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GRM 78.8-9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

78.8 An old man says: «Listen, my Lord. Some time ago, a long time ago, at the time of the edict, we heard here that the Saviour was born in Bethlehem… and I went there with other people… I saw a little Baby, exactly like all other new-born babies. But I adored Him with faith. Later I heard that there was a holy man, whose name is John. Which is the true Messiah?»
«The One you adored. The other is His Precursor: a great saint in the eyes of the Most High. But he is not the Messiah.»
«Was it You?»
«It was I. And what did you see around the new-born Child?»
«Poverty and cleanliness, honesty and purity… A kind serious carpenter, whose name was Joseph, a carpenter but of the House of David, a young mother, fair and kind, whose name was Mary, before whose grace the most beautiful roses of Engedi turn pale and the lilies of the royal flower beds seem mis-shapen, and a Child with large blue eyes and pale gold hair… I saw nothing else… And I can still hear the voice of the Mother say to me: “On behalf of My Creature I say to You: may the Lord be with you until the eternal meeting and may His Grace come towards you on your way”. I am eighty-four years old… my way is near its end. I was no longer expecting to meet the Grace of God. Instead I have found You… and now I do not wish to see any other light than Yours… Yes. I see You as You are in this merciful attire, which is the flesh You have taken. I see You! Listen to the voice of a man who sees the Light of God while dying!»
The people press around the old inspired man, who is in Jesus’ group. No longer leaning on his walking stick, he lifts his trembling arms and raises his white head, which, with its separated beard, seems the head of a patriarch or a prophet.
«I see Him: The Chosen, Supreme, Perfect One, Who descended here out of love, I see Him rise again to the right hand side of the Father and become One with Him. But… Oh! He is not just a Voice or an incorporeal Essence, as Moses saw the Most High, or as Genesis tells the First Parents heard Him and spoke to Him in the evening breeze. I see Him as real Flesh rising to the Eternal Father. Blazing Flesh! Glorious Flesh! Oh! Pomp of Divine Flesh! Oh! Beauty of the Man-God! He is the King! Yes. The King. Not of Israel: of the world. All the royalties of the earth bow to Him and all the sceptres and crowns fade away in the splendour of His sceptre and jewels. He has a crown on His head and a sceptre in His hand. He wears a rational on His chest: it is adorned with pearls and rubies, the brightness of which was never seen before. Flames issue from it as if it were a blazing furnace. There are two rubies on His wrists and buckles with rubies are on His holy feet. There is so much light from the rubies! Admire, peoples, the Eternal King! I see You! I see You! I am rising with You… Ah! Lord! Our Redeemer!… The light increases within my soul… The King is decorated with His own Blood! The crown is a wreath of bleeding thorns. The sceptre is a cross… Here is the Man! He is here! It is You!’… Lord, for the sake of Your sacrifice have mercy on Your servant, Jesus, I commend my soul to Your mercy.»
The old man, who so far had stood up, rejuvenated by the fire of prophecy, suddenly collapses and would fall if Jesus were not quick in holding him up against His chest.
«Saul.»
«Saul is dying!»
«Help!»
«Be quick.»
«Peace to the just man who is dying» says Jesus, Who has slowly knelt down to support the old man, who has become heavier and heavier.
There is silence.
Then Jesus lays him down on the ground. And He stands up. «Peace to his soul. He died seeing the Light. In his expectation, which will be a short one, he will already see the face of God and will be happy. There is no death, that is parting from life, for those who died in the Lord.»
78.9 The people, after a little while, go away commenting. The elders, Jesus, His disciples and the head of the synagogue remain.
«Did he prophesy, Lord?»
«His eyes saw the Truth. Let us go.» They go out.
«Master, Saul died enraptured by the Spirit of God. We touched him, are we clean or unclean?»
«Unclean.»
«And what about You?»
«I am just like the others. I do not change the Law. The Law is law and an Israelite fulfils it. We are unclean. Within the third and the seventh day we shall get purified. Till then, we are unclean. Judas, I am not going back to your mother’s. I do not want to take uncleanliness to her home. Send her word by someone who can go there. Peace to this town. Let us go.»
I do not see anything else.

Detail

After discussing the Nativity with Christ, Saul of Kerioth has a vision of Christ's destiny and kingship.

Keywords

GRM 78.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

78.8 An old man says: «Listen, my Lord. Some time ago, a long time ago, at the time of the edict, we heard here that the Saviour was born in Bethlehem… and I went there with other people… I saw a little Baby, exactly like all other new-born babies. But I adored Him with faith. Later I heard that there was a holy man, whose name is John. Which is the true Messiah?»
«The One you adored. The other is His Precursor: a great saint in the eyes of the Most High. But he is not the Messiah.»
«Was it You?»
«It was I. And what did you see around the new-born Child?»
«Poverty and cleanliness, honesty and purity… A kind serious carpenter, whose name was Joseph, a carpenter but of the House of David, a young mother, fair and kind, whose name was Mary, before whose grace the most beautiful roses of Engedi turn pale and the lilies of the royal flower beds seem mis-shapen, and a Child with large blue eyes and pale gold hair… I saw nothing else… And I can still hear the voice of the Mother say to me: “On behalf of My Creature I say to You: may the Lord be with you until the eternal meeting and may His Grace come towards you on your way”. I am eighty-four years old… my way is near its end. I was no longer expecting to meet the Grace of God. Instead I have found You… and now I do not wish to see any other light than Yours…

Keywords

GRM 78.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

78.8 An old man says: «Listen, my Lord. Some time ago, a long time ago, at the time of the edict, we heard here that the Saviour was born in Bethlehem… and I went there with other people… I saw a little Baby, exactly like all other new-born babies. But I adored Him with faith. Later I heard that there was a holy man, whose name is John. Which is the true Messiah?»
«The One you adored. The other is His Precursor: a great saint in the eyes of the Most High. But he is not the Messiah.»
«Was it You?»
«It was I.»

Keywords

GRM 78.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«I am eighty-four years old… my way is near its end. I was no longer expecting to meet the Grace of God. Instead I have found You… and now I do not wish to see any other light than Yours… Yes. I see You as You are in this merciful attire, which is the flesh You have taken. I see You! Listen to the voice of a man who sees the Light of God while dying!»
The people press around the old inspired man, who is in Jesus’ group. No longer leaning on his walking stick, he lifts his trembling arms and raises his white head, which, with its separated beard, seems the head of a patriarch or a prophet.
«I see Him: The Chosen, Supreme, Perfect One, Who descended here out of love, I see Him rise again to the right hand side of the Father and become One with Him. But… Oh! He is not just a Voice or an incorporeal Essence, as Moses saw the Most High, or as Genesis tells the First Parents heard Him and spoke to Him in the evening breeze. I see Him as real Flesh rising to the Eternal Father. Blazing Flesh! Glorious Flesh! Oh! Pomp of Divine Flesh! Oh! Beauty of the Man-God! He is the King! Yes. The King. Not of Israel: of the world. All the royalties of the earth bow to Him and all the sceptres and crowns fade away in the splendour of His sceptre and jewels. He has a crown on His head and a sceptre in His hand. He wears a rational on His chest: it is adorned with pearls and rubies, the brightness of which was never seen before. Flames issue from it as if it were a blazing furnace. There are two rubies on His wrists and buckles with rubies are on His holy feet. There is so much light from the rubies! Admire, peoples, the Eternal King! I see You! I see You! I am rising with You… Ah! Lord! Our Redeemer!… The light increases within my soul… The King is decorated with His own Blood! The crown is a wreath of bleeding thorns. The sceptre is a cross… Here is the Man! He is here! It is You!’… Lord, for the sake of Your sacrifice have mercy on Your servant, Jesus, I commend my soul to Your mercy.»
The old man, who so far had stood up, rejuvenated by the fire of prophecy, suddenly collapses and would fall if Jesus were not quick in holding him up against His chest.
«Saul.»
«Saul is dying!»
«Help!»
«Be quick.»
«Peace to the just man who is dying» says Jesus, Who has slowly knelt down to support the old man, who has become heavier and heavier.
There is silence.
Then Jesus lays him down on the ground. And He stands up. «Peace to his soul. He died seeing the Light. In his expectation, which will be a short one, he will already see the face of God and will be happy. There is no death, that is parting from life, for those who died in the Lord.»
The people, after a little while, go away commenting. The elders, Jesus, His disciples and the head of the synagogue remain.
«Did he prophesy, Lord?»
«His eyes saw the Truth. Let us go.»

Keywords

GRM 78.9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Master, Saul died enraptured by the Spirit of God. We touched him, are we clean or unclean?»
«Unclean.»
«And what about You?»
«I am just like the others. I do not change the Law. The Law is law and an Israelite fulfils it. We are unclean. Within the third and the seventh day we shall get purified. Till then, we are unclean. Judas, I am not going back to your mother’s. I do not want to take uncleanliness to her home. Send her word by someone who can go there. Peace to this town. Let us go.»
I do not see anything else.

Keywords

GRM 79

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus walks with his disciples towards Hebron. John, Judas and Simon the Zealot are present. His goal is to reach the shepherds, especially Levi and Isaac. Judas grumbles about the incident at Kerioth, where Saul died against Jesus' heart, but the Lord rebukes him. He also affirms that we must be faithful to the Law and set an example. The apostolic group meets up with the shepherds again, and Elijah relates that Aglaia gave him her jewels in Hebron. They discuss what to do with them, but Christ gives no orders for the moment. He gives a short parable about Aglaia and the souls who repent like them. The apostles would like to turn back and go back to her, but Jesus doesn't want them to and decides that they should leave right away for the Temptation Mountain.

Keywords

GRM 79.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

John is almost purple, laden like a porter, with a big heavy satchel. Judas is carrying Jesus’ bag and his own. Simon has only his bag and the mantles. Jesus is now wearing his own clothes and sandals. But Judas’ mother must have had His tunic washed, because it is no longer creased.

Detail

The apostolic group left from Kérioth. Judas' mother is evoked by Maria Valtorta.

Keywords

Marie de Kérioth (mother of Judas)

GRM 79.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

79.1 Jesus is walking with His disciples on a road along the torrent. The road is not really running along the torrent. The torrent is below; high above, on the side of the mountain, there is a twisting road, as can be normally found in mountain places. John is almost purple, laden like a porter, with a big heavy satchel. Judas is carrying Jesus’ bag and his own. Simon has only his bag and the mantles. Jesus is now wearing his own clothes and sandals. But Judas’ mother must have had His tunic washed, because it is no longer creased.
«How much fruit! How beautiful are those vineyards on those hills!» says John, who is always in good spirits, despite the heat and the fatigue. «Master, is this the river on the banks of which our fathers picked the miraculous grapes?»
«No, it is another one, farther south. But the whole region was blessed with rich fruit.»
«It is not so blessed now, although still beautiful.»
«Too many wars have devastated the country. Israel was made here… but it had to be fecundated by its own blood and by the blood of its enemies.»

Annotation

Book of Numbers, 13, 23-24: They went as far as the Valley of Eshkol, where they cut a branch and a bunch of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole. They had also picked pomegranates and figs. The place was called the Valley of Eshkol (i.e.: the Bunch) because of the bunch the sons of Israel had cut there.

Keywords

GRM 79.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Where will we find the shepherds?»
«Five miles from Hebron, on the banks of the river you were enquiring about.»
«Beyond that hill, then.»
«Correct.»
«It’s very warm. The summer… Where are we going after, Master?»
«To a place which is even warmer. But I ask you to come. We shall travel by night. The stars are so bright that there is no darkness. I want to show you a place…»
«A town?»
«No… A place… that will make you understand the Master… perhaps even better than His words.

Keywords

GRM 79.1.2-3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

79.1 Jesus is walking with His disciples on a road along the torrent. The road is not really running along the torrent. The torrent is below; high above, on the side of the mountain, there is a twisting road, as can be normally found in mountain places. John is almost purple, laden like a porter, with a big heavy satchel. Judas is carrying Jesus’ bag and his own. Simon has only his bag and the mantles. Jesus is now wearing his own clothes and sandals. But Judas’ mother must have had His tunic washed, because it is no longer creased.
(...) He [Jesus] instead addresses John: «Your load is heavy and you are tired. Give it to Me.»
«No, Jesus, I am used to carrying weights and in any case… the thought of Isaac’s joy makes it light.»
79.3
They go round the hillock. Elias’ sheep are in the shade of the wood, on the other side. And the shepherds, sitting in the shade are watching them. When they see Jesus they start running.
«Peace to you. You are here?»
«We were worried about You… because of the delay… and we didn’t know whether to come and meet You or obey… then we decided to come this far… and thus obey Your instructions and satisfy our love at the same time. You have probably been here for many days.»
«We had to stay…»
«Nothing… wrong?»
«No, My friends, nothing. A faithful believer died on My breast. Nothing else.»
«What do you think should have happened, shepherd? When things are well arranged… Certainly one must know how to prepare them and also prepare hearts to receive them. My town paid every honour to Christ. Did they not, Master?»
«Yes, they did. Isaac, on our way back we called at Sarah’s. Also the town of Juttah, without any preparation other than its simple goodness and the truth of Isaac’s words, understood the essence of My doctrine and learned how to love with a holy, practical, unselfish love. She sent you some clothes and food, Isaac, and everybody wanted to add something to the alms you left on your bed, because you are now back in the world and you lack everything. Take this. I never take money. But I accepted this because it is purified by charity.»
«No,Master, You keep It. I… I am used to doing without it.»
«You will now have to go to the various villages to which I will send you. And you will need it. A workman is entitled to his pay, also if he deals with souls… because there is still a body to be nourished, as if it were a donkey helping its master. It is not much. But you will manage. John has some clothes and sandals in that bag. Joachim gave some of his own. They may be too big… but there is so much love in the gift!»
Isaac takes the bag and goes behind a bush to dress. He was still barefooted and was wearing his strange gown made from a blanket.

Detail

The apostles took some clothes for the Shepherd, who was very poor. The city of Yutta, where the disciple of Christ lived, gave it to them. They were late for their appointment, as the death of Saul of Kerioth had delayed them: they had to purify themselves.