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Notes for this theme

Who are the apostles?

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GRM 169

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus climbs the Horns of Hattin. There, he reaches a village where his disciples and apostles are waiting for him. They give him feedback on their first preaching. Peter emphasizes his two cousins and especially John; the beloved, for his part, says that Peter has spoken well.

After some discussion, Jesus tells them that he wants to speak to them alone. It is then agreed to wait for the people to go home before Christ teaches the Twelve and the other disciples. In the meantime, the Master goes off to pray, and when evening comes, everyone gathers around him.

Jesus then returns to the preaching of the others, and declares that those who have given the most are those who have forgotten themselves the most, thanks in part to their union with God. Others had scruples and were afraid of doing the wrong thing. So Jesus talks about the conditions for perfect discipleship. He explains that the apostles and those who follow him are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Finally, the Savior teaches that God's light must shine in them, and warns priests not to lose sight of their mission. Woe to those who lose charity, woe to those who reject Wisdom, woe to those who become spiritually dead, woe to those who corrupt Christ's little flock.

Jesus' speech ends here.

GRM 171

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus is still on the Horns of Hattin, continuing the Sermon on the Mount. First of all, the Lord reminds us that He does not change the Law one iota, because it was He Himself who gave it together with the Most Holy Trinity. However, Christ completes it, without overloading it as men do.

After defining the holy man, Christ goes on to say that he who follows one of the least commandments will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, and he who violates one of the Commandments will be one of the least in the Celestial Kingdom. The Master warns against the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes, and also warns people to beware of false prophets.

Jesus then returns to the subject of neighborly love, and outlines a number of features that we find in the Gospel: loving and forgiving, turning the other cheek, thinking that it is better for him to hit us than to hit someone who cannot bear it, and so on. He invites us to be generous, to give our tunic so that our brother doesn't commit a double theft if someone tries to steal something from us. Finally, Christ goes back on the saying: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", replacing it with love, and encourages us to be perfect like our heavenly Father, not to get angry or hold a grudge against our neighbor, but to be reconciled with him.

When the Master concludes his discourse, Jesus speaks of someone who hates him, and who dares not ask for the miracle. But when his apostles question him, he tells them that the scales had fallen from his eyes, not from his heart.

GRM 172

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus talks about oaths, fasting and prayer. In his sermon, he dwells on man's difficulty in being honest and on his false oaths: all too often, man is a perjurer, and he who demands an oath does not himself have much confidence in his neighbor. When we take an oath and swear to something, invoking that which is dearest to us, we deceive our neighbor: we are thieves, sacrilegious, traitors and homicidal. But we don't deceive God, who is Truth itself. Jesus therefore encourages people not to take false oaths, as in the Gospel, and he enjoins others not to swear on the dead, nor on the head of our family, nor on our body, which belongs to God. Let our yes be a yes and a no be a no.

Secondly, Christ insists on prayer said from the heart, where we seek not to be noticed and are not overcome by scruples. We must stop counting the number of hours we spend in prayer: it's not so much soulless prayers that count, but actions and words said with love. Jesus declares that we can do anything by praying: whether it's making a loaf of bread or doing our work, as long as we seek to love in everything. We must also not be afraid to ask, for God is a Father who watches over us and our needs.

Then the Master explains why God may not answer our prayer. He may refuse us a grace because it would hurt us in the future. Sometimes, therefore, God says: "I cannot", because in His Wisdom, He sees that such a grace, which seems good to us now, would be harmful to us later.

Finally, Jesus applies what he says about prayer to fasting: we mustn't flaunt it in public or be sad, but be joyful and act as if we've eaten well. Hiding this fast from others will be an act of heroism, and God will reward us for not seeking praise from men. What's more, anyone who fasts out of love feeds on love.

The Savior then sends away the people who are listening and welcomes two poor people. One is Ishmael, a man rejected by his daughter who wants to make his last Easter; the other is a woman named Sarath who is ill. He heals the latter and Jesus asks him to look after the old man. Christ then asks Simon the Zealot if he can entrust them to Lazarus, since they are two poor men who have nothing, and Lazarus assures him that he can. The episode ends with the old man happily adopting a new daughter and finding a new protector.

GRM 173.1.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Peter says something to Jesus Who makes a gesture as if He wanted to say: «It does not matter.» But I do not understand what the apostle says. Peter remains near Jesus and Judas Thaddeus and Matthew join him. The other apostles are scattered among the crowd.

[Jesus teaches the crowd to act in secret, so as not to receive praise from men. He wants us to do our acts of charity and almsgiving, then forget that we did it so that we don't become puffed up with pride].

« Forget about it. Forget about the action itself. A light, a sweet voice will always be present with you and will make your day bright, sweet and happy. Because that light will be the smile of God, the honey will be the spiritual peace, which still comes from God, and the voice will be the voice of God, the Father Who will say to you: “Thank you”. He sees the hidden evil and the concealed good and will give you a reward for them. I can…»

«Master, You lie with Your own words!»

The sudden resentful remark comes from the centre of the crowd. They all turn around in the direction of the voice. There is some confusion.

Peter says: «I told You! Eh! When there is one of those over there… everything goes wrong!»

GRM 174.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

And the crowds throng incessantly. They come up from all directions: old, healthy, sick, children and young couples who wish to start their married life with the blessing of God’s word. There are beggars and wealthy people who call the apostles and give them offerings for those who are poor and they are so anxious to find a concealed place in which to do it that they seem to be going to confession. Thomas has taken one of the traveling bags and calmly pours all the money into it as if it were chicken-feed, and then takes it to the rock where Jesus is speaking, and he laughs happily saying: «Rejoice, Master! You have enough for everybody today!»

Jesus smiles and says: «And we shall start at once, so that those who are sad may be happy immediately. You and your companions will select the poor and sick people and bring them here.»

That takes a comparatively short time, although they have to listen to the cases of many people and it would have taken much longer without the practical help of Thomas, who, standing on a stone to be seen by everybody, shouts in his powerful voice: «All those suffering from physical trouble go to my right hand side, over there, in the shade.» The Iscariot follows his example as he, too, is gifted with an exceptionally powerful and beautiful voice, and he shouts: «And all those who think they are entitled to alms should come here near me. And make sure you are not telling lies because the eyes of the Master can read your hearts.»

The crowds start moving about to form three groups: those who are sick, those who are poor, and those who are anxious only to hear Jesus teaching.

GRM 174.2-5.8 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The crowds start moving about to form three groups: those who are sick, those who are poor, and those who are anxious only to hear Jesus teaching. (...)

Jesus is already bending over sick people and the hosannas of the crowds punctuate each miracle.

The woman, who appears to be completely distressed, dares to pull John’s tunic, while he is speaking to Andrew and she smiles.

He bends and asks her: «What do you want, woman?»

«I would like to speak to the Master…»

«Are you not well? You are not poor…»

«I am well and I am not poor. But I need Him… because there are evils without any fever and there is misery without poverty and mine… mine…» and she weeps.

«Listen, Andrew. This woman is sick in heart and would like to speak to the Master. What shall we do?»

Andrew looks at the woman and says: «It is certainly something which is painful to tell…» The woman nods assent. Andrew goes on: «Do not weep… John, try and take her behind our shed. I will take the Master there.»

And John, smiling, begs people to let him pass, while Andrew goes in the opposite direction towards Jesus.

But they are noticed by two distressed men, and one of them stops John, and the other Andrew, and shortly afterwards they are both with John and the woman behind the shed of branches which is part of the tent.

Andrew reaches Jesus when the Latter is curing the cripple who raises his crutches like two trophies, as brisk as a skilled dancer, shouting his blessing. Andrew whispers: «Master, behind our shed there are three people weeping. But it is their hearts that ache and their grief cannot be made known…»

«All right. I still have this girl and this woman. Then I will come. Go and tell them to have faith.»

Andrew goes away (...)

All the sick people have been satisfied and they are the ones who shout most in the crowd applauding «the Son of David, glory of God and ours.»

Jesus goes towards the shed.

Judas of Kerioth shouts: «Master! What about these?»

Jesus turns around and says: «Let them wait where they are. They will be comforted, too» and He walks fast to the back of the shed where the three people in anguish are with Andrew and John. [Christ listens to these three people, who leave satisfied.]

Jesus goes back to the crowds, towards the poor people and gives them alms according to His own judgement. Everybody is now happy and Jesus can speak.