Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 59.4
His Kingdom will not be established with armed multitudes or wild blood shedding and neither the violent nor the overbearing, the proud, the wrathful, the envious, the lustful, the greedy will enter it but only the good, the meek, the continent, the merciful, the humble, the patient and those who love God and their neighbours will be admitted.
Jesus speaks of the Kingdom and says:
GRM 59.5
59.5 A bearded sumptuously dressed Israelite stands up to contradict Him. He says: «Master, what You have stated appears to be in contrast with what is said in the second book of Maccabees, glory of Israel. It is said there: “Indeed when evil-doers are not left for long to their own devices but incur swift retribution, it is a sign of great benevolence. In the case of the other nations, the Lord waits patiently for them to obtain the full measure of their sins, before He punishes them”. According to what You said, instead, the Most High would appear to be very slow in punishing us, waiting, as for the other nations, the time of Judgement, when the measure of sins is full. Events, indeed, give You the lie. Israel is punished as stated by the historian of the Maccabees. But if what You say is correct, is there no conflict between Your doctrine and the sentence I have quoted?»
«I do not know who you are, but I will give you My answer, whoever you are. There is no conflict in the doctrine, but only in the interpretation of the words. You interpret them in a human sense, I, instead, in a spiritual one. You see everything as referred to the present time and transient things, and you represent the majority of people who think likewise. I represent God and I explain and apply everything to eternal and supernatural matters. It is true, Yahweh did strike you at present because of your pride and because you considered yourselves a “nation” according to the world. But how much He loved you and how patient He is with you, more than with anyone else, granting you the Saviour, His Messiah, that you may listen to Him and be saved before the hour of the wrath of God! He does not want you to be sinners any longer. But if He struck you in the fleeting worldly things, seeing that the injury does not cure your souls, on the contrary it makes them duller and duller, He does not inflict a further punishment, but He grants you salvation. He sends you Him Who cures and saves you! I, Who am speaking to you.»
Jesus has just preached, encouraging souls to convert and enter the Kingdom of God. To do so, they must leave sin and repent.
Second Book of the Maccabees
2 M 6, 13-14 : For it is the sign of great goodness not to tolerate for long those who commit impiety, but to inflict punishment on them without delay. Indeed, with regard to the other nations, the Master waits with great patience, before chastising them, until they have reached the height of their sins1.
GRM 60
Translation in progress
GRM 60.7
If evil wants to be hidden and cannot always be such, good, even if it wants to be hidden, to be meritorious, will be made known one day, for the glory of God, Whose nature shines in one of His sons. The nature of God: love.
GRM 61.1-2
Jesus has climbed on top of a pile of baskets and ropes at the entrance to the kitchen garden of the house of Peter’s mother-in-law. The kitchen garden is crowded with people, and other people are on the lake shore, some sitting on the shore, some on the beached boats. It looks as if He has been speaking for some time, because the sermon has started.
I hear: «… Certainly many times you have thought so in your hearts. But it is not so. The Lord has not lacked in kindness of heart towards His people. Notwithstanding His people lacked in loyalty to Him thousands of times.
Listen to this parable. It will help you to understand.
A king had many wonderful horses in his stables. But he was particularly fond of one of them. He gazed fondly at it, even before he had it. Afterwards, when he got it, he put it in a delightful place and he often went to admire his favourite horse, both with his eyes and with his heart, dreaming it would become the wonder of his kingdom. And when the horse rebelled against commands, disobeyed and ran away under another master, the king, in his sorrow and his severity, promised he would forgive the rebel after it had been punished. And loyal as he was, although far away, he watched over his favourite and sent gifts and guardians to it, hoping they would keep his remembrance in the horse’s heart.
But the horse, although suffering from the exile from the kingdom, was not steady, as the king was, in loving and wishing complete forgiveness. At times it was good, at times bad; neither was its goodness greater than its badness. In fact, it was the other way round. And yet the king was patient and, with reproaches and caresses, he endeavoured to turn his horse into a dearer and more docile friend. As time went by, the horse became more and more loath. It invoked its king, it cried under the whip of other masters, but it did not really want to belong to the king. It simply did not want to. Oppressed, exhausted, moaning, it did not say: “I am such through my own fault”. Instead; it accused its king for it.
The king, after trying everything, decided to make one last effort. “So far” he said, “I have sent messengers and friends. Now I will send my own son. His heart is like my own and will speak the same love as I would, and will make use of the same caresses and gifts as I used, indeed, he will be even kinder, because my son is like myself, but made more sublime by love”. And he sent his son.
That is the parable.
61.2
Now tell Me: do you think that king loved his favourite horse?»
The crowd together reply: «He loved it with infinite love.»
«Could the animal complain of its king about all the ill it had suffered after leaving him?»
«No, it could not» reply the people.
«Answer also this question: how do you think that horse will have received the king’s son who went to rescue and cure it and take it back once again to the delightful land?»
«With great joy, of course, with gratitude and love.»
«Now, if the king’s son said to the horse: “I have come for this reason, to do such and such a thing for you, but now you must be good, obedient, willing and loyal to me”, what do you think the horse replied?»
«Oh! There is no need to ask! Now that it was aware of how much it cost to be expelled from the kingdom, it will have said that it wanted to be as the king’s son suggested.»
«Well, then, what was the duty of that horse, according to you?»
«To be even better than it was requested, more affectionate, more docile, to be forgiven for past faults, and out of gratitude for all the good received.»
«And if it did not do that?»
«It would deserve death, because it was worse than a wild beast.»
«My friends, you have judged correctly. But do exactly yourselves as you would have liked that horse to do. I beseech you, men, the favourite creatures of the King of Heaven, of God, My Father and yours, to be at least as you judge that horse to be. Because after the Prophets, God sends you His own Son and I implore you, for your good, and because I love you as only God can love, the God Who is in Me to work the miracle of Redemption. Woe to those men who lower themselves to a lower degree than animals! But if it was possible to excuse those who committed sin up to the present time — because too long a time has elapsed since the Law was given and too much worldly dust has settled on the Law — now it is no longer so. I have come to bring the word of God once again. The Son of man is amongst men to lead them back to God. Follow Me. I am the Way, the Truth, the Life.»
Parable of the king's beloved horse. Man is God's beloved creature
GRM 61.6
Repent. That God may forgive you.
GRM 61.6
A brother who makes a mistake is not to be insulted. Everybody has his sins. No one is perfect but God.
GRM 61.6
Do not be greedy. May your souls, not money, be your treasure. Do not be perjurers. Let your language be as sincere and honest as your actions. Life is not eternal and the hour of death will come. Live in such a way that at the hour of your death peace may be in your souls. The peace of those who lived an honest life.
GRM 62.2
Prayer is a strength for oneself and for others. We achieve everything by praying.
GRM 62.2
If we do not receive a grace, which the Father does not always grant — and we must not think it is due to lack of love, instead we must believe that it is the will of an Order which governs the destiny of every man for a good purpose —, prayer certainly gives us peace and contentment, to enable us to bear so many vexing things, without going off the holy path.