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Notes for this theme

Public life of Jesus Christ in the EMV

Page 7 of 66

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Aa

GRM 50

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

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.

GRM 50.2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Master, do You want to rest? My room is here and Andrew’s is over there. Take Your choice. We will not make any noise while You are resting.»

«Have you got a terrace?»

«Yes, and the vine, although it is still almost bare, gives a little shade.»

«Then take Me up there. I prefer to rest there. I will think and pray.»

«As You wish. Come.»

A little staircase rises from the kitchen garden up to the roof, which is a terrace surrounded by a low wall. Even there, there are nets and ropes. But how much bright light, and what a beautiful view of the blue lake!

Jesus sits on a stool, leaning His back against the little wall. Peter bustles with a sail that he spreads over and on the side of the vine to make a shield against the sun. There is a breeze and silence. Jesus is visibly happy.

«I am going, Master.»

«Go. Go with John and tell people that I will be speaking here at sunset.»

Jesus remains alone and prays for a long time. With the exception of two pairs of doves that come and go from their nests, and the twittering of sparrows, there is no noise or living being near Jesus praying. The hours pass peacefully and quietly.

GRM 50.3-4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

50.3 Then Jesus stands up, He walks round the terrace, looks at the lake, smiles at some children playing in the street and they smile back at Him, He looks along the street, towards the little square about one hundred yards away from Peter’s house. He goes downstairs. He looks into the kitchen: «Woman, I am going for a walk on the shore.»

He goes out and walks to the beach, near the children. He asks them: «What are you doing?»

«We wanted to play at war. But he does not want to, and we are playing at fishing.»

The boy who does not want to play at war, is a frail little fellow with a most bright face. Perhaps he is aware that, as frail as he is, he would get a beating in making «war» and so he pleads for peace.

But Jesus takes the opportunity to speak to the children: «He is right. War is a punishment of God to chastise men, and it is a sign that man is no longer a true son of God. When the Most High created the world, He made all things: the sun, the sea, the stars, the rivers, the plants, the animals, but He did not make arms. He created man and gave him eyes that he might cast loving glances, and a mouth to utter loving words, and ears to listen to such words, and hands to give help and to caress, and feet to run fast to assist our neighbours in need, and a heart capable of loving. He gave man intelligence, speech, affections and taste. But He did not give man hatred. Why? Because man, a creature of God, was to be love as God is Love. If man had remained a creature of God, he would have persevered in love, and the human family would have not known either war or death.»

«But he does not want to make war, because he always loses.» (I had guessed right.)

Jesus smiles and says: «We must not reject what is harmful to us simply because it is harmful to us. We must reject a thing when it is harmful to everybody. If a person says: “I do not want that because I would lose”, that person is selfish. Instead, the good child of God says: “Brothers, I know I would win, but I say to you: don’t let us do that because you would suffer a loss”. Oh! That fellow has understood the main precept! Who can tell Me which is the main precept?»

The eleven mouths say altogether: «“You shall love your God with all your strength, and your neighbour as yourself”.»

«Oh! You are clever children.

50.4 Do you all go to school?»

«Yes, we do.»

«Who is the most clever?»

«Him.» It is the frail little fellow who does not want war.

«What is your name?»

«Joel.»

«A great name! He says: “… let the weakling say: ‘I am strong’”. But strong in what? In the Law of the true God, to be amongst those whom in the Valley of Decision He will judge to be His saints. But the judgement is already near. Not in the Valley of Decision, but on the mountain of Redemption. There, the sun and the moon will grow dark with horror, the stars will tremble and shed tears of mercy, and the children of Light will be judged and separated from the children of Darkness. And the whole of Israel will know that its God has come. Happy are those who will have recognised Him. Honey, milk and fresh water will descend into their hearts and thorns will become eternal roses. Which of you wants to be amongst those who will be judged saints of God?»

«Me! Me! Me!»

«Will you love the Messiah, then?»

«Yes! Yes! You! You! It’s You we love. We know who You are! Simon and James have told us, and our mothers have told us. Take us with You!»

«Yes, I will take you if you are good. No more bad words, no more arrogance, quarrels, no answering back to your parents. Prayer, study, work, obedience. And I will love you and come with you.»

The children are all round Jesus. They look like a gaily-coloured corolla around a long, deep-blue pistil.

GRM 51

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus is at Peter's house, with Simon of Jonah, James, John and Porphyria. Andrew arrives, indicating that Jude is there for him, and his cousin enters the house. Mary invites her Son to the wedding feast at Cana, and their relatives also want him to attend. Jesus agrees to his Mother's request, but then guesses that something is wrong with Jude. He questions him and Jude half-heartedly declares that Jesus must be careful, because of the powerful castes who might be disturbed by his teaching. He mentions the Baptist, but we also sense that he is paying lip service. Moreover, Jesus guesses that it was their kinsmen who told him to say this, which Jude confirms. But Jesus asserts that above the earth, there is Heaven and God's interests. As for his Mother, only she could remind him of his duties as a Son, but she does not. She renounced her creatureliness from the very beginning, and Jesus recalls her life in the Temple, praising her detachment and self-giving to God. The Lord also predicts that there will come a day when all will abandon Him, but not Her, and it is thanks to Mary that the apostles will return to Jesus. He wants us to understand how powerful Mary is on God's heart.

As a result, Jude asks to accompany her to the wedding feast at Cana. He gives him a garment designed by the All-Holy One, which Jesus will put on in Jerusalem, at the Temple.

GRM 51.1-2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«I have come from Capernaum, I went there by boat and I have come here in the same boat to gain time. Your Mother sends me; She says: “Susanna is getting married tomorrow; please come to the wedding”. Mary will be there, and also my mother and brothers. All the relatives have been invited. You would be the only one absent, and they ask You to come and make the young couple happy.»

51.2

Jesus bows lightly stretching out His arms and says: «A wish of My Mother is a law for Me. But I will come also for Susanna’s and our relatives’ sake. Only… I am sorry for you…» and He looks at Peter and the others. «They are My friends» He explains to His cousin. And then He mentions their names, beginning with Peter’s. He then adds: «And this is John» with a special expression that causes Judas Thaddeus to look at him more carefully while the beloved disciple blushes. He ends the introductions stating: «My friends, this is Judas, son of Alphaeus, My cousin according to the custom of the world, because he is the son of the brother of My Mother’s spouse. A very good friend of Mine, and a companion both in life and in work.»

«My house is open to you as it is to the Master. Sit down» and then addressing Jesus, Peter says: «So? Are we no longer going to Jerusalem with You?»

«Of course you will come. I will go after the wedding feast. The only difference is that I will not stop at Nazareth any longer.»

«Quite right, Jesus, because Your Mother is my guest for a few days. That is what we intend to do. She also will go there after the wedding.» It is the man from Capernaum who speaks thus.

«This is what we will do. I will now go in Judas’ boat to Tiberias and from there to Cana. With the same boat I will come back to Capernaum with My Mother, and with you. You will come the day after the next Sabbath, Simon, if you still wish to come, and we will go to Jerusalem for Passover.»

«Of course I want to come! In fact, I will come on the Sabbath to hear You in the synagogue.»

Detail

Jude came to Jesus to invite him to the wedding at Cana. He said:

GRM 51.3-4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Are You already teaching, Jesus?» asks Thaddeus.

«Yes, My cousin.»

«And you should hear His words! Ah! no one else speaks like Him!» exclaims Peter.

Judas sighs. With his head resting on his hand, his elbow on his knee, he looks at Jesus and sighs. He seems anxious to speak but does not dare.

Jesus encourages him: «What is the matter, Judas? Why do you look at Me and sigh?»

«Nothing.»

«No. It must be something. Am I no longer the Jesus of Whom you were fond? For Whom you had no secrets?»

«Of course You are! And how I miss You, You the Master of Your older cousin…»

«Well, then! Speak.»

«I wanted to tell You… Jesus… be careful… You have a Mother… She has but You… You want to be a “rabbi” different from the others and You know, better than I do, that… that the powerful classes do not allow anything that may differ from the customary laws they have laid down. I know Your way of thinking… it is a holy one… But the world is not holy… and it oppresses saints… Jesus… You know the fate of Your cousin the Baptist… He is in jail, and if he is not yet dead, it is because that evil Tetrarch is afraid of the crowds and of the wrath of God. As evil and superstitious as cruel and lustful… You… what are You going to do? To what fate are You going to expose Yourself?»

«Judas, you are so familiar with My way of thinking, and that is what you ask Me? Are you speaking on your own initiative? No, don’t lie! You have been sent, certainly not by My Mother, to tell Me such things…»

Judas lowers his head and becomes silent.

«Speak, cousin.»

«My father… and Joseph and Simon with him… You know, for Your sake, because they are fond of You and Mary… do not look favourably on what You intend doing… and… and they would like You to think of Your Mother…»

51.4

«And what do you think?»

«I… I…»

«You are drawn in opposite directions by the voices coming from High Above and those coming from the world. I am not saying from below. I say from the world. The same applies to James, even more so. But I tell you that above the world there is Heaven, and above the interest of the world there is the cause of God. You must change your ways of thinking. When you learn to do that, you will be perfect.»

«But… and Your Mother?»

«Judas, She is the only one who, according to the way of thinking of the world, should be entitled to recall Me to My duty as a son: that is to My duty to work for Her, and provide for Her material needs, to My duty to assist and comfort Her with My presence. But She does not ask for any of these things. Since She had Me, She knew She would lose Me, to find Me once again in a much wider manner than the small family circle… And since then She has prepared Herself for that.

Her unreserved voluntary donation of Herself to God is nothing new. Her mother offered Her in the Temple before She even smiled at life. And — as She told Me the innumerable times She spoke to Me of Her holy childhood, holding Me close to Her heart in the long winter evenings or in the clear starry summer nights — She gave Herself to God since the dawn of Her life in this world. And She gave Herself even more when She had Me, that She might be where I am, fulfilling the Mission given to Me by God. Everybody will abandon Me at a certain point, perhaps only for a few minutes, but everyone will be overcome by cowardice, and you will think that it would have been better, for your own safety, if you had never known Me. But She, Who understood and knows, She will always be with Me. And you will become Mine, once again, through Her. With the power of Her unshaken, loving faith, She will draw you to Herself and will thus bring you to Me, because I am in My Mother, and She is in Me, and We are in God.

I would like you all to understand that, both you who are My relatives according to the world, and you, friends and children in a supernatural way. Neither you, nor anyone else know Who My Mother is. But if you knew, you would not criticise Her in your hearts stating She is not capable of keeping Me subject to Her, but you would venerate Her as the closest friend of God, the Mighty Woman Who can obtain all graces from the heart of the Eternal Father and from Her beloved Son. I will certainly come to Cana. I want to make Her happy. You will understand better after the wedding.» Jesus is majestic and persuasive.

Judas gazes at Him. He is thinking. He then says: «And I will certainly come with You, with these friends, if You want me… because I feel that what You say is right. Forgive my blindness and my brothers’. You are so much holier than we are!…»

«I bear no grudge against those who do not know Me. I am also without ill-feeling towards those who hate Me. But I feel sorry for them, because of the harm they do themselves.»

Detail

James of Alphaeus is mentioned very briefly in 51.4. In this extract, Jude expresses for all Jesus' relatives their family's apprehensions about Jesus' behavior.

GRM 51.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«I tell you that above the world there is Heaven, and above the interest of the world there is the cause of God. You must change your ways of thinking. When you learn to do that, you will be perfect.»

«But… and Your Mother?»

«Judas, She is the only one who, according to the way of thinking of the world, should be entitled to recall Me to My duty as a son: that is to My duty to work for Her, and provide for Her material needs, to My duty to assist and comfort Her with My presence. But She does not ask for any of these things. Since She had Me, She knew She would lose Me, to find Me once again in a much wider manner than the small family circle… And since then She has prepared Herself for that.

Her unreserved voluntary donation of Herself to God is nothing new. Her mother offered Her in the Temple before She even smiled at life. And — as She told Me the innumerable times She spoke to Me of Her holy childhood, holding Me close to Her heart in the long winter evenings or in the clear starry summer nights — She gave Herself to God since the dawn of Her life in this world. And She gave Herself even more when She had Me, that She might be where I am, fulfilling the Mission given to Me by God. Everybody will abandon Me at a certain point, perhaps only for a few minutes, but everyone will be overcome by cowardice, and you will think that it would have been better, for your own safety, if you had never known Me. But She, Who understood and knows, She will always be with Me. And you will become Mine, once again, through Her. With the power of Her unshaken, loving faith, She will draw you to Herself and will thus bring you to Me, because I am in My Mother, and She is in Me, and We are in God.

I would like you all to understand that, both you who are My relatives according to the world, and you, friends and children in a supernatural way. Neither you, nor anyone else know Who My Mother is. But if you knew, you would not criticise Her in your hearts stating She is not capable of keeping Me subject to Her, but you would venerate Her as the closest friend of God, the Mighty Woman Who can obtain all graces from the heart of the Eternal Father and from Her beloved Son. I will certainly come to Cana. I want to make Her happy. You will understand better after the wedding.»

GRM 52.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Then Jesus, smiling, says: «Let us go and make My Mother happy.» And He starts walking across the fields towards the house, with His two companions.

I forgot to mention that it is my impression that Mary is either a relation or a close friend of the bridegroom’s relatives, because She is on familiar terms with them.

When Jesus arrives, the same watchman as before informs the others. The landlord with his son, the bridegroom, and Mary goes down to meet Him, and greets Him respectfully. He then greets the other two and so does the bridegroom. But what I like is the loving and respectful way in which Jesus and Mary exchange their greetings. There are no effusions, but the words «Peace be with You» are pronounced with a look and a smile worth one hundred embraces and one hundred kisses. A kiss trembles on Mary’s lips, but it is not given. She only lays Her little white hand on Jesus’ shoulder and lightly touches a curl of His long hair. The caress of a chaste lover.

Detail

Mary and Jesus meet at the wedding feast in Cana. Maria writes: