This morning, as I recovered my senses after a very heavy torpor which had lasted many hours, while I was praying awaiting daylight, I saw the resumption of the vision.
I say resumption because we are still in the same place: the low, wide kitchen, with its dark, smoky walls, dimly lit up by the small flame of an oil lamp on the rustic table. It is a long narrow table at which eight people are sitting: Jesus and His six disciples, and the landlord, four on each side.
Jesus, sitting on a stool — the only seats here are three-legged stools, real country furniture — is still turned around speaking to Thomas. Jesus’ hand has fallen from Thomas’ head onto his shoulder. Jesus says: «Stand up, My friend. Have you had any supper yet?»
«No, Master. I walked a few yards with the other fellow who was with me, then I left him and I came back saying that I wanted to speak to the healed leper… I said that because I thought he would disdain approaching an impure man. I guessed right. But I wanted to see You, not the leper… I wanted to say to You: “Please take me”… I wandered up and down the olive-grove until a young man asked me what I was doing. He must have thought I was ill-disposed. He was near a pillar, at the boundary of the olive-grove.»
The landlord smiles. «It’s my son» he explains and adds: «He is on guard at the oil-mill. In the caves under the mill, we still have almost all the crop of the year. It was a very good one and we made a lot of oil. And when there are large crowds about, robbers always get together to plunder unguarded places. Eight years ago, just at Parasceve, they robbed us of everything. Since then we keep a good watch one night each. His mother has gone to take him his supper.»
«Well, he asked me: “What do you want?”, and he spoke in such a tone that to save my back from his stick, I answered at once: “I am looking for the Master Who lives here”. He then replied: “If what you say is true, come to the house”. And he brought me here. It was he who knocked at the door and he did not go away until he heard my first words.»
«Do you live far away?»
«I live on the other side of the town, near the Eastern Gate.»
«Are you alone?»
«I was with some relatives. But they have gone to stay with other relatives on the road to Bethlehem. I stayed here to look for You day and night, until I found You.»
Jesus smiles and says: «So no one is waiting for you?»
«No, Master.»
«It is a long way, it is a dark night, the Roman patrols are around the town. I say: stay with us, if you wish.»
«Oh! Master!» Thomas is happy.
«Make room for him. And each of us will give something to our brother.» Jesus gives him the portion of cheese He had in front of Him. He explains to Thomas: «We are poor and our supper is almost over. But there is so much heart in those who offer.» And He says to John who is sitting beside Him: «Give your seat to our friend.»
John gets up at once and sits down at the end of the table near the landlord.
«Sit down, Thomas, and eat.» (...)
[Jesus teaches the apostles a lesson about hospitality and charity. Then he turns his attention back to Thomas.]
Jesus addresses Thomas: «My friend, before, in the olive-grove I said to you: “When I come back here, if you are still willing, you will be one of My disciples”. Now I say to you: “Are you willing to do Jesus a favour?”»
«Most certainly.»
«And if this favour should cost you some sacrifice?»
«There is no sacrifice in serving You. What is it You want?»
«I wanted to say… but you may have some business, some affections…»
«None, none! I have You! Tell me.»
«Listen. Tomorrow at daybreak the leper will leave the sepulchres to find someone who will inform the priest. You will be the first to go to the sepulchres. It is charity. And you will shout: “Come out, you, the one who was cleansed yesterday. I have been sent by Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, He who cleansed you”. Let the world of the “living dead” know My name, let them throb with hope, and let those come to Me, who will have faith in addition to hope, that I may heal them. It is the first form of purity that I am bringing, the first form of the resurrection, of which I am the lord. One day I will grant a greater purity… One day the sealed tombs will violently expel those who are really dead, and they will appear and laugh with their empty eye sockets, with their bare jaws, because of the rejoicing of the souls freed from Limbo, a remote rejoicing and yet perceived even by skeletons. They will appear to laugh because of this liberation and to throb knowing it is due to… Go! He will come to you. You will do what he asks you to do. You will assist him in everything, as if he were your brother. And you will also say to him: “When you are completely purified, we will go together along the road of the river, beyond Doco and Ephraim. Jesus, the Master, will be waiting for us to tell us in what we have to serve him”.»
«I will do that. And what about the other one?»
«Who? The Iscariot?»
«Yes, Master.»
«The advice I gave him still stands. Let him decide by himself and let him take a long time. Even better, avoid seeing him.»
«I will be with the leper. Only lepers wander about in the valley of the sepulchres and those who pitifully are in touch with them.» (...)
Now let Me finish talking to Thomas. Are you sure you will recognise the leper? He is the only one healed; but he may already have left by starlight, to find an early wayfarer. And someone, anxious to enter the town and see his relatives, might perhaps take his place. Listen to his description. I was near him and I saw him well in the twilight. He is tall and thin. Of a dark complexion, like a cross-breed, very deep and dark eyes with snow-white eyebrows, hair as white as linen and somewhat curly, and a long snubbed nose like the Lybians’, two thick protruding lips particularly the lower one. He is so olive-coloured that his lips verge on violet. He has an old scar on his forehead and it will be the only stain, now that he has been cleaned from scabs and dirt.»
«He must be old, if he is all white.»
«No, Philip, he looks old, but he is not. Leprosy made him white.»
«What is he? A cross-breed?»
«Perhaps, Peter. He resembles African people.»
«Will he be an Israelite, then?»
«We will find out. But suppose he is not?»
«Eh! If he were not, he would go away. He is already lucky that he deserved to be healed.»
«No, Peter. Even if he is an idolater, I will not send him away. Jesus has come for everybody. And I solemnly tell you that people living in darkness will overcome the children of the people of Light…»
Jesus sighs. He then stands up. He thanks the Father with a hymn and blesses everyone.
The vision ends in this way.