of them had the same impulsiveness…» asks John.
«My friend, also the same impulsiveness may have a different taste and bring about a different effect. They both certainly had the same impulsiveness. But they were not the same in their purposes. And the one who appears less perfect is, in fact, more perfect, because he has no incentive to human glory. He loves Me because he loves Me.»

Keywords

GRM 54.3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Mammon lays more snares for those yearning for Heaven than for the others. And only he who has strong willpower can resist.

Keywords

GRM 54.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Jesus is speaking very gently, sitting at the poor table, gesticulating calmly with His hands on the table, His head slightly inclined to one side, His face lit up from below by a small oil lamp on the table. He smiles gently, He Who formerly was so majestic a Master in His bearing, is now so friendly in His gestures. His disciples are listening to Him carefully.

Detail

Jesus' attitude, shortly after gathering six disciples around him (John and James of Zebedee, Peter and Andrew, Philip and Bartholomew).

Keywords

Jesus Christ

GRM 54.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

54.6 «Master… why did Your cousin not come, although he knows where You live?»
«My Peter!… You will be one of My stones, the first one. But not all the stones can be easily used. Have you seen the marble blocks in the Praetorium building? With hard labour they have been torn away from the bosom of the mountain side, and are now part of the Praetorium. Look instead at those stones down there shining in the moonlight, in the water of the Kidron. They reached the riverbed by themselves, and if anyone wants to take them, they do not put up any resistance. My cousin is like the first stones I am speaking of… The bosom of the mountain side: his family, they contend for him with Me.»
«But I want to be exactly like the stones in the torrent. I am quite prepared to leave everything for You: home, wife, fishing, brothers. Everything, Rabboni, for You.»
«I know, Peter. That is why I love you.»

Keywords

GRM 54.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

54.6 «Master… why did Your cousin not come, although he knows where You live?»
«My Peter!… You will be one of My stones, the first one. But not all the stones can be easily used. Have you seen the marble blocks in the Praetorium building? With hard labour they have been torn away from the bosom of the mountain side, and are now part of the Praetorium. Look instead at those stones down there shining in the moonlight, in the water of the Kidron. They reached the riverbed by themselves, and if anyone wants to take them, they do not put up any resistance. My cousin is like the first stones I am speaking of… The bosom of the mountain side: his family, they contend for him with Me.»
«But I want to be exactly like the stones in the torrent. I am quite prepared to leave everything for You: home, wife, fishing, brothers. Everything, Rabboni, for You.»
«I know, Peter. That is why I love you. Also Judas will come.»
«Who? Judas of Kerioth? I don’t care for him. He is a dandy young man, but… I prefer… I prefer myself…» They all laugh at Peter’s witty remark. «There is nothing to laugh at. I mean that I prefer a sincere Galilean, a rough fisherman, but without any fraud to… to townsfolk who… I don’t know… here: the Master knows what I mean.»
«Yes, I know. But do not judge. We need one another in this world, the good are mixed with the wicked, just like flowers in a field. Hemlock grows beside the salutary mallow.»

Detail

Peter asks Jesus about Jude, who is absent, and the conversation turns to Judas, who first presented himself to the Master.

Keywords

GRM 54.7

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

54.7 «I would like to ask one thing…»
«What, Andrew?»
«John told me about the miracle You performed at Cana… We were hoping so much that You would perform one at Capernaum… and You said that You would not perform any miracles before fulfilling the Law. Why Cana then? And why here and not in Your own fatherland?»
«To obey the Law is to be united to God and that increases our capabilities. A miracle is the proof of the union with God, as well as of God’s benevolent and assenting presence. That is why I wanted to perform My duty as an Israelite, before starting the series of miracles.»
«But You were not bound to fulfil the Law.»
«Why? As the Son of God, I was not. But as a son of the Law, yes, I was. For the time being, Israel knows Me only as such… and, even later, almost everyone in Israel will know Me as such, in fact, even less. But I do not want to scandalise Israel and therefore I obey the Law.»
«You are holy.»
«Holiness does not bar obedience. On the contrary, it makes obedience perfect. Besides everything else, there is a good example to be given. What would you say of a father, of an elder brother, of a teacher, of a priest who did not give good examples?»
«And what about Cana?»
«Cana was to make My Mother happy. Cana is the advance due to My Mother. She anticipates Grace. Here I honour the Holy City, making her, in public, the starting point of My power as Messiah. But there, at Cana, I paid honour to the Holy Mother of God, Full of Grace. The world received Me through Her. It is only fair that My first miracle in the world should be for Her.»

Keywords

GRM 54.7

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Cana was to make My Mother happy. Cana is the advance due to My Mother. She anticipates Grace. Here I honour the Holy City, making her, in public, the starting point of My power as Messiah. But there, at Cana, I paid honour to the Holy Mother of God, Full of Grace. The world received Me through Her. It is only fair that My first miracle in the world should be for Her.»

Keywords

GRM 54.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

54.8 There is a knocking at the door. It is Thomas once again. He goes in and throws himself at Jesus’ feet. «Master… I cannot wait until You come back. Let me come with You. I am full of faults, but I have my love, my only real great treasure. It is Yours, it’s for You. Let me come, Master…»
Jesus lays His hand on Thomas’ head. «You may stay, Didymus. Follow Me. Blessed are those who are sincere and persistent in their will. You are all blessed. You are more than relatives to Me, because you are My children and My brothers, not according to the blood, that dies, but according to the will of God and to your spiritual wishes. Now I tell you that I have no closer relative than those who do the will of My Father, and you do it, because you want what is good.»
The vision ends in this way.

Keywords

Thomas (apostle)

GRM 55

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Andrew, Peter, James and John, Bartholomew, Philip, and Thomas are at the house of Jonah, the guardian of Gethsemane. Thomas tells how he came back to the scene. Jesus questions him, and offers him to stay. The apostle is happy, and Jesus takes the opportunity to teach the apostolic group a lesson about hospitality. Peter grumbles and makes a few remarks, saying that those we welcome are not always well-intentioned, and the Lord replies. Then he asks Thomas to go and find Simon the Zealot in the tombs, and to accompany him until he is purified. They meet again later. As for Judas, he encourages him not to go and see him, or even to seek his presence.

Peter grumbles again, and Christ asks him why. Simon of Jonah then points out that he gives missions to those who have just arrived, but not to the first disciples who followed him. The Master smiles at his words, and points out that, if he doesn't give such missions, it's because he knows them and is sure of them. The one who must be put to the test is the one who is not yet sure, the Savior asserts, and yet Christ esteemed them so much that he took his first apostles "without demanding proofs and without feeling the need to give you any". Peter is reassured and asks for forgiveness. Jesus, for his part, asks him not to argue about the places and merits of each. The Redeemer reminds them that He Himself is man's servant, and so He reminds them to remain humble.

Finally, Jesus gives Thomas the portrait of Simon the Zealot. All that remains is to find him...