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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 179.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Among the chosen people it should be possible to find everywhere spirits ready to receive the Messiah in Whose expectaion Patriarchs and Prophets were consumed by anxiety, the Messiah Who at last has come, preceded and accompanied by all the prophesied signs, the Messiah, Whose spiritual personality becomes clearer and clearer through the visible miracles worked on bodies and elements, and through the invisible ones worked on consciences which are converted and on Gentiles who turn to the True God. But it is not so. The promptitude in following the Messiah is strongly hindered by the children of that people and, what is sad to be said, it is more hindered the more one climbs to its higher classes. I am not saying this to scandalise you, but to induce you to pray and meditate.
Why does that happen? Why do Gentiles and sinners proceed farther on My way? Why do they accept what I say and the others do not? Because the children of Israel are anchored, or rather, they are stuck like pearl-oysters to the bank where they were born. Because they are filled, overwhelmed and obese with their wisdom and they cannot make room for Mine by throwing away what is superfluous to make room for what is necessary. The others do not suffer from such slavery. They are poor heathens or poor sinners, unimpeded like a boat which is adrift, they are poor people, who have no treasures of their own, but only heaps of errors or sins, of which they gladly strip themselves as soon as they understand what the Gospel is and they taste its fortifying honey, which is quite different from the nauseating mixture of their sins.

Keywords

GRM 180.6 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

Detail

Jesus explains the parable of the sower.

Keywords

GRM 186.3 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Is that not Gamala?» asks the Zealot.
«Yes, it is Gamala. Do you know the town?» says Jesus.
«I was a fugitive there, one night, a long time ago. Then I was affected by leprosy and I did not come out of the sepulchres any more.»
«Did they pursue you so far?»
«I was coming from Syria, where I had gone seeking protection. But they discovered me and only my flight to this place saved me from being captured. Afterwards slowly and continuously threatened I went down as far as the desert of Tekoa and from there, suffering already from leprosy, to the Valley of the Dead. Leprosy saved me from my enemies…»
«These people are heathens, are they not?» asks the Iscariot.
«Almost everybody. Only a few Jews are here on business, and then there is a mixture of beliefs, or no beliefs at all. But they did not treat the fugitive badly.»
«These are places for bandits. What gorges!» exclaim many.
«Yes, but believe me, there are more bandits on the other side» says John who is still impressed by the capture of the
Baptist.
«On the other side there are also bandits among those who enjoy the reputation of being just» concludes his brother.

Keywords

GRM 186.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«You were making grimaces because you had to pass near some animals.»
«They are unclean…»
«A sinner is much more so. These animals are made like that, and it is not their fault if they are like that. Man instead is responsible for being unclean because of his sins.»
«Why, then, are they classified as unclean[1] for us?» asks Philip.
«I have mentioned that once. In this commandment there is a supernatural reason and a natural one. The former reason is to teach the chosen people to live bearing in mind its election and the dignity of man, also in a common action like eating. A savage feeds on everything. It is enough for him to fill his stomach. A pagan, too, even if he is not a savage, eats everything, without considering that overeating foments vices and inclinations which degrade man. Indeed, pagans endeavour to reach this frenzy for pleasure, which is almost a religion for them. The more learned amongst you are aware of obscene celebrations in honour of their gods, which degenerate into lecherous orgies. A son of the people of God must be able to control himself, perfecting himself through obedience and prudence, bearing in mind his origin and his end: God and Heaven. The natural reason is not to stimulate the blood by means of food that causes a heat unbecoming of man, who is not forbidden also carnal love, but must always moderate it with the freshness of his soul tending to Heaven. Man must therefore make sure that the sentiment that joins him to his wife, in whom he must see a fellow creature like himself, not a female, is love, not sensuality. But the poor animals are neither guilty of being pigs nor of the effects that the flesh of pigs may cause in man’s blood on the long run. And the swineherds are much less guilty. If they are honest, what difference will there be, in the next life, between them and the scribe who is bent over his books but does not learn to be good? I solemnly tell you that we shall see swineherds among the just and scribes among the unjust.

Detail

Why were pigs declared unclean? Jesus answers this question, after the apostles had shown their disgust at these animals.

Annotation

Pigs are described as unclean in Leviticus 11:7 and Deuteronomy 14:8. More generally, the classification of clean and unclean animals, and the related prescriptions, are found in Genesis 7:2-3; Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3-21. See the altercation between Peter and an innkeeper in EMV 292.1.

Book of Leviticus 11, 7

Lv 11, 7 : Likethe swine, which has a divided horn and a cloven foot, but does not chew the cud: it will be unclean for you.

Deuteronomy 14, 8

Deut 14, 8: Like the swine, which has a divided horn but does not chew the cud: it shall be unclean for you. You shall not eat their flesh, nor touch their carcasses.

Book of Genesis 7, 2-3

Gn 7, 2-3 : Of all the clean animals, you shall take with you seven pairs, males and their females, and of all the animals that are not clean, you shall take two, a male and his female; seven pairs also of the birds of the air, males and their females, to keep alive their race on the face of all the earth.

Book of Leviticus 11

Lev 11: Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them: "Speak to the children of Israel, and say:

These are the animals you shall eat of all the beasts that are on the earth: Every animal that has a divided horn and a cloven foot, and chews the cud, you shall eat. But you shall not eat those that only chew the cud, or that only have a divided horn. Such is the camel, which chews the cud, but whose horn is not divided: it will be unclean to you. Like the jerboa, which chews the cud, but whose horn is not divided: it will be impure for you. Like the hare, which chews the cud but does not have a divided horn: it will be unclean for you. Like the pig, which has a divided horn and a cloven foot, but does not chew the cud: it shall be unclean for you. 8You shall not eat their flesh, nor touch their carcasses: they shall be unclean for you.

These are the beasts you shall eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, whether in the sea or in the rivers, you shall eat. But everything that does not have fins and scales, in the seas and in the rivers, among all the animals that move in the waters and among all the living creatures that are in them, you will find an abomination. They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, and their carcasses shall be an abomination to you. Everything in the waters that has no fins or scales is an abomination to you.

These are the birds you will abhor; they shall not be eaten, for they are an abomination: the eagle, the osprey and the vulture: the kite and all kinds of falcons; all kinds of ravens; the ostrich, the kite, the gull and all kinds of hawks; the owl, the cormorant and the owl; the swan, the pelican and the bearded vulture; the stork, all kinds of herons; the hoopoe and the bat.

Any winged insect that walks on four legs, you will abhor. But of all the winged insects that walk on four legs, you shall eat those that have legs above their legs, to leap on the earth. These are the ones you shall eat: every kind of locust, every kind of solam, every kind of hargol, every kind of hagab. Every other winged beast with four legs is an abomination to you.

These also shall make you unclean: whoever touches their dead body shall be unclean until the even, and whoever takes away any part of their dead body shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the even.

Any animal that has a divided horn, but is not forked-footed and does not chew the cud, will be unclean to you; whoever touches it will make himself unclean. And of the four-footed animals, everything that walks on the soles of its feet will be unclean to you: whoever touches their dead body will be unclean until evening; and whoever carries their dead body will wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. These animals will be unclean for you.

Among the little beasts that crawl on the earth, these are the ones that will be unclean for you: the weasel, the mouse and all kinds of lizards; the shrew, the chameleon, the salamander, the green lizard and the mole. These are the unclean reptiles for you: whoever touches them dead will be unclean until evening. Anything on which dead ones fall shall be unclean: wooden utensils, clothing, skins, sackcloth, anything you use; you shall put it in water, and it shall remain unclean until evening, after which it shall be clean. If any of it falls into the middle of any earthen vessel, everything in the middle of the vessel will be defiled, and you will break the vessel. Any foodstuff prepared with water will be defiled; any beverage used in any vessel will be defiled. Every object on which anything of their dead body falls will be defiled; the oven and the vessel with its lid will be destroyed; they will be defiled and you will hold them to be defiled. But the springs and cisterns, where the pools of water are formed, will remain pure; however, whoever touches the dead body will be unclean. If anything of their dead body falls on a seed that is to be sown, the seed will remain pure; but if water has been put on the seed, and anything of their dead body falls on it, you will hold it unclean.

If one of your food animals dies, whoever touches its corpse will be unclean until evening. Whoever eats of its dead body shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; whoever carries its dead body shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination to you; it shall not be eaten. You shall not eat any animal that crawls on the ground, whether it be one that crawls on its belly, or one that walks on four feet or on many feet; for they are an abomination to you.

Do not make yourselves abominable by all these creeping things; do not make yourselves unclean by them; you will be defiled by them. For I am Yahweh, your God; you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and you shall not be defiled by all creeping things that creep upon the earth. For I am Yahweh, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall be holy, for I am holy. "This is the law for all four-footed animals, for birds, for every living thing that moves in the water, and for every creeping thing that crawls on the earth, so that you may distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the animal that can be eaten and the animal that cannot be eaten.

Deuteronomy 14, 3-21

You shall not eat any abominable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep and the goat; the stag, the gazelle and the fallow deer; the ibex, the antelope, the wild ox and the wild goat. You shall eat of every animal that has a divided horn and a cloven foot, and that chews the cud. But you shall not eat of those that only chew the cud, or that only have a divided horn and a cloven foot; such are the camel, the hare and the rabbit, which chew the cud but do not have a divided horn: they shall be unclean to you; such again is the pig, which has a divided horn but does not chew the cud: it shall be unclean to you. You shall not eat their flesh, nor touch their carcasses.

These are the animals you shall eat of all that are in the waters: you shall eat everything that has fins and scales; but everything that does not have fins and scales you shall not eat: it shall be unclean for you. You shall eat every clean bird. These are the ones you shall not eat: the eagle, the osprey and the vulture; the falcon, the kite and all kinds of goshawk; all kinds of raven; the ostrich, the owl, the gull and all kinds of sparrowhawk; the owl, the ibis and the owl; the pelican, the cormorant and the loon; 18the stork and all kinds of heron; the hoopoe and the bat. 19You shall regard every winged insect as unclean: it shall not be eaten. You must eat every pure bird. You shall not eat any dead animal. You shall give it to the stranger within your gates to eat, or sell it to a foreigner; for you are a people holy to Yahweh, your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Keywords

GRM 204.1-2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«What do You want, Mother?»
«My Son, some Gentiles have come with some ladies. They say that they heard from Johanna that You were here. They also said that they have been waiting for You all these past days near the Antonia…»
«Ah! I know! I will come at once. Where are they?»
«At Lazarus’ house, in his garden. He is loved by the Romans and does not feel the repugnance towards them that we do. He let them go into the large garden with their carts, so that no one would be scandalised…»
«All right, Mother.
204.2
They are Roman soldiers and ladies. I know.»
«And what do they want from You?»
«What many in Israel do not want: light.»
«But how and what do they believe You are? God perhaps?»
«Yes, in their way of thinking. It is easier for them to accept the idea of the incarnation of a god in mortal flesh, than it is for us.»
«So they believe in Your faith…»
«Not yet, Mother. I must destroy theirs, first. For the time being they consider Me a wise man, a philosopher, as they say. But both their desire to become acquainted with philosophical doctrines and their inclination to believe the incarnation of a god as possible, are of great help to Me in leading them to the true Faith. Believe Me, they are more ingenuous in their way of thinking, than many Israelites.»
«But are they sincere? It is rumoured that the Baptist…»
«No. Had it been for them, John would be free and safe. Non-rebellious people are left in peace. On the contrary I can assure You that for them to be a prophet – they say a philosopher because the loftiness of supernatural wisdom is still philosophy to them – is a guarantee of respect. Do not worry, Mother. No harm will come to Me from that end…»
«But the Pharisees… if they find out, what will they say also about Lazarus? You are You… and You are to bring the Word to the world. But Lazarus!… They already offend him so much…»
«But they cannot touch him. They know that he is protected by Rome.»
«I leave You, Son. Here is Maximinus, he will take You to the Gentiles» and Mary, Who had walked beside Jesus all the time, withdraws quickly, and goes towards the Zealot’s house. Jesus on the other hand, goes through a little iron door in the garden wall, into a distant part of the garden, where it actually becomes an orchard and precisely near the place where Lazarus will be buried later.

Keywords

GRM 204.6 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Every man born of woman has it.»
«But You said that sin kills it. If so, how can it be alive in us sinners?» asks Plautina.
«You do not sin against faith, because you believe that you are in the Truth. When you become acquainted with the Truth and you persist in your error, then you will commit sin. Likewise, many things which are sinful for Israelites, are not so for you. Because no divine law forbids you. One sins when one consciously rebels against the order given by God and says: “I know that what I am doing is wrong. But I want to do it just the same”. God is just. He cannot punish one who does the wrong thing thinking that he is doing the right one. He punishes those, who being able to tell Good from Evil, choose the latter and persist in it.»
«So we have a soul and it is alive and present in us?»
«Yes, it is so.»

Detail

Jesus discusses the soul with Roman ladies who are pagans and believe in Olympus.

Keywords

GRM 204.8 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«So we have a soul as those whom you call “the just people” of your nation have? Exactly the same?»
«No, Plautina. It depends on what you mean. If you mean according to its origin and nature, it is exactly the same as the souls of our saints. But if you refer to its formation, then I say that it is different. And if you mean according to the perfection reached before death, then it may be completely different. But that does not apply to you heathens. Also a son of our people can be completely different from a saint, in future life. A soul is subjected to three phases, The first is creation. The second a new creation. The third is perfection. The first is common to all men. The second is peculiar to just people who through their will elevate their souls to a more complete revival, joining their good deeds to the perfection of God’s work, whereby their souls are spiritually more perfect and form a connection link between the first and third ones. The third is peculiar to the blessed souls, or saints, if you prefer so, who have exceeded by a thousand degrees the initial stage of their souls, a stage suitable to man, and have transformed them into something suitable to rest in God.»

Keywords

GRM 206.13 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«How many there are nowadays in this land, to whom God has sent His Word! God has really invited the allies, the friends, the great ones of His people, through His servants, and He will invite them again, and more urgently, as the hour of My Wedding approaches.
But they will not accept the invitation, because they are false allies, false friends and they are great only by name, because they are shallow.» Jesus’ voice is becoming louder and louder and His eyes are flashing like two gems, in the light of the fire lit between Him and His audience, to give light in the moonless night; the moon is in fact waning and will rise later.
«Yes, they are shallow. And because of their shallowness, they do not understand that it is their duty and an honour for them to accept the King’s invitation. Pride, harshness, lust act like a wall in their hearts. And – wicked as they are! – they hate Me and so they do not want to come to My wedding. They refuse to come. They prefer to be connected with filthy policy, with even filthier money and with the most filthy sensuality, rather than come to My wedding. They prefer shrewd calculations, conspiracies, underhand conspiracies, snares, crimes.
I condemn all that in the name of God. Consequently the voice that speaks and the feasts to which they are invited, are hated by them. Those who kill the servants of God are to be looked for among this people: the Prophets who have been the servants till now; My disciples who are the servants from now onwards. The swindlers of God who say: “Yes, we will come”, whereas inwardly they think: “Never on your life!” are to be selected among this people. All that is in Israel.
And the King of Heaven will send to gather at the crossroads those who are not friends, not great ones, not allies, but only people passing by, so that His Son may have a worthy wedding celebration. And through Me, through Me the Son and the servant of God, the gathering has already begun. They will come, whoever they are… And they have already come. And I help them to be clean and properly dressed for the wedding feast. But there will be someone, who for his own misfortune, will also misuse the munificence of God, Who gives him scents and regal garments to make him appear what he is not, that is a rich and worthy person, and he will take abominable advantage of such bounty to seduce and make a profit… An individual with a wicked soul, embraced by the revolting octopus of all vices… and he will embezzle scents and garments to make an unlawful profit, as he will not use them for the wedding of the Son, but for his own wedding with Satan.
All that will happen. Because many are called but few are those, who knowing how to persevere in their vocation, are chosen. But it will also happen that those hyenas, who prefer putrid food to living nourishment, will be punished by being thrown out of the Banquet hall into the dark and mud of an eternal pond, in which Satan will grin horribly at each triumph over a soul and where there is an eternal sound of desperate weeping of the mad people who followed Crime instead of following Bounty Who had called them.»

Detail

Jesus has just given the parable of the king who gives his son a wedding feast. He comments on it, speaking of those who refuse to come to the wedding, of those who kill God's servants, of the King of Heaven who will invite passers-by (pagans). He also speaks of those who will betray Christ, and makes a mention of Hell at the end of his speech.

Keywords

GRM 211.6-8 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Are there no more servants of God in Israel? Yes, there are, But they are “idols”.
In Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles, the following is written among many other things. And I am drawing your attention to it because every word of the Book is a lesson that, as the Spirit had it written for a current event, refers to an event that will take place in the future. So it is written: “… When you enter Babylon you will see gods made of gold, silver, stone, wood… Be on your guard, do not imitate the foreigners, do not have any fear of their gods… Say in your hearts: ‘Lord, it is You only that we must worship’”. And the letter describes the details of those idols whose tongues are made by a craftsman and they do not make use of them to reproach their false priests, who strip them of their gold to clothe prostitutes with it and later they remove the same gold, desecrated by the perspiration of prostitution, to reclothe the idol; idols can rust and woodworm can corrode and are clean and tidy only if man washes their faces and clothes them, whereas they can do nothing by themselves, although they have sceptre and axe in their hands. And the Prophet concludes: “Therefore be not afraid of them”. And he continues: “Those gods are as useless as broken pots. Their eyes are full of the dust raised by the feet of those who enter the temple, and they close them tight, as in a sepulchre or like a man who has offended the king, because anyone can steal their precious robes. They cannot see the light of the lamps, so they are like temple beams, and the lamps serve only to blacken them with smoke, while owls, swallows and other birds fly over their heads and soil them with excrement, and cats nestle among their clothes and tear them. So you must not be afraid of them, they are dead things. Neither is their gold of any use to them, it is only a display, and if it is not polished, the idols do not shine, as they did not feel anything when they were made. Fire did not awake them. They were bought at fabulous prices. They are carried wherever man wants to take them because they are shamefully powerless… So why are they called gods? Because they are worshipped with offerings and a show of false ceremonies, which are not felt by those who perform them, nor believed by those who see them. Whether they are treated badly or well, they are incapable of paying back either treatment, as they are incapable of electing or overthrowing a king, they can give neither wealth nor evil, they cannot save a man from death or deliver a weak man from an overbearing one. They feel no pity for widows and orphans. They are like the stones of the mountains”… This is more or less what the letter says.
211.7
Now, we also have idols, no more saints, in the ranks of the Lord. That is why Evil can rise against Good. The evil that soils with excrement the intellects and hearts of those who are no longer saints, and nestles among the false robes of goodness.
They can no longer speak the words of God. Of course! Their tongue is made by man and they speak the words of man, when they do not speak Satan’s. And they can only foolishly reproach the innocent and the poor, but they are silent where they see the corruption of powerful people. Because they are all corrupt and they cannot accuse one another of the same crimes. They are greedy, not for the Lord, but for Mammon, and they work accepting the gold of lust and crime, bartering it, stealing it, seized with immoderate desire exceeding every limit and imagination. They are covered with dust, which rots on them and if they show clean faces, God sees their filthy hearts. They are corroded by the rust of hatred and the worm of sin and they cannot react to save themselves. They brandish maledictions as if they were sceptres and axes, but they do not know that they are cursed. Isolated in their thoughts and their hatred, like corpses in a sepulchre or prisoners in jail, they remain there, clinging to the bars lest somebody might take them away from there, because those dead people are still something: mummies, nothing else but mummies looking like human beings, while their bodies have turned into dry wood, and outside they would be old-fashioned articles in a world seeking Life, in need of Life as a child needs a mother’s breast, a world that wants one who can give it Life and not the stench of death.
They do live in the Temple and the smoke of the lamps, that is of honours, blackens them, but no light descends upon them; and all passions nestle in them like birds and cats, while the fire of their mission does not give them the mystical torture of being burnt by the fire of God. They are refractory to Love. The fire of Charity does not inflame them, as Charity does not clothe them with its golden brightness. The dual Charity in shape and source: charity of God and of neighbour, the form; charity from God and from man, the source. Because God withdraws from a man who does not love, and thus the former source ceases; and man withdraws from a wicked man, and also the latter source ceases. Charity deprives a loveless man of everything. They allow themselves to be bought at a cursed price, and to be led where it suits profit and power.
No. It is not right! No money can buy a conscience, particularly the conscience of a priest or a teacher. It is not right to acquiesce in the mighty things of the earth when they induce acts contrary to God’s commandments. That is spiritual inability and it states[3]: “A eunuch is not to be admitted to the assembly of the Lord”. Thus, if a man, impotent by nature, cannot belong to the people of God, can a spiritually impotent man be His minister? Because I solemnly tell you that many priests and masters are suffering from guilty spiritual barrenness, as they lack spiritual virility. Many. Too many!
211.8
Meditate. Observe. Compare. You will see that we have many idols, but few ministers of the Good, which is God. That is why the sanctuary towns are no longer a sanctuary. Nothing is now respected in Israel and saints die because those who are not saints hate them.
But I invite you: “Come!”. (...) Come to serve God. The time is near. Do not be unprepared for Redemption. Let the rain fall on the sown ground. Otherwise it will fall in vain. (...) Salvation means to follow the Voice of the Lord and believe in His Word. (...) Come in a body to the service of God. I am passing and I call you. Do not be inferior to prostitutes, for whom one word of mercy is sufficient to persuade them to abandon their previous life and come on to the way of Good.
I was asked upon My arrival: “But do You not bear us a grudge?” Grudge? No, I have love for you! And I hope to see you in the multitude of My people, whom I lead to God, in the new exodus towards the true Promised Land: the Kingdom of God, beyond the Red Sea of sensuality and the deserts of sin, free from all kinds of slavery, to the eternal Land, which abounds in delight and is saturated with peace… Come! This is Love passing by. Whoever wishes can follow Him, because only goodwill is required to be accepted by Him.

Annotation

In Jeremiah's letter to the exiles, it says, among other things, the following. Letter of Jeremiah 1:1-72 (sometimes inserted in Baruch 6). The biblical excerpt has been given below.

It says: "The eunuch shall not enter the assembly of the Lord. " In Deuteronomy 23.2.

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Book of Deuteronomy 23, 2

Deut 23.2: He whose testicles have been crushed or whose urethra has been cut off shall not enter the assembly of Yahweh.

Jeremiah 1:1-72 (sometimes transposed into Baruch 6:1-72) - On idols

Jer 1, 1-72 | Ba 6, 1-72 : Copy of the letter Jeremiah sent to those who were about to be taken captive to Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to tell them what God had commanded them to say. Because of the sins you have committed before God, you are to be taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians. So when you get to Babylon, you will stay there for many years and a long time, up to seven generations; and after that I will bring you out in peace. Now you will see in Babylon gods of silver, gold and wood, which are carried on the shoulders and inspire fear in the nations. Take heed, then, that you too do not imitate these foreigners and allow yourselves to be seized by the fear of these gods. When you see crowds of people thronging before and behind them, and paying them homage, say in your heart, "It is you, Master, who must be worshipped." For my angel is with you, and cares for your life.

For the tongue of these gods has been polished by a workman; it is overlaid with gold and silver, but they are only lies, and cannot speak. As for a girl who loves finery, gold has been taken, and crowns have been prepared to place on the heads of these gods. The priests go so far as to steal gold and silver from their gods, and use it for their own purposes; they even give it to the prostitutes in their houses. They adorn them with rich garments, like men, these gods of silver, gold and wood; but these can defend themselves neither from rust nor from worms. When they have been clothed in purple garments, they still have to wipe their faces, because the dust of the house covers them with a thick layer. Here's one holding a scepter, like a provincial governor: he won't kill anyone who offends him. This other carries a sword or an axe in his hand, but he cannot defend himself against the enemy or thieves. It is clear that these are not gods, so do not fear them.

As a man's vessel, when broken, becomes useless: so are their gods. If you place them in a house, their eyes fill with the dust of the feet of those who enter. Just as prison doors are carefully closed on a man who has offended the king, or on a man about to be led to his death, so the priests defend the dwelling of their gods with strong doors, with locks and bolts, lest they be robbed by thieves. They light lamps, and even more of them than for themselves, and these gods can see none. They are like one of the beams of the house, and it is said that their hearts are eaten away by the vermin that comes out of the ground, and devours them and their clothes, without their feeling it. Their faces turn black with the smoke that rises from the house. On their bodies and heads flutter the owls, swallows and other birds; and similarly frolic the cats themselves. By this you will know that they are not gods, so do not fear them.

The gold with which they are covered to embellish them, if someone does not remove the rust, they will not make it shine; for they did not even feel anything when they were melted down. These idols were bought at the highest price, and there is no breath of life in them. Having no feet, they are carried on shoulders, showing men their shameful impotence. May those who serve them be confused with them! If they fall to the ground, they won't get up of their own accord; and if someone puts them upright, they won't set themselves in motion; and if they lean, they won't straighten. It is as if offerings were placed before the dead. The priests sell the victims offered to them and make a profit from them; their wives salt them and give nothing to the poor or infirm. Women in childbirth or in an impure state touch their sacrifices. Knowing therefore from these things that they are not gods, do not fear them.

And why call them gods? For it is women who come to bring their offerings to these gods of silver, gold and wood. And in their temples the priests sit, their tunics torn, their heads and faces shaven, and their heads uncovered. They roar and shout before their gods, as if at a funeral feast. Their priests strip them of their garments, and they clothe their wives and children in them. Whether harm or good is done to them, they can give neither back; they are unable to establish a king or overthrow him. Nor can they give wealth, or even a coin. If someone, having made a vow to them, does not fulfill it, they do not claim. They will not save a man from death, nor snatch the weak from the hand of the powerful. They will not restore sight to the blind, nor deliver the distressed. They will not have pity on the widow, nor do good to the orphan. These idols of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, are like rocks cut out of the mountain, and those who serve them will be put to shame. How can we believe or say that they are gods?

The Chaldeans themselves dishonor them, when, seeing a man who cannot speak, they present him to Bel asking that the mute speak, as if the god could hear anything. And though they realize it, they cannot abandon these idols; for they have no feeling. The women, wrapped in rope, go and sit on the paths, burning coarse flour; and, when one of them, drawn by some passer-by, has slept with him, she reproaches her neighbor for not having been deemed worthy of the same honor, and for not having seen her rush braid broken. Everything that is said about idols is a lie. How then can we believe or say that they are gods?

They have been fashioned by craftsmen and goldsmiths; they cannot be otherwise than the workers want them to be. And the workers who fashioned them don't have long to live: how then could their works be of long duration? They have left nothing but lies and disgrace to posterity. Whether war comes, or some other calamity, the priests deliberate among themselves as to where they will hide with their gods: how then is it not understood that these are not gods, who cannot save themselves from war or some other calamity?

These idols of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, will later be recognized as lies; for all nations and kings it will be obvious that they are not gods, but works of men's hands, and that there is no divine work in them. To whom, then, would it not be obvious that they are not gods?

They will never establish a king over a land, nor give rain to men. They will not know how to judge their own affairs, nor will they protect against injustice, since they can do nothing, like crows that stand between heaven and your earth. And when the fire falls on the house of these wooden gods, overlaid with gold and silver, their priests will flee and be saved; but they will be consumed like beams in the midst of the flames. They will resist neither a king nor an enemy army. How can we admit or think that they are gods?

They will not escape thieves and robbers, these gods of wood, covered in silver and gold. Men more powerful than them will take away the silver and gold, and walk away with the rich clothes with which they've been covered, and these gods won't be able to help themselves. So it is better to be a king displaying his strength, or a useful vessel in the house, which the master uses, than to be these false gods; or a door to a house, guarding what is there, than to be these false gods; or a wooden pillar in a king's house, than to be these false gods. The sun, the light and the stars, which are bright and sent for the benefit of men, obey God. Likewise the lightning, when it appears, is beautiful to behold; the wind also blows over all the land; and the clouds, when God commands them to cover the whole earth, carry out what they are ordered to do. Fire too, when sent from on high to consume the mountains and forests, does as it is commanded. But idols are not comparable, either in beauty or in power, to all these things. We must therefore neither think nor say that they are gods, since they can neither discern what is right, nor do good to men. Knowing therefore that they are not gods, do not fear them.

They cannot curse or bless kings. They don't show the nations signs in the sky; they don't shine like the sun, they don't shine like the moon. Beasts are better than them, since they can flee to find shelter and be useful to themselves. So in no way is it obvious to us that they are gods; so don't fear them.

Just as a scarecrow in a field of cucumbers protects from nothing, so it is with their wooden gods, covered in gold and silver. Just like a thorn bush in a garden, on which all the birds land, or a dead man thrown into a dark place, so are their wooden gods, overlaid with gold and silver. The very purple and scarlet that spoil on them make it clear that they are no gods. They themselves will eventually be devoured and become a disgrace in the land. Better is the righteous man who has no idols; he will not have to fear confusion.