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Places in The Gospel as it was revealed to me

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GRM 183.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The group proceeds in silence. The main road becomes a town street, paved with one handbreath wide square stones. The houses are more and more splendid and magnificent, surrounded by luxuriant flourishing gardens and orchards. I am under the impression that the elegant Magdala was for the Palestinians a kind of place of pleasure like some towns around our lakes in Lombardy: Stresa, Gardone, Pallanza, Bellagio and so on. Among the rich Paletinians there are many Romans, who must have come from other places, such as Tiberias or Caesarea, possibly officials of the Governor or merchants who export the most beautiful products of the Palestinian colony to Rome.

Detail

Maria Valtorta mentions Caesarea and Tiberias in a commentary on Magdala.

Annotation

Tiberias and Magdala were two lakeside towns with large Roman and Greek populations.

GRM 184

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Chapter title: Little Benjamin of Magdala and two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Date of vision: Saturday, August 12, 1944

Calendar: Wednesday, February 23, 28 (10 Adar I 3788) according to maria-valtorta.org; Saturday, March 4, 28 according to Valtorta.fr

Location (map): Magdala

Cycle: Apostolate in Galilee

Summary: Jesus heads for the poor neighborhood of Magdala and asks for the hospitality of a mother, who agrees to take him in. She is accompanied by a child who makes a lot of noise. His mother wants to listen to the Master, so she scolds him and gives him a slap, and the child goes to weep in Christ's lap. Jesus tries to find extenuating circumstances for his mother, but the child answers frankly that she simply wants to listen to him. Jesus then dialogues with her for a while, and when she implies that loose women have it easy, he replies that they're not happy, even if they seem to be. The woman then asks to stay, and Jesus offers to tell two parables that will appeal to little Benjamin. He tells Mary Magdalene, because the apostles doubt that she will return to good. Then he gives the parable where the divine Sower casts the seed. The seed grows, the grain is formed, and when it is ripe, the sower returns and passes on the scythe. In this way, the Word of God accomplishes the same work, but it is slow, and the soul must be allowed to work itself. At the Lord's request, Matthew confirms that it was Jesus' patience that helped him the most.

Benjamin's mother has left to fetch his brothers, and he continues to talk to the apostolic group. He ranks the apostles one by one and doesn't like Judas, so much so that the latter laughs yellow. Meanwhile, his mother has returned with a dozen people, including her husband, and as she begs him to speak, Jesus gives yet another parable about the Kingdom of Heaven. He gives the parable of the mustard seed and explains that it's through the small realities of each day that we build the Kingdom within us. Love, above all, is the means to peace and the glory of Heaven.

Jesus blesses this hospitable family, then sets off again.

Chapter contents: 184.1: A young boy receives a slap from his mother. 184.2: A mother should not envy the fate of a prostitute. 184.3 : You doubt that Mary (of Magdala) will return to the Good. 184.4 : The parable of the grain planted in the ground. 184.5 : Jesus' patience, rather than the Pharisees' reproaches, led Matthew to conversion. 184.6: Matthew was converted out of love. 184.7: Benjamin gives the good apostle test, which Judas fails. 184.8: The parable of the mustard seed. Love in hearts. 184.9: An astonished husband discovers his wife's merits.

Former edition: Volume 3, chapter 44

GRM 184.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

In Magdala, the poor district lies on the outskirts of the city.

GRM 186

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Chapter title: The two possessed Gerasenes.

Date of vision: Monday, June 11, 1945

Calendar: Thursday, March 16, 28 (5 Nisan 3788)

Location (map): Near Gamla (or Gamala) and Ippo (Hippos).

Cycle: Apostolate in Galilee

Summary: Jesus crosses the lake and lands near Hippos. The apostolic group then walks along a path that climbs a rock. There is a herd of pigs. The disciples are disgusted and talk about the surroundings, which Simon the Zealot knows well. They talk about their disgust for pigs, and Jesus points out that sin is much more impure than animals. The apostles then ask why pigs have been declared unclean, and Jesus answers them.

At the end of the explanation, two possessed people arrive. The episode is faithful to the Gospel account: the demons speak, ask Jesus to send them to the cattle around them, and the herd throws itself off the cliff. Their guardians are frightened and ask Jesus to leave. He meekly complies and returns to their boat.

Chapter contents: 186.1: Instructions. 186.2 : Near Hippo, through a herd of pigs. 186.3 : The panorama from the top of a rock. 186.4: Discourse: why the impurity of pigs? 186.5: The exorcism of the two possessed. Their demons are driven out in pigs. 186.6: The two miraculous people are stunned. 186.7: The inhabitants chase Jesus away. 186.8: Back to the boats. One of the miraculous remains to testify.

Previous edition: Volume 3, chapter 47

GRM 186.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Jesus, after crossing the lake from north-west to south-east, asks Peter to land near Hippos. Peter obeys without objection and takes the boat down to the mouth of a little river, which is in flood because of the springtime rains and of the recent storm and flows into the lake through one of the wild rocky gorges common to this coastal area. The assistants – there is one in each boat – fasten the boats and are ordered to wait until evening to go back to Capernaum.

«And be as dumb as an ox» suggests Peter. «If they ask you where the Master is, reply without hesitation: “I don’t know”. And if anyone wants to know where He is going to, give the same reply. In any case it is the truth, for you don’t know.»

They part and Jesus begins to ascend a steep path which climbs the almost upright cliff. The apostles follow Him along a very hard path up to the top of the cliff which levels over to a tableland strewn with oak-trees under which there are many pigs pasturing.

GRM 186.3 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The view is beautiful. Only a few score of feet above the lake, it commands a view over the whole lake with the towns spread along its shores. Tiberias is splendid with its beautiful buildings on the opposite shore facing the apostles. Below this spot, at the foot the basaltic cliff, the short beach looks like a green pillow, whereas on the opposite shore, from Tiberias to the mouth of the Jordan, there is a rather widespread marshy plain due to the river having difficulty in resuming its course after delaying in the placid lake. But the plain looks like a garden, because it is so thick with marsh flora, and is densely populated with colourful variegated water fowl, which seem bedecked with jewels. The birds rise from the thick grass and from the reed-thickets, they fly over the lake, they dive into it to steal a fish from its water, and they rise even more brilliant, because the water has brightened up their plumage, and then they fly back to the plain where the wind plays swaying its many-coloured flowers.

Up here, instead, there are woods of very tall oak trees, under which the grass is soft and emerald-green, and beyond this strip of woods, on the other side of a large valley, the mountain climbs again, forming a very steep rocky summit, on which houses rise built on terraces. I think that the mountain side and the walls of the houses are all one, for its caves are used as dwellings, in a mixture of a troglodyte and ordinary village. It is a village characteristic of structures on large rising terraces, so that the roof of the house on the terrace below is at the height of the ground entrance of the terrace above it. On the sides where the mountain is very steep, so steep that no house can be built there, there are caves, deep crevices and descents dropping down to the valley. In the season of downpours the descents must become like many whimsical little torrents. All kinds of blocks, which the floods have rolled down to the valley, form a chaotic pedestal for the little mountain which is so wild and steep, hunchbacked and overbearing that it looks like a squire who wants to be respected at all costs.

GRM 186.3 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Is that not Gamala?» asks the Zealot.

«Yes, it is Gamala. Do you know the town?» says Jesus.

«I was a fugitive there, one night, a long time ago. Then I was affected by leprosy and I did not come out of the sepulchres any more.»

«Did they pursue you so far?»

«I was coming from Syria, where I had gone seeking protection. But they discovered me and only my flight to this place saved me from being captured. Afterwards slowly and continuously threatened I went down as far as the desert of Tekoa and from there, suffering already from leprosy, to the Valley of the Dead. Leprosy saved me from my enemies…»

«These people are heathens, are they not?» asks the Iscariot.

«Almost everybody. Only a few Jews are here on business, and then there is a mixture of beliefs, or no beliefs at all. But they did not treat the fugitive badly.»

«These are places for bandits. What gorges!» exclaim many.

«Yes, but believe me, there are more bandits on the other side» says John who is still impressed by the capture of the

Baptist.

«On the other side there are also bandits among those who enjoy the reputation of being just» concludes his brother.

GRM 186.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

In EMV 186, the configuration of the site is reproduced in this image(click on link) as Maria Valtorta drew it on the last page of the handwritten notebook. From left to right, the names of the towns bordering the lake are: Tarichée, Tiberias, Magdala, Capernaum, Bethsaida, Gerguesa, Hippos. South of Hippos, after the torrent, it says "landing place" and Gamla in the hinterland. Between these are small dots, explained at the bottom of the page as follows: "To the north lies Chorazeïn.

GRM 187

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Chapter title: From Tarichaea to Jerusalem for Passover. John caught up in the love of the sea.

Date of vision: Tuesday, June 12, 1945

Calendar: Thursday, March 16, 28 (3 Nissan 3788).

Location (map): Near Tarichée. Towards Mount Tabor

Cycle: Apostolate in Galilee

Summary: The apostolic group stops off on the opposite shore to Gamala. They are in a wilder environment. Jesus is delighted to be out in nature, where the apostles are much more restless. Only James of Alphaeus, John and Simon the Zealot are interested in what pleases Jesus. Then comes a remark that causes Peter to grumble, and Christ lets them know that he is distressed by so much hatred. He needs comfort, and the disciples are touched by his sadness. But the Lord promises them that they'll find better ground, and says they're going to bring the Passover to the suffering. They will reach Mount Tabor, En-Dor, Naim and the plain of Esdrelon, without passing through Nazareth. On the one hand, he was obeying his mother; on the other, he didn't want to offend the Pharisee Simon, who had made some recommendations.

John reveals that he wants to see the great sea, which can be seen from Mount Tabor. Jesus questions him, and the apostle reveals his affection for this vast expanse of water, because it reminds him of God. He wants to go and evangelize in Rome and Greece, "to dark places to bring light". The apostles listen respectfully to his words, and Jesus promises that they will go and see the sea to make him dream again about the future of his Kingdom in the world. Judas then asks to go to En-dor too, as he is still bitter about the judgment of little Benjamin, in EMV 184. Since then, the Iscariot has felt diminished in the eyes of the Master. The Lord reassures him, saying that he need only fear his conduct and God's judgment, but agrees to go to this city to persuade him that he is still as dear to Him as before. He only warns him not to suffer from this visit later on, as his apostle has a desire in his heart that is not necessarily healthy.

Chapter contents: x

Previous edition: Tome 3, chapter 47