Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 55.2
Up until now you were told: “Love those who love you and hate your enemies”. I say: “Love also those who hate you”. Oh! if you only knew how much you will be loved by God, if you love as I am telling you!
GRM 57.2
And they reach the house thus. Mary is already at the door, as a thoughtful boy informed Her.
«Son!»
«Mother!»
They are in each other’s arms. Mary, Who is much smaller than Jesus, is leaning with Her head on Her Son’s chest, clasped in His arms. He kisses Her blond hair. They enter the house.
The disciples, including Judas, remain outside, to leave Jesus and Mary free in their first effusions.
«Jesus! My Son!» Mary’s voice trembles, as if it were choked with sobs.
«Why, Mother, why are You so upset?»
«Oh! Son. They told Me… In the Temple, that day, there were some Galileans and some Nazarenes… They came back… and they told Me… Oh! Son!»
«But You can see, Mother, that I am well. I suffered no harm. God was glorified in His House.»
«Yes, I know, Son of My heart. I know it was like the blare awaking the sleepers. And I am happy for the glory given to God… I am happy that these people of Mine awake to God… I am not reproaching You… I will not be a hindrance to You… I understand You and… and I am happy, but I begot You, Son!…» Mary is still clasped by Jesus’ arms and She has spoken holding Her little open hands pressed against Her Son’s chest, Her head turned up towards Him, Her eyes shining with tears ready to run down Her cheeks. She is now silent, leaning Her head on His chest. She looks like a grey turtle-dove, in Her greyish dress, sheltered by two strong white wings, because Jesus still wears His white tunic and mantle.
«Mother! Poor Mother! Dear Mother!…» Jesus kisses Her again.
Jesus and his disciples arrive in Nazareth and head for the home of the Holy Family.
GRM 58.5
Every century is one night in which not the pure light of Orion or of the sailing moon will be the guide and light of mankind, but the word of Christ and the Grace He will bestow.
GRM 58.5
«But shall we be Your only apostles?»
«Are you jealous, Peter? No, don’t be! Others will come and in My heart there will be love for everybody. Don’t be greedy, Peter. You do not yet know Who loves you. Have you ever counted the stars? Or the stones in the depth of the lake? No, you could not. And even less you would be able to count the loving throbs of which My heart is capable. Have you ever been able to count how many times this lake kisses the shore with its waves in the course of twelve moons? No, you would never be able to do so. And even less you would be able to count the loving waves that My heart pours out to kiss men. Be sure of My love, Peter.»
GRM 59.4
Remove from yourselves the barrier of sin. Each of you has his own. Each has the one against the ten commandments of eternal salvation. Examine your consciences with sincerity and you will find your errors. Repent with sincere humbleness. You must repent. Not just with your mouths. You cannot laugh at or deceive God. But repent with a firm will, that will make you change your ways of living and return to the Law of the Lord. The Kingdom of Heaven is waiting for you. Tomorrow.
Tomorrow? you may ask. Oh! the hour of God is always an early morrow, even when it comes at the end of a life as long as the Patriarchs’. Eternity does not use as a measure of time the slow flowing of a sandglass. And the measures of time which you call days, months, years, centuries are but heartbeats of the Eternal Spirit that keeps you alive. But your souls are eternal and you must adopt the same measure of time for your souls as your Creator does. You must, therefore, say: “Tomorrow will be the day of my death”. No, not death for the faithful. But rest of expectation, waiting for the Messiah to open the gates of Heaven.
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 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.
GRM 62.3
62.3 Why were you looking for Me, is there anything you want of Me?»
«No, Master. But there are many who want so much from You. There were already people coming from Capernaum, and they were poor, sick, depressed people, people of goodwill and anxious to be taught. When they inquired about You, we said: “The Master is tired and is sleeping. Go away and come back next Sabbath”.»
«No, Simon. You must not say that. There is not one day only for mercy. I am Love, Light and Health every day of the week.»
«But… so far You have spoken only on Sabbaths.»
«Because I was still unknown. But as I become known, every day there will be effusions of Grace and graces. I tell you solemnly that the time will come when even the moment of time which is granted to a sparrow to rest on a branch and eat some little grains will not be granted to the Son of man for His rest and meals.»
«But You will be taken ill! We will not allow that. Your kindness must not make You unhappy.»
«And do you think that could make Me unhappy? Oh! If all the world came to Me to listen to Me, to bewail its sins and sorrow on My heart, to be healed in its bodies and souls, and I were worn out speaking and forgiving and pouring forth My power, I would be so happy, Peter, that I would not even regret Heaven, where I was in the Father!…
GRM 64.4
It is for the sake of man that I took flesh, without which I would not be able to redeem the faults of the flesh of man.