Daily Life and Social Issues

They shout: «Jesus, our Saviour, have mercy on us!» and they stretch out their deformed or ulcerated hands. «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us!»

«What do you want Me to do for you?» asks Jesus looking towards their misery.

«We want You to save us from sin and from this disease.»

«Your will and repentance will save you from sin…»

«But if You wish, You can cancel our sins. At least those, if You do not want to cure our bodies.»

«If I say to You: “Choose either one or the other”, which one would you prefer?»

«God’s forgiveness, Lord. To be less desolate.»

Jesus has a gesture of approval. He smiles brightly, raises His arms and shouts: «Let it be granted. I want it.»

Granted! The grace might be granted for their sins, or for their disease, or for both, and the five unhappy people remain uncertain. But the apostles have no uncertainty and they can but shout their hosannas when they see the leprosy disappear as fast as a flake of snow that falls on a fire. The five then understand that the full grace has been granted to them. Their shouting resounds like a cry of victory. They embrace one another and throw kisses at Jesus, as they cannot prostrate themselves at His feet. They then turn to their companions saying: «And you still refuse to believe? What miserable wretches are you?»

«Good! Be good! Your poor brothers need time to think. Say nothing to them. Faith is not imposed, it is preached with peace, kindness, patience and perseverance. That is what you will do after your purification, exactly as Simon did with you. After all, the miracle preaches by itself. You who have been cured, will go to the priest as soon as possible. You, who are still ill, wait for us this evening. We will bring you some food. Peace be with you.»

• God's mercy and forgiveness
• Illness - Disability - Handicap
• Repentance and contrition
• Sin

Innocent children speak… because they see through the eyes of their angels.

• Children - Innocents
• Guardian angel
• Innocence

They enter the hall which Jesus also entered once. A young man, who is writing in a corner, springs to his feet on seeing Joseph and he bows so profoundly as almost to touch the floor.

«God be with you, Zacharias. Please call Asrael and Jacob at once.»

The young man goes out and comes back almost at once with two men who are rabbis, or members of the synagogue, or scribes, I do not know. Two sullen personages whose haughtiness subsides only in Joseph’s presence. Eight other less imposing men follow them. They sit down leaving the postulants, Joseph of Arimathea included, standing.

«What do you want, Joseph?» asks the senior examiner.

«I wish to present to your wisdom this son of Abraham who has reached the age prescribed to come under the Law and comply with it by himself.»

«Is he a relative of yours?» and they look at one another amazed.

«We are all relatives in God. But the boy is an orphan, and this man, whose honesty I guarantee, has adopted him as he does not wish to be without descendants.»

«Who is the man? Let him reply himself.»

«Simon of Jonas, from Bethsaida in Galilee, married with no children, a fisherman for the world, a son of the Law for the Most High.»

«And you, a Galilean, are taking this paternity upon yourself? Why?»

«It is written in the Law that we must take care of orphans and widows. That is what I am doing.»

«Can he possibly know the Law so well as to deserve to… But, boy, tell me. Who are you?»

«Jabez Marjiam of John, from the country near Emmaus, I was born twelve years ago.»

«So you are a Judaean. Is it lawful for a Galilean to take care of him? Let us look up the laws.»

«But what am I? A leper or am I cursed?» Peter begins to boil with anger.

«Be quiet, Simon, I will speak for him. I told you that I am standing surety for this man. I know him as if he were of my own household. Joseph the Elder would never propose anything against the Law or the laws. Please examine this child with justice and dispatch. The yard is full of children waiting to be examined. Please make haste, for everybody’s sake.»

«But who can prove that the child is twelve years old and was redeemed from the Temple?»

«You can prove it looking up the documents. It is a piece of boring research, but can be done. Boy, did you tell me that you were the first-born?»

«Yes, sir. You will be able to see that, because I was consecrated to the Lord and redeemed with the prescribed offerings.»

«Let us look for these details then…» says Joseph.

«It is not necessary» reply coldly the two captious examiners.

• Bible - Book of Deuteronomy
• Bible - Book of Exodus
• Bible - Book of Isaiah
• Orphans
• Widow - Widower - Widow

See: I proceed among continuous frictions and disappointments. Disappointments for you. You must convince yourselves that I am never disappointed, because I have not been granted the gift of ignoring… That is another reason why I advise you to agree to be guided by Me. If I allow this or that thing, do not hinder it. If I do not interfere to put an end to something, do not endeavour to do it yourselves. Each thing is to be done at the right moment. Trust Me, in everything.

• Abandon
• Discouragement
• Divine Will
• How to perfect and sanctify yourself
• Test
• The fruitfulness of suffering
• Trust in God
• Words of wisdom

Nothing else is required, My friends. Everything man needs for his spirit and his flesh and blood is contained in these words as in a golden ring. With this prayer you ask for what is useful to the former and the latter two. And if you do what you ask for, you will gain eternal life.

• Chair
• Eternity - Eternal life
• Family
• Soul

“May Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven”. Desire its coming with all your strength. If it came, it would be the joy of the earth. The Kingdom of God in hearts, in families, among citizens and nations. Suffer, work, sacrifice yourselves for this Kingdom. Let the earth be a mirror reflecting the life of Heaven in each individual.

• The fruitfulness of suffering
• Words of wisdom

“Give us today our daily bread”.

When you are in Heaven, God alone will be your nourishment. Beatitude will be your food. But here, you still need bread and since you are the children of God, it is only fair to say: “Father, give us some bread”. Are you afraid He will not hear you? Oh! No! Just think: If one of you has a friend and, if he finds out that he has no bread to offer another friend or relative, who has arrived in the middle of the night, and he goes to his friend saying: “Lend me three loaves, because a guest has arrived and I have nothing to give him to eat”, can he possibly hear his friend answer him from inside the house: “Do not bother me, I have already bolted the door and my children are already sleeping beside me. I cannot get up and give you what you want”? No. If he has gone to a true friend and if he insists, he will receive what he asks for. He would receive it even if he went to someone who was not a very good friend. He would be satisfied because of his insistence, as his friend, of whom he asked the favour, will hasten to give him what he wants, so that he may no longer be bothered.

But when you pray the Father, you do not turn to a friend of the earth, but you apply to the Perfect Friend Who is the Father of Heaven. That is why I say to you: “Ask, and it will be given to you, search, and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you”. For the one who asks will receive, the one who searches always finds, the one who knocks will have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a roasted fish? A father who did that to his own children would be a criminal. I have already told you and I will repeat it to convince you to be good and trustful. As a sound-minded person would not give a scorpion instead of an egg, with what greater bounty will God give you what you ask for! Because He is good, whereas you are more or less wicked. Ask, therefore, the Father for your bread with humble filial love.

• Abandon
• Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
• Food
• Trust in God
• Trust in Providence - Be like the birds

When you are in Heaven, God alone will be your nourishment. Beatitude will be your food.

• Beatitudes
• Heaven - Paradiso
• Spiritual nourishment
• Words of wisdom

“Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are in debt to us”.

There are material debts and spiritual ones. There are also moral debts. The money or the goods that one has received as a loan and must give back, are a material debt. Esteem extorted and not given back and love wanted and not returned are a moral debt. To obey God, from Whom one would exact much giving Him very little, and to love Him are a spiritual debt. He loves us and is to be loved, as a mother, a wife, a son, from whom so much is exacted, are to be loved. A selfish man wants to receive, but does not give. But an egoist is poles apart from Heaven. We are in debt to everybody. From God to a relative, from a relative to a friend, from a friend to our neighbour, to a servant, to a slave, because they are all beings like ourselves. Woe to him who does not forgive! He will not be forgiven. God, out of justice, cannot remit the debt of a man who is in debt to Him, the Most Holy One, if man does not forgive his fellow man.

• Esteem
• God's mercy and forgiveness
• Love
• Love of neighbor
• Loving God
• Mercy and forgiveness
• Obedience
• Silver

«What do You want, Mother?»

«My Son, some Gentiles have come with some ladies. They say that they heard from Johanna that You were here. They also said that they have been waiting for You all these past days near the Antonia…»

«Ah! I know! I will come at once. Where are they?»

«At Lazarus’ house, in his garden. He is loved by the Romans and does not feel the repugnance towards them that we do. He let them go into the large garden with their carts, so that no one would be scandalised…»

«All right, Mother.

204.2

They are Roman soldiers and ladies. I know.»

«And what do they want from You?»

«What many in Israel do not want: light.»

«But how and what do they believe You are? God perhaps?»

«Yes, in their way of thinking. It is easier for them to accept the idea of the incarnation of a god in mortal flesh, than it is for us.»

«So they believe in Your faith…»

«Not yet, Mother. I must destroy theirs, first. For the time being they consider Me a wise man, a philosopher, as they say. But both their desire to become acquainted with philosophical doctrines and their inclination to believe the incarnation of a god as possible, are of great help to Me in leading them to the true Faith. Believe Me, they are more ingenuous in their way of thinking, than many Israelites.»

«But are they sincere? It is rumoured that the Baptist…»

«No. Had it been for them, John would be free and safe. Non-rebellious people are left in peace. On the contrary I can assure You that for them to be a prophet – they say a philosopher because the loftiness of supernatural wisdom is still philosophy to them – is a guarantee of respect. Do not worry, Mother. No harm will come to Me from that end…»

«But the Pharisees… if they find out, what will they say also about Lazarus? You are You… and You are to bring the Word to the world. But Lazarus!… They already offend him so much…»

«But they cannot touch him. They know that he is protected by Rome.»

«I leave You, Son. Here is Maximinus, he will take You to the Gentiles» and Mary, Who had walked beside Jesus all the time, withdraws quickly, and goes towards the Zealot’s house. Jesus on the other hand, goes through a little iron door in the garden wall, into a distant part of the garden, where it actually becomes an orchard and precisely near the place where Lazarus will be buried later.

• Incarnation
• Jean-Baptiste
• Jesus Christ - God-Man
• Lydia (Roman lady)
• Maximin of Bethany
• Paganism and pagans
• Pharisees
• Philosopher
• Philosophy
• Plautina (Roman lady)
• Prophet
• Roman ladies
• Romans
• Valeria (Roman lady)