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Shepherds of the Nativity

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Aa

GRM 77.1-3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

77.1 «At what time shall we be arriving?» asks Jesus Who is walking in the centre of the group behind the sheep, grazing on the grass on the banks.

«At about the third hour. It’s almost ten miles» replies Elias.

«Are we going to Kerioth afterwards?» asks Judas.

«Yes, we will go there.»

«Was it not quicker to go to Kerioth from Juttah? It cannot be a great distance. Is that correct, shepherd?»

«About two miles longer, more or less.»

«This way, we will be doing over twenty for nothing.»

«Judas, why are you so worried?»

«I am not worried, Master. But You promised You would come to my house.»

«And I will. I always keep My promises.»

«I sent word to my mother… and after all, You said so Yourself, one can be near the dead also with one’s soul.»

«I did. But just think, Judas: you have not yet suffered because of Me. These people have been suffering for thirty years, and they have never betrayed, not even My memory they betrayed. They did not know whether I was dead or alive… and yet they remained faithful. They remembered Me as a newly-born baby, an infant with nothing but tears and the need of milk… and they have always worshipped Me as God. Because of Me they have been beaten, cursed and persecuted as if they were the disgrace of Judaea, and yet their faith has never faltered, neither did it wither under blows, on the contrary it took deeper roots and became stronger.»

77.2 «By the way. For some days I have been anxious to ask You a question. These people are Your friends and the friends of God, are they not? The angels blessed them with the peace of Heaven, did they not? They have been faithful against all temptations, have they not? Would You explain to me, then, why are they unhappy? And what about Anne? She was killed because she loved You…»

«Are you therefore deducing that to be loved by Me and to love Me brings bad luck?»

«No… but…»

«But you are. I am sorry to see you so closed to the Light and so open to human things. No, never mind John, and you too, Simon. I prefer him to speak. I never reproach. I only want you to open your souls to Me that I may enlighten them. Come here, Judas, listen.

You have an opinion which is common to many people of our times and will be common to man in future. I said: an opinion. I should say: an error. But since you do not do so out of malice, but out of ignorance of the truth, it is not an error, it is only an incorrect opinion, like a child’s. And you are like children, My poor men. And I am here, as a Master, to make adults of you, capable of distinguishing truth from lies, good from bad and what is better from what is good. Listen to Me, therefore.

What is life? It is a period of pause, I would say the limbo of Limbo, that the God Father grants you as trial to establish whether you are good or bad children, after which He will allocate, according to your deeds, a future life without pauses or trials. Now tell Me: would it be fair if a man, simply because he has been granted the rare gift of being in the position of serving God in a special way, also had an everlasting wealth throughout his life? Do you not think that he has already been granted a great deal and may therefore consider himself happy, even if human things are against him? Would it not be unfair if he, who already has the light of divine revelation in his heart and the smile of a clear conscience, should also have worldly honours and wealth? And would it not also be unwise?»

77.3 «Master, I would also say that he would be a desecrator. Why put human joys where You already are? When one has You — and they had You, they are the only rich people in Israel because they have had You for thirty years — one should have nothing else. We do not put human things on the Propitiatory… and the consecrated vase is used only for sacred uses. And these people are consecrated since the day they saw Your smile… and nothing but You is to enter their hearts, which possess You. I wish I was like them!» says Simon.

Detail

The apostolic group is walking towards Hebron, and Judas has the impression that they won't be going to Kerioth. In fact, he regrets that they are going to Hebron to pray over the bones of the shepherd Samuel, and recalls Jesus' lesson in EMV 76.2 about the suffrages of the dead and the prayer of the dead, which can be done anywhere. He then asks why the shepherds, who are friends of God and have received divine favors, had to suffer so much.

GRM 79

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus walks with his disciples towards Hebron. John, Judas and Simon the Zealot are present. His goal is to reach the shepherds, especially Levi and Isaac. Judas grumbles about the incident at Kerioth, where Saul died against Jesus' heart, but the Lord rebukes him. He also affirms that we must be faithful to the Law and set an example. The apostolic group meets up with the shepherds again, and Elijah relates that Aglaia gave him her jewels in Hebron. They discuss what to do with them, but Christ gives no orders for the moment. He gives a short parable about Aglaia and the souls who repent like them. The apostles would like to turn back and go back to her, but Jesus doesn't want them to and decides that they should leave right away for the Temptation Mountain.

GRM 79.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Where will we find the shepherds?»

«Five miles from Hebron, on the banks of the river you were enquiring about.»

«Beyond that hill, then.»

«Correct.»

«It’s very warm. The summer… Where are we going after, Master?»

«To a place which is even warmer. But I ask you to come. We shall travel by night. The stars are so bright that there is no darkness. I want to show you a place…»

«A town?»

«No… A place… that will make you understand the Master… perhaps even better than His words.

GRM 81

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus meets the shepherds Simeon, Matthias and John for the first time. He is also accompanied by the shepherd Joseph, Simon the Zealot, and John. Intimidated at first, the shepherds are soon put at ease and tell of John's imprisonment. They could free him with a sufficient sum of money. But the group has Aglaia's jewels. Judas is sent to sell them with John. Simon the Zealot confesses his discomfort with the Iscariot.

GRM 81.1-3.7

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

I see the Jordan ford once again: the green road coasting the river on both banks, beaten by many travellers on account of its shade. Lines of little donkeys come and go, as well as many people. On the bank of the river, three men are pasturing a few sheep.

Joseph is on the road, waiting, and he looks up and down.

Jesus appears in the distance, with His three disciples, at the junction of the river path with the main road. Joseph calls the shepherds, who lead the sheep onto the road, driving them along the grassy bank. They walk fast towards Jesus.

«I haven’t got the courage… What shall I say to greet Him?»

«Oh! He is so good! Say: “Peace be with You”. He always says that.»

«Yes, He… but we…»

«And what about me? I am not even one of His first worshippers. and He is so fond of me… oh! so fond!»

«Which one is it?»

«The tallest One, with fair hair.»

«Matthias, will we tell Him of the Baptist?»

«Of course we will!»

«Will He not think that we preferred the Baptist to Him?»

«No, Simeon. If He is the Messiah, He can see into the hearts of men, and in ours He will see that in the Baptist we were still looking for Him.»

«Yes, you are right.»

The two groups are now a few yards apart. Jesus is already smiling His smile that cannot be described. Joseph hastens his step. Also the sheep begin to run urged by the herdsmen.

«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.

81.2

Have You any news of the Baptist?»

The men, so far gagged by embarrassment, take heart. They find their words at last: «He is still in jail. Our hearts tremble for him, because he is in the hands of a cruel man who is dominated by an infernal creature and is surrounded by a corrupted court. We love him… You know that we love him and that he deserves our love. After you left Bethlehem, we were persecuted by men… but we were distressed and disheartened because we had lost You, rather than by their hatred, and we were like trees uprooted by the wind. Then, after years of suffering, like a man, whose eyelashes have been stitched, endeavours to see the sun, but cannot, also because he is closed in a prison, but feels the warmth of the sun on his body, we felt that the Baptist was the man of God, foreseen by the Prophets to prepare the way to His Christ and we went to him. We said: “If the Baptist precedes Him, if we go to the Baptist, we will find Him.” Because, my Lord, it was You we were looking for.»

«I know, and you found Me. And now I am with you.»

«Joseph told us that You came to the Baptist. But we were not there on that day. Perhaps he had sent us somewhere. We served him, in spiritual matters, when he asked us, with so much love, and we listened to him with love, although he was so severe, because he was not You — the Word — but he always spoke words of God.»

81.3

«I know. And do you know this man?» and He points to John.

«We saw him with the other Galileans in the crowds that were most faithful to the Baptist. And, if we are not mistaken, you are the one whose name is John, and of whom he used to say to us, his closest disciples: “Here: I am the first, he is the last. And then: he will be the first and I the last”. But we never understood what he meant.»

Jesus turns round to His left side where John is and He draws him against His heart and with a most kind smile He explains: «He meant that he was the first to say: “Here is the Lamb” and that John here will be the last of the friends of the Son of man, to speak of the Lamb to the crowds; but that in the heart of the Lamb, John is the first, because he is dearer than any other man to the Lamb. That is what he meant. But when you see the Baptist — You will see him again, and you will serve him again until the predetermined hour — tell him that he is not the last in Christ’s heart. Not so much because of the blood, as on account of his holiness, he is loved as much as John. And remember that. If the saint in his humbleness proclaims himself “last”, the Word of God proclaims him equal to the disciple who is dear to Me. Tell him that I love this disciple because he has the same name and because I find in him the signs of the Baptist, who prepares the souls for Christ.»

«We will tell him… But shall we see him again?»

«Yes, you will.» (...)

[Jesus discusses with the Shepherds the fact that John is in prison and that a certain amount of money is needed to free him. It is decided that Judas will sell Aglaé’s jewelry. When Judas Iscariot leaves, the Master continues, addressing the Shepherds:]

«I would like to see you happy» says Jesus.

«You will always make us happy, Master. May God bless You for it. Is that man a friend of Yours?»

«Yes, he is. Do you think he should not be?»

The shepherd John lowers his head, and keeps silent. Simon, the disciple, speaks: «Only who is good, can see. I am not good, and therefore I do not see what Bounty sees. I see the exterior. He who is good penetrates into the interior too. You, John, see as I do. But the Master is good… and sees…»

GRM 81.7

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

81.7 «I would like to see you happy» says Jesus.

«You will always make us happy, Master. May God bless You for it. Is that man a friend of Yours?»

«Yes, he is. Do you think he should not be?»

The shepherd John lowers his head, and keeps silent. Simon, the disciple, speaks: «Only who is good, can see. I am not good, and therefore I do not see what Bounty sees. I see the exterior. He who is good penetrates into the interior too. You, John, see as I do. But the Master is good… and sees…»

Detail

Jesus speaks to the Shepherds, and the conversation turns to Judas, who has gone with John to sell Aglaé's jewelry.

GRM 82.3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

82.3 They go in, and Judas speaks to the landlord, who has the sheep taken to a stable, while he himself takes the guests into a little room where there are two mat-beds, some chairs and a table already laid. He then withdraws.

«I will tell you what happened at once, Master, while the shepherds are settling the sheep.

«I am listening.»

Detail

The shepherds of Bethlehem are nearby when Judas recounts his encounter with Diomedes, but they are not named. They are likely the shepherds Joseph, Simeon, John, and Matthias, whom we met in the previous chapter. They must have been waiting for Judas to return.

GRM 82.4-5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«The shepherds are coming. Do not let us upset their souls with our quarrels. Have you counted the money? That is enough. Fulfil all your actions as you fulfilled this one, and I repeat it once again, in future, if you can, do not tell lies, not even to accomplish a good deed.»

82.5

The shepherds come in.

«My friends. Here are ten and a half talents. The amount is short of one hundred coins which Judas has kept for the inn expenses. Take them.»

«Are You giving them all?» asks Judas.

«Yes, every penny. I do not want a forthing of that money. We have the offerings of God and of those who honestly seek God… and we shall never lack what is necessary. Believe Me. Take the money and be happy, as I am, for the Baptist. Tomorrow, you will go towards his prison. Two of you: that is John and Matthias. Simeon and Joseph will go to Elias to report to him and to be taught for the future. Elias knows. Later, Joseph will come back with Levi. The meeting place, in ten days time, is at the Fish Gate in Jerusalem, at sunrise. And now, let us eat and rest. Tomorrow, at dawn, I will leave with My disciples. I have nothing else to tell you for the time being. Later, you will hear from Me.»

And everything fades out while Jesus is breaking the bread.

Detail

Judas recounted how he obtained ten and a half talents from the sale of Aglaë's jewelry.

In light of what is stated in EMV 83.3, perhaps the John mentioned here is John the son of Zebedee. To be confirmed.