The reality of life, death and suffering — notes (page 25/33)

GRM 178.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

God is as exacting as He is infinitely generous in rewarding. If you wish to be a disciple you must embrace your cross and follow Me. Otherwise one remains a simple believer. The way of the servant of God is not strewn with petals of roses. And it is absolute in its demands. No one who has put his hand to the plough to furrow the fields of hearts and spread there the seed of God’s doctrine, can look back to see what he left, what he lost and what he could have had if he had followed another common way. He who does that is not fit for the Kingdom of God. Work upon yourself. Make a man of yourself and then come.

Keywords

GRM 179.9 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Let your heart be just, one towards the other, as just was he whom you are mourning. Do not give a human sense to what is super-human: death and the election to a mission. The soul of your just father was not upset seeing that this son was not present at the burial of his body, but it rested quietly on the certainty of Elias’ future. Do not let worldly thoughts disturb the grace of the election. If the world was surprised at not seeing him near his father’s coffin, the angels exulted seeing him beside the Messiah. Be just. And may that comfort you mother. You brought him up wisely and he has been called by Wisdom. I bless you all. Peace be with you now and always.»

Detail

Message from Jesus to brothers who are angry with their youngest son for following Jesus instead of burying their father with them.

Keywords

GRM 180.1-2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

I do not know which remark of a companion originated the clearcut reply of Peter who says: «It will happen to them what happened to the founders of the Tower of Babel. Their own pride will provoke the collapse of their theories and they will be crushed.»
Andrew objects to his brother: «But God is Mercy. He will prevent the collapse to give them time to mend their ways.»
«Do not believe that. They will crown their pride with false accusations and persecutions. Oh! I can already see it. They will persecute us to disperse us as unpleasant witnesses. And since they attack the Truth by laying snares for it, God will take revenge and they will perish.»
«Shall we have the strength to resist?» asks Thomas.
«Well… as for me, I would not have it. But I put my trust in Him» and Peter nods to the Master Who is listening and is silent, His head slightly inclined, as if He wished to hide His understanding countenance.
«I think that God will not put us to tests beyond our strength» says Matthew.
«Or He will at least increase our strength in proportion to the tests» concludes James of Alphaeus.
«He is already doing that.»

Annotation

What happened to the builders of the Tower of Babel will happen to them. Allusion to Genesis 11:1-9.

He has already done so: it's Simon the Zealot speaking. The conversation then continues. See next note.

Book of Genesis 11, 1-9

Gn 11, 1-9 : All the earth had one language and the same words. When the men set out from the East, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar, and they settled there. They said to each other, "Come on, let's make bricks and bake them in the fire. "And they used bricks instead of stones, and bitumen instead of cement. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in heaven, and let us make ourselves a monument, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth. "But Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building. And Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have for themselves all one language; and this work is the beginning of their undertakings; now nothing will stop them from accomplishing their plans. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, so that they no longer hear each other's language. "So Yahweh scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased to build the city. That's why it was called Babel, because that's where Yahweh confused the language of the whole earth, and that's where Yahweh scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Keywords

GRM 180.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

« I was rich and powerful. If God had not decided to preserve me for a purpose of His, I would have surrendered myself to despair and perished when I was persecuted and a leper. I would have acted harshly against myself… Instead a new wealth, which I had never possessed before, descended upon my desolation: the wealth of a conviction: “God exists”. First… God… Yes, I believed, I was a faithful Israelite. But mine was a faith of formalism. And I thought that the reward of my faith was always inferior to my virtue. I took the liberty of debating with God because I felt that I was still something on the earth. Simon Peter is right. I, too, was building a tower of Babel[1] by praising myself and satisfying my ego. When everything collapsed around me and I was like a worm crushed by the weight of all this human futility, then I no longer debated with God, but with myself, with my stupid self and I ended up by demolishing it. And as I did so, by making room for what I think is the God immanent in our earthly beings, I gained a new strength and wealth: the certainty that I was not alone and that God was watching over man defeated by men and by evil.»
«According to you, what is God, “the God immanent in our earthly beings” as you said? What do you mean? I do not understand you and I think it is a heresy. God is the One we know through the Law and the Prophets. There is no other God» says rather sternly Judas of Kerioth.
«If John was here he would tell you better than I can. But I will tell you as best I can. God is the One we know through the Law and the Prophets. That is true. But in what do we know Him? And how?»
Judas of Alphaeus exclaims: «Little and badly. The Prophets, who described Him for us, knew Him. The idea we have is a muddled one, as we can just see through a mound of explanations piled up by sects…»
«Sects? What do you mean? We have no sects. We are the children of the Law. We all are» the angry aggressive Iscariot says.
«The children of the laws. Not of the Law. There is a slight difference. Plural, not singular. In actual fact, we are the children of what we created, no longer of what God gave us» retorts Thaddeus.
«The laws derive from the Law» says the Iscariot.
«Also diseases originate in our bodies, but that does not mean that they are good» replies Thaddeus.
«But let me hear what this immanent God of Simon Zealot is.» The Iscariot, who cannot argue against the remark of Judas of Alphaeus, endeavours to take the discussion back to where it started.

Detail

Simon the Zealot speaks.

Keywords

GRM 180.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

You are granted much more, because as My disciples, you must be acquainted with the mystery; and you are therefore given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why I say to you: “Ask Me if you do not understand the spirit of the parable”. You give everything and everything is given to you, that you, in your turn, may give everything. You are giving everything to God: love, time, interests, freedom, lives. And God gives you everything to reward you and to enable you to give everything in the name of God to those who come after you. Thus, to him who has given will be given abundantly. But he who gave only partly or did not give at all, will be deprived also of what he has.

Annotation

Gospel of Matthew 13, 10-12

Mt 13, 10-12 : The disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these. To the one who has, it will be given, and he will be in abundance; to the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."

Gospel of Matthew 25, 29

Mt 25, 29 : To him who has, more will be given, and he will have plenty; but to him who has nothing, even that which he has will be taken away.

Gospel of Mark 4, 25

Mk 4, 25 : For to him who has will be given; but to him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away.

Gospel of Luke 8, 18

Lk 8, 18 : "Therefore be careful how you listen; for to him who has, it will be given; and to him who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away."

Gospel of Luke 19, 26

Lk 19:26: "I tell you, to the one who has, it will be given; but to the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."

Keywords

GRM 180.8 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Will one of us be Your traitor?…»
«Are you mad? And do you think that we would not tear him to pieces?» shouts Peter.
And the Iscariot: «Oh! You really are mad! It will never be I! But if I should feel so weak as to eventually become so, I would kill myself. Better than be the murderer of God.»
Jesus frees Himself from John’s grip, shakes Judas violently saying: «Do not swear! Nothing can make you weak, unless you want! And if that should happen, make sure you weep for it, and do not commit another crime in addition to deicide. He becomes weak who cuts off his vital link with God.»

Detail

After John the Baptist's arrest, John of Zebedee declares.

Keywords

GRM 181.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

They enter Korazim when it is broad daylight. All the stems twinkle with dewy gems. Birds are singing everywhere. The air is pure and cool, it seems to savour of milk, of a vegetable milk rather than animal milk. The scent of the corn coming into ears, of the almond-groves laden with fruit… is the scent I could smell in cool mornings in the rich fields in the Po Valley.
They soon reach Elias’ house. Many people in Korazim already know that the Master has arrived, and while Jesus is about to enter the house, a mother rushes towards Him shouting: «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on my daughter!» She is carrying in her arms a little girl, about ten years old, who is very thin and waxen, or yellowish rather than waxen.
«What is the matter with your daughter?»
«She is feverish. She caught a disease at the pastures along the Jordan. Because we are the shepherds of a rich man. Her father sent for me when she was taken ill. He has gone back to the mountains. But You know that with this kind of disease one cannot stay up in high places. But how can I stay here? Our master has allowed me so far. But I look after the wool and the litters. This is the busy season for shepherds. If I stay here we shall be dismissed or separated. And if I go back to the Hermon I will see my daughter die.»
«Do you believe that I can cure her?»
«I have spoken to Daniel, Elisha’s shepherd. He said to me: “Our Child cures all diseases. Go to the Messiah”. I have come from beyond Merom carrying her in my arms and looking for You. I was going to walk until I found You…»
«You need walk no farther, but go home, to your peaceful work. Your daughter is cured because that is what I want. Go in peace.»
The woman looks at her daughter and at Jesus. She is perhaps hoping to see her daughter become fat and rosy all at once. Also the girl stares at Jesus with her tired eyes wide open and smiles.
«Do not be afraid, woman. I am not deceiving you. Her fever has gone forever. Day by day she will become a healthy girl. Let her go. She will no longer stagger neither will she feel tired.»
The mother puts the child down and she stands upright. She becomes more and more cheerful and at last she trills in her silvery voice: «Bless the Lord, mother! I am cured! I can feel it» and with the naivety of a little shepherd girl, she throws her arms around Jesus’ neck and kisses Him. Her mother, reserved as her age demands, prostrates herself and kisses His tunic blessing the Lord.
«Go. Remember the gift of God and be good. Peace be with you.»

Annotation

"What's wrong with your daughter?" "Fevers. She caught them in the pastures along the Jordan." Most likely yellow fever, or swamp fever, which wreaked havoc on populations throughout antiquity. See footnote in EMV 177: Swamp fevers (yellow fever or malaria) caused serious epidemics in antiquity. They are mentioned several times in the work. For centuries, these fevers were attributed to unhealthy air (aria cattiva, from which the Italian word mala aria = bad air), without ever making the connection with mosquitoes. Maria Valtorta reports here an opinion perfectly in line with Roman belief and not related to her knowledge as a nurse."

I was called to the sick girl by her father. Now he's gone back to the mountains. But you know that with this disease, you can't go to altitude. This medical indication deserves to be examined by competent people.

Keywords

GRM 182.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

He [Jesus] goes straight to caress a little shepherd, who is standing towards the centre of the woolly bleating mass of sheep. He asks the boy: «Are they yours?» Jesus knows very well that they are not the boy’s, but He wants him to speak.
«No, Lord. I am with those men. And the herds belong to many owners. We are all together for fear of the bandits.»
«What is your name?»
«Zacharias, the son of Isaac. But my father died and I work as a servant because we are poor and my mother has three more sons younger than I am.»
«Has your father been long dead?»
«Three years, Lord… and since then I have never smiled because my mother always weeps and I have no one who caresses me any more… I am the first born and my father’s death has made a man of me, while I was still a child… But I must not weep but earn some money… But it is so difficult!» Tears stream down his face which is too serious for his age.
The shepherds have drawn near and so have the apostles. A group of men in the midst of moving sheep.
«You are not fatherless, Zacharias. You have a holy Father in Heaven, Who always loves you, if you are good, and your father has not ceased loving you because he is in Abraham’s bosom. You must believe that. And because of such faith you must endeavour to become better and better.» Jesus speaks kindly and caresses the boy.

Detail

A real-life case of a child who lost his father three years ago and now looks after flocks of sheep.

Keywords

GRM 182.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Your flock teaches you a great virtue, or rather, many great virtues. It is meek and obedient. It is satisfied with little and grateful for what it has. It loves and knows those who take care of it and love it. Do likewise saying: “God is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. He watches us. He protects us and grants us not what is the source of vice, but what is necessary to live”. And keep wolves away from your hearts. Wicked men are wolves: they seduce you and incite you to evil actions by Satan’s order and it is Satan himself who induces you to sin so that he may tear you to pieces.

Detail

Jesus speaks of a flock of sheep.

Keywords

GRM 182.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

That is how Satan behaves. He watches you to find out your weak points, he roams about you, he seems harmless and absent, concerned with something else whereas he is watching you, and then he suddenly leaps to induce you to sin, and sometimes he is successful.
But close to you there is a doctor and a compassionate spirit. God and your angel. If you are wounded, if you have been taken ill, do not go away from them, as a dog which has become rabid does. On the contrary, while weeping shout to them: “Help!”. God forgives those who repent and your angel is ready to implore God with you and for you.