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Simon the Zealot (apostle)

Theme: The reprobates welcomed by Jesus · Page 1 of 21

Reading comfort

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.

Keywords

GRM 54.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

It must still be Passover time, because there is always a lot of people in town.
It is evening and many people are hurrying home. Jesus also goes towards the house where He is a guest. It is not the house of the last Supper, which is in town, although not far from its walls. This house, instead, is a real country house, amongst thick olive-trees. From the rustic open space in front of the house one can see the olive-trees down the terraces of the hill, right down to a little torrent, with very little water, which flows away along the valley formed by two hills: on the top of one there is the Temple, on the other hill there are only olive-trees. Jesus is at the first slopes of the latter hill, which rises smoothly, completely covered with peaceful trees.
«John, there are two men awaiting your friend» says an elderly man, who must be the farmer or the owner of the olive-grove. I would say that John knows him.
«Where are they? Who are they?»
«I don’t know. One is certainly a Judaean. The other… I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.»
«Where are they?»
«In the kitchen, waiting, and… and… yes… there is another man who is all covered with sores. I made him stay over there, because I am afraid he may be a leper. He says he wants to see the Prophet Who spoke in the Temple.»
Jesus, Who up to this moment had been silent, says: «Let us go to him first. Tell the others to come if they so wish. I will speak to them there, in the olive-grove.» And He makes for the place indicated by the man.
«And what about us? What shall we do?» asks Peter.
«Come, if you want.»

Keywords

GRM 54.2-3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

A man, muffled up, is leaning against the rustic wall supporting a terrace, the nearest to the boundary of the property. He must have climbed up there along a path coasting the torrent.
When he sees Jesus approaching him, he shouts: «Go back. Back! Have mercy on me!» And he uncovers his trunk dropping his tunic to the ground. If his face is covered with scabs, his trunk is one big sore. Some of the sores have already become deep wounds, some are like burns, some are whitish and glossy, as if there was a thin white pane of glass on them.
«Are you a leper? What do you want of Me?»
«Don’t curse me! Don’t stone me. I have been told that the other evening You revealed Yourself as the Voice of God and the Bearer of Grace. I was also told that You gave assurance that by raising Your Sign, You will cure all diseases. Please raise it on me. I have come from the sepulchres… over there… I crept like a snake amongst the bushes near the torrent to reach here without being seen. I waited until evening before leaving because at dusk it is more difficult to see who I am. I dared… I found this man, the man of the house, he is good. He did not kill me. He only said: “Wait over there, near the little wall”. Have mercy on me” and as Jesus is going near him, all by Himself, because the six disciples and the landlord, as well as the two strangers, are far away and are evidently disgusted, he adds: «Don’t come nearer. Don’t! I am infected!» But Jesus proceeds. He looks at him so mercifully, that the man starts crying and kneels down almost touching the ground with his face, moaning: «Your Sign! Your Sign!»
«It will be raised when it is time. But now I say to you: Stand up. Be healed. I want it. And be the sign in this town that must recognise Me. Rise, I say. And do not sin, out of gratitude to God!»
The man rises slowly. He seems to emerge from the long flowery grass as from a shroud… and is healed. He looks at himself in the last dim light of the day. He is healed. He shouts: «I am clean! Oh! What shall I do for You now?»
«You must comply with the Law. Go to the priest. Be good in future. Go.»
The man is on the point of throwing himself at Jesus’ feet, but he remembers he is still impure, according to the Law, and he restrains himself. But he kisses his own hand, and throws a kiss to Jesus and weeps. He weeps out of joy.
54.3
The others are dumbfounded. Jesus turns away from the healed man and rouses them smiling. «My friends, it was only a leprosy of the flesh. But you will see leprosy fall from hearts. (...) »

Detail

Simon the Zealot is healed of leprosy. Six disciples are present: John and James of Zebedee, Peter and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael.

Keywords

GRM 55.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Jesus says: «Stand up, My friend. Have you had any supper yet?»
«No, Master. I walked a few yards with the other fellow who was with me, then I left him and I came back saying that I wanted to speak to the healed leper… I said that because I thought he would disdain approaching an impure man. I guessed right. But I wanted to see You, not the leper… I wanted to say to You: “Please take me”…»

Detail

Thomas talks to Christ about the moment when he turned back to join Jesus.

Keywords

GRM 55.3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Listen. Tomorrow at daybreak the leper will leave the sepulchres to find someone who will inform the priest. You will be the first to go to the sepulchres. It is charity. And you will shout: “Come out, you, the one who was cleansed yesterday. I have been sent by Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, He who cleansed you”. Let the world of the “living dead” know My name, let them throb with hope, and let those come to Me, who will have faith in addition to hope, that I may heal them. It is the first form of purity that I am bringing, the first form of the resurrection, of which I am the lord. One day I will grant a greater purity… One day the sealed tombs will violently expel those who are really dead, and they will appear and laugh with their empty eye sockets, with their bare jaws, because of the rejoicing of the souls freed from Limbo, a remote rejoicing and yet perceived even by skeletons. They will appear to laugh because of this liberation and to throb knowing it is due to… Go! He will come to you. You will do what he asks you to do. You will assist him in everything, as if he were your brother. And you will also say to him: “When you are completely purified, we will go together along the road of the river, beyond Doco and Ephraim. Jesus, the Master, will be waiting for us to tell us in what we have to serve him”.»
«I will do that. And what about the other one?»
«Who? The Iscariot?»
«Yes, Master.»
«The advice I gave him still stands. Let him decide by himself and let him take a long time. Even better, avoid seeing him.»
«I will be with the leper. Only lepers wander about in the valley of the sepulchres and those who pitifully are in touch with them.»

Detail

Jesus speaks to Thomas:

Keywords

GRM 55.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Are you sure you will recognise the leper? He is the only one healed; but he may already have left by starlight, to find an early wayfarer. And someone, anxious to enter the town and see his relatives, might perhaps take his place. Listen to his description. I was near him and I saw him well in the twilight. He is tall and thin. Of a dark complexion, like a cross-breed, very deep and dark eyes with snow-white eyebrows, hair as white as linen and somewhat curly, and a long snubbed nose like the Lybians’, two thick protruding lips particularly the lower one. He is so olive-coloured that his lips verge on violet. He has an old scar on his forehead and it will be the only stain, now that he has been cleaned from scabs and dirt.»
«He must be old, if he is all white.»
«No, Philip, he looks old, but he is not. Leprosy made him white.»
«What is he? A cross-breed?»
«Perhaps, Peter. He resembles African people.»
«Will he be an Israelite, then?»
«We will find out. But suppose he is not?»
«Eh! If he were not, he would go away. He is already lucky that he deserved to be healed.»
«No, Peter. Even if he is an idolater, I will not send him away. Jesus has come for everybody. And I solemnly tell you that people living in darkness will overcome the children of the people of Light…»
Jesus sighs. He then stands up. He thanks the Father with a hymn and blesses everyone.
The vision ends in this way.

Detail

Jesus speaks to Thomas. Physical description of Simon the Zealot.

Keywords

Simon the Zealot (apostle)

GRM 55.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

55.6 I point out incidentally that my internal adviser said to me, since yesterday evening when I saw the leper: «It is Simon, the apostle. You will see him and Thaddeus coming to the Master.» This morning, after Holy Communion (today is Friday) I opened my missal and I saw that this is the eve of the feast of Saints Simon and Judas, and tomorrow’s Gospel deals with charity, almost repeating the very words I heard before the vision. However, I have not seen Judas Thaddeus so far.

Keywords

GRM 56

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Near the ford of the Jordan, Maria sees Thomas, Jude of Alphaea and Simon the Zealot. They've been waiting for Jesus at this spot for three days, and Jude assures them that if his cousin has promised to meet them here, he will. Jude talks about his connection with Jesus, explaining that he is his cousin, that he was Joseph's favorite, and that he grew up very much at the side of the Virgin Mary. The man from Nazareth also tells of the divisions in his family, but now he wants to follow Christ. He just regrets that fathers can be their child's enemy. Simon the Zealot sighs at this remark, but Thomas reveals that his father encouraged him to follow the Messiah.

Jesus finally arrives. Jude then reveals his intention to follow his Master, and Christ welcomes him: he also confirms to him that it is indeed permissible to follow the Lord, for "there is nothing above God."

After complimenting Thomas on his obedience and faithfulness, Jesus turns his attention to Simon the Zealot. He asks him to follow him, and the two discuss his kinship, his father and his illness. The Master then unites Simon the Zealot and Jude, one childless because of his infirmity, the other having lost his father in following the Lord. For the time being, however, he gave each of them a mission. Thomas is to evangelize in Judea. Jude is to evangelize Nazareth. Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip and Bartholomew return to their boats in Capernaum and Bethsaida.

Keywords

GRM 56.2-4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

56.2 Three wayfarers are standing on the road, in the middle of the bend. They look up and down, to the south, where Jerusalem is and to the north, where Samaria lies. They look anxiously between the trees to see whether anyone is arriving as expected. They are Thomas, Judas Thaddeus and the healed leper. They are speaking.
«Can you see anything?»
«No, I can’t.»
«Neither can I.»
«And yet this is the place.»
«Are you sure?»
«I’m sure, Simon. One of the six said to me, when the Master was going away amid the acclamations of the crowd, after the miraculous healing of a crippled beggar, who was healed at the Fish Gate: “We are now going out of Jerusalem. Wait for us five miles between Jericho and Doco, at the bend of the river, along the road in the woodland”. This one. He also said: “We will be there in three days’ time at dawn”. This is the third day, and we have been here before dawn.»
«Will He come? Perhaps we should have followed Him from Jerusalem.»
«You were not yet allowed to mix with the crowds, Simon.»
«If my cousin told you to come here, He will certainly come here. He always keeps His promise. All we can do is wait.»
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”!»
56.4 «There, there is a group of people» shouts Simon. «It’s Him, it’s Him! I recognise His fair head! Oh! Come! Let us run!»
They start walking fast southwards. When they reach the centre of the bend, the trees cover the remainder of the road, so that the two groups face each other unexpectedly. Jesus seems to be coming up from the river, because He is among the trees on the bank.
«Master!»
«Jesus!»
«My Lord!»
The three cries of the disciple, the cousin and the cured leper are full of joy and veneration.
«Peace to you!» There is the beautiful, unmistakable, full, resonant, calm, expressive, clear, virile, sweet, incisive voice!

Keywords

GRM 56.6

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

« (...) And you, who are hiding shyly in the shade, come here. Do not be afriad.»
«My Lord!» The ex-leper is at Jesus’ feet.
«Stand up. Your name?»
«Simon.»
«Your family?»
«My Lord… it was powerful… I was powerful too… But bitter sectarian hatred… and errors of youth damaged its power. My father… Oh! I must speak against him who caused me to shed so many earthly tears! You see, You saw the gift he gave me.»
«Was he a leper?»
«He was not. Neither was I. But he suffered from another disease which we in Israel associate with various forms of leprosy. He…. his caste was then triumphant, he lived and died as a powerful man, at home. I… if You had not saved me, I would have died in the valley of sepulchres.»
«Are you alone?»
«Yes, I am. I have a faithful servant who looks after what property is left. I sent word to him.»
«And your mother?»
«She… is dead.» The man seems embarrassed.
Jesus looks at him attentively. «Simon, you asked me: “What shall I do for You?” Now I say to you: “Follow Me”.»
«I will, at once, my Lord… But… But I… let me tell You one thing. I am, I was called “Zealot” because of the caste, and “Cananean”, because of my mother. See. I am of a dark complexion. In my veins there is the blood of a slave woman. My father had no children from his wife, and he had me from a slave. His wife was a good woman and she brought me up as her own son, she took care of me in my endless illnesses until she died…»
«There are no slaves or freemen in the eyes of God. There is only one slavery in His eyes: sin. And I have come to abolish it. I am calling everybody, because the Kingdom is of all men. Are you a learned man?»
«Yes, I am. I also had my position amongst the important people, as long as my disease was hidden under my clothes. But when it spread to my face… My enemies then could not believe they were at last able to confine me amongst the “dead”, although a Roman doctor of Caesarea, when I consulted him, told me that mine was not real leprosy, but hereditary serpigo, which I would spread only by procreation. Is it possible for me not to curse my father?»
«You must not curse him. He has caused you all sorts of trouble…»
«Yes, he did! He was a squanderer, a vicious, cruel, heartless man without any love. He deprived me of my health, he denied me love and peace, he branded me with a shameful name and with a disease which is a mark of infamy… He wanted everything for himself, even his son’s future. He deprived me of everything, also of the joy of being a father.»
«That is why I say to you: “Follow Me”. As My follower you will find father and children. Look up, Simon. There, the True Father is smiling at you. Look at the wide world, at the continents, at the countries: there are children and children everywhere; children of the souls for the childless. They are waiting for you, and many like you are also waiting. There are no foundlings under My Sign. There is no solitude, no difference in My Sign. It is a sign of love, and it gives love.