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Notes for this theme

Who are the apostles?

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Aa

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 52.4

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.

GRM 52.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The banquet starts. And I can assure you that they lack neither appetite nor thirst. The ones who eat and drink little are Jesus and His Mother, Who speaks also very little. Jesus talks a little more. But although very moderate, He is neither sullen nor disdainful in the little He says. He is kind, but not talkative. He answers when He is questioned, when they speak to Him, He takes an interest in the subject, he states His opinion, but then He concentrates on His thoughts, like one accustomed to meditation. He smiles, He never laughs. If He hears any inconsiderate joke, He pretends He has not heard. Mary is nourished by the contemplation of Her Jesus, and so is John, who is at the end of the table and hangs on His Master’s lips.

Detail

The behavior and character of Jesus and Mary at the wedding feast in Cana.

GRM 53

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus, James, John, Andrew, Peter, Philip and Bartholomew go to the Temple. But it's a real fair, where the Temple merchants are usurers of the poorest. An old couple is bullied by a shopkeeper, and Jesus tells them that their behavior is not right: the shopkeeper must give them a better lamb. The man doesn't listen, and Jesus, faced with all the commotion in the Temple, becomes terrible. He builds a whip and overturns the tables and the money on them. The priests arrive and ask him who he is and why he is doing this. Jesus replies that he is the One who can, and that if the true Temple is destroyed, he will raise it up. He promises that they will know him and where he comes from. The Master then gives a speech in the Temple, recalling words from Deuteronomy. He reminds us that we must be fair to the poor, and that priests must have purity and charity as their wealth, not purely material wealth. God the Father is their inheritance. Finally, he invites everyone to follow him, for the hour of grace has come.

GRM 53

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Although he is not named, Judas is present during the purification of the Temple and will come to Christ because of this episode.

GRM 54

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus is at the olive grove in Gethsemane. The master of the house - Jonah - tells Christ that three men are waiting for him, including one who is presumably sick and a leper. Jesus goes to the latter first: it's Simon the Zealot, asking for healing. The Savior grants his wish, and the future apostle is completely healed. Then he turns his attention to the two newcomers: Judas of Keroth and Thomas. The former ardently wants to follow the Savior, to share in his glory "according to Heaven". But Jesus asks him to think it over and refuses to take him on straight away. He thinks he's being impulsive, but doesn't believe in his constancy. Jesus asks him to discern and tells him that he will be in the Temple for Pentecost. Thomas, for his part, wants to follow him too, but is frightened by the words spoken to Judas. Jesus reassures him, saying that presumption is ruin, but that fear coupled with humility can be a help. After the disciple has left, Jesus explains to John and the others why he has made a difference between the two disciples. Thomas is in this sense more perfect, because he wants to follow him out of love, not because of a desire for human glory. All the disciples present then affirm that they love Jesus, and when they ask if they are perfect, Jesus explains that God alone is perfect, but that they will become so if they persist in their will to love.

After speaking of his nature as the Word of God, and his perfection as the God-Man, Jesus describes himself as the Son of Man. He then answers Peter's question about Jude's absence, and answers Andrew's question about why he performed a miracle in Cana and not in his homeland. The Lord also speaks of his Mother.

Finally, Christ welcomes Dydymus, who has retraced his steps, and thus welcomes Thomas among his disciples.