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André (apostle)

Theme: Saints, venerable and blessed of the Catholic Church · Page 3 of 18

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Aa

GRM 61.3.5

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Jesus tells His disciples: «Let the poor come forward. There is a rich offer for them made by one who begs to obtain forgiveness from God.»

Three tattered old men come forward, two blind men and a cripple; they are followed by a widow with seven emaciated children.

Jesus stares at them, one by one, He smiles at the widow and particularly at the children. He says to John: «Put those over there in the kitchen garden. I want to speak to them.» But He becomes stern, with blazing eyes, when a little old man appears. But He says nothing for the time being.

He calls Peter, whom He asks for the purse received shortly before and for another one containing smaller coins, which are offerings collected from good-hearted people. He empties the coins onto the bench near the well, He counts them, and divides them. He makes six parts. A very big one, all silver coins, and five smaller ones in size, with many bronze coins and a few big ones. (...) The third old man comes forward, He seems to be the most ragged. But Jesus has only the big pile of money left. He calls in a loud voice: «Woman, come here with your little ones.»

The young emaciated woman comes forward with her head lowered down. She seems a sad hen with her sad brood of chickens.

«How long have you been a widow, woman?»

«Three years at the moon of Tishry.»

«How old are you?»

«Twenty-seven.»

«Are they all your children?»

«Yes, Master… and I have nothing else. I finished everything… How can I work if no one wants me with all these little ones?»

«God does not abandon even the worm He created. He will not abandon you, woman. Where do you live?»

«On the lake. Three stadia outside Bethsaida. He told me to come here… My husband died on the lake; he was a fisherman.» She points to Andrew, who blushes and would like to disappear.

«You did well, Andrew, telling the woman to come to Me.»

Andrew takes heart and whispers: «The man was a friend of mine, he was good, he died in a storm and lost his boat too.»

«Take this, woman. It will help you for a long time, then another sun will rise on your days. Be good, bring your children up in the Law and you will not be without God’s help. I bless you: you and your little ones.» And He pats them, one by one, with great pitiful love.

The woman goes away pressing her treasure to her heart.

GRM 62.4

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

62.4 Where were they from, those who were coming to Me?»

«From Korazim, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and there were some even from Tiberias and Gherghesa, as well as from the hundreds of villages around those towns.»

«Go and tell them that I will be at Korazim, Bethsaida and nearby villages.»

«Why not at Capernaum?»

«Because I came for everybody and everybody must have Me, and then… there is old Isaac waiting for Me. We must not disappoint his hopes.»

«Will You wait for us here, then?»

«No, I am going and you will stay at Capernaum to send the crowds to Me; I will come back later.»

«We will be here alone…» Peter is sad.

«Do not be sad. Obedience should make you happy as well as the conviction that you are a useful disciple. And the same applies to the others.»

Peter, Andrew, James and John cheer up. Jesus blesses them, and they part.

The vision ends in this way.

Detail

Peter informs Jesus that some people have come to see him, and he asks:

GRM 64.1-2

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

64.1 I see the shore of the lake of Gennesaret. And I can see the boats beached by the fishermen; on the foreshore, leaning against the boats, are Peter and Andrew, intent on mending the nets, which their assistants bring them still dripping, having rinsed them in the lake to remove entangled rubbish. About ten yards away, John and James, bent over their boat, are busy at tidying it up, and they are helped by an assistant and by a man about fifty or fifty-five years old, who I think is Zebedee, because the assistant calls him «master» and also because he is very like James.

Peter and Andrew, with their backs to the boat, are working silently knotting the threads of the nets and fixing corks to them. Now and again they exchange a few words about their work, which, as far as I understand, has not been profitable.

Peter is sorry about it, not because of the loss of profit or the unprofitable work, but he says: «I am sorry, because… what shall we do to feed these poor people? We receive only occasional offerings and I am not going to touch the ten pieces of silver and the seven drachmas we collected during the last four days. Only the Master can tell me to whom and how that money is to be given. And He will not be back here until Sabbath! If we had had a good haul!… I would have cooked the small fish for the poor… and if anyone at home grumbled, I would not have cared. Healthy people can find food for themselves. But sick people!…»

«Above all that paralytic!… They have already travelled so much to bring him here…» says Andrew.

«Listen, brother. I think… we can’t remain divided like this, and I don’t know why the Master does not want us with Him all the time. At least… I would not see these poor people whom I can’t help, and if I saw them I would say to them: “He is here”.»

64.2 «I am here!» Jesus has come near them, walking quietly on the soft sand.

Peter and Andrew start. They exclaim: «Oh! Master!» and they shout: «James! John! The Master! Come here!»

The two brothers rush towards them. They all draw close to Jesus. Some kiss His tunic, some His hands, and John dares to encircle His waist with his arm, and lean his head on Jesus’ chest. Jesus kisses his hair.

«What were you talking about?»

«Master… we were saying that we would have liked to have You.»

«Why, My friends?»

«To see You and love You seeing You, and also because of some poor and sick people. They have been waiting for You for over two days… I did what I could. I put them over there, see that hut in that waste land? Over there the handymen repair the boats. I sheltered there a paralytic, who has a very high temperature, and a little boy who is dying in his mother’s arms. I could not send them away to look for You.»

«You did the right thing. But how have you been able to help them and who brought them here? You said they are poor!»

«Yes, Master, they are. Rich people have horses and carts. Poor people only have their legs. They cannot come looking for You as fast as they would like. I did what I could. Look: here are the offerings I have received. I have not touched anything. You will do that.»

«Peter, you could have done that, too. Certainly… My dear Peter, I am sorry that you should be reproached and have extra work because of Me.»

«No, Lord. You must not be sorry about that. It is no trouble for me. I am only sorry I have not been able to be more charitable. But, believe me, I have done, we have all done what we could.»

«I know. I know you have worked and in vain. But if there is no food, your charity remains: alive, active and holy in the eyes of God.»

Detail

Jesus is not with the disciples; he has left them at home for a while.

GRM 65.2-3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

65.2 Jesus says to Simon: «Call the other two. Let us go on to the lake and cast the net.»

«Master, my arms ache with fatigue: all night I cast and hauled the net, and all in vain. The fish are down at the bottom. I wonder where.»

«Do as I tell you, Peter. Always listen to those who love you.»

«I will do as You say, out of respect for Your word.» And he shouts to the assistants and also to James and John: «Let us go out fishing. The Master wants to go.» And while they are moving away, he says to Jesus: «However, Master, I assure You that it is not the right time. Goodness knows where the fish will be resting just now!…»

Jesus, sitting at the prow, smiles and is silent.

They form a semicircle on the lake and then cast the net. After a few minutes’ waiting, the boat is shaken in a strange way, because the lake is as smooth as a glass pane under the midday sun.

«But that is fish, Master!» says Peter, with his eyes wide open.

Jesus smiles and is silent.

«Heave ho! Heave ho!» Peter orders his assistants. But the boat tilts to one side, where the net is: «Hey there! James! John! Quick! Come Quick! With the oars! Quick!»

They rush and the joint efforts of the two crews succeed in hauling in the net without damaging the catch.

The two boats draw closer. They are now united. One, two, five, ten baskets. They are all full of wonderful fish, and there are still so many wriggling in the net: live silver and bronze, struggling to escape death. There is only one thing to be done: to empty the net into the bottom of the boats. They do that and the bottoms become a turmoil of agonizing lives. And the crew are up to their ankles in such abundance that the boats sink below the water-line because of the excessive weight.

«To the shore! Steer! Quick! The sails! Watch the depth line! Have the poles ready to prevent a clash. We have too much weight!»

65.3 As long as the manoeuvre lasts, Peter thinks of nothing else. But when he gets ashore, he begins to realise. He understands. He is frightened. «Master! My Lord! Go away from me! I am a sinner! I am not worthy of being near You!» He is on his knees on the damp shore.

Jesus looks at him and smiles: «Get up! Follow Me! I will not leave you anymore! From now on, you will be a fisher of men, and your companions with you. Be afraid of nothing. I am calling you. Come!»

«At once, Lord. You look after the boats. Take everything to Zebedee and to my brother-in-law. Let us go. We are all for You, Jesus! Blessed be the Eternal Father for this choice.»

And the vision ends.

GRM 92

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

Jesus is still in Nazareth. He is with Peter, Andrew, John, James, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Jude, Simon and Judas, as well as the shepherd Joseph. He teaches them that all that is hidden will one day be known, and that we must act out of kindness without seeking to be noticed by men. It is God who gives the reward. Next, the Lord encourages us not to judge by appearances. He briefly describes the case of a father who speaks harshly to his son: either he does this to inspire his child to repentance, or he does it out of laziness, and that's a sin. Finally, Jesus talks about the fact that the disciple works himself with the help of his master, but that success depends on our good will. He ends by talking about his Mother, who is ready to follow him, but who is aware of the defilement of the world around her. We come to quote Genesis with Cain and Abel, and the Crime that will take place with the death of Jesus.