Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 56.3
56.3 «Have you always been with Him?»
«Yes, always. Since He came back to Nazareth He was my good companion. We were always together. We are about the same age, I am a little older. And I was the favourite of His father, who was my father’s brother. Also His Mother was very fond of me. I grew up more with Her than with my own mother.»
Simon the Zealot asks Jude if he has always accompanied Christ.
GRM 56.3
56.3 «Have you always been with Him?»
«Yes, always. Since He came back to Nazareth He was my good companion. We were always together. We are about the same age, I am a little older. And I was the favourite of His father, who was my father’s brother. Also His Mother was very fond of me. I grew up more with Her than with my own mother.»
«She was fond… Is She no longer as fond of you, now?»
«Oh! Yes, She is. But we have parted a little since He became a prophet. My relatives are not happy about it.»
«Which relatives?»
«My father and the two older brothers. The other one is undecided… My father is very old and I did not have the courage to hurt him. But now… Now, no longer so. Now I am going where my heart and my mind tell me. I am going to Jesus. I don’t think I am offending the Law by doing so. In any case… if what I want to do was not right, Jesus would tell me. I will do what He says. Is it right for a father to prevent a son from doing good? If I feel that my salvation is there, why prevent me from reaching it? Why, at times, are our fathers our enemies?»
Simon sighs as if he were overwhelmed by sad memories, he lowers his head, but does not speak.
Thomas instead replies: «I have already overcome the obstacle. My father listened to me and he understood me. He blessed me saying: “Go. May this Passover be for you the liberation from the slavery of waiting. You are lucky because you can believe. I will wait. But if it is really Him, and you will find out following Him, then come and say to your old father: ‘Come, Israel has the Expected One’”.»
«You are luckier than I am. And we always lived beside Him!… And we, in the family, do not believe!… We say, that is: they say: “He has gone mad”!»
Simon the Zealot asks Jude if he has always accompanied Christ.
GRM 56.5
56.5 «You too, Judas, My cousin, are here?»
They embrace each other. Judas is weeping.
«Why are you weeping?»
«Oh! Jesus! I want to stay with You!»
«I have been waiting for you all the time. Why did you not come?»
Judas lowers his head and is silent.
«They did not let you! And now?»
«Jesus, I… I cannot obey them. I want to obey You only.»
«But I did not give you an order.»
«No, You did not. But it is Your mission that gives it! It is He, Who sent You, Who is speaking here, in my heart, and says to me: “Go to Him”. It is She, Who bore You, my sweet teacher, Who with Her gentle look, as mild as a dove’s, says to me without uttering a word: “Be of Jesus!”. Can I ignore that heavenly voice that pierces my heart? Can I ignore the prayers of such a Holy Woman, Who implores me for my own good? Only because I am Your cousin on Joseph’s side, am I not to acknowledge You for what You are, whereas the Baptist recognised You, although he had never seen You, here, on the banks of this river and he greeted You as the “Lamb of God”? And I, should I not be capable of anything, although I was brought up with You, and I was good because I followed You, and I became a son of the Law through Your Mother, from Whom I learned not the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the rabbis, besides the Scriptures and the prayers, but the essence of them all?»
«And your father?»
«My father? He does not lack bread and assistance, and then… You give me the example. You have thought of the welfare of the people, rather than the little advantage of Mary. And She is alone. Tell me, Master, is it not right for a son to say to his father, without lacking respect: “Father, I love you. But God is above you and I will follow Him”?»
«Judas, My cousin and My friend, I tell you: you have made good progress on the way to Light. Come. It is lawful to speak thus to a father, when it is God Who calls. There is nothing above God. Also the laws of relationship cease, that is they are raised to a dignity, because with our tears we give our fathers and mothers a greater help and for something everlasting, not for a short time in this world. We draw them with us to Heaven, and by sacrificing our affections, to God. So, Judas, stay here. I have been waiting for you and I am happy to have you, the friend of My life at Nazareth.»
Judas is touched.
GRM 56.5
«(...) It is He, Who sent You, Who is speaking here, in my heart, and says to me: “Go to Him”. It is She, Who bore You, my sweet teacher, Who with Her gentle look, as mild as a dove’s, says to me without uttering a word: “Be of Jesus!”. Can I ignore that heavenly voice that pierces my heart? Can I ignore the prayers of such a Holy Woman, Who implores me for my own good? Only because I am Your cousin on Joseph’s side, am I not to acknowledge You for what You are, whereas the Baptist recognised You, although he had never seen You, here, on the banks of this river and he greeted You as the “Lamb of God”? And I, should I not be capable of anything, although I was brought up with You, and I was good because I followed You, and I became a son of the Law through Your Mother, from Whom I learned not the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the rabbis, besides the Scriptures and the prayers, but the essence of them all?»
«And your father?»
«My father? He does not lack bread and assistance, and then… You give me the example. You have thought of the welfare of the people, rather than the little advantage of Mary. And She is alone. Tell me, Master, is it not right for a son to say to his father, without lacking respect: “Father, I love you. But God is above you and I will follow Him”?»
«Judas, My cousin and My friend, I tell you: you have made good progress on the way to Light. Come. It is lawful to speak thus to a father, when it is God Who calls. There is nothing above God. Also the laws of relationship cease, that is they are raised to a dignity, because with our tears we give our fathers and mothers a greater help and for something everlasting, not for a short time in this world. We draw them with us to Heaven, and by sacrificing our affections, to God. So, Judas, stay here. I have been waiting for you and I am happy to have you, the friend of My life at Nazareth.»
Jude speaks to Jesus and says:
GRM 56.5
Only because I am Your cousin on Joseph’s side, am I not to acknowledge You for what You are, whereas the Baptist recognised You, although he had never seen You, here, on the banks of this river and he greeted You as the “Lamb of God”?
Jude speaks to Jesus and says:
GRM 56.7
56.7 Come, My childless Simon. Come, Judas, who are losing your father for My sake. I join you in the same destiny.»
«They are both beside Him. He is holding His hands on their shoulders as if He were taking possession of them and imposing a common yoke on them. He then says: «And I unite you together. But now I will separate you. Simon, you will stay here with Thomas. You will prepare with him the way for My return: I will be back soon, and I want the people to be waiting for Me. Tell the sick people that He Who can cure their illnesses is about to come here: you can certainly tell them that. Tell those who are waiting, that the Messiah is among His people. Tell the sinners that He Who forgives has come to give them strength to rise…»
«Will we be able to do that?»
«Yes, you will. All you have to say is: “He has come. He calls you. He is waiting for you. He has come to grant you graces. Come here to see Him”, and to these words add a report of what you know. And you, Judas, My cousin, come with Me and these. But you will stay at Nazareth.»
«Why, Jesus?»
«Because you must prepare My way in My fatherland. Do you think it is a small mission? I can tell you that there is not a harder one…» Jesus sighs.
«And will I succeed?»
«You will and you will not. But it will be sufficient to be justified.»
«Justified of what? And with whom?»
«With God. With your fatherland. With your family. They will not be able to reproach us, because we offered good things: and if the fatherland and the family will disdain our offer, we shall not be blamed for their loss.»
GRM 56.7
«And you, Judas, My cousin, come with Me and these. But you will stay at Nazareth.»
«Why, Jesus?»
«Because you must prepare My way in My fatherland. Do you think it is a small mission? I can tell you that there is not a harder one…» Jesus sighs.
«And will I succeed?»
«You will and you will not. But it will be sufficient to be justified.»
«Justified of what? And with whom?»
«With God. With your fatherland. With your family. They will not be able to reproach us, because we offered good things: and if the fatherland and the family will disdain our offer, we shall not be blamed for their loss.»
GRM 57
Jesus arrives in Nazareth with his apostles. He invites his disciples to accompany him home to meet his Mother. On his arrival, Christ is greeted by a flock of children. He responds to their greetings, then arrives at his home. His Mother is naturally happy to see him, but she is also anxious, because her relatives have told her what he did in the Temple. After their reunion, the disciples get to know him (except John, who has already met her) and they all sit down at table. Mary of Alphaeus is present in the house, and Jude tells her of his decision to follow Jesus. She is delighted, and the group shares anecdotes about Jesus' life. The vision ends.
GRM 57.1
57.1 Jesus is near Nazareth with His cousin and the six disciples. From the top of the hill where they are, the white village can be seen amongst the green of the trees, with its houses scattered up and down the sweetly undulating slopes, gently declining in some cases, more steep in others.
«Here we are, My friends. That is My house. My Mother is at home because there is smoke rising from the house. Perhaps She is baking. I will not ask you to stay with Me, because I imagine you will be anxious to go to your homes. But if you wish to share My bread with Me and meet My Mother, Whom John has already met, then I say to You: “Come”.»
The six disciples, who were already sad because of the impending separation, are all happy again and they accept the invitation wholeheartedly.
«Let us go, then.»
They go down the hillock quickly and take to the main road. It is evening. It is still warm, but the shades of evening are falling over the country, where the crops are beginning to ripen.
They go into the village. Women are coming and going from the fountain, men standing on the thresholds of their little workshops or working in the kitchen gardens wave to Jesus and James.
Jesus invites the disciples to meet his Mother for the first time (except John, who already knows her).
GRM 57.3.4
57.3 He then says: «Well, see? I am here, but I am not alone. I have My first disciples with Me, and the other ones are in Judaea. Also My cousin Judas is with Me and follows Me…»
«Judas?»
«Yes, Judas. I know why You are surprised. Among those who told You what happened, there certainly was Alphaeus with his sons, and I am not mistaken if I tell You that they criticised Me. But do not be afraid. Today it is so, tomorrow it will be different. A man is to be cultivated like the soil, and where there are thorns, there will be roses. Judas, of whom You are so fond, is already with Me.»
«Where is he now?»
«Outside with the others. Have You got enough bread for everybody?»
«Yes, Son. Mary of Alphaeus is taking it out of the oven just now. Mary is very good to Me, particularly now.»
«God will give her glory.» He goes to the door and calls: «Judas! Your mother is here! Come in, My friends!
(...) Mary of Alphaeus rushes in, flushed and covered with flour, she greets Jesus Who blesses her, she then leads the six men into the kitchen garden, to the fountain, and comes back happy. «Oh! Mary!» she says to the Virgin. «Judas told me. How happy I am! For Judas and for You, my dear sister-in-law. I know that the others will scold me. But it does not matter. I will be happy the day I know that they are all for Jesus. We are mothers and we know… we feel what is good for our children. And I feel that You, Jesus, are the wealth of my children.»
Jesus caresses her head and smiles at her.
Jesus has found his Mother. He listens, then it's his turn to speak.