Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 47.9
47.9 Jesus also says:
«I did not want you to speak about the sensual temptation of your Jesus. Even if your internal voice had made you understand Satan’s motive in attracting Me towards sensuality, I preferred to speak of it Myself. Think no more about it. It was necessary to mention it. Go on now. Leave Satan’s flower on its sands.»
GRM 47.10
47.10 I will forestall a remark as well. In his Gospel, John mentioning his meeting with Me says: “And the following day”. It would therefore appear that the Baptist pointed Me out the day after My baptism and that John and James followed Me at once. But that conflicts with what the other Evangelists said about the forty days spent in the desert. But you should read as follows: “(John having already been arrested), one day, later, the two disciples of John the Baptist, the ones to whom he had pointed Me out saying: ‘Here is the Lamb of God’, on seeing Me again, called Me and followed Me”. After I had come back from the desert.
And we went back together to the shores of the lake of Galilee, where I had taken shelter to begin evangelising from there, and the two – after being with Me during the whole journey and then for one day in the hospitable house of a friend of My relatives – spoke of Me to the other fishermen. But it was the initiative of John, whose will to do penance had made his soul, already so limpid owing to his purity, a masterpiece of pellucidity in which the Truth was clearly reflected, bestowing on him also the holy daring of the pure and generous, who are never afraid of stepping forward, wherever they see that there is God, and truth and doctrine and the way of God. How much I loved him for that simple, heroical feature of his!
John 1:35-39:
Still the next day, John was there with two of his disciples. Looking at Jesus coming and going, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God! The two disciples heard what he said, and followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw that they were following him, and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They replied, "Rabbi - which means Master - where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was around the tenth hour (about four o'clock in the afternoon).
GRM 48.2-3
«Why did you two not come?» asks Andrew. Peter, sulkily, does not say a word.
«And why did you not come with me and James?» John replies to Andrew.
«I went fishing. I have no time to waste. You disappeared with that man…»
«I beckoned you to come.
48.3 It is Him. You should hear His words! We stayed with Him all day until late at night. We have now come to say to you: “Come”.»
«Is it really Him? Are you sure? We only saw Him then, when the Baptist pointed Him out to us.»
«It is Him. He did not deny it.»
André is fishing with Pierre. They return to the shore when Jean calls and André questions him.
GRM 48.2-6
«Why did you two not come?» asks Andrew. Peter, sulkily, does not say a word.
«And why did you not come with me and James?» John replies to Andrew.
«I went fishing. I have no time to waste. You disappeared with that man…»
«I beckoned you to come.
«I beckoned you to come.
48.3
It is Him. You should hear His words! We stayed with Him all day until late at night. We have now come to say to you: “Come”.»
«Is it really Him? Are you sure? We only saw Him then, when the Baptist pointed Him out to us.»
«It is Him. He did not deny it.»
«Anyone can say what suits him to impose himself on idiots. It is not the first time…» mumbles Peter, dissatisfied.
«Oh, Simon! Don’t say that! He is the Messiah! He knows everything! He hears you!» John is grieved and dismayed at Simon Peter’s words.
«Sure! The Messiah! And He showed Himself to you, James and Andrew! Three poor ignorant fishermen! The Messiah will need much more than that! And He hears me! Eh! My poor boy. The first sunshine of spring has damaged your brains! Come on, come and do some work. That’s much better. And forget such fairy tales!»
«I’m telling you. He is the Messiah! John said holy things, but He speaks of God. He who is not Christ cannot speak such words.»
48.4
«Simon, I am not a boy. I am old enough and I am composed and thoughtful. You know that. I did not speak much, but I listened a lot during the hours we spent with the Lamb of God and I can tell you that really He can but be the Messiah! Why don’t you believe? Why do you not want to believe? You may not believe, because you have not heard Him. But I believe Him. We are poor and ignorant? Well, He says that He has come to announce the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, of the Kingdom of peace, to the poor, humble and little ones before the great ones. He said: “The great ones already have their delights. They are not enviable delights when compared with the ones I have come to bring you. The great ones are already capable of understanding by means of their culture. But I have come to the ‘little’ ones of Israel and of the world, to those who weep and hope, to those who seek Light and are hungry for the real Manna, to whom learned men do not give light and food, but only burdens, darkness, chains, contempt. And I call the ‘little ones’. I have come to turn the world upside down. Because I will lower what is now held high, and I will raise what is now held in contempt. Let those who want truth and peace, who want eternal life, come to Me. Those who love Light, let them come to Me. I am the Light of the world”. Did He not say that, John?» James has spoken in a calm, gentle voice.
«Yes, and He said: “The world will not love Me. The great world will not love Me, because it is corrupted by vices and idolatry. Indeed, the world will not want Me: because as it is the offspring of Darkness, it does not love the Light. But the earth is not made only of the great world. There are on it also those who, mixed with the world, are not of the world. There are people who are of the world because they have been imprisoned in it, like fish in a net”. He said exactly that, because we were speaking on the shore of the lake and He was pointing to some nets which were being dragged to the shore with fish in them. In fact, He said: “See. None of those fish wanted to be caught in the net. Also men, intentionally, would not like to fall prey to Mammon. Not even the most wicked who, blinded by pride, do not believe they have no right to do what they do. Their real sin is pride. All the other sins grow from it. Those who are not completely wicked, would like even less to fall prey to Mammon. But they fall because of their frivolity and because of a weight that drags them to the bottom, and which is Adam’s sin. I have come to remove that sin, and while awaiting the hour of Redemption, to give those who believe in Me such a strength that will enable them to free themselves from the snares that trap them and will make them free to follow Me, the Light of the world”.»
48.5
«Well then, if He said that, we must go to Him at once.» Peter, with his impulsiveness, which is so genuine and I like so much, has decided at once, and is already acting accordingly, hastening to unload the boat which has already reached the shore: the fishermen have almost beached it, unloading nets, ropes and sails.
«And you, silly Andrew, why did you not go with them?!…»
«But… Simon! You reproached me because I did not persuade them to come with me… You have been grumbling all night, and now you reproach me because I did not go?!»
«You are right… But I did not see Him… you did… and you must have seen that He is not like us… He must have something compelling!…»
«Oh! Yes.» John says. «His face! His eyes! What beautiful eyes, aren’t they, James?! And His voice!… Oh! What a voice! When He speaks, you seem to be dreaming of Heaven.»
«Quick, quick. Let’s go and see Him. And you, (addressing the other fishermen) take everything to Zebedee and tell him to do as he thinks best. We will be back this evening in time to go fishing.»
48.6
They all get dressed and set out. But Peter, after a few yards stops and gets hold of John’s arm and asks him. «Did you say that He knows everything, and hears everything?…»
«Yes, I did. Just think that when we saw the moon high up in the sky, I said: “I wonder what Simon will be doing now”, and He said: “He is casting his net and he cannot set his mind at rest because he has to do it all by himself, since you did not go out with the twin boat in such a good evening for fishing… he does not know that before long he will be fishing with different nets and catching different fish”.»
«Holy Mercy! It’s true! Well, He will also have heard… also that I called Him little less than a liar… I can’t go to Him!»
«Oh! He is so good. He certainly knows what you thought. He already knew. Because when we left Him saying that we were coming to you, He said: “Go. But don’t let the first words of contempt discourage you. He who wants to come with Me must be able to make headway against the sneering words of the world and the prohibitions of relatives. Because I am above blood and society, and I triumph over them. And he who is with Me will also triumph forever”. And He also said: “Don’t be afraid to speak. The man who hears will come, because he is a man of goodwill”.»
«Is that what He said? Well, I’ll come.»
André is fishing with Pierre. They are returning to shore when Jean calls them and André questions him.
GRM 48.3-4
48.3 It is Him. You should hear His words! We stayed with Him all day until late at night. We have now come to say to you: “Come”.»
«Is it really Him? Are you sure? We only saw Him then, when the Baptist pointed Him out to us.»
«It is Him. He did not deny it.»
«Anyone can say what suits him to impose himself on idiots. It is not the first time…» mumbles Peter, dissatisfied.
«Oh, Simon! Don’t say that! He is the Messiah! He knows everything! He hears you!» John is grieved and dismayed at Simon Peter’s words.
«Sure! The Messiah! And He showed Himself to you, James and Andrew! Three poor ignorant fishermen! The Messiah will need much more than that! And He hears me! Eh! My poor boy. The first sunshine of spring has damaged your brains! Come on, come and do some work. That’s much better. And forget such fairy tales!»
«I’m telling you. He is the Messiah! John said holy things, but He speaks of God. He who is not Christ cannot speak such words.»
48.4 «Simon, I am not a boy. I am old enough and I am composed and thoughtful. You know that. I did not speak much, but I listened a lot during the hours we spent with the Lamb of God and I can tell you that really He can but be the Messiah! Why don’t you believe? Why do you not want to believe? You may not believe, because you have not heard Him. But I believe Him. We are poor and ignorant? Well, He says that He has come to announce the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, of the Kingdom of peace, to the poor, humble and little ones before the great ones. He said: “The great ones already have their delights. They are not enviable delights when compared with the ones I have come to bring you. The great ones are already capable of understanding by means of their culture. But I have come to the ‘little’ ones of Israel and of the world, to those who weep and hope, to those who seek Light and are hungry for the real Manna, to whom learned men do not give light and food, but only burdens, darkness, chains, contempt. And I call the ‘little ones’. I have come to turn the world upside down. Because I will lower what is now held high, and I will raise what is now held in contempt. Let those who want truth and peace, who want eternal life, come to Me. Those who love Light, let them come to Me. I am the Light of the world”. Did He not say that, John?» James has spoken in a calm, gentle voice.
«Yes, and He said: “The world will not love Me. The great world will not love Me, because it is corrupted by vices and idolatry. Indeed, the world will not want Me: because as it is the offspring of Darkness, it does not love the Light. But the earth is not made only of the great world. There are on it also those who, mixed with the world, are not of the world. There are people who are of the world because they have been imprisoned in it, like fish in a net”. He said exactly that, because we were speaking on the shore of the lake and He was pointing to some nets which were being dragged to the shore with fish in them. In fact, He said: “See. None of those fish wanted to be caught in the net. Also men, intentionally, would not like to fall prey to Mammon. Not even the most wicked who, blinded by pride, do not believe they have no right to do what they do. Their real sin is pride. All the other sins grow from it. Those who are not completely wicked, would like even less to fall prey to Mammon. But they fall because of their frivolity and because of a weight that drags them to the bottom, and which is Adam’s sin. I have come to remove that sin, and while awaiting the hour of Redemption, to give those who believe in Me such a strength that will enable them to free themselves from the snares that trap them and will make them free to follow Me, the Light of the world”.
James and John of Zebedee are next to Peter and Andrew, announcing the Messiah. It's not real preaching, but there's a bit of it...
John speaks up, talks about Jesus and says:
GRM 48.4
48.4 «Simon, I am not a boy. I am old enough and I am composed and thoughtful. You know that. I did not speak much, but I listened a lot during the hours we spent with the Lamb of God and I can tell you that really He can but be the Messiah! Why don’t you believe? Why do you not want to believe? You may not believe, because you have not heard Him. But I believe Him. We are poor and ignorant? Well, He says that He has come to announce the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, of the Kingdom of peace, to the poor, humble and little ones before the great ones. He said: “The great ones already have their delights. They are not enviable delights when compared with the ones I have come to bring you. The great ones are already capable of understanding by means of their culture. But I have come to the ‘little’ ones of Israel and of the world, to those who weep and hope, to those who seek Light and are hungry for the real Manna, to whom learned men do not give light and food, but only burdens, darkness, chains, contempt. And I call the ‘little ones’. I have come to turn the world upside down. Because I will lower what is now held high, and I will raise what is now held in contempt. Let those who want truth and peace, who want eternal life, come to Me. Those who love Light, let them come to Me. I am the Light of the world”. Did He not say that, John?» James has spoken in a calm, gentle voice.
«Yes, and He said: “The world will not love Me. The great world will not love Me, because it is corrupted by vices and idolatry. Indeed, the world will not want Me: because as it is the offspring of Darkness, it does not love the Light. But the earth is not made only of the great world. There are on it also those who, mixed with the world, are not of the world. There are people who are of the world because they have been imprisoned in it, like fish in a net”. He said exactly that, because we were speaking on the shore of the lake and He was pointing to some nets which were being dragged to the shore with fish in them. In fact, He said: “See. None of those fish wanted to be caught in the net. Also men, intentionally, would not like to fall prey to Mammon. Not even the most wicked who, blinded by pride, do not believe they have no right to do what they do. Their real sin is pride. All the other sins grow from it. Those who are not completely wicked, would like even less to fall prey to Mammon. But they fall because of their frivolity and because of a weight that drags them to the bottom, and which is Adam’s sin. I have come to remove that sin, and while awaiting the hour of Redemption, to give those who believe in Me such a strength that will enable them to free themselves from the snares that trap them and will make them free to follow Me, the Light of the world”.
James of Zebedee talks about his encounter with Jesus. He is with Simon of Jonah and he says:
GRM 48.4
We are poor and ignorant? Well, He says that He has come to announce the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, of the Kingdom of peace, to the poor, humble and little ones before the great ones. He said: “The great ones already have their delights. They are not enviable delights when compared with the ones I have come to bring you. The great ones are already capable of understanding by means of their culture. But I have come to the ‘little’ ones of Israel and of the world, to those who weep and hope, to those who seek Light and are hungry for the real Manna, to whom learned men do not give light and food, but only burdens, darkness, chains, contempt. And I call the ‘little ones’. I have come to turn the world upside down. Because I will lower what is now held high, and I will raise what is now held in contempt. Let those who want truth and peace, who want eternal life, come to Me. Those who love Light, let them come to Me. I am the Light of the world”.
Luke 14, 11: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted."
Matthew 23:12: "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "2
Psalm 75:7: "But God is the Judge: He humbles the one, and exalts the other. "3
GRM 48.5
«And you, silly Andrew, why did you not go with them?!…»
«But… Simon! You reproached me because I did not persuade them to come with me… You have been grumbling all night, and now you reproach me because I did not go?!»
«You are right… But I did not see Him… you did… and you must have seen that He is not like us… He must have something compelling!…»
«Oh! Yes.» John says. «His face! His eyes! What beautiful eyes, aren’t they, James?! And His voice!… Oh! What a voice! When He speaks, you seem to be dreaming of Heaven.»
«Quick, quick. Let’s go and see Him. And you, (addressing the other fishermen) take everything to Zebedee and tell him to do as he thinks best. We will be back this evening in time to go fishing.»
They all get dressed and set out.
John and James of Zebedee talk about their encounter with Jesus. Skeptical at first, Peter becomes increasingly convinced and tells his brother:
GRM 48.7-8
48.7 «Speak, speak of Him, while we are going. Where is He?»
«In a poor house; they must be His friends»
«Is He poor?»
«A workman from Nazareth. So He said.»
«And how does He live now, if He does not work any longer?»
«We did not ask Him. Perhaps His relatives help Him.»
«It would have been better if we had brought some fish, some bread and fruit…, something. We are going to consult a rabbi, because He is like… He is more than a rabbi, and we are going empty-handed! Our rabbis don’t like that…»
«But He does. We had but twenty pennies between us, James and I, and we offered Him them, as is customary with rabbis. He did not want them. But since we insisted so much, He said: “May God reward you with the blessings of the poor. Come with Me” and He gave them to some poor people: He knew where they lived. And when we asked Him: “Master, are You not keeping anything for Yourself?” He replied: “The joy of doing the will of God and serving His glory”. We also said: “You are calling us, Master. But we are all poor. What shall we bring You?”, He replied with a smile which made us enjoy the delights of Paradise: “I want a great treasure from you”, and we said: “But we have nothing”. And He answered: “A treasure with seven names, which even the poorest may have, while the rich may not possess it. You have it, and I want it. Listen to the names: charity, faith, goodwill, right intention, continence, sincerity, spirit of sacrifice. That is what I want from My followers, only that, and You have it. It is dormant, like a seed under a winter clod, but the spring sunshine will make it sprout into a sevenfold spike”. That is what He said.»
«Ah! Now I feel that He is the true Rabboni, the promised Messiah! He is not harsh with the poor, He does not ask for money… It is enough to call Him the Holy Man of God. We can go safely.»
Peter asks John to tell him about the Messiah.
GRM 49.2
«And the day I should die…»
«No! You are young, Master… Why die?»
«Because the Messiah has come to preach the Law in its truthfulness and to accomplish Redemption. And the world loathes the Law and does not want redemption. Therefore they persecute God’s messengers.»
«Oh! Let that never be! Do not mention that prediction of death to him who loves You!… But if You should die, I would still love You. Allow me to love You.» John’s look is an imploring one. He has bowed his head lower than ever, as he walks beside Jesus and seems to be begging for love.
Jesus stops. He looks at him, scrutinises him with His deep, penetrating eyes, and then lays His hand on his bowed head. «I want you to love Me.»
«Oh! Master!» John is happy. Although his eyes shine with tears, his well shaped young mouth smiles. He takes the divine hand, kisses it on its back, and presses it to his heart.
Jesus speaks to John.