Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 77.6
«Who is so pure as to say: “I have never desired the apple offered by Eve?”» asks Jesus severely and He adds: «Show Me him and I will call him a holy man. Nobody? Well, then, if not out of disgust, but out of weakness, you feel unable to go near this woman, you may withdraw. I will not force weaklings into unequal struggles.»
When the disciples begin to harshly judge a prostitute, Jesus intervenes:
GRM 77.7
«My Lord!»
«Woman.»
«Your Name, my Lord.»
«Jesus.»
«I never heard it. I am a Roman: a mime and dancer. I am an expert only in lust. What is the meaning of Your name? My name is Aglae and.. and it means: vice.»
«Mine means: Saviour.»
«How do You save? And whom?»
«Those who are anxious to be saved. I save by teaching to be pure, to prefer sorrow to honour, to desire good at all costs.» Jesus speaks without bitterness, without even turning towards the woman.
«I am lost…»
«I am the One seeking who is lost.»
«I am dead.»
«I am the One who gives Life.»
«I am filth and falsehood.»
«I am Purity and Truth.»
«You are also Bounty, You do not look at me. You do not touch me, You do not tread on me. Have mercy on me…»
«First, you must have mercy on yourself. On your soul.»
«What is the soul?»
«It is what makes a god of man and not an animal. Vice and sin kill it, and once it is killed, man becomes a repulsive animal.»
«Will it be possible for me to see You again?»
«Who looks for Me, finds Me.»
«Where do You live?»
«Where hearts need doctors and medicines to become honest again.»
«In that case… I will not see You again… I live where no doctor, medicine or honesty is wanted.»
«Nothing prevents you from coming to where I am. My name will be shouted in the streets and will reach you. Goodbye.»
«Goodbye, my Lord. Allow me to call You “Jesus”. Oh! Not out of familiarity!… But that a little of salvation may come to me. I am Aglae, remember me.»
«I will. Goodbye.»
Dialogue between Aglaia, a prostitute, and Jesus.
GRM 77.7
GRM 78.4
It is always possible to tell the truth in a charitable way.
GRM 78.6
You are all pilgrims and strangers in this world, learn how to gather together and proceed towards the promised Kingdom. The road: the commandments fulfilled not because of fear of a punishment, but out of love for You, holy Father. The Ark: a perfect heart in which the nourishing manna of wisdom is treasured and the branch of a pure will is certain to bloom. And come to the Light of the world, that your houses may be bright with light. I bring you the Light. Nothing else. I have no riches and I do not promise worldly honours. But I possess all the supernatural wealth of My Father and I promise the eternal honour of Heaven to those who will follow God with love and charity.
GRM 78.6
The Master, the Messiah, the King of everlasting Israel and of God’s eternal people, calls you. But He wants you to be pure for the work. Relinquish pride: praise is due to God. Relinquish human thoughts: the Kingdom belongs to God. Be humble and say with Me: “All things are Yours, Father. Everything that is good is Yours. Teach us how to know You and serve You in truth”. Say: “Who am I?” And acknowledge that you will be something only when you become purified dwellings into which God may descend and rest.
GRM 78.9
«Master, Saul died enraptured by the Spirit of God. We touched him, are we clean or unclean?»
«Unclean.»
«And what about You?»
«I am just like the others. I do not change the Law. The Law is law and an Israelite fulfils it. We are unclean. Within the third and the seventh day we shall get purified. Till then, we are unclean. Judas, I am not going back to your mother’s. I do not want to take uncleanliness to her home. Send her word by someone who can go there. Peace to this town. Let us go.»
I do not see anything else.
GRM 79.2
«Why give scandal lacking respect for the Law? One must walk in front of the others if one wants to say: “Follow me”. And to lead people on to a holy path, one must walk on the same path. How could I have said, or how could I say: “Be faithful”, if I were without faith?»
«I think that error is the cause of our decay. The rabbis and Pharisees crush the people with their precepts and then… then they behave like the man who desecrated John’s house, making it a place of sin» remarks Simon.
«He is one of Herod’s…»
«Yes, Judas, but the same faults are to be found also in the classes which are said — by themselves of course — to be holy. What do you think about it, Master?» asks Simon.
«I say that only if there is a handful of true yeast and true incense in Israel, the bread will be made and the altar perfumed.»
«What do you mean?»
«I mean that if there is anyone coming to the Truth with a sincere heart, the Truth will spread like the yeast in the mass of flour and like incense all over Israel.»
Jesus declares:
GRM 79.3
A workman is entitled to his pay, also if he deals with souls… because there is still a body to be nourished, as if it were a donkey helping its master.
GRM 79.5
Show me the bag, Elias.» And Judas, who is sitting on the grass, empties the bag on his mantle. Rings, armlets, bracelets and a necklace roll out: yellow gold on the dark gold of Judas’ mantle. «They are jewels!… What can we do with them?»
«They can be sold» says Simon.
«They are troublesome things» remarks Judas, who, however, admires them.
«That’s what I told her, when I took them; I also said: “Your master will beat you”. She replied: “They do not belong to him. They are mine and I do what I want with them. I know it is the gold of sins… but it will become good if used for the poor and the holy. That they may remember me” and she was crying.» (...)
«Was I wrong, Master, in speaking to her and taking that gold?» asks Elias, when he sees Jesus so serious.
«You did nothing wrong. But there is nothing more to be done.»
Aglaé gives her jewels so that he may be purified for what is poor and holy.