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Apostles

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Aa

GRM 50.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Are You leaving tomorrow, Master?»

«Tomorrow, at dawn, if you do not mind.»

«I am sorry that You are going away. But I do not mind the hour. On the contrary, it suits me.»

«Are you going fishing?»

«Yes, tonight, when the moon rises.»

«You did well, Simon, not fishing last night. The Sabbath was not yet finished. Nehemiah in his reformation wants the Sabbath to be respected in Judah. Even nowadays too many people work on the Sabbath day at presses, carry wood, wine and fruit and buy and sell fish and lambs. You have six days for that. The Sabbath is of the Lord. Only one thing you may do on the Sabbath: you may do good to your neighbour. But all profit must be excluded from such help. He who infringes the Sabbath to make a profit will be punished by God. He makes a profit? He will lose it during the other six days. He makes no profit? He has fatigued his body for no purpose, because he did not grant it the rest that Intelligence prescribed for it, and thus he irritated his soul having worked in vain, and goes to the extent of cursing. The day of the Lord, instead, is to be spent with your hearts united to God in sweet prayer of love. You must be faithful in everything.»

«But… scribes and doctors, who are so severe with us… do not work on Sabbath days, they do not even give a piece of bread to their neighbours, to avoid the fatigue of handing it over, but they practise usury also on a Sabbath. As it is not a material work, is it legal to practise usury on a Sabbath?»

«No. Never. Neither on a Sabbath nor any other day. Those Who practise usury are dishonest and cruel.»

«The scribes and the Pharisees, then…»

«Simon: don’t judge. Do not do it.»

«But I have eyes to see…»

«Is there only evil to be seen, Simon?»

«No, Master.»

«Well, then, why look at evil deeds?»

«You are right, Master.»

Detail

Contextualization: Peter speaks to the Master, who then talks about the Sabbath.

GRM 50.9

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

50.9 «Well, tomorrow morning at dawn, I will leave with John.»

«Master…»

«Yes, Simon, what is it?»

«Master… are You going to Jerusalem?»

«You know I am.»

«I am going at Passover too… and also Andrew and James.»

«Well?.. Do you mean that you would like to come with Me? And your fishing? And your profit? You told Me that you like to have money, and I will be away for many days. I am going to My Mother’s first. And I will go there on My way back as well. I will stop there to preach. How will you manage?…»

Peter is perplexed, undecided… then he makes up his mind: «I think… I will come. I prefer You to money!»

«I am coming, too.»

«And so am I.»

«We are going too, aren’t we, Philip?»

«Come, then, you will help Me.»

«Oh!…» Peter is more than excited at the idea of helping Jesus. «How shall we do that?»

«I will tell you. To do good, all you need do, is do what I tell you. He who obeys always does good. We will now pray and then each of us will go and perform his duties.»

«What will You do, Master?»

«I will continue to pray. I am the Light of the world, but I am also the Son of man. I must, therefore, draw from the Light, to become the Man Who redeems man. Let us pray.» Jesus says a psalm. The one beginning: «He who rests in the help of the Most High, will live in the protection of the God of Heaven. He will say to the Lord: “You are my protector and my shelter. He is my God, I will hope in Him. He rescued me from the snares of fowlers and from harsh words” etc.» I find it in the fourth book. It is the second psalm in book four, I think it is number 90, (if I read the Roman number correctly).

The vision ends in this way.

Detail

Jesus declares to the disciples present (Philip and Bartholomew, James of Zebedee, Andrew and Peter):

GRM 51

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus is at Peter's house, with Simon of Jonah, James, John and Porphyria. Andrew arrives, indicating that Jude is there for him, and his cousin enters the house. Mary invites her Son to the wedding feast at Cana, and their relatives also want him to attend. Jesus agrees to his Mother's request, but then guesses that something is wrong with Jude. He questions him and Jude half-heartedly declares that Jesus must be careful, because of the powerful castes who might be disturbed by his teaching. He mentions the Baptist, but we also sense that he is paying lip service. Moreover, Jesus guesses that it was their kinsmen who told him to say this, which Jude confirms. But Jesus asserts that above the earth, there is Heaven and God's interests. As for his Mother, only she could remind him of his duties as a Son, but she does not. She renounced her creatureliness from the very beginning, and Jesus recalls her life in the Temple, praising her detachment and self-giving to God. The Lord also predicts that there will come a day when all will abandon Him, but not Her, and it is thanks to Mary that the apostles will return to Jesus. He wants us to understand how powerful Mary is on God's heart.

As a result, Jude asks to accompany her to the wedding feast at Cana. He gives him a garment designed by the All-Holy One, which Jesus will put on in Jerusalem, at the Temple.

GRM 51.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

I see the kitchen in Peter’s house. In addition to Jesus, there are Peter and his wife, James and John. I think they have just finished eating their supper. They are talking, and Jesus takes an interest in fishing.

Andrew enters and says: «Master, there is the man here in whose house You are living, together with another man who says he is Your cousin.»

Jesus gets up and goes towards the door saying: «Let them come in.» And when He sees Judas Thaddeus in the light of the oil lamp and of the fireplace, He exclaims: «You, Judas?!»

«Yes, Jesus.» They kiss each other.

GRM 51.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Judas Thaddeus is a handsome man, in the fullness of his virile manhood. He is tall, although not quite so tall as Jesus, well built and strong, of a dark brown-olive complexion, like saint Joseph when young, but not sallow: his eyes have something in common with those of Jesus, because they are blue, verging on periwinkle. His brown beard is squarely cut, his hair wavy, but not so curly as Jesus’, and is the same hue as his beard.

Detail

Physical description of Jude

GRM 51.1-2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«I have come from Capernaum, I went there by boat and I have come here in the same boat to gain time. Your Mother sends me; She says: “Susanna is getting married tomorrow; please come to the wedding”. Mary will be there, and also my mother and brothers. All the relatives have been invited. You would be the only one absent, and they ask You to come and make the young couple happy.»

51.2

Jesus bows lightly stretching out His arms and says: «A wish of My Mother is a law for Me. But I will come also for Susanna’s and our relatives’ sake. Only… I am sorry for you…» and He looks at Peter and the others. «They are My friends» He explains to His cousin. And then He mentions their names, beginning with Peter’s. He then adds: «And this is John» with a special expression that causes Judas Thaddeus to look at him more carefully while the beloved disciple blushes. He ends the introductions stating: «My friends, this is Judas, son of Alphaeus, My cousin according to the custom of the world, because he is the son of the brother of My Mother’s spouse. A very good friend of Mine, and a companion both in life and in work.»

«My house is open to you as it is to the Master. Sit down» and then addressing Jesus, Peter says: «So? Are we no longer going to Jerusalem with You?»

«Of course you will come. I will go after the wedding feast. The only difference is that I will not stop at Nazareth any longer.»

«Quite right, Jesus, because Your Mother is my guest for a few days. That is what we intend to do. She also will go there after the wedding.» It is the man from Capernaum who speaks thus.

«This is what we will do. I will now go in Judas’ boat to Tiberias and from there to Cana. With the same boat I will come back to Capernaum with My Mother, and with you. You will come the day after the next Sabbath, Simon, if you still wish to come, and we will go to Jerusalem for Passover.»

«Of course I want to come! In fact, I will come on the Sabbath to hear You in the synagogue.»

Detail

Jude came to Jesus to invite him to the wedding at Cana. He said:

GRM 51.3-4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Are You already teaching, Jesus?» asks Thaddeus.

«Yes, My cousin.»

«And you should hear His words! Ah! no one else speaks like Him!» exclaims Peter.

Judas sighs. With his head resting on his hand, his elbow on his knee, he looks at Jesus and sighs. He seems anxious to speak but does not dare.

Jesus encourages him: «What is the matter, Judas? Why do you look at Me and sigh?»

«Nothing.»

«No. It must be something. Am I no longer the Jesus of Whom you were fond? For Whom you had no secrets?»

«Of course You are! And how I miss You, You the Master of Your older cousin…»

«Well, then! Speak.»

«I wanted to tell You… Jesus… be careful… You have a Mother… She has but You… You want to be a “rabbi” different from the others and You know, better than I do, that… that the powerful classes do not allow anything that may differ from the customary laws they have laid down. I know Your way of thinking… it is a holy one… But the world is not holy… and it oppresses saints… Jesus… You know the fate of Your cousin the Baptist… He is in jail, and if he is not yet dead, it is because that evil Tetrarch is afraid of the crowds and of the wrath of God. As evil and superstitious as cruel and lustful… You… what are You going to do? To what fate are You going to expose Yourself?»

«Judas, you are so familiar with My way of thinking, and that is what you ask Me? Are you speaking on your own initiative? No, don’t lie! You have been sent, certainly not by My Mother, to tell Me such things…»

Judas lowers his head and becomes silent.

«Speak, cousin.»

«My father… and Joseph and Simon with him… You know, for Your sake, because they are fond of You and Mary… do not look favourably on what You intend doing… and… and they would like You to think of Your Mother…»

51.4

«And what do you think?»

«I… I…»

«You are drawn in opposite directions by the voices coming from High Above and those coming from the world. I am not saying from below. I say from the world. The same applies to James, even more so. But I tell you that above the world there is Heaven, and above the interest of the world there is the cause of God. You must change your ways of thinking. When you learn to do that, you will be perfect.»

«But… and Your Mother?»

«Judas, She is the only one who, according to the way of thinking of the world, should be entitled to recall Me to My duty as a son: that is to My duty to work for Her, and provide for Her material needs, to My duty to assist and comfort Her with My presence. But She does not ask for any of these things. Since She had Me, She knew She would lose Me, to find Me once again in a much wider manner than the small family circle… And since then She has prepared Herself for that.

Her unreserved voluntary donation of Herself to God is nothing new. Her mother offered Her in the Temple before She even smiled at life. And — as She told Me the innumerable times She spoke to Me of Her holy childhood, holding Me close to Her heart in the long winter evenings or in the clear starry summer nights — She gave Herself to God since the dawn of Her life in this world. And She gave Herself even more when She had Me, that She might be where I am, fulfilling the Mission given to Me by God. Everybody will abandon Me at a certain point, perhaps only for a few minutes, but everyone will be overcome by cowardice, and you will think that it would have been better, for your own safety, if you had never known Me. But She, Who understood and knows, She will always be with Me. And you will become Mine, once again, through Her. With the power of Her unshaken, loving faith, She will draw you to Herself and will thus bring you to Me, because I am in My Mother, and She is in Me, and We are in God.

I would like you all to understand that, both you who are My relatives according to the world, and you, friends and children in a supernatural way. Neither you, nor anyone else know Who My Mother is. But if you knew, you would not criticise Her in your hearts stating She is not capable of keeping Me subject to Her, but you would venerate Her as the closest friend of God, the Mighty Woman Who can obtain all graces from the heart of the Eternal Father and from Her beloved Son. I will certainly come to Cana. I want to make Her happy. You will understand better after the wedding.» Jesus is majestic and persuasive.

Judas gazes at Him. He is thinking. He then says: «And I will certainly come with You, with these friends, if You want me… because I feel that what You say is right. Forgive my blindness and my brothers’. You are so much holier than we are!…»

«I bear no grudge against those who do not know Me. I am also without ill-feeling towards those who hate Me. But I feel sorry for them, because of the harm they do themselves.»

Detail

James of Alphaeus is mentioned very briefly in 51.4. In this extract, Jude expresses for all Jesus' relatives their family's apprehensions about Jesus' behavior.

GRM 52.2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Then I see two women, with long dresses and mantles that also cover their heads like veils, walking along the road and then on the path. One is older than the other: about fifty years old, with a dark dress, the grey-brown hue of raw wool. The other woman is wearing lighter garments: a pale yellow dress and a blue mantle. She looks about thirty-five years old. She is really beautiful, slender, and Her carriage is most dignified, although She is most kind and humble. When She is nearer, I notice Her pale face, Her blue eyes and Her blond hair visible on Her forehead. I recognise Our Most Holy Lady. I do not know who the other older woman is. They are speaking to each other and Our Lady smiles. When they are near the house, someone, who is obviously watching the arrival of the guests, informs the others in the house, and two men and two women, all in their best clothes, go to meet them. They give the two women and particularly Our Lady a most warm welcome.

Detail

Maria Valtorta describes a house, then sees the arrival of the Virgin Mary in this little cottage. In fact, Mary has gone to help prepare the wedding feast at Cana.

GRM 52.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

52.4 At this point there is a change in the vision. Instead of the house I see a village. I do not know whether it is Cana or a nearby village. And I see Jesus with John and another man, who I think is Judas Thaddeus, but I may be wrong. I am sure about John. Jesus is wearing a white tunic and a dark blue mantle. When he hears the sound of the instruments, Jesus’ companion questions a man about something and then tells Jesus. Then Jesus, smiling, says: «Let us go and make My Mother happy.» And He starts walking across the fields towards the house, with His two companions.

I forgot to mention that it is my impression that Mary is either a relation or a close friend of the bridegroom’s relatives, because She is on familiar terms with them.

When Jesus arrives, the same watchman as before informs the others. The landlord with his son, the bridegroom, and Mary goes down to meet Him, and greets Him respectfully. He then greets the other two and so does the bridegroom.

Detail

Maria sees the preparations for the wedding at Cana.

GRM 52.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

52.5 Jesus climbs the staircase beside His Mother, followed by His disciples, the landlord and the groom, and enters the banquet hall, where the women start bustling about, adding seats and plates for the three guests, who, apparently, were not expected. I would say that Jesus’ coming was uncertain and the arrival of His companions was completely unforeseen.

I can distinctly hear the Master’s full, virile, most sweet voice say on entering the hall: «May peace be in this house and the blessing of God on you all.» A greeting of majesty addressed to all the people present. Jesus dominates everybody with His bearing and His height. He is a guest, and a casual one, but He seems to be the king of the banquet, more than the groom, more than the landlord. No matter how humble and obliging, He is the one who dominates.

Jesus sits at the middle table with the bride and the bridegroom, their relatives and the most influential friends. The two disciples are also invited to sit at the same table, out of respect for Jesus.

Detail

Jesus is at the wedding feast in Cana.