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Priestly celibacy

Theme: Priesthood and consecrated life

Reading comfort

Aa

GRM 191.3-4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

One of them, a rather elderly man, is pressing to his side a boy about ten years old; he eats and weeps.

«What is the matter, father?…» asks Jesus.

«It’s because Your goodness is too great…»

The man from Endor says in his guttural voice: «That is true… and it makes you weep. But the tears are not bitter ones…»

«They are not bitter. That’s true. And then… There is something I would like. My tears express also a desire.»

«What do you want, father?»

«See this child. He is my grandson. He was left to me after the landslide of last winter. Doras does not even know that he has come to me, because I have to let him live like a wild animal in the wood and I see him only on the Sabbath. If he finds out he will either drive him away or compel him to work… and this tender offspring of mine will be treated worse than a pack animal. At Passover I am sending him to Jerusalem with Micah, to become a son of the Law… and after?… He is my daughter’s son…»

«Would you give him to Me, instead? Do not weep. I have many friends who are honest, holy and without any children. They will bring him up in a holy manner, in My Way…»

«Oh! Lord! That is what I have been wishing for since I heard of You. And I prayed that holy man Jonah to save my grandchild from this death, because he knows what it means to belong to this master…»

«Child, would you come with Me?»

«Yes, my Lord. And I will cause You no grief.»

«That is settled.»

191.4

«But… to whom do You wish to give him?» asks Peter pulling Jesus by the sleeve. «Also this one to Lazarus?»

«No, Simon. But there are so many without any children…»

«And I am one of them…» Peter’s desire seems to make his face grow thinner.

«Simon. I have already told you. You are to be the “father” of all the children I will bequeath to you. But you are not to be bound by any child of your own. Do not be upset. You are too important to your Master, Who cannot detach you from Himself because of an affection. I am exacting, Simon. I am more exacting than a very jealous husband. I love you most partially and I want you to be entirely Mine.»

«All right, my Lord… all right… Let it be done as You wish.» Poor Peter is really heroic in adhering to Jesus’ will.

«He will be the son of My dawning Church. All right? He will belong to everybody and to nobody. He will be “our” child. He will follow us when distances will allow him to, or he will come to us and the shepherds will be his guardians, as in every child they love “their” Child Jesus. Come here, My child, what is your name?»

«Jabez of John and I am from Judah» says the boy without hesitating.

«Yes. We are Judaeans» confirms the old man. «I used to work in Doras’ lands in Judaea, and my daughter got married to a man from that area. He worked in the woods near Arimathea and last winter…»

«I saw the disaster.»

«The boy was spared because that night he was far away with a relative… In actual fact the boy was appropriately named Jabez. I said to my daughter at once: “Why? Do you not remember the ancient tradition?”. But her husband insisted in giving him that name, so he is Jabez[1].»

«“The child will call on the Lord and the Lord will bless him and will extend his lands, and the hand of the Lord will be with him and will keep harm away from him”. That is what the Lord will grant him to comfort you, father, and the souls of the dead, and to console the orphan.

Annotation

"Simon, I told you", in EMV 104.5. The last mention of Lazarus is in connection with the event reported in EMV 172.11.

"I saw the catastrophe", in EMV 139.2.

"Why this name? Don't you remember the old one? " (...) " The child will call upon the Lord and the Lord will bless him and enlarge his borders; the hand of the Lord is in his hand and he will no longer be burdened by misfortune. " The quotation is taken from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

First Book of Chronicles 4, 9-10

1 Ch 4, 9-10 : Yabesh was more honored than his brothers. His mother gave him the name Yabés (i.e.: In sorrow), saying: "I gave birth in distress." Yabes invoked the God of Israel, saying: "If indeed you bless me, you will enlarge my territory, your hand will be with me, and you will remove misfortune from me, so that my distress will end." And God granted him what he had asked for.

GRM 192.7 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

They enter the town and Peter with his little friend goes to buy sandals.

«That man is dying for a son» says the Zealot, and he concludes: «He is right.»

«I will give you thousands. Now let us go and look for a place to rest, so that tomorrow we can start at dawn.»

GRM 193.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Do not become too attached to him! Or rather: love him as if he were your own son, but with a supernatural spirit.

Detail

Jesus tells Peter about Marziam, an orphan who is too weak to follow them on the roads of Palestine. He will have to entrust him to disciples, and teaches Peter to love him with a supernatural spirit.

GRM 199.8 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

While You refuse him a son of his own, born of him, I understand the reason. A son is like an anchor. And Simon, who is destined to such a great task, cannot be hindered by anchors.

Detail

Mary speaks of Simon Peter and says: