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Bible - Gospel of Luke

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GRM 175.1-2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Amongst the many flowers which perfume the earth and delight our eyes, I see the horrible spectre of a revolting, corroded leper, completely covered with sores.
The crowds shout with fear and rush back to the lower slopes of the mountain. Some of them gather stones to throw at the rash man.
But Jesus turns around with His arms fully stretched out and shouts: «Peace! Stay where you are: be not afraid. Put the stones down. Have mercy on a poor brother. He is a son of God, too.»
The crowds obey, overwhelmed by the power of the Master, Who moves forward through the tall grass in bloom to a few steps from the leper, who, as far as he is concerned, has understood that Jesus is protecting him, and has come nearer.
When he reaches Jesus, he prostrates himself, and the blooming grass wraps him like cool scented water. The flowers undulate and gather together, forming a veil over the miserable man concealed amongst them. Only the mournful voice that can be heard reminds people of the wretched creature lying there. It says: «Lord, if You want, You can cure me. Have mercy on me too!»
Jesus replies: «Raise your head and look at Me. A man who believes in Heaven must be able to look at it. And you do believe, because you are asking for a grace.»
The grass is shaken and opens out once again. Like the head of a shipwrecked person emerging from the sea, the head of the leper appears, stripped of hair and beard. His head is a skull not yet entirely deprived of all flesh.
And yet Jesus does not disdain touching that forehead with the tips of His fingers, where there are no sores on the skin. But the skin on that spot is ashen-grey, scaly, and lies between two putrid erosions, one of which has destroyed his scalp, and the other has opened a hole where his right eye was, so that I could not say whether the ball of his eye is still in the huge socket, which, between his temple and his nose, lays bare his cheek-bone and his nasal cartilage, full of corruption. And Jesus, holding the finger-tips of His lovely hand there, says: «I want it. Be cleansed.»
And as if the man were not eaten away and covered with sores, but only covered with dirt on which cleansing waters were poured, the leprosy disappears at once. First the wounds heal; then his skin becomes clear, his right eye appears between fresh eyelids, his lips close around his yellowish teeth. Only his hair and beard are missing, that is, there are only scanty tufts of hair where previously there was only a tiny piece of wholesome skin.
The crowds shout in amazement. And their joyful shouts tell the man that he is cured. He lifts his hands, so far concealed by the grass, he touches his eye, where the huge hole was; he touches his head, where the large sore showed the skull and feels his fresh skin. He stands up, looks at his chest, his hips… He is all wholesome and clean… He collapses once again on the flowery meadow weeping out of joy.
«Do not weep. Stand up and listen to Me. Go back to life according to the rite and do not tell anybody until you have accomplished it. Show yourself to the priest as soon as possible, make the offering prescribed by Moses as evidence of your miraculous cure.»
«It’s for You that I should witness, my Lord!»
«You will witness for Me by loving My doctrine! Go.»

Detail

Healing a leper.

Annotation

Exposing the zygoma: Maria Valtorta was a nurse in her youth, so she knows a thing or two about anatomy.

I want it. Be purified. This miracle, reported in Matthew 8:1-3, is often confused by biblical scholars with the healing of Abel the leper (Mark 1:40-42; Luke 5:12-13), which is described in EMV 63.1/5.

"Can I tell the priest that you healed me?

- No, you mustn't. Just tell him: 'The Lord had mercy on me. "That's the truth. Nothing else." From now on, Jesus' notoriety grows, and He wants to avoid any conflict with the temple notables for as long as possible.

Gospel of Matthew 8:1-4

Mt 8, 1-4 : When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him, bowed down before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can cleanse me." Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, "I am willing, be cleansed." And immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Jesus said to him: "Be careful, don't say anything to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest. And give the offering that Moses commanded: it will be a testimony to the people."

Gospel of Mark 1:40-45

Mk 1:40-45: A leper came to him, begged him and, falling to his knees, said, "If you are willing, you can cleanse me." Seized with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, "I am willing, be cleansed." Instantly, the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. With firmness, Jesus immediately sent him away, saying: "Be careful, don't say anything to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and give for your cleansing what Moses prescribed in the Law: it will be a testimony to the people." Once he had gone, this man began to proclaim and spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but stayed away in deserted places. But people came to him from everywhere.

Gospel of Luke 5:12-14

Lk 5:12-14: Jesus was in a town when a man covered in leprosy came up to him; when he saw Jesus, he fell face down and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can cleanse me." Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I do, be cleansed." Instantly, the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone: "Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and give for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; it will be a testimony to all."

Keywords

GRM 176.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

You call Me Messiah and Lord. You say you love Me and you praise Me. You follow Me and that seems love. But I solemnly tell you that not everyone amongst you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven with Me. Also amongst My earliest and latest disciples there are some who will not enter the Kingdom, because many will do their own will or the will of the flesh, of the world, of the demon, but not My Father’s. Not those who say to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but those who do the will of My Father, They will be the only ones to enter the Kingdom of God.

Keywords

GRM 176.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The day will come when I, Who am now speaking to you, after being the Shepherd, will be the Judge. Do not let the present appearance deceive you. Now My shepherd’s staff gathers together all the scattered souls and kindly invites you to come to the pastures of Truth. Later the staff will be replaced by the sceptre of the Judge King and My power will be quite different. It will not be with kindness but with implacable justice that I will separate the sheep fed with Truth from those which mixed Truth and Error or fed only on error. I will do that a first time and then once again. And woe betide those who between the first and the second appearance before the Judge will not have purged themselves because they will not be able to purge themselves of their poisons. The third category will not purge itself. No pain could purge it. They wanted nothing but Error, so let them be in Error.
And yet among them there will be someone moaning: “What, Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name did we not cast out demons and work many miracles?”. And then I will say very clearly to them: “Yes, you dared to clothe yourselves with My name that you might appear what you are not. You wanted your satanism to be considered as living with Jesus. But you are accused by the fruit of your deeds. Where are the souls you saved? When were your prophecies fulfilled? What was the result of your exorcisms? Who was the accomplice of your deviations? Oh! My Enemy is really powerful! But not more than I am. He helped you only to plunder more souls, and thanks to you, the circle of those swept away by heresy has widened. Yes, you have worked wonders, which apparently looked even greater than those of the true servants of God, who are not historians who astonish crowds, but are so humble and obedient as to amaze angels. My true servants, through their sacrifices do not create phantasms, but wipe them out of hearts; they do not impose themselves on men, but show God to the souls of men. They do nothing but the will of the Father and lead others to do it, like a wave that pushes the wave preceding it and draws the one following it, without putting themselves on a throne and saying: ‘Look’. My true servants do what I tell them, without thinking of anything else, and their deeds bear the sign of My unmistakable peace, kindness and order. I can therefore say to you: they are My servants, but I do not know you. Go away from me all of you, workers of iniquity”.
That is what I will say. And it will be a dreadful word. Take care you do not deserve it and proceed along the safe, although painful way of obedience, towards the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Annotation

Gospel of Matthew 7, 21-23

Mt 7, 21-23 : Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? did we not cast out demons in your name? and did we not perform many miracles in your name? Then I will say to them: I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

Gospel of Luke 13, 26-27

Lk 13, 26-27 : Then you will begin to say: We ate and drank before you, and you taught in our public places. And he will answer you: I tell you, I don't know where you're from; get away from me, all you workers of iniquity.

It is not with gentleness, but with inexorable justice that I, then, will separate the sheep fed on Truth from those who mixed Truth and Error or fed only on Error. Once and again I will play this role. Affirmation of the two judgments: the particular judgment and the last judgment. (See CCC n° 1021 and n° 1038).

Your Satanism: Maria Valtorta notes on a typewritten copy: It is addressed particularly to those who devote themselves to occult sciences or belong to anti-Christian sects, etc., in other words to sinners against the first commandment.

Keywords

GRM 177.1-5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Jesus enters Capernaum coming from the country. Only the Twelve are with Him, or rather, only eleven apostles, as John is not there. The usual greetings of the crowd form a vast range of expressions, from the entirely simple ones of children, to the rather shy ones of women, to the enraptured ones of people cured miraculously, and those which are either curious or ironical. There are enough to satisfy all tastes. And Jesus replies to everybody according to how He is greeted: caressing the little ones, blessing the women, smiling at those cured miraculously, and with deep respect for the others.
But this time the series is completed by the greeting of a centurion of the town, I think. He greets Him: «Hail, Master!» to which Jesus replies: «May God come to you.»
While the crowd draws close to see the outcome of the meeting, the centurion continues: «I have been waiting for You for several days. You do not recognise me as one of those who were listening to You on the Mount. I was wearing plain clothes. Are You not asking me why I went there?»
«No, I am not, but what do you want from Me?»
«I have instructions to follow those who hold meetings, because too often Rome has had to regret having granted permission for apparently honest meetings. But seeing and listening to You, I thought of You as a… as a…
177.2
I have a servant who is ill, Lord. He is lying in my house, in his bed, paralyzed by a disease of the bones and he suffers dreadfully. Our doctors cannot cure him. Your doctors refuse to come. I invited them to come because it is a disease caused by the corrupt air of this area and they know how to cure it with the herbs of the feversome soil of the shore where the water stagnates before being absorbed by the sand of the sea. I am very sorry because he is a faithful servant.»
«I will come and cure him.»
«No, my Lord. I am not asking You to go to all that trouble. I am a heathen, filth, as far as you are concerned. If the Jewish doctors are afraid of becoming contaminated by coming to my house, all the more reason it would contaminate You, Who are divine. I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but if You say only one word here, my servant will be cured because You rule over everything. Now if I, who am subject to my authorities, the first being Caesar, for whom I must act, think and behave as I am told, can in turn order soldiers under me, and if I say to one: “Go” to another: “Come” and to a servant: “Do that”, the first one will go where I send him, the other will come because I call him, and the third will do what I tell him, You, as You are Who You are, will be immediately obeyed by the disease, which will vanish.»
«But the disease is not a man…» objects Jesus.
«Neither are You a man, You are the Man. You can therefore give orders to elements and fevers, because everything is subject to Your power.»
177.3
Some elders of Capernaum take Jesus aside and say to Him: «He is a Roman, but listen to him because he is an honest man who respects and helps us. It was he who built our synagogue and he has given strict instructions to his soldiers not to gibe at us on Sabbaths. Grant him, therefore, the grace, for the sake of Your town so that he may not be disappointed and irritated, and his fondness for us may not turn into hatred.»
And Jesus, after listening to them, turns around smiling at the centurion and says: «Go ahead and I will come after you.»
But the centurion says once again: «No, my Lord, I have told You: it would be a great honour if You entered under my roof, but I do not deserve so much; say only one word and my servant will be cured.»
«Let it be so. Go and have faith. This very moment the fever is leaving him and life is flowing back into his limbs. Endeavour to get Life to come also to your soul. Go.»
The centurion salutes, then bows and goes away.
177.4
Jesus watches him go away, then turns to the people present and says: «I solemnly tell you that I did not find so much faith in Israel. Oh! It is quite true[1]! “The people that walked in darkness saw a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone”, and also “The Messiah will hoist His flag over the nations and gather them together”. Oh! My Kingdom! They will really flow to you in immense numbers! More numerous than all the camels and dromedaries of Madian and Ephah, than those who bring the gold and incense of Sheba, more numerous than all the flocks of Kedar and the rams of Nebaioth, will be those who come to you and My heart will exult with joy seeing all the peoples of the sea and the wealth of the nations coming to Me. The islands are waiting for Me to adore Me, and the children of foreigners will build the walls of My Church, the gates of which will lie open continually to receive the kings and the wealth of the nations and sanctify them in Me. What Isaiah saw, will be accomplished! I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, whereas the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.»
«You therefore foretell that the gentiles will be equal to the children of Abraham?»
«Not equal, but greater. You can only regret that it is due to your fault. Not I, but the Prophets say so, and the signs already confirm it.
177.5
Now some of you should go to the house of the centurion and ascertain that his servant is cured as the faith of the Roman deserved. Come. Perhaps in the house there are some sick people waiting for Me.»
Jesus with the apostles and a few more people turns His steps towards the usual house where He stays when in Capernaum, while most of the people, driven by curiosity, rush towards the centurion’s house making a great noise.

Annotation

He greets him with "Ave, Maître! Salve in the original Italian, as in the Salve Regina, not Ave as in theAve Maria.

I've been waiting for you for several days. You don't recognize me, but I was among those listening to you on the mountain. I was dressed in civilian clothes. Indeed, Maria Valtorta had noticed his presence on Tuesday(EMV 171.1).

These are diseases that come from the corrupted air of these regions: Swamp fevers (yellow fever or malaria) caused serious epidemics in ancient times. They are mentioned several times in the work. For centuries, these fevers were attributed to unhealthy air (aria cattiva, from which the Italian word mala aria = bad air), without ever making the connection with mosquitoes. Here, Maria Valtorta reports an opinion perfectly in line with Roman belief, and not related to her knowledge as a nurse.

You know how to cure them with herbs from the feverish soil of the shore where the waters stagnate before being absorbed by the sand of the sea. We're probably talking about agrimony (agrimonia eupatoria), which grows in marshes. Pliny mentions it. When infused, it is used to combat malaria (from palus = marsh, in Latin). The seaside marsh mentioned by the centurion may well be Dor (now Al Tantura), south of Mount Carmel. It was not drained until 1892. Malaria was rampant there.

Think it was he who built the synagogue. Only Luke 7:5 mentions this detail.

I assure you that many will come from the east and the west, and they will sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, while the sons of the Kingdom will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is the end of the story in Matthew 8:11-12, while Luke mentions it elsewhere (Luke 13:28-29).

Jesus, accompanied by the apostles and a few others, heads for the house where he usually stays when in Capernaum. The house of Thomas of Capernaum. Thomas is probably a distant relative of Jesus.

Gospel of Matthew 8, 5-13

Mt 8, 5-13: As Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came up to him and begged, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." Jesus said to him, "I'll go and heal him myself." The centurion replied, "Lord, I'm not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed. I myself, who am subject to authority, have soldiers under my command; to one I say, 'Go', and he goes; to another, 'Come', and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this', and he does it." At these words, Jesus was in awe and said to those who followed him, "Amen, I declare to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. So I tell you, many will come from east and west and take their places with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast of the Kingdom of Heaven, but the sons of the Kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go home, that all may be well with you according to your faith." And that very hour, the servant was healed.

Gospel of Luke 7, 1-10

Lk 7, 1-10 : When Jesus had finished telling the people all his words, he entered Capernaum. There was a centurion whose slave was sick and about to die, and the centurion was very fond of him. Having heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish notables to ask him to come and save his slave. When they got to Jesus, they begged him earnestly: "He deserves this from you. He loves our nation: it was he who built the synagogue for us." Jesus was on his way with them, and was already not far from the house, when the centurion sent some friends to tell him: "Lord, don't take this trouble, for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. That's why I didn't give myself permission to come to you. But say the word and let my servant be healed! I'm someone subordinate to an authority, but I have soldiers under my command; to one I say, 'Go', and he goes; to another, 'Come', and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this', and he does it." Hearing this, Jesus was in awe of him. He turned and said to the crowd following him, "I declare to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!" When they returned home, they found the slave in good health.

Gospel of Luke 13, 28-29

Lk 13, 28-29 : Then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, while you are thrown out. They will come from the East and the West, from Aquilon and from the South; and they will take their places at the banquet in the kingdom of God.

Book of Isaiah, 9, 1

Is 9, 1 : The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, and on those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, light has shone.

Isaiah 11, 10-12

Is 11, 10-12 : And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, lifted up as a standard for the peoples, shall be sought out by the nations, and his dwelling shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day: the Lord will stretch out his hand a second time to redeem the remnant of his people, that which remains in the lands of Assyria and Egypt, Patros, Ethiopia, Elam, Sennaar, Hamath and the isles of the sea. He will raise up a standard for the nations, and gather together the outcasts of Israel; he will gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four ends of the earth.

Isaiah 60, 5-10

Is 60, 5-10 : Then you will see him, and you will be radiant; your heart will leap and expand; for the riches of the sea will come to you, the treasures of the nations will come to you. Multitudes of camels will cover you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all those of Sheba will come, they will bring gold and incense, and publish the praises of Yahweh. All the flocks of Cedar will gather to you; the rams of Nabaioth will serve you; they will come up to my altar as a pleasing offering, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

Who are these that fly like clouds, like doves to their dovecote? For the isles hope in me, and the ships of Tarshish will come first; To bring back your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to honor the name of Yahweh your God, and the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you. The sons of foreigners will build your walls, and their kings will be your servants; for I struck you in my anger, but in my kindness I had compassion on you.

Keywords

GRM 178.1-4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

I see Jesus heading towards the lake with eleven apostles, as John is still absent. Many people press around Him: among them there are many who were on the Mount, mainly men, who have reached Him at Capernaum to hear His words once again. They would like to detain Him. But He says: «I belong to everybody. And there are many who are entitled to have Me. I will come back. You will join Me. But let Me go now.» He has difficulty in walking through the crowd who throng the little narrow street. The apostles push with their shoulders to make room for Him. But it is like pushing a spongy substance that immediately springs back again. They get angry, too, but to no avail.
178.2
They are already in sight of the lake, after a fierce struggle, when a middle-aged refined looking man goes near the Master and touches His shoulder to attract His attention.
Jesus turns around and stops, asking: «What do you want?»
«I am a scribe. But our precepts can in no way be compared to Your word and I am fascinated by it. Master, I do not want to leave I will follow You wherever You go. Which way are You going?»
«The way to Heaven.»
«I do not mean that. I am asking You where are You going now. In which houses will You stop after the present one, so that I may always find You?»
«Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. The world is My home, wherever there are spirits to be taught, distress to be relieved, sinners to be redeemed.»
«Everywhere, then.»
«You are right. Can you, a doctor in Israel, do what these simple men do for My sake? This is what is required here: sacrifice, obedience, charity for everybody, a mind adaptive for everything and with everybody. Because compliance is alluring. Because he who wishes to cure must bend over all sores. Afterwards there will be the purity of Heaven. But here we are in mud and we have to pull out of the mud, on which we walk, the victims already submerged in it. We cannot lift our clothes and move to one side because the mud is deeper there. Purity must be within us. We must be filled with it so that nothing else can enter. Can you do all that?»
«At least let me try.»
«Try. I will pray that you may succeed.»
178.3
Jesus begins to walk again and His attention is drawn by two eyes staring at Him, the eyes of a tall strong young man who has stopped to let the train of followers pass, as he seems to be going in a different direction. Jesus says to him: «Follow Me.»
The young man starts, changes colour, blinks as if he were dazzled by light, then opens his mouth to speak but cannot find an immediate reply. At last he says: «I will follow You. But my father died at Korazim and I must bury him. Let me do that and then I will come.»
«Follow Me. Leave the dead to bury their dead. You have already been attracted by Life. On the other hand, you aspired that. Do not weep over the gap Life opened around you to make you a disciple. The maiming of affection is the root of the wings which are born of a man who has become a servant of the Truth. Leave corruption to its own fate. Rise towards the Kingdon of the incorrupt. You will also find the incorruptible pearl of your father there. God calls and passes by. Tomorrow you would no longer find your heart of today or God’s invitation. Come. Go and announce the Kingdom of God.»
The man is leaning against a low wall with his arms hanging by his sides: he is holding two bags, full of perfumes and bandages, his head is lowered in thought, wavering between two loves: for God and for his father.
Jesus waits and looks at him, he then gets hold of a little child clasps him to His heart saying: «Say with Me: “I bless You, o Father, and I invoke Your light for those who weep in the haze of life. I bless You, o Father, and I invoke Your strength for those who are like a child in need of support. I bless You, o Father, and I invoke Your love that it may cause men to forget everything which is not Yourself, as they can find all good in You, both here and in Heaven, although they cannot believe it”.» And the child, an innocent boy about four years old, repeats in his thin voice the holy words with his hands held in prayer by the right hand of Jesus, Who holds them by their plump, wrists as if they were two flower stems.
The man makes up his mind. He hands the two bundles to a companion and comes towards Jesus, Who puts down the child after blessing him, and embraces the young man, proceeding thus with him, to comfort him and support him in his effort.
178.4
Another man questions Him: «I would like to come with You, too. But before following You I would like to take leave of my relatives, Will You allow me?»
Jesus stares at him and replies: «There are too many roots in your human being. Uproot them and if you cannot, cut them off. One must come to God’s service with spiritual freedom. He who gives himself, must have no ties.»
«Flesh and blood are always flesh and blood. I will slowly reach the freedom You refer to…»
«No, you would never reach it. God is as exacting as He is infinitely generous in rewarding. If you wish to be a disciple you must embrace your cross and follow Me. Otherwise one remains a simple believer. The way of the servant of God is not strewn with petals of roses. And it is absolute in its demands. No one who has put his hand to the plough to furrow the fields of hearts and spread there the seed of God’s doctrine, can look back to see what he left, what he lost and what he could have had if he had followed another common way. He who does that is not fit for the Kingdom of God. Work upon yourself. Make a man of yourself and then come. Not now.»
They reach the shore. Jesus goes on board Peter’s boat and whispers a few words to him. I see Jesus smile while Peter makes a gesture expressing amazement. But He does not say anything. Also the man who did not go to bury his father in order to follow Jesus, gets into the boat.

Detail

Of the three men who want to follow Jesus, two are not identified.

Annotation

Gospel of Matthew 8, 18-22

Mt 8, 18-22 : Jesus, seeing a crowd around him, gave the order to leave for the other side. A scribe came up to him and said, "Master, I will follow you wherever you go." But Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, allow me to go and bury my father first." Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead."

Gospel of Mark 4, 35-36

Mk 4:35-36: That day, as evening fell, he said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus, as he was, into the boat, and other boats accompanied him.

Gospel of Luke 8, 22

Lk 8, 22: One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, "Let's go to the other side of the lake." And they went out into the open sea.

Gospel of Luke 9, 57-62

Lk 9, 57-62: On the way, a man said to Jesus, "I'll follow you wherever you go." Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another, "Follow me." The man replied, "Lord, allow me to go and bury my father first." But Jesus replied, "Let the dead bury their dead. You, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Yet another said to him, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my household." Jesus replied, "Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."

Keywords

GRM 178.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Another man questions Him: «I would like to come with You, too. But before following You I would like to take leave of my relatives, Will You allow me?»
Jesus stares at him and replies: «There are too many roots in your human being. Uproot them and if you cannot, cut them off. One must come to God’s service with spiritual freedom. He who gives himself, must have no ties.»
«Flesh and blood are always flesh and blood. I will slowly reach the freedom You refer to…»
«No, you would never reach it. God is as exacting as He is infinitely generous in rewarding. If you wish to be a disciple you must embrace your cross and follow Me. Otherwise one remains a simple believer. The way of the servant of God is not strewn with petals of roses. And it is absolute in its demands. No one who has put his hand to the plough to furrow the fields of hearts and spread there the seed of God’s doctrine, can look back to see what he left, what he lost and what he could have had if he had followed another common way. He who does that is not fit for the Kingdom of God. Work upon yourself. Make a man of yourself and then come. Not now.»

Annotation

Only Luke 9:61-62 reports this encounter. The evangelist succinctly evokes the allegory of the ploughman who doesn't look back! Jesus recalls his advice several times(EMV 276.6 | EMV 302.1 and EMV 551.6).

Gospel of Luke 9, 61-62

Lk 9, 61-62 : Yet another said to him, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my household." Jesus replied, "Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."

Keywords

GRM 179.5-6 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Listen, and perhaps you will understand better how the same action can bear different fruits.
A sower went out to sow. He owned many fields of various kinds. He had inherited some from his father, on which his carelessness had allowed thorny plants to proliferate. Other fields had been purchased by him: he had bought them from a neglectful man and he had left them as they were. In other fields there were many intersecting roads, as the man loved comfort and did not like to travel a long way when going from one place to another. Finally, there were some fields, the closest to his house, which he had looked after to have a pleasant sight in front of his house. They were free from stones, thorns, couch-grass and so on.
So the man took his sack of seed-corn of the best quality, and began to sow. The seed fell on the good soft soil, which had been ploughed, weeded, fertilized, in the fields near the house. It was spread in the fields with many roads and paths, which divided into small portions, and caused also the fertile soil to be covered by ugly arid dust. Some of the seed fell on the fields where the foolishness of the man had allowed the thorny plants to proliferate. The plough had turned them upside down, it looked as if they were not there, but they were, because only fire, the radical destructor of weeds, prevents them from growing again. The last seed fell on the fields which he had recently bought and had left as they were, without ploughing them and without removing all the stones, which had sunk into the ground forming a hard surface on which no plant could take root. After scattering all the seed, he went back home and said: “Very well! All I have to do is to wait for the harvest”.
179.6
And he was delighted because, as months went by, he saw the corn come up thick in the fields near the house and grow… oh! what a beautiful sea! and it turned gold and it sang hosannas to the sun, as one ear rubbed against another. The man said to himself: “All the fields are like these ones! Let us prepare sickles and granaries. How much bread! How much gold!” And he was delighted…
He cut the corn in the nearest fields and after that he went to the ones which he had inherited from his father and which he had left in a wild state. And he was taken aback. The corn had come up, because the fields were good and the soil cultivated by the father was rich and fertile. But its fertility had affected also the thorny plants, which had been overturned but not destroyed. They had grown again and had formed a really thick ceiling of bramble, through which the corn had not been able to emerge, with the exception of a few ears, and it was completely suffocated.
The man said: “I neglected this place. But there was no bramble in the other fields, so it should be all right”. And he went to the fields which he had purchased shortly before. His surprise and grief were greater. The thin withered corn leaves were strewn all over like dry hay. Nothing but dry hay. “How come?” moaned the man. “And yet there are no thorns here! And it was the same seed! And it had come up thick and beautiful. It can be seen by the well formed and numerous leaves. Why then did it all wither before coming into ear?” And with real regret he began to dig the ground to see whether there were any mole burrows or other pests. There were no insects or rodents. But how many stones! A stone-pit! The fields were literally paved with chips of stone and the scanty earth covering them was deceiving. Oh! if he had ploughed deep at the right time! Oh! if he had dug the ground before accepting the fields and buying them as good ones! Oh! if, after the mistake he had made in buying what he had been offered without making sure of its goodness, if at least he had improved them by working hard! It was now too late and all regret was useless.
The man stood up, and, downhearted as he was, he went to the fields where he had built many roads for his comfort… and mad with grief he tore off his clothes. There was absolutely nothing there… The dark soil of the field was covered with a thin layer of white dust… The man collapsed to the ground moaning: “But why here? There are no stones, no bramble here, because these are our fields. My grandfather, my father and I have always owned them and in many many years we made them fertile. I built the roads, have taken some of the earth away, but that could not make them so sterile…” He was still weeping when he received the answer to his grief from a swarm of birds, which flew eagerly from the paths to the field and back to the paths in search of seeds… The field. which had been turned into a network of paths, on the edges of which the corn had fallen, had attracted many birds, which first had eaten the corn on the paths and then the seeds in the field. down to the last grain.
So the same seed, sown in all the fields, had yielded one hundred to one in some, sixty, thirty, nothing in others. Listen, anyone who has ears. The seed is the Word: the same for everybody. The places where the seed fell: your hearts. Meditate the parable and understand it. Peace be with you.»

Keywords

GRM 180.4-6 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Peter blushes so much that he seems to be having a stroke of apoplexy. He remains dumb for a few moments, then says: «Well, then, give me my reward. The parable of this morning…»
Also the others join Peter saying: «Yes, You promised. Parables serve very well to make people understand the comparison. But we know that they have a higher meaning than the comparison.
180.5
Why do You speak to them in parables?»
«Because they are not to understand more than I explain. You are granted much more, because as My disciples, you must be acquainted with the mystery; and you are therefore given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why I say to you: “Ask Me if you do not understand the spirit of the parable”. You give everything and everything is given to you, that you, in your turn, may give everything. You are giving everything to God: love, time, interests, freedom, lives. And God gives you everything to reward you and to enable you to give everything in the name of God to those who come after you. Thus, to him who has given will be given abundantly. But he who gave only partly or did not give at all, will be deprived also of what he has.
I speak to them in parables, so that, while seeing, they may see only what is illuminated by their will to adhere to God, and while listening, always through the same will of adherence, they may hear and understand. See! Many hear My word, few adhere to God. Their spirits lack goodwill. Isaiah’s prophecy[2] is fulfilled in them: “You will hear with your ears and will not understand, you will look with your eyes and will not see”. Because these people are hard-hearted; their ears are hard and their eyes are closed, so that they may not see and hear, that they may not understand with their hearts and convert, that I may cure them. But you are blessed because your eyes see and your ears hear, and because of your goodwill! I solemnly tell you that many Prophets and many just people were anxious to see what you see and they did not see it, and to hear what you hear and they did not hear it. They pined away with the desire to understand the mystery of the words, but as soon as the light of the prophecy went out, the words remained like burnt out coals, also for the holy man who had received them.
Only God reveals Himself. When His light fades out, as soon as the purpose of illuminating the mystery comes to its end, the inability to understand envelops the regal truth of the word received, like the bandages of a mummy. That is why I said to you this morning: “The day will come when you will find everything I have given you”. Now you cannot remember. But later light will come upon you, not just for a moment, but for an inseparable union of the Eternal Spirit with yours, whereby your teaching concerning what pertains to the Kingdom of God will be infallible. And what applies to you, will also apply to your successors, if they live of God as of one bread only.
180.6
Now listen to the spirit of the parable.
We have four kinds of fields: the fertile ones, the thorny ones, the stony ones and the ones full of paths. We also have four types of spirits.
There are the honest spirits, the spirits of goodwill, prepared by their own will and by the work of an apostle, of a “true” apostle; because there are apostles who have the name but not the spirit of an apostle and they are more lethal for the will in formation, than birds, thorns and stones, They upset in such a way, through their intolerance, their haste, their reproaches and their threats, as to drive people away from God forever. There are others who, on the contrary, through an excess of benignity, utterly out of place, cause the seed to rot in too soft a soil. Because of their lack of vigour, they kill the vigour of the souls they cure. But let us consider true apostles, that is, the shining mirrors of God. They are paternal, merciful, patient, and at the same time they are strong, as their Lord is strong. Now: the souls prepared by them and by their own will can be compared to the fertile fields, free from stones and brambles, from couch-grass and darnel, in which the word of God thrives and every word, that is every seed, bears a bundle of ears, yielding in some places one hundred, in others sixty per cent. Are there any like that among those who follow Me? There certainly are. And they will be holy. They come from all castes and countries. And there are Gentiles among them and they will yield one hundred per cent because of their goodwill, only because of that, or because of their goodwill and that of an apostle or disciple who prepares them for Me.
The thorny fields are those in which thorny tangles of personal interests, which suffocate the good seed, have been allowed to grow by carelessness. You must watch yourselves all the time. Never say: “Oh! I am well formed, I have been sown, I can rest assured that I will bear seeds of eternal life”. Watch yourselves; the struggle between Good and Evil is still on. Have you ever watched a colony of ants that install themselves in a house? There they are, near the fireplace. The housewife takes all foodstuff away from there and puts it on the table. They sniff the air and attack the table. The housewife puts the food in a cupboard and they get into the cupboard through the keyhole. The woman hangs her food supply from the ceiling, and they go a long way along walls and beams, down the rope and reach the food. The woman burns them, scalds them, poisons them. And thinking that she has destroyed them she is happy. But if she does not watch, what a surprise she gets! The new hatched ones come out and she has to start all over again. And that is what happens while you live; you must be careful and uproot the evil weeds as soon as they come up. Otherwise they will form a ceiling of brambles which suffocate the corns. Worldly cares, deceiving wealth form the tangle, suffocate the seed of God and prevent it from coming into ears.
And here are the fields full of stones. How many there are in Israel! They are the ones that belong to the “children of the laws” as My cousin Judas quite rightly said. In them there is not the one Stone of Witness, nor the Stone of the Law. There is the quarry poor petty human laws made by men. They are so many that with their weight they have broken also the Stone of the Law into chips. A disaster which does not allow the seed to take root. The root is no longer nourished because there is neither soil nor sap. The water stagnating on the stone pavement causes the seed to rot, the sun makes the stones hot and parches the little plants. Such are the spirits of those who put complicated human doctrines in place of the simple doctrine of God. They even receive My word with joy. At first it shakes and allures them. But later… They would need to be heroes and work hard to clean the field, their souls and minds of all rhetorical stones. The seed would then take root and bear long spikes. As it is… it bears nothing. The fear of human retaliation is enough. It is enough to say: “And after? What will the mighty ones do to me?” and the poor seed languishes without nourishment. It is enough for the whole quarry to stir with the vain sound of the hundreds of precepts, which have been put in place of the Precept, that man perishes with the seed received.. Israel is full of them. That explains why the coming to God is in inverse ratio to human power.
The last are the dusty barren fields full of roads. Those of worldly selfish people. Their comfort is their law, enjoyment their aim. Their ambitions: to do no work, to slumber, to enjoy themselves, to feast… The spirit of the world is their king. The dust of worldliness covers the soil which becomes mouldy. Birds, that dissipation, rush onto the thousand paths which have been built to make life easier. The spirit of the world, that is, of the Evil one, picks up and destroys all the seed that falls on this soil open to all sensuality and laxity…

Detail

Jesus has just complimented Peter and Simon, and Andrew's brother takes the opportunity to ask for an explanation of the parable of the sower.

Annotation

Give me the reward. This morning's parable... Peter reminds Jesus of his promise to explain to them the parable of the sower.(EMV 179.5). (See Matthew 13:10-11).

Gospel of Matthew 13,10-23

Mt 13:10-23: The disciples came to Jesus and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He replied, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these. To him who has, it will be given, and he will have plenty; to him who does not have, it will even be taken away. If I speak to them in parables, it's because they look without looking, and listen without hearing or understanding. And so Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled for them: You may listen, but you will not understand. No matter how you look, you will not see. The hearts of these people have grown heavy: they have become hard of hearing, they have closed their eyes, lest their eyes should see, their ears should hear, their hearts should understand, they should be converted - and I will heal them. But as for you, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear! Amen, I say to you: many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it; to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.

So listen to what the parable of the sower means. When someone hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, the Evil One comes and seizes what is sown in his heart: he is the sown field by the side of the road. The one who received the seed on stony ground is the one who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy; but he has no roots in him, he is the man of a moment: when distress or persecution comes because of the Word, he immediately stumbles. The one who received the seed in the brambles is the one who hears the Word; but the cares of the world and the seduction of wealth choke the Word, and it bears no fruit. The one who has received the seed in the good soil is the one who hears the Word and understands it: he bears fruit at the rate of a hundred, or sixty, or thirty to one."

Gospel of Mark 4:10-20

Mk 4, 10-20 : When he was left alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He said to them: "The mystery of the kingdom of God is given to you; but to those outside, everything is presented in the form of parables. And so, as the prophet says: They may look with all their eyes, but they will not see; they may listen with all their ears, but they will not understand; or else they will be converted and receive forgiveness."

Then he said to them: "Don't you understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the Word. There are those who stand by the wayside where the Word is sown: when they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the Word sown in them. And in the same way, there are those who received the seed in stony places: when they hear the Word, they immediately receive it with joy; but they have no root in them, they are people of a moment; whether distress or persecution comes because of the Word, they immediately stumble. And there are others who have received the seed in the briers: these hear the Word, but the cares of the world, the seduction of wealth and all other lusts invade them and choke the Word, which bears no fruit. And there are those who have received the seed in the good soil: these hear the Word, they welcome it, and they bear fruit: thirty, sixty, a hundred, for one."

Gospel of Luke 8, 4-18

Lk 8, 4-18 : As a great crowd gathered, and people from every town came to Jesus, he said in a parable: "The sower went out to sow seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside. Passers-by trampled it underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it all up. It also fell in the stones, grew and withered because it had no moisture. It also fell among the brambles, and the brambles, growing with it, suffocated it. Finally, some fell into good soil, and it grew and bore fruit a hundredfold." Saying this, he raised his voice: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He told them: "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but the others have only the parables. So, as it is written, 'They look, but do not see; they hear, but do not understand. This is what the parable means. The seed is the word of God. Then the devil comes and takes the Word from their hearts, to prevent them from believing and being saved. There are those who are in the stones: when they hear, they welcome the Word with joy; but they have no roots, they believe for a moment and, at the moment of trial, they give up. What has fallen into the brambles are the people who have heard, but are choked along the way by worries, wealth and the pleasures of life, and fail to mature. And what has fallen into good soil are the people who have heard the Word in a good and generous heart, who retain it and bear fruit by their perseverance.(...)

Be careful how you listen. For to him who has, it will be given; and to him who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away."

Gospel of Luke 10, 23-24

Lk 10, 23-24 : Then he turned to his disciples and said to them in particular: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings have wished to see what you see, and have not seen it; to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

Keywords

GRM 180.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

You are granted much more, because as My disciples, you must be acquainted with the mystery; and you are therefore given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why I say to you: “Ask Me if you do not understand the spirit of the parable”. You give everything and everything is given to you, that you, in your turn, may give everything. You are giving everything to God: love, time, interests, freedom, lives. And God gives you everything to reward you and to enable you to give everything in the name of God to those who come after you. Thus, to him who has given will be given abundantly. But he who gave only partly or did not give at all, will be deprived also of what he has.

Annotation

Gospel of Matthew 13, 10-12

Mt 13, 10-12 : The disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these. To the one who has, it will be given, and he will be in abundance; to the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."

Gospel of Matthew 25, 29

Mt 25, 29 : To him who has, more will be given, and he will have plenty; but to him who has nothing, even that which he has will be taken away.

Gospel of Mark 4, 25

Mk 4, 25 : For to him who has will be given; but to him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away.

Gospel of Luke 8, 18

Lk 8, 18 : "Therefore be careful how you listen; for to him who has, it will be given; and to him who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away."

Gospel of Luke 19, 26

Lk 19:26: "I tell you, to the one who has, it will be given; but to the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."

Keywords

GRM 180.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

I solemnly tell you that many Prophets and many just people were anxious to see what you see and they did not see it, and to hear what you hear and they did not hear it. They pined away with the desire to understand the mystery of the words, but as soon as the light of the prophecy went out, the words remained like burnt out coals, also for the holy man who had received them.
Only God reveals Himself. When His light fades out, as soon as the purpose of illuminating the mystery comes to its end, the inability to understand envelops the regal truth of the word received, like the bandages of a mummy. That is why I said to you this morning: “The day will come when you will find everything I have given you”. Now you cannot remember. But later light will come upon you, not just for a moment, but for an inseparable union of the Eternal Spirit with yours, whereby your teaching concerning what pertains to the Kingdom of God will be infallible. And what applies to you, will also apply to your successors, if they live of God as of one bread only.

Detail

Concerning papal infallibility and the dictation of Jesus, see the annotation below.

Annotation

Many a prophet and many a righteous man has wished to see what you see and not seen it, to hear what you hear and not heard it. In the continuity of the text reported by Matthew.

Mt 13:16-17 : But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it; to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.

Luke gives it in another context (Luke 10:24).

Lk 10:23-24: Then he turned to his disciples and said to them in particular: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings have wished to see what you see, and have not seen it; to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

That's why I told you this morning: this is typically the kind of seemingly insignificant detail, but very useful for establishing chronology.

Later, the light will come upon you, not for an instant, but for an indissoluble union of the eternal Spirit with your soul, which will make your teaching on what concerns the Kingdom of God infallible. The same will be true of your successors, if they live by God as their only bread.

Note from maria-valtorta.org:

This condition of pontifical infallibility must have aroused an objection from Father Migliorini. Maria Valtorta notes:

"Having submitted to Jesus P. M(igliorini)'s objection to papal infallibility, contrary to the sentence in p. ... file ... line ... of ..., Jesus replies: "I answer your question like this:

It is true that the Pope's infallibility in the spiritual realm is a definite truth. It exists in each of my vicars, regardless of his form of life and degree of virtue. But it is equally true that you cannot find a dogma defined and proclaimed by popes who are - notoriously or not - deprived of my grace. The soul that is not in a state of grace cannot be in the friendship of the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who thinks such a thing is possible is truly a heretic!

God is just: the way he treats the poor, he treats the rich. the way he treats the layman, he treats the Sovereign-Pontiff. Unfortunately, there are dark areas in the history of my Church. To want to close our eyes so as not to see these dark spots is to live in darkness over the totality of the Church, even over the very many and angelically luminous, divinely luminous, glorious epochs of my Church.

Because we must also be sincere in these things, as I was to my apostles, my disciples and those who followed me. Many crowds, not all of them saints, not all of them lukewarm, not all of them wicked. I recognized each one's merit or demerit, I gave each one what he deserved, without taking into account any particular emotional reasons. Truth is truth, in all things.

This is also true in the study of history. And in the study of the history of my Church. History, to be history and not a fable, must be impartial. The dark ages, moreover, are those foretold in the prophetic allusions to the idol-shepherd and this Sebna, prefect of the Temple (this character will be solemnly repeated in the message to Pius XII of December 23, 1948). That it stings and burns, I admit. But you can't say "Anathema" to a truth.

So lean on this certainty: dogmas are true and infallibility exists because I don't grant dogmas to those who don't deserve it. That's what was included in the sentence that prompted the objection.

You're satisfied. Go in peace. I gave you this clarification immediately because I am the author of these words, and therefore I know and remember them, even if the dictation is not present."

30-6-45, 8 a.m.".

We find the same idea in Jesus' words to the apostle James, son of Alphaeus, in EMV 258.6: "God will grant his light according to the degree you have reached. God will not let the light fail you, unless sin comes and extinguishes grace in you."

This doctrine of infallibility, willed by Christ, was reaffirmed 20 years later in the Apostolic Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium, § 25: "This infallibility, with which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to be endowed in the definition of doctrine concerning faith or morals, extends as far as the content of divine Revelation, which must be guarded with veneration and faithfully expounded. This infallibility, the Roman Pontiff, Head of the College of Bishops, possesses by virtue of his office..."

Note from the second edition:

If they live from God as their only bread: this condition placed on papal infallibility must have aroused an objection from Father Migliorini, to whom Maria Valtorta passed on this reply from Jesus (dated June 30, 1945). We report the main passages: [...] Jesus replied: "[...] It is true that the infallibility of the pope in spiritual matters is a definite truth. It exists in each of my vicars, regardless of his form of life and degree of virtue. But it is equally true that you cannot find a dogma defined and proclaimed by popes who are - notoriously or not - deprived of my grace. The soul that is not in a state of grace cannot be in the friendship of the Holy Spirit. [...] Rely, then, on this certainty: dogmas are true and infallibility exists because I do not grant dogmas to those who do not deserve them. This is what was included in the sentence that gave rise to the objection [...]. "The same idea can be found in Jesus' words to the apostle James, son of Alphaeus, in 258.6: "God will grant his light according to the degree you have reached. God will not let the light fail you, unless sin comes and extinguishes grace in you. "