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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 184.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Be patient, woman. Everybody has a cross.»

«Oh! No! Shameless women have but pleasure. You have seen the deeds of the shameless ones! They enjoy themselves and make other people suffer. They do not suffer the labour of childbirth neither do they break their backs working. Their hands do not blister digging, neither do they get spoiled washing clothes. They are beautiful and fresh looking. Eve’s punishment does not affect them. On the contrary, they are our punishment, because… men… You know what I mean.»

«I understand. But, believe Me, they have a terrible cross, too. The most dreadful one, which is not visible: their conscience which reproaches them, the world that sneers at them, their blood that disowns them, God that curses them. They are not happy, believe Me. They do not suffer the labour of childbirth, they do not break their backs working, they do not ulcerate their hands toiling. But they feel broken just the same, and ashamed. Their hearts are one big sore. Do not envy their fresh look, their apparent serenity. It is a veil laid over a ruin that bites and gives no peace. Do not envy their sleep, you, a mother who dreams of her innocent children… Their pillows are covered with nightmares. And in future, in their old age, in their agony, they will have nothing but remorse and terror.»

«It is true… Forgive me…»

GRM 184.3-5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

184.3 «May I stay here?»

«Yes, stay. I will tell Benjamin a nice parable and those who are no longer children will apply it to themselves and to Mary of Magdala. Listen.

You doubt Mary’s conversion to Good. There is no sign in her in that direction. Brazen and impudent, conscious of her rank and power, she dared to defy the people and come to the very threshold of the house where they are weeping because of her. She laughed at Peter’s reproach. She replied to My inviting look by striking a proud attitude. Perhaps some of you, either for Lazarus’ sake or for mine, would have liked Me to speak to her directly, at some length, subduing her with My power, showing My strength as Messiah and Saviour. No. All that is not needed. I already said so many months ago with regards to another sinner. Souls must react by themselves. I pass and sow the seed. The seed works in secret. A soul is to be respected in this work. If the first seed does not take root, another must be sown, and a third one… and one must give up only when there is definite proof that it is useless to sow. And one prays. Prayer is like dew on the clods of earth: it keeps them soft and nourishes them, so that the seed can sprout. Is that not what you do, woman, with your vegetables?

184.4 Now listen to the parable of how God works in the hearts of men to establish His Kingdom there. Because every heart is a small kingdom of God on the earth. Later, after death, all these small kingdoms will agglomerate into one, immeasurable, holy eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

The Kingdom of God is created in men’s hearts by the Divine Sower. He comes to his field – man belongs to God, because every man is initially His – and sows His seed. He then goes to other fields, to other hearts. Days follow the nights and nights the days. The days bring sunshine and rain, in our case rays of divine love and effusion of divine Wisdom speaking to the spirit. The nights bring stars and restful silence: in our case enlightening calls of God and silence for the soul so that it may collect its thoughts and meditate.

The seed, in this course of imperceptible but powerful influence, swells, splits, takes root, sprouts, grows. And all that happens without any help from man. The soil spontaneously produces grass from seeds, the herb becomes strong and supports the rising ear, the ear grows, swells, hardens, becomes golden and perfect when seeding. When it is ripe, the sower comes back and cuts it because the time of perfection has arrived for that seed. It cannot develop any further and so it is harvested.

My word does the same work in hearts. I am referring to the hearts which receive the seed. But it is a slow process. One must not spoil everything by being hasty. How troublesome it is for the little seed to split and take root! Such work is painful also for a hard wild heart. It must open itself, allow people to search it, accept new things and nourish them laboriously, appear different being covered with humble useful things, instead of the fascinating, pompous, useless, exuberant flourishing that covered it previously. It must be satisfied with working humbly for the benefit of the divine Thought, without drawing other people’s admiring attention. It must exert all its talent to grow and burst into ear. It must burn with love to become corn. And after overcoming all fears of human opinion, which are so grievous, after toiling, suffering and becoming attached to its new dress, it must be deprived of it by a cruel cut. It must give everything to receive everything. It must be divested to be clad again in Heaven with the stole of sainthood. The life of a sinner who becomes a saint is the longest, most heroic and glorious fight. I tell you.

184.5 You will realise from what I told you that it is fair that I should deal with Mary as I am doing. Did I behave differently with you, Matthew?»

«No, my Lord, You did not.»

«And tell Me the truth: what convinced you more, My patience or the bitter reproaches of the Pharisees?»

«Your patience, so much so that I am here. The Pharisees, by despising and anathematizing me, made me scornful, and out of contempt I did more harm than I had done so far. That is what happens. Sinners become more obstinate when they realise that they are treated as sinners. But when we are caressed instead of being insulted, we are dumbfounded and we weep… and when one weeps, the whole framework of sin collapses… One is left naked before Goodness and one implores it wholeheartedly to be reclothed by It.»

«You are right.»

Detail

Mary Magdalene doesn't seem to be converted, and Jesus gives a parable in this context.

Annotation

I said this about another sinner, several months ago. For Aglaé, the veiled woman from Belle-Eau. See EMV 79.6.

Gospel of Mark 4, 26-32

Mk 4, 26-32 : He said: "The reign of God is like a man who casts seed into the earth: night and day, whether he sleeps or rises, the seed germinates and grows, he knows not how. Of its own accord, the earth first produces grass, then an ear of corn, and finally a full ear of wheat. And as soon as the wheat is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, since harvest time has arrived." He went on to say: "To what shall we compare the reign of God? What parable can we use to represent it? It's like a mustard seed: when you sow it in the ground, it's the smallest of all seeds. But when you sow it, it grows and surpasses all vegetable plants; and it spreads out long branches, so that the birds of the air can make their nests in its shade."

GRM 184.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Every heart is a small kingdom of God on the earth. Later, after death, all these small kingdoms will agglomerate into one, immeasurable, holy eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

GRM 184.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

View in context

Quotation

That is what happens. Sinners become more obstinate when they realise that they are treated as sinners. But when we are caressed instead of being insulted, we are dumbfounded and we weep… and when one weeps, the whole framework of sin collapses… One is left naked before Goodness and one implores it wholeheartedly to be reclothed by It.