«You told me that You want to inform Isaac that You are here, but You do not want to go into the village?»
«Yes, that is what I want.»
«Well, we had better part. I will go to him, Levi and Joseph will stay with the herd and with You. I’ll go up here. It will be quicker.» And Elias starts climbing up the mountain side, towards the white houses which are so bright up there in the sunshine.
I seem to be following him. He is now at the first houses. He goes along a tiny path between houses and kitchen gardens. He walks thus for about ten metres. He then turns into a wider road and then enters the square. I forgot to mention that this is happening in the early morning hours. I am saying so now because the market is still on in the square and housewives and vendors are shouting under the shady trees of the square.
Elias goes resolutely to the point where the square ends and quite an attractive street starts. Perhaps the nicest in the village. At the corner there is a little house, or rather, a room with its door wide open. Almost on the threshold there is a little bed, on which an emaciated sick man is lying, asking all passers-by for alms, in a plaintive voice.
Elias dashes in. «Isaac… it’s me.»
«You? I was not expecting you. You were here last month.»
«Isaac… Isaac… Do you know why I have come?»
«No, I don’t… You are excited. What’s happening?»
«I have seen Jesus of Nazareth, He is a man, now, a rabbi. He came looking for me… and He wants to see us. Oh! Isaac! Are you not well?»
Isaac, in fact, has fallen back as if he were dying. But he comes round: «No. The news… Where is He? What is He like? Oh! If I could see Him!»
«He is down in the valley. He sent me tell to you exactly this: “Come, Isaac, because I want to see you and bless you”. I’ll call someone now to help me and I’ll take you down.»
«Is that what He said?»
«Yes, it is. But what are you doing?»
«I’m going.»
Isaac throws away the blankets, he moves his paralysed legs, he throws them off the straw mattress, he puts his feet on the floor, he stands up, still somewhat hesitating, and shaky. It all happens in an instant, under Elias’ wide open eyes… who at last understands and begins to shout… A little woman looks in curiously. She sees the sick man stand up and cover himself with one of the blankets, since he has nothing else, and run away, shouting like a mad man.
«Let us go… this way, it will be quicker and we will not meet the crowd… Quick, Elias.»
They run through a little door of a kitchen garden in the back, they push the gate, made of dry branches, and once outside, they run along a narrow dirty path, then down a little road along kitchen gardens and finally through meadows and thickets, right down to the torrent.
76.5
«There is Jesus, over there» says Elias, pointing at Him. «The tall, handsome one, with fair hair, with a white tunic and red mantle…»
Isaac runs, he cuts through the grazing sheep, and with a cry of triumph, joy and adoration he prostrates himself at Jesus’ feet.
«Stand up, Isaac. I have come. To bring you peace and blessings. Stand up, that I may see your face.»
But Isaac cannot stand up. Too much excitement at once and he remains prostrated, with his face on the ground, crying! happily.
«You came at once. You did not worry whether you could…»
«You told me to come… and I came.»
«He did not even close the door or pick up the alms, Master.»
«It does not matter. The angels will watch his house. Are you happy, Isaac?»
«Oh! My Lord!»
«Call Me Master.»
«Yes, my Lord, my Master. Even if you had not healed me, I would have been happy to see You. How could I find so much grace with You?»
«Because of your faith and patience, Isaac. I know how much you suffered…»
«Nothing! nothing! It does not matter! I have found You. You are alive. You are here. That’s what matters. The rest, all the rest is over. But, my Lord and my Master, You are not going away anymore, is that right?»
«Isaac, I have the whole of Israel to evangelise. I am going…
But if I cannot stay, you can always serve and follow Me.
76.6
Do you want to be My disciple, Isaac?»
«Oh! But I am not capable!»
«Can you avow Who I am? Avow it against jeers and threats? And tell people that I called you and you came?»
«Even if You did not want, I would avow all that. I would disobey You in that, Master. Forgive me for saying so.»
Jesus smiles. «You can see then that you are capable of becoming a disciple!»
«Oh! If that’s all one has to do! I thought it was more difficult, that we had to go to school with the rabbis to learn how to serve You, the Rabbi of rabbis… and to go to school at my age…» The man in fact must be at least fifty years old.
«You have done your schooling already, Isaac.»
«Me? No.»
«Yes, you have. Have you not continued to believe and love, to respect and bless God and your neighbour, not to be envious, not to wish what belongs to other people, and even what was your own and you no longer possessed, to speak only the truth, even if it should be harmful to you, not to associate with Satan committing sins? Have you not done all these things, in the last thirty years of misfortunes?»
«Yes, Master.»
«So you see, you have done your schooling. Go on doing so and reveal, in addition, to the world, that I am in the world. There is nothing else to be done.»
«I have already preached You, Lord Jesus. I preached You to the children, who used to come, when I arrived lame in this village, begging for bread and doing some work, such as shearing and dairy work, and the children used to come round my bed, when I got worse and I was paralysed from my waist downwards. I spoke of You to the children of many years ago, and to the children of present times, who are the sons of the previous ones… Children are good and they always believe… I told them of Your birth… of the angels… of the Star and the Wise Men… and of Your Mother… Oh! Tell me! Is She alive?»
«She is alive and She sends you Her regards. She always spoke of you all.»
«Oh! If I could see Her!»
«You will see Her. You will come to My house one day. Mary will greet you saying: “My friend”.»
«Mary… yes, when you utter that name it is like filling your mouth with honey…»