Who is Jesus?

Jesus is walking fast with His disciples towards Lazarus’ town, along a shady road which links the Mount of Olives to Bethany. One could say that the green ramifications of the mountain stretch as far as the countryside of Bethany. Jesus is recognised even before entering the town and voluntary messengers run in all directions to inform people of His arrival. Thus Lazarus and Maximinus arrive running from one side, Isaac with Timoneus and Joseph from another, and the third group to arrive is Martha with Marcella, who lifts her veil to bend down and kiss Jesus’ tunic. Immediately after Mary of Alphaeus and Mary Salome reach the spot, they greet the Master and then embrace their sons. Little Jabez, still held by the hand by Jesus, is tossed about by so much rushing and watches everything dumbfounded. John of Endor, feeling like a stranger, withdraws to the end of the group and stands aside. Suddenly, in the lane leading to Simon’s house, Jesus’ Mother comes forward.

Jesus drops Jabez’ hand and gently pushes His friends to one side to hasten towards Her. The well-known words resound in the air, like a solo of love above the whispering of the crowd: «Son!»; «Mother.» They kiss each other and in Mary’s kiss there is the anguish of a mother who has been afraid for a long time and now that the terror, which had seized her, is dissolving, she feels the tiredness of the effort she made and evaluates the risks He has run…

Jesus, Who understands, caresses Her saying: «Beside My angel I had Yours, Mother, watching over Me. No harm could have befallen Me.»

«May the Lord be praised for that. But I suffered so much!»

«I wanted to come sooner, but in order to obey You, I had to come a different way. But it was a good thing, because Your order, Mother, bore good fruit, as usual.»

«It was Your obedience, Son!»

«It was Your wise order, Mother… » They smile at each other like two lovers.

Is it possible that this Woman is the Mother of this Man? Where are the sixteen years of difference in age? The freshness and grace of Mary’s face and of Her virginal body make Her a sister of Her Son, Who is in the fullness of a handsome manliness.

«Are You not asking Me why it bore good fruit?» asks Jesus smiling all the time.

«I know that My Jesus conceals nothing from Me.»

«My dear Mother!» He kisses Her again…

People have kept away a few yards pretending not to be watching the scene. But I bet that there is not one of all the eyes that seem to be looking elsewhere that does not cast sidelong glances at the loving scene.

198.2

The one who is most keen in watching is Jabez, whom Jesus left when He ran to embrace His Mother, and who has been left all alone, because owing to the quick succession of questions and answers, everybody’s attention was diverted from the poor boy… He looks, then bends his head, endeavours to restrain his tears… but he cannot and bursts out weeping, moaning: «Mummy! Mummy!»

Everybody turns around, Jesus and Mary are the first, and everybody endeavours to help or find out who the boy is. Mary of Alphaeus rushes towards him with Peter – they were together – and they both ask: «Why are you crying?»

But before Jabez can catch his breath and speak while shedding so many tears, Mary has run towards him and taken him in Her arms saying: «Yes, my little child, your Mother! Do not cry anymore… and excuse Me if I did not see you before. My friends, here is My little son…» It is obvious that Jesus, in the few seconds approaching the boy, must have said to Her: «He is a little orphan brought with Me.» Mary realised the rest.

The boy is still weeping, but not so disconsolately, and as Mary is holding him in Her arms and kissing him, he ends up by smiling while his face is still wet with tears.

«Let me dry those tears of yours. You must not cry any more! Give Me a kiss…» Jabez was expecting nothing but that and after being caressed by bearded men, he is overjoyed in kissing Mary’s smooth cheek.

198.3

3Jesus has been looking for John of Endor and when He sees him, He goes to get him in his remote corner. And while all the apostles are greeting Mary, Jesus comes towards Her, holding John of Endor by the hand and He says: «This is the other disciple, Mother. Your command gained these two sons for You.»

«It was Your obedience, Son» repeats Mary and She greets the man saying: «Peace to you.»

The man, the coarse restless man of Endor, who has changed so much since that morning when Judas’ whim took Jesus to Endor, completely divests himself of his past while bowing to Mary. I think it is so, because his face, after bowing, looks really serene and truly «at peace».

They all set out towards Simon’s house: Mary with Jabez in Her arms, Jesus holding John of Endor by the hand, and then, around them and behind them, Lazarus and Martha, the apostles with Maximinus, Isaac, Joseph, and Timoneus.

• Conversations between Jesus and Mary
• Humility of the Virgin Mary
• Jean d'Endor (Félix)
• Obedience to Jesus Christ
• Orphans
• Spiritual motherhood of the Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary - Throne of Wisdom

They all set out towards Simon’s house: Mary with Jabez in Her arms, Jesus holding John of Endor by the hand, and then, around them and behind them, Lazarus and Martha, the apostles with Maximinus, Isaac, Joseph, and Timoneus.

They enter the house on the threshold of which Simon’s old servant greets Jesus and his master with deep respect.

«Peace to you, Joseph, and to this house» says Jesus, lifting His hand to bless after laying it on the old servant’s white head.

Lazarus and Martha, after their first expression of joy, are somewhat sad and Jesus asks them: «Why, My friends?»

«Because You are not staying with us and because everybody comes to You except the soul that we would like to be Yours.»

«Fortify your patience, your hope and your prayers. After all, I am with you. This house!… This house is but the nest from which the Son of man will fly every day to His dear friends, so close in space, but if we consider the situation in a supernatural way, infinitely closer in love. You are in My heart and I am in yours. Can we be closer than that? But we will be together this evening. Please sit at My table.»

• Jesus Christ - Son of Man
• Joseph of Bethany (servant of Simon the Zealot)
• Mary Magdalene (Mary of Magdala or Mary of Bethany)
• Simon the Zealot (apostle)

«Are you going to adopt him?» asks Lazarus.

«No. I cannot.»

«Well, I will take him.»

Peter sees his hopes vanish and he utters a really deep groan: «Lord! Everything to him?»

Jesus smiles: «Lazarus, you have already done so much and I am grateful to you. But I cannot entrust this child to you. He is “Our” boy. He belongs to all of us. He is the joy of the apostles and of the Master. Besides, he would be brought up in luxury here. I want to make him a present of My royal mantle: “honest poverty”. The poverty that the Son of man wanted for Himself, to be able to go near the greatest miseries without mortifying anybody. You have had a gift from Me also recently…»

«Ah! Yes! The old patriarch and his daughter. The woman is very active, the old man very good.»

«Where are they now? I mean: in which place?»

«They are here, in Bethany. Do You think I was going to send away the blessing You had sent me? The woman weaves linen. Light skilful hands are required for that job. Since the old man insists on working, I put him at the beehives. Yesterday he had a long golden beard, didn’t he, sister? The bees swarmed and clung to his long beard and he was speaking to them as if they were daughters. He is happy.»

«I am sure he is! May you be blessed!» says Jesus.

«Thank You, Master.»

• Ishmael of Bethany
• Jesus Christ - Son of Man
• Sarah of Bethany

«Will you call the boy, please?» begs Mary. And the child arrives at once with John.

«What is your name?» asks Mary caressing him.

«It is… it was Jabez. But I am expecting a new one ..»

«Are you?»

«Yes, Jabez wants a name meaning that I have saved him. You will find one for him, Mother. A name of love and of salvation.»

Mary is pensive… She then says: «Marjiam (Maarhgziam). You are the little star in the sea of those saved by Jesus. Do you like it? Thus it will remind you also of Me besides Salvation.»

«It is beautiful» says the boy joyfully.

«But isn’t it a woman’s name?» asks Bartholomew.

«With “I” at the end instead of “m”, when this tiny drop of Mankind is grown up, you can change his name into the name of a man. For the time being he has the name which the Mother has given him. Is that right?»

The boy says «yes» and Mary caresses him.

• Jesus' omniscience

«And now, let us go and see those unhappy people!» says Jesus, and turning His back to the town He goes towards a desolate place on the slope of a rocky hill which lies between the two roads from Jericho to Jerusalem, A strange place, similar to a flight of steps after the first slope, up which climbs a path, so that there is a drop of at least three yards from the first terrace to the path, and the same from the second one. It is an arid, dead… extremely sad place.

«Master» shouts Simon the Zealot «I am here. Stop where You are, that I may show You the way…» and the Zealot, who was leaning against a rock to be in the shade, comes forward and leads Jesus up the steps of a path leading towards Gethsemane, but separated from it by the road that from the Mount of Olives goes to Bethany.

«Here we are. I lived among the tombs of Siloam and my friends are here. Some of them. The others are at Ben Hinnom, but cannot come… They would have to cross the road and would be seen.»

«We shall go to them also.»

«Thank You! On their part and mine.»

«Are they many?»

«Winter has killed most of them. But here there are still five of those to whom I had spoken. They are waiting for You. There they are, on the edge of their prison…»

There are probably ten monsters. I say «probably», because if five, who are standing up, are clearly visible, the others, because of the greyish hue of their skin, the deformity of their faces and the fact that they hardly protrude from the stone barrier, cannot be counted accurately and they may be more than five or less. Among those standing up there is only one woman. One can tell only by her white dishevelled hair hanging coarse and dirty over her shoulders down to her waist. There is no other sign by which one could tell her sex, because the disease, which is in an advanced stage, has reduced her to a skeleton, destroying all feminine forms. Likewise among the men, only one still has traces of moustache and beard. All the others have been made hairless by the destructive disease.

They shout: «Jesus, our Saviour, have mercy on us!» and they stretch out their deformed or ulcerated hands. «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us!»

«What do you want Me to do for you?» asks Jesus looking towards their misery.

«We want You to save us from sin and from this disease.»

«Your will and repentance will save you from sin…»

«But if You wish, You can cancel our sins. At least those, if You do not want to cure our bodies.»

«If I say to You: “Choose either one or the other”, which one would you prefer?»

«God’s forgiveness, Lord. To be less desolate.»

Jesus has a gesture of approval. He smiles brightly, raises His arms and shouts: «Let it be granted. I want it.»

Granted! The grace might be granted for their sins, or for their disease, or for both, and the five unhappy people remain uncertain. But the apostles have no uncertainty and they can but shout their hosannas when they see the leprosy disappear as fast as a flake of snow that falls on a fire. The five then understand that the full grace has been granted to them. Their shouting resounds like a cry of victory. They embrace one another and throw kisses at Jesus, as they cannot prostrate themselves at His feet. They then turn to their companions saying: «And you still refuse to believe? What miserable wretches are you?»

«Good! Be good! Your poor brothers need time to think. Say nothing to them. Faith is not imposed, it is preached with peace, kindness, patience and perseverance. That is what you will do after your purification, exactly as Simon did with you. After all, the miracle preaches by itself. You who have been cured, will go to the priest as soon as possible. You, who are still ill, wait for us this evening. We will bring you some food. Peace be with you.»

Jesus descends again on to the road followed by the blessings of everybody.

199.5

«And now let us go to Ben Hinnom» says Jesus.

«Master… I would like to come. But I realise that I cannot. I will go to Gethsemane» says Lazarus.

«Go, Lazarus. Peace be with you.»

While Lazarus is slowly walking away, the apostle John says: «Master, I will go with him. He walks with difficulty and the road is not very good. I will join You later at Ben Hinnom.»

«Yes, you may go. Let us go.»

They cross the Kidron, walk along the southern side of Mount Tophet and enter the little valley completely strewn with tombs and filth. There is not one tree or any shade from the sun, which blazes down on this southern side heating the stones of these new hellish terraces where the stinking smell of burning rubbish increases the heat. And inside the sepulchres, similar to crematoria, there are poor bodies, which are wasting away… Siloam may be unpleasant in winter, damp as it is and facing north, but this place must be dreadful in summer…

Simon Zealot lets out a shout calling them, and first three lepers, then two, then one, and another one come, as best they can, to the prescribed limit. There are two women here, and one of them is holding by the hand a horrible looking boy whose face is particularly affected by leprosy. He is already blind… And there is a noble looking man, notwithstanding his miserable state. He speaks on behalf of everybody: «Blessed be the Messiah of the Lord, Who has come down to our Gehenna, to free from it those who hope in Him. Save us, o Lord, because we are perishing! Save us, Saviour! King of the House of David, King of Israel, have mercy on Your subjects. Oh! Shoot of the stock of Jesse, of Whom it is said that in Your time there will be no evil, stretch out Your hand and pick up the remains of Your people. Cast away this death from us, wipe our tears, because that is what is said of You. Call us, Lord, to Your delicious pastures, to Your fresh waters, for we are thirsty. Lead us to the eternal hills where there is no sin or sorrow. Have mercy, Lord…»

«Who are you?»

«John, one of the Temple. I was probably infected by a leper. As You can see, I caught the disease only recently. But these!… Some of them have been awaiting death for years, and this little girl came here even before she could walk. She does not know what is the creation of God. What she knows or what she remembers of the wonders of God are these tombs, this merciless sun and the stars at night. Have mercy on the guilty and the innocent ones, o Lord, our Saviour.» They have all knelt down stretching out their hands.

Jesus weeps at so much misery. He then opens His arms shouting: «Father, I want it: health, life, sight and salvation for them.» He remains with His arms stretched out praying intensely with all His spirit. He seems to become thinner and to rise in prayer, a flame of love, white and powerful in the powerful gold of the sun.

«Mummy, I can see!» is the first cry, which is answered by the shout of the mother who clasps her cured little girl to her heart; then the shouts of the others and of the apostles… The miracle has been worked.

«John, as you are a priest, you will lead your companions in the rite. Peace be with you. Towards evening we shall bring some food also to you.» He blesses and is about to go away.

But John, the leper, shouts: «I want to follow Your steps. Tell me what I must do, where I must go to preach You!»

«In this desolate barren land, which must turn to the Lord. Let the town of Jerusalem be your field. Goodbye.»

• Anonymous characters
• Healing and miracles on children
• Healing and physical miracles
• John the priest (former leper)
• Miracles of Jesus Christ
• Simon the Zealot (apostle)
• The cry of Jesus Christ
• Zechariah the leper

«Blessed be the Messiah of the Lord, Who has come down to our Gehenna, to free from it those who hope in Him. Save us, o Lord, because we are perishing! Save us, Saviour! King of the House of David, King of Israel, have mercy on Your subjects. Oh! Shoot of the stock of Jesse, of Whom it is said that in Your time there will be no evil, stretch out Your hand and pick up the remains of Your people. Cast away this death from us, wipe our tears, because that is what is said of You. Call us, Lord, to Your delicious pastures, to Your fresh waters, for we are thirsty. Lead us to the eternal hills where there is no sin or sorrow. Have mercy, Lord…»

• Kingship of Jesus Christ - Christ-King
• Messiah
• Prayer for healing
• Prayer of blessing
• Prayers from the EMV
• Sauveur

Peter goes away with Mary and is very happy. They are both holding the boy by his hands and they look like a happy family. Many people turn around to look at them. Jesus watches them go away smiling.

«Simon is happy!» exclaims the Zealot.

«Why are You smiling, Master?» asks James of Zebedee.

«Because I see a great promise in that group.»

«Which promise, Brother? What do You see?» asks Thaddeus.

«This is what I see: that I shall be able to go away with a peaceful mind, when the time comes. I need not be afraid for My Church. Then it will be small and slender like Marjiam. But My Mother will be there to hold it by the hand and to be its Mother; and there will be Peter as its father. In his honest rough hands I can place the hand of My dawning Church without any worry. He will give it the strength of his protection. My Mother the strength of Her love. And the Church will grow… like Marjiam… He is really the symbol-child! May God bless My Mother, My Peter and their child and ours! Now let us go to Johanna’s.»

• Catholic Church
• James of Zebedee (apostle)
• Jesus' omniscience
• Jude of Alphée (apostle)
• Prophecies of Jesus Christ
• Simon the Zealot (apostle)
• Simon-Pierre - Simon de Jonas (apostle)
• The Virgin Mary
• Yabeç (Jabé) - Marziam (Margziam)

«Yes. Peter is very good. I would do anything for him, because he deserves it.»

«If he heard You, he would say with his good frank smile: “Ah! My Lord, that is not true!” And he would be right.»

«Why, Mother?» But Jesus smiles, because He has already understood.

«Because You are not satisfying him by giving him a son. He told Me all his hopes, his desires… and Your refusals.»

«And did he not tell You the reasons justifying them?»

«Yes, he did and he added: “It is true… but I am a man, a poor man. Jesus persists in seeing a great man in me. But I know that I am a poor fellow, and so… he could give me a child. I got married to have them… and I will die without any”. And he said — pointing at the boy who, delighted because of the lovely dress bought by Peter, had kissed him, saying: “Beloved father” — he said: “See, when this little creature, whom only ten days ago I did not know, says that to me, I feel that I become softer than butter and sweeter than honey and I weep, because… every day that goes by, takes this child away from me”.»

Mary becomes silent, watching Jesus, studying His face, waiting for a word… But Jesus has placed His elbow on His knee, resting His head in His hand and is silent, looking at the green expanse of the orchard.

Mary takes His hand and caressing it She says: «Simon has this great desire… When I went with him, he did nothing but speak to Me about it, and his reasons are so good that… I could say nothing to keep him quiet. They are the same reasons that all women and mothers think of. The boy is not strong. If he were as strong as You were… oh! he could have faced the life of a disciple without any fear. But he is so thin!… He is very intelligent, very good… but nothing more. When a little dove is so delicate, you cannot throw it in the air to let it fly very early, as you do with strong ones. The shepherds are good… but they are still men. Children need women. Why do You not leave him with Simon? While You refuse him a son of his own, born of him, I understand the reason. A son is like an anchor. And Simon, who is destined to such a great task, cannot be hindered by anchors. But You must agree that he is to be the “father” of all the sons You will be leaving him. How can he be a father if he has had no training with a child? A father must be sweet. Simon is good, but not sweet. He is impulsive and intolerant. Only a little creature can teach him the fine art of being indulgent to whoever is weak… Consider Simon’s destiny… He is Your successor after all! Oh! I must say that cruel word! But for all the sorrow it causes Me saying it, listen to Me. I would never advise You anything unless it were good. Marjiam… You want to make a perfect disciple of him… But he is only a boy. You… You will be going before he is a man. To whom then can You give him, to complete his formation, better than Simon? Finally, poor Simon, You know how much trouble he has had, with his mother-in-law, also because of You. And yet he has not picked up a tiny part of his past, of his freedom of a year ago, to be left in peace by his mother-in-law, whom not even You have been able to change. And his poor wife? She is longing so much to love and be loved. Her mother… oh! Her husband? A dear domineering man… No affection is ever given to her without exacting too much… Poor woman!… Leave her the boy. Listen, Son. For the time being we will take him with us. I will come to Judaea, too. You will take Me to one of My companions of the Temple, who is almost a relative, because she is of the House of David. She lives at Bethzur. I will be pleased to see her, if she is still alive. Then, when we go back to Galilee, we will give him to Porphirea. When we are near Bethsaida, Peter will take him. When we come here, so far, the boy will stay with her. Ah! You are smiling now! So You are going to please Your Mother. Thank You, My Jesus.»

«Yes, let it be done, as You wish.»

199.9

Jesus stands up and calls out loud: «Simon of Jonas: come here.»

Peter starts and rushes up the steps. «What do You want, Master?»

«Come here, you usurper and corrupter!»

«Me? Why? What have I done, Lord?»

«You have corrupted My Mother. That is why you wanted to be alone. What shall I do with you?»

But Jesus smiles and Peter recovers confidence. «Oh!» he says. «You really frightened me! But now You are laughing… What do You want from me, Master? My life? I have but that, because You have taken everything… But if You want, I will give it to You.»

«I do not want to take anything from you. I want to give you something. But do not take advantage of your victory and do not disclose the secret to the others, you most artful fellow who defeats the Master by means of the weapon of His Mother’s word. You will have the boy, but…»

Jesus can say no more, because Peter, who had knelt down, bounces to his feet and kisses the Master with such delight that he makes the words die on His lips.

«Thank Her, not Me. But remember that this must be of assistance to you, and not an impediment…»

«My Lord, You will not have to repent of the gift… Oh! Mary! May You be always blessed, You are holy and good…» And Peter, who has fallen on his knees again, weeps, kissing Mary’s hand…

• Humor and jokes of Jesus Christ
• Intercession of the Virgin Mary
• Pierre's mother-in-law
• Porphyry
• Shepherds of the Nativity
• Simon-Pierre - Simon de Jonas (apostle)
• Yabeç (Jabé) - Marziam (Margziam)

«Will I have the strength to destroy my guilty flesh?»

«In your solitude where Satan will attack you with livid violence the more you become worthy of Heaven, you will find an apostle of Mine, once a sinner and later redeemed.»

«Not the blessed apostle who spoke to me of You? He could not have been a sinner because he is too honest.»

«Not that one. Another one. He will reach you at the right moment. He will tell you what you cannot know just now. Go in peace. The blessing of God be with you.»

• Jesus' omniscience
• Lucifer - Satan
• Matthew (apostle)
• Prophecies of Jesus Christ

«And who will speak to me of God again?»

«Your risen soul, for the time being…»

«Will I see You again?»

«Never again in this world. But before long I will have redeemed you completely and then I will come to your spirit to prepare you to ascend to God.»

«How will my complete redemption take place if I do not see You again? How will You give it to me?»

«By dying for all sinners.»

«Oh! no! You must not die!»

«To give men the Life I must give Myself to death. That is why I came as a human being. Do not weep… You will soon join Me where I shall be after My sacrifice and yours.»

«My Lord! Will I die for You, too?»

«Yes, but in a different way. Your flesh will die hour by hour and because your will wants that. It has been dying for almost one year. When it is completely dead, I will call you.»

• Announcement of the Passion
• Jesus' omniscience
• Redemption