The Virgin Mary throughout the EMV

The Iscariot is pensive in a corner. Jesus calls him three times, but he does not hear. At last he turns around: «Do You want me. Master?» he asks.

«Yes, go and take your food and help your companions.»

«I am not hungry. Neither are You.»

«Neither am I, but for different reasons. Are you upset, Judas?»

«No, Master. I’m tired…»

«We are now going to the lake and then to Judaea, Judas. To your mother’s, as I promised you…»

Judas cheers up. «Are You really coming only with me?»

«Of course. Love Me, Judas. I would like My love to be such in you as to preserve you from all evil.»

«Master… I am a man. I am not an angel. At times I feel tired. Is it a sin to feel the need of sleep?»

«No, providing you sleep on My chest. Look over there how happy the people are and how beautiful the scenery is from here. All Judaea must be lovely in springtime.»

«Most beautiful, Master. But spring, there, on the mountains, which are higher than here, is later. But there are beautiful flowers. The apple-orchards are magnificent. Mine, which is looked after by my mother, is one of the most beautiful ones. And when she moves about in it, with the doves following her to get some corn, believe me, it is a sight that soothes your heart.»

«I believe you. If My Mother is not too tired, I would like to take Her to see yours. They would love each other, because they are both good.»

Judas, drawn by this idea, cheers up and forgetting that «he was not hungry and he was tired» runs happily to his companions and tall as he is, he undoes the highest knots without any trouble and eats his bread and olives, as happy as a child.

Jesus looks at him pitifully and then goes towards the apostles.

• Conversations between Jesus and Judas
• Judas de Kérioth (apostle)
• Locations - Judea
• Marie de Kérioth (mother of Judas)
• The Virgin Mary

While the two boats sail a short distance up the river and then stop near the bank, Jesus sits down and asks the new disciple: «Who is left at home now?»

«My mother and the eldest brother, who has been married for five years. My sisters are in various parts of the region. My father was very good and my mother mourns his death broken-heartedly.» The young man stops all of a sudden, stifling heartfelt sobs.

Jesus grabs his hand and says: «I experienced that sorrow Myself and I saw My Mother weep. So I can understand…»

• Death of Saint Joseph
• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Suffering and pain of Jesus Christ
• Suffering and pain of the Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary

There is a loud knocking at the door.

«Who can it be at this time?» asks Peter getting up to open the door.

John comes in. He is most upset, covered in dust, and he has obviously been weeping.

«You are here!» they all shout. «What’s the matter?»

Jesus, Who has stood up, says only: «Where is My Mother?»

And John, coming forward and kneeling at the feet of the Master, holding his arms as if he were asking for help, says: «Your Mother is well, but She is weeping as I am, as many others are, and She begs You not to come following the Jordan on our side. That is why She sent me back, because Your cousin John has been captured…» And John weeps while everybody is bewildered.

Jesus turns very pale but does not become excited. He only says:

«Stand up and tell us.»

«I was going down with Your Mother and the other women. Isaac and Timoneus were also with us. We were three women and three men. I was carrying out Your instruction to take Mary to John… Ah! You knew it was their last farewell!… It was to be their last farewell… Because of the storm of a few days ago, we had to stop for a little while. But it was enough to make it impossible for John to see Mary… We arrived at noon and he had been captured at daybreak…»

• The Virgin Mary

« Tell me, boy? But… is His Mother really safe?»

«Oh! Yes! The shepherd disciples of John have also gone with Her.»

• John of Bethlehem (shepherd of the Nativity)
• Matthias (shepherd of the Nativity - formerly Tobias of Bethlehem)
• Simeon of Bethlehem (shepherd of the Nativity)
• The Virgin Mary

«Where are we going exactly?» asks Peter.

«To give Passover to those who suffer. I have been wanting to do it for a long time. But I could not. I would have done it going back to Galilee. Now that they compel us to go along roads that we have not chosen, I am going to bless Jonah’s poor friends.»

«We will be wasting a lot of time! Passover is near! There are always delays for various reasons.» Another chorus of complaints rises to the sky. I do not know how Jesus can be so patient…

Without reproaching anyone He says: «Please, do not hinder Me! Endeavour to understand My need to love and to be loved. I have but this solace on the earth: to love and do the will of God.»

«And are we going from here? Was it not better to go from Nazareth?»

«If I had suggested that, you would have rebelled. No one will suspect that I am here… and I am doing it for you… because you are afraid.»

«Afraid? Ah! No! We are ready to fight for You.»

«Pray the Lord not to put you to the test. I know that you are quarrelsome, resentful, anxious to offend those who offend Me and to humble your neighbour. I know all that. But I do not know you to be brave. As far as I am concerned, I would have also gone by Myself and along the main road and nothing would have happened because it is not yet the time. But I feel sorry for you. I have to obey My Mother, yes, but I do not want to upset Simon the Pharisee. I will not disgust them. But they will disgust Me.»

«And where do we go from here? I am not familiar with this area» says Thomas.

«We will reach Tabor, we will coast part of it and will go to Nain via Endor; from there to the plain of Esdraelon. Be not afraid!… Doras, the son of Doras, and Johanan are already in Jerusalem.»

• Doras (son of Doras)
• Ignorance of Jesus Christ
• Jesus' omniscience
• Locations - Endor - En-Dor
• Locations - Esdrelon plain
• Locations - Nazareth
• Pharisees
• Places - Naïm
• Simon of Capernaum (Pharisee)
• The Virgin Mary
• Yokhanan or Giocana Ben Zacchaï (Sadducee and Pharisee)
• Yokhanan peasants

The funeral comes out from the other side of the walls. It is not possible to see what there is on the stretcher, which is carried shoulder high by the bearers. One understands that there is a corpse, wrapped in bandages and covered by a sheet, only because of its outline and that it is the body of a fully grown person, because it is as long as the stretcher.

A veiled woman is walking beside it, weeping, supported by relatives or friends. The only sincere tears in all that farce of mourners. And when a bearer trips on a stone or heap in the ground or stumbles and causes the stretcher to shake, the mother moans: «Oh! No! Be careful! My boy has suffered so much!» and she raises her trembling hand to caress the edge of the stretcher. And as she is unable to do anything else, she kisses the veils and the ribbons, which blown by a gentle breeze lightly touch the immobile corpse.

Peter, sympathetic, his good keen eyes welling up with tears whispers: «She is the mother.» But he is not the only one whose eyes are shining with tears at the sight. Also the Zealot, Andrew, John, and even the ever merry Thomas have tears in their eyes. They are all deeply moved. Judas Iscariot whispers: «If it were I! Oh! Poor mother of mine…»

189.2

Jesus, the kindness of Whose eyes is so deep as to be unbearable, makes His way towards the stretcher.

The mother, who is now sobbing louder because the funeral is about to turn towards the open sepulchre, pushes Him aside resolutely, when she sees that Jesus wants to touch the stretcher. I wonder what she is afraid of in her grief. She shouts: «He is mine!» and looks at Jesus with staring eyes.

«I know, mother. He is yours.»

«He is my only son! Why should he die, he was so good and dear, he was my joy, and I am a widow. Why?» The crowd of the hired mourners mourn more loudly, forming a chorus with the mother who continues: «Why he, and not I? It is not just that she who has borne a child, should see her offspring perish. The offspring must live, otherwise why was my womb torn to give birth to a man?» and she strikes her abdomen wildly and desperately.

«Do not do that! Do not weep, mother.» Jesus takes her hands clenching them firmly in His left hand, while with His right one He touches the stretcher saying to the bearers: «Stop and put the stretcher down.»

The bearers obey and lower the little bed that rests on its four legs.

Jesus takes the sheet covering the dead boy and pulls it back uncovering the corpse.

The mother shouts her grief and the name of her son, I think: «Daniel!»

Jesus, still clenching the mother’s hands in His, stands up, His eyes imposingly bright, the power of miracle shining majestically on His face, lowering His right hand, orders in the full strength of His voice: «Young man! I tell you: get up!»

189.3

The dead boy, wrapped in bandages as he is, sits up on the little bed and calls: «Mother!» He calls her with the stammering frightened voice of a terrified child.

«He is yours, woman. I give him to you in the name of God. Help him to get rid of the sudarium. And be happy.»

And Jesus makes the gesture of withdrawing. Impossible! The crowds rivet Him to the stretcher, on which the mother has thrown herself groping for the bandages, endeavouring to be quick, while the imploring childish moaning repeats: «Mother! Mother!»

The sudarium and bandages are undone and mother and son can embrace each other, and they do so without bothering about the sticky balms, which the mother removes from his dear face and hands, making use of the same bandages. As she has not clothes to put on him, she takes off her mantle and wraps him in it, caressing him all the time…

189.4

Jesus looks at her… he looks at the loving group, close together on the edge of the little bed, no longer a stretcher, and He weeps.

Judas Iscariot sees His tears and asks: «Why are You weeping, my Lord?»

Jesus turns His face towards him and says: «I am thinking of My Mother…»

• Suffering and pain of Jesus Christ
• Suffering and pain of the Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary
• The cry of Jesus Christ

«They travel in comfort!» says Peter who is tired and wet with perspiration. «But, if God helps us, the day after tomorrow evening we shall be in Jerusalem.»

«No, Simon. I must make a detour and go towards the Jordan.»

«But why, my Lord?»

«Because of the boy. He is very sad, and it would be too sad for him to see the mountain of the disaster.»

«But we shall not see it! Or rather, we shall see the other side… and I take it upon myself to divert his attention. John and I… His attention is easily distracted, poor little dove without a nest. To go towards the Jordan! Well! It is better this way. A straight road. Shorter. Safer. No. No. This one, this one. See? Also the Roman ladies are taking it. Along the sea and the river there is the risk of fever during the first summer rains. It is healthy here. In any case… When are we going to arrive if we increase the distance? Consider how agitated Your Mother must be after that unpleasant business of the Baptist!…» Peter wins and Jesus agrees.

«In that case we will stop early and have a good rest and tomorrow we will leave at dawn to be at Gethsemane in the evening of the day after tomorrow. The day after Friday we will go to Bethany to see My Mother and we will leave John’s books there, as they have been quite a burden for you, and we will find Isaac there and will entrust him with this poor brother of ours…»

«And the boy? Are You handing him over at once?»

Jesus smiles. «No. I am giving him to My Mother, Who will prepare him for “his” feast. And then we will keep him with us for Passover. But after we will have to leave him… Do not become too attached to him! Or rather: love him as if he were your own son, but with a supernatural spirit. As you can see he is weak and gets tired. I, too, would have liked to teach him Myself and bring him up nourished in Wisdom by Me. But I am the Untiring One and Jabez is too young and too weak to do the work we do. We will go through Judaea and will come back to Jerusalem for Pentecost, and then we will go… evangelizing… We shall find him again in our fatherland in summer.»

• Jean d'Endor (Félix)
• Jean-Baptiste
• Simon-Pierre - Simon de Jonas (apostle)
• The Virgin Mary
• Yabeç (Jabé) - Marziam (Margziam)

They are now climbing a very steep hill, because they have left the dusty crowded main road and have taken this short cut through woods. And when they reach the summit, they can distinctly see in the distance a huge bright light shining above an agglomeration, perhaps whitewashed houses.

«Jabez» calls Jesus «come here. Can you see that golden spot? It is the House of the Lord. There you will swear to obey the Law. But do you know it well?»

«My mother used to speak to me about it and my father taught me the precepts. I can read… and… and I think I know what “they” told me before they died…» The boy, who had come smiling when Jesus called him, is now weeping with his head lowered and his trembling hand in Jesus’ hand.

«Do not weep. Listen. Do you know where we are? This is Bethel. Holy Jacob dreamt of the angels here. Do you know? Do you remember?»

«Yes, Lord. He saw a ladder that from the earth reached up to Heaven and the angels went up and down, and my mother used to say that when one dies, if one has always been good, one sees the same thing and goes up that ladder to the House of God. My mother used to tell me many things… But now she does not tell me anymore… I have them all in here and that is all I have of hers…» Tears stream down his little sad face.

«Do not weep like that! Listen, Jabez. I also have a Mother and Her name is Mary and She is holy and good and can tell many things. She is wiser than a teacher and more gentle and beautiful than an angel. We are going to see Her now. She will love you so much. And She will tell you many things. And then John’s mother is with her and she is very good, too, and her name is Mary. And there is the mother of my brother Judas, and she is as sweet as a honey cake and her name is Mary, too. They will love you so much. Because you are a clever boy and for My sake, because I love you so much. And you will grow up with them and when you are big, you will be a holy man of God, like a doctor you will preach Jesus Who has given you a new mother here and Who will open the gates of Heaven to your dead mother and to your father, and will open them also to you when your hour comes. You will not even need to climb the long ladder of Heaven when you die. You will have climbed it during your lifetime, being a good disciple, and you will find yourself up there, at the gate of Paradise, and I will be there and I will say to you: “Come, My friend and son of Mary” and we shall be together.» Jesus’ bright smile, while walking slightly bent to be closer to the raised face of the child who is walking beside Him with his hand held by Jesus, and the wonderful story wipe his tears and make him smile.

• Angels
• Bible - Book of Genesis
• Jacob (biblical character)
• Locations - Bethel
• Marie Salomé (mother of James and John of Zebedee)
• Marie d'Alphée (Mary of Cleophas)
• The Virgin Mary

«Oh! Lord! Lord! And do You love me so much?»

«Yes, Jabez.»

«No, no longer Jabez. Give me a new name that means that You loved me and saved me…»

«I will choose a name together with My Mother. All right?»

«But a name that means just that. And I will have it as from the day I become a son of the Law.»

«You will have it as from that day.»

• The Virgin Mary

The group has spent most of the Sabbath morning resting their tired bodies and cleaning their clothes which had become dusty and creased during the journey. There is so much inviting water in the spacious cisterns of Gethsemane, full of rain water, and in the foamy Kidron, now in flood, because of the recent downpours, where the water resounds against the stones like a symphony. And the apostles, one after the other, defying the low temperature of the water, plunge into it and then, clad from head to foot in fresh clothes, their hair rather sleeked by the spray of the torrent, they draw water from the cisterns pouring it into large vats in which they have sorted out their clothes according to the colours.

«Well! Once they are soaked in there, it will be less troublesome for Mary to wash them.» (I suppose that Mary is the woman who stays at Gethsemane). «Only you, my dear little friend, cannot change. But tomorrow…» In fact the boy is wearing a clean robe, which has been taken from his little sack: so small that it would be quite sufficient for the garments of a doll! But the boy’s little tunic is even more discoloured and torn than the other one and Peter looks at it with apprehension, whispering: «How can I possibly take him to town? I think I will cut one of my mantles in two, because a mantle… would cover him completely.»

Jesus, Who has heard this paternal soliloquy says: «It is better to let him rest now. This evening we are going to Bethany…»

«But I want to buy him a robe. I promised it.»

«You certainly will. But it is better to seek My Mother’s advice. You know… women… have more experience in such purchase… and She will be happy to take care of the child… You will go together.»

Peter is enraptured to the seventh heaven of delight at the idea of going shopping with Mary. I do not know whether Jesus has expressed all His thoughts or whether He has held back some, those implying that His Mother’s taste is more refined than Peter’s and would thus avoid the clashing of atrocious hues. The fact is that He achieves His aim without mortifying Peter.

• Simon-Pierre - Simon de Jonas (apostle)
• The Virgin Mary
• Yabeç (Jabé) - Marziam (Margziam)