Skip to content

Notes for this theme

Evangelism and the Word of God

Page 22 of 29

Reading comfort

Aa

GRM 176.3 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«God’s will has held us in this place because had we gone any further, after the distance we had walked, we would have infringed the precepts and caused scandal. And may that never happen until the New Pact is written. It is right to sanctify feast days and praise the Lord in places of prayer. But the whole creation can be a place of prayer if man can make it thus through his elevation to the Father. Noah’s Ark adrift on the water was a place of prayer and likewise the belly of Jonah’s whale. Places of prayer were the house of the Pharaoh when Joseph lived in it, and the tent of Holofernes for the chaste Judith. And was not the corrupt place where the prophet Daniel lived as a slave, so sacred to the Lord, because of the holiness of His servant who so sanctified the place as to deserve the high prophecies[1] of Christ and of the Antichrist, which are a key to present and future times? All the more reason this place is holy as with its hues and scents, with its pure air and rich crops, with its dewy pearls it speaks to us of God, the Father and Creator and says: “I believe. And you ought to believe because we bear witness to God”. Let it therefore be our synagogue for this Sabbath and let us read the eternal pages on corollas and ears, with the sun as our lamp.

I mentioned Daniel. I said to you: “Let this place be our synagogue”. That reminds us of the joyful “bless the Lord” of the three holy young men in the flames of the furnace: Heavens and waters, dew and frost, ice and snow, fire and colours, light and darkness, lightning and clouds, mountains and hills, all germinated things, birds, fish and animals, praise and bless the Lord with humble holy-hearted men. We can pray and deserve Heaven everywhere. We deserve it when we do the Father’s will.

Detail

It's dawn, the morning of the Sabbath (EMV 176.1). Jesus goes to the sleepers who are awakening, and to the crowd that has followed him, because he wishes to sanctify "this holy day with the word of God" (EMV 176.2).

Annotation

Having come so far, to go any further would have been to violate the precepts and scandalize. Out of respect for the precept limiting Sabbatical journeys, which finds its foundation in Exodus 16:29.

Noah's ark adrift on the waves was a place of prayer, as was Jonah's whale belly. Cf. Genesis 7:7 and Jonah 2:2.

Gen 7.7: "Noah entered the ark with his sons, his wife and his sons' wives to escape the waters of the flood."

Jon 2, 2 : And from the bowels of the fish Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God.

So did the house of Pharaoh when Joseph lived there, and so did the tent of Holofernes for the chaste Judith. Cf Genesis 39:2 and 41:40 as well as Judith 12:5 and Judith 13:4-5.

Gen 39:2 : Yahweh was with Joseph, who made all things prosper; he lived in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

Gen 41, 40: And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, I have made you ruler over all the land of Egypt. "

Jdt 12, 5 : On entering, she asked to be allowed to go out at night and before daylight to pray and call upon the Lord.

Jdt 13, 4-5 : Holoferne was lying on his bed in a drunken stupor. Judith had told her maid to stand outside the room and keep watch.

And was it not truly sacred to the Lord, the corrupt place where the prophet Daniel lived as a slave, sacred by the holiness of his servant who sanctified the place to the point of meriting the lofty prophecies of Christ and Antichrist, keys to the present and the last times? Daniel 1, 21 | Daniel 7, 2-14 | Daniel 9, 24-27 | Daniel 12, 5-12.

Dan 1:21: Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Dan 7, 2-14 : Daniel spoke and said: "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were melting on the great sea, and four great beasts came up from the sea, different from each other. The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. And I beheld, until his wings were plucked, and he was lifted up from the earth, and set upon his feet like a man, and a man's heart was given unto him. And behold another beast, a second, like a bear; it drew up one of its sides, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth, and they said to it, "Arise, eat much flesh! After this I looked, and behold another beast like a leopard; it had on its back four wings of a bird, and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I looked in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, terrible, fearful and extraordinarily strong; it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke, and the rest it trampled underfoot; it was different from all the beasts that had gone before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold another horn, small, arose in the midst of them, and three of the first horns were torn off by it; and behold this horn had eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth that spoke great things.

I watched, until thrones were placed, and an old man sat down. His garment was white as snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne was flames of fire; the wheels, blazing fire. A river of fire flowed out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and a myriad of myriads stood before him. The Judge sat down, and books were opened. I watched then, because of the noise of the great words that the horn uttered; I watched, until the moment when the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and delivered to the flame of fire. To the rest of the beasts, too, their dominion had been taken away, and the duration of their lives had been fixed until a time and a moment.

I looked into the visions of the night, and behold, there came on the clouds as it were a Son of Man; and he came up to the old man, and they brought him near before him. And he was given dominion, glory and reign, and all peoples, nations and languages served him. His dominion is an eternal dominion that will not pass away, and his reign will never be destroyed.

Dn 9, 24-27 : Seventy weeks have been determined upon your people and upon your holy city to shut up prevarication, to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophet and to anoint the Holy of Holies. Know therefore and understand: from the going forth of a word commanding Jerusalem to be rebuilt until an anointed one, a leader, there are seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; she will be rebuilt, places and pregnant, in the distress of times. And after sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be cut off, and no one for him. And the people of a ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, and its end will be in the flood, and to the end there will be war, which is decreed touching the devastation. He will make a firm covenant with a great number for a week; and in the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and on the wing of abominations will come a destroyer, and that until destruction and what has been decreed are poured out on the devastated.

Dan 12:5-12: I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two other men were standing, one on one bank of the river, the other on the other bank of the river. 6One of them spoke to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river: "How long will the end of these wondrous things be? "And I heard the man clothed in linen who was above the waters; he raised his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and he swore by him who lives forever that it would be in a time, times and half a time, and that, when they had finished breaking the strength of the holy people, then all these things would be fulfilled. And I heard, but did not understand, and said, "My lord, what will be the end of these things? "He said, 'Go, Daniel, for the words are tightened and sealed until the time of the end. There will be many who will be purified, made white and tested; and the wicked will do evil, and no wicked will understand; but the intelligent will understand. From the time when the perpetual sacrifice is interrupted, and the abomination of the destroyer is set up, there will be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits and comes to a thousand three hundred and thirty-five days!"

I named you Daniel. I said to you, "Let this place be our synagogue. "He reminds us of the joyful "Bless" of the three holy children amid the flames of the furnace: cf. Daniel 3, 52-90.

Dn 3, 52-90 : Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers, worthy to be praised, glorified and exalted forever. Blessed is your holy and glorious name, worthy of supreme praise and exaltation forever. Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, worthy of supreme praise and glory forever. Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, worthy of supreme praise and exaltation forever. Blessed are you, whose gaze penetrates the abyss, and who sit upon the Cherubim, worthy of supreme praise and exaltation forever. Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, worthy of praise and glory forever.

Bless all the Lord, works of the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Heavens, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Waters and all that is above the heavens, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Powers of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise him and exalt him forever.

Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Stars of heaven, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Rain and dew, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Winds unleashed by God, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever.

Fire and heat, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Cold and heat, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Dew and frost, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Frost and frost, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Ice and snow, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever.

Nights and days, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Light and darkness, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Lightning and dark clouds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever!

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Plants that grow on the earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Fountains, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Seas and rivers, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever.

Monsters and everything that moves in the waters, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Birds of the air, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Wild beasts and flocks, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Children of men, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Israel, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever!

Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Spirits and souls of the righteous, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Saints and humble of heart, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever. Ananias, Azarias and Misael, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him forever.

For he has brought us out of Sheol, and delivered us from the power of death; he has rescued us from the midst of the furnace of burning flame, and drawn us out of the midst of the fire. Celebrate the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. All you godly men, bless the Lord, the God of gods; praise and celebrate him, for his mercy endures forever.

GRM 178.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«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?»

GRM 178.3.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

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.

(...) 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.

Annotation

Gospel of Matthew 8, 21-22

Mt 8:21-22: 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 Luke 9, 57-62

Lk 9, 57-62: Along 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."

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."

GRM 179.3 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Peter then confesses his great grief: «The trouble is that I am a blockhead and my mind wanders easily. When You speak in a square, on a mountain, amongst a large crowd, I understand everything, but I do not know why, I remember nothing. I told also my companions and they say that I am right. Other people, I mean the people who listen to You, understand You and remember what You say. How often have we heard someone say: “I have no longer done that because You told us”, or: “I came because once I heard You say so and so I was impressed by it”. We instead… hum! it’s like a water course which passes by and does not stop. The river bank no longer has the water that has passed by. It is true that other water comes, a great deal of it, but it passes by, it passes by… And I am terrified at the thought that, if what You say will come true, the moment will come when You will no longer be there to play the part of the river and… and I… What will I give to those who are thirsty if I cannot save even one drop of the great lot You give me?»

Also the others support Peter’s moaning, complaining that they are left with nothing of what they hear, whilst they would like to remember everything to reply to those who ask them questions.

Jesus smiles and replies: «I do not think so. People are very satisfied with you as well…»

«Certainly… of course! For all we do! Make room for You, by elbowing our way through the crowds, carrying sick people, collecting alms and saying: “Yes, that is the Master!”. Wonderful, isn’t it?»

«Do not defame yourself too much, Simon.»

«I am not defaming myself. I know myself.»

«That is the most difficult wisdom. But I wish to relieve you of your great fear. When I speak and you cannot understand and remember everything, ask Me without any fear of boring or discouraging Me. We always have some hours of privacy, when you can open your hearts to Me. I give so much to so many. And what would I not give you whom I love so much that God could not love you more? You spoke of waves that pass by and nothing is left on the bank. The day will come when you will realise that every wave has deposited a seed and that a plant has grown from every seed. You will find in front of you flowers and plants for all occasions and you will be amazed at yourself saying: “What has the Lord done to me?” because you will then be redeemed from the slavery of sin and your present virtues will have reached a great height of perfection.»

«You say so, my Lord, and I rest upon Your word.»

GRM 179.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Coming here from Capernaum I was thinking what I should tell you and I found an indication in the events of this morning.

You saw three men come to Me. One came spontaneously, the second because I urged him, the third came because of a sudden enthusiasm. And you also saw that I took only two of them. Why? Did I perhaps see a traitor in the third one? No, in truth. But I saw that he was unprepared. To all appearances, this one here beside Me, the one who was going to bury his father, seemed more unprepared. Instead the most unprepared was the third one. This one was so prepared, without being aware of it, that he was able to make a really heroic sacrifice.

Heroism in following God is always evidence of strong spiritual preparation. And that is the explanation of certain surprising events that take place around Me. Those who are most prepared to receive Christ, whichever their caste and education might be, come to Me with absolute promptitude of faith. Those who are less prepared examine Me as an exceptional man or they study Me with suspicion or curiosity, or they attack and defame Me accusing Me in various ways. The different ways of behaviour are proportional to the unprepared nature of spirits.

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.