The Holy Family

78.2 Judas comes out with a woman who is about fifty years old. She is rather tall, but not so tall as her son, who has her same dark eyes and curly hair. But her eyes are kind and rather sad, whereas those of Judas are imperious and shrewd.

«I greet You, King of Israel» she says prostrating herself in a real salutation of a subject. «Allow Your servant to give You hospitality.»

«Peace to you, woman. And may God be with you and your creature.»

«Oh! yes! With my creature.» It sounds more like a sigh than a reply.

«Stand up, mother. I have a Mother, too, and I cannot allow you to kiss My feet. I kiss you, woman, in My Mother’s name. She is a sister of yours… in love and in the painful destiny of the mother of those who are marked.»

«What do You mean, Messiah?» asks Judas somewhat worried.

But Jesus does not reply. He is embracing the woman, whom He has kindly raised up from the ground and is now kissing her cheeks. And, holding her hand, He walks toward the house.

• Betrayal of Jesus Christ
• Jesus' omniscience
• Prophecies of Jesus Christ
• The Virgin Mary

78.8 An old man says: «Listen, my Lord. Some time ago, a long time ago, at the time of the edict, we heard here that the Saviour was born in Bethlehem… and I went there with other people… I saw a little Baby, exactly like all other new-born babies. But I adored Him with faith. Later I heard that there was a holy man, whose name is John. Which is the true Messiah?»

«The One you adored. The other is His Precursor: a great saint in the eyes of the Most High. But he is not the Messiah.»

«Was it You?»

«It was I. And what did you see around the new-born Child?»

«Poverty and cleanliness, honesty and purity… A kind serious carpenter, whose name was Joseph, a carpenter but of the House of David, a young mother, fair and kind, whose name was Mary, before whose grace the most beautiful roses of Engedi turn pale and the lilies of the royal flower beds seem mis-shapen, and a Child with large blue eyes and pale gold hair… I saw nothing else… And I can still hear the voice of the Mother say to me: “On behalf of My Creature I say to You: may the Lord be with you until the eternal meeting and may His Grace come towards you on your way”. I am eighty-four years old… my way is near its end. I was no longer expecting to meet the Grace of God. Instead I have found You… and now I do not wish to see any other light than Yours…

• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Nativity of Jesus Christ
• The Virgin Mary
• Words of the Virgin Mary

And here I felt nostalgia for My far away Mother, here I felt the need for Her care for My human frailty, here I felt once again the pain of parting from the Only One Who loved Me with perfect love, here I realised what sorrow is laid aside for Me and I was grieved at Her sorrows, poor Mother, Who will have to shed so many tears for Her Son and because of the wickedness of men, that She will be left tearless.

• Suffering and pain of Jesus Christ
• Suffering and pain of the Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary

«Now listen, and you in particular, John. We are going back towards My Mother and our friends. I beg you not to mention to My Mother the harshness which has been opposed to the love of Her Son. She would suffer too much. She will suffer so much because of man’s cruelty… but do not let us give Her the chalice now. It will be so bitter when it is given to Her! So bitter that it will creep like poison into Her holy viscera and veins and will gnash them and freeze Her heart. Oh! Do not tell My Mother that Bethlehem and Hebron rejected Me like a dog! Have mercy on Her! You, Simon, are old and good, and thoughtful as you are, you will not speak, I know. You, Judas, are a Judaean, and will not speak out of patriotic pride. But you, John, are a Galilean, and young, do not commit a sin of pride, criticism and cruelty. Be silent. Later… later you will tell the rest what I now ask you to be silent about. There is already so much to be said about Christ. Why add to it what is Satan’s work against Christ? My dear friends, do you promise Me that?»

«Oh! Master! We do promise. Be certain of it.»

«Thank you. Let us go to that small oasis. There is a spring, a well full of cold water and there is shade and greenery. The road towards the river passes near it. We shall find food and refreshment till evening. By starlight, we will reach the river, the ford. And we will wait for Joseph or join him if he is already back. Let us go.»

And they set out while the first pinkish hue in the sky, in the east, announces the rising of a new day.

• John of Zebedee (apostle)
• Judas de Kérioth (apostle)
• Simon the Zealot (apostle)
• Suffering and pain of the Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary

«Peace be with you» says Jesus raising His arms as if He were embracing them. And He specifies: «Peace to you, Simeon, John and Matthias, faithful to Me, and faithful to John the Prophet! Peace to you, Joseph» and He kisses him on his cheeks. The other three are now on their knees. «Come, My friends. Under these trees, on the river-bank and let us talk.»

They go down and Jesus sits on a large protruding root, the others on the ground. Jesus smiles and looks at them intently, one by one: «Let Me become familiar with your faces. Your souls are already known to Me, souls that seek and love what is good contrary to all worldly yearnings. Isaac, Elias and Levi send you their regards, and there are other greetings, from My Mother.»

• Elijah of Bethlehem (shepherd of the Nativity)
• Isaac de Yutta (shepherd of the Nativity)
• Levi of Bethlehem (shepherd of the Nativity)
• The Virgin Mary

• The Virgin Mary

• Creation
• Locations - Esdrelon plain
• Locations - Mont Thabor
• Locations - Mount Carmel
• Locations - Nazareth
• Places - Galileo
• Places - Grand Hermon (Mount)
• Places - Petit Hermon (Mount)
• The Virgin Mary

• Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary
• Redemption
• The Virgin Mary
• The Virgin Mary - Co-Redemptrix

• The Virgin Mary

• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)
• Nativity of Jesus Christ
• Sauveur
• Shepherds of the Nativity
• The Virgin Mary