New Testament

56.3 «Have you always been with Him?»

«Yes, always. Since He came back to Nazareth He was my good companion. We were always together. We are about the same age, I am a little older. And I was the favourite of His father, who was my father’s brother. Also His Mother was very fond of me. I grew up more with Her than with my own mother.»

«She was fond… Is She no longer as fond of you, now?»

«Oh! Yes, She is. But we have parted a little since He became a prophet. My relatives are not happy about it.»

«Which relatives?»

«My father and the two older brothers. The other one is undecided… My father is very old and I did not have the courage to hurt him. But now… Now, no longer so. Now I am going where my heart and my mind tell me. I am going to Jesus. I don’t think I am offending the Law by doing so. In any case… if what I want to do was not right, Jesus would tell me. I will do what He says. Is it right for a father to prevent a son from doing good? If I feel that my salvation is there, why prevent me from reaching it? Why, at times, are our fathers our enemies?»

Simon sighs as if he were overwhelmed by sad memories, he lowers his head, but does not speak.

Thomas instead replies: «I have already overcome the obstacle. My father listened to me and he understood me. He blessed me saying: “Go. May this Passover be for you the liberation from the slavery of waiting. You are lucky because you can believe. I will wait. But if it is really Him, and you will find out following Him, then come and say to your old father: ‘Come, Israel has the Expected One’”.»

«You are luckier than I am. And we always lived beside Him!… And we, in the family, do not believe!… We say, that is: they say: “He has gone mad”!»

• Alphée de Jacob (father of James and Jude d'Alphée and uncle of Jesus)
• James of Alphaeus (apostle)
• Joseph d'Alphée
• Jude of Alphée (apostle)
• Kinship of Jesus Christ
• Marie d'Alphée (Mary of Cleophas)
• Simon d'Alphée

56.5 «You too, Judas, My cousin, are here?»

They embrace each other. Judas is weeping.

«Why are you weeping?»

«Oh! Jesus! I want to stay with You!»

«I have been waiting for you all the time. Why did you not come?»

Judas lowers his head and is silent.

«They did not let you! And now?»

«Jesus, I… I cannot obey them. I want to obey You only.»

«But I did not give you an order.»

«No, You did not. But it is Your mission that gives it! It is He, Who sent You, Who is speaking here, in my heart, and says to me: “Go to Him”. It is She, Who bore You, my sweet teacher, Who with Her gentle look, as mild as a dove’s, says to me without uttering a word: “Be of Jesus!”. Can I ignore that heavenly voice that pierces my heart? Can I ignore the prayers of such a Holy Woman, Who implores me for my own good? Only because I am Your cousin on Joseph’s side, am I not to acknowledge You for what You are, whereas the Baptist recognised You, although he had never seen You, here, on the banks of this river and he greeted You as the “Lamb of God”? And I, should I not be capable of anything, although I was brought up with You, and I was good because I followed You, and I became a son of the Law through Your Mother, from Whom I learned not the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the rabbis, besides the Scriptures and the prayers, but the essence of them all?»

«And your father?»

«My father? He does not lack bread and assistance, and then… You give me the example. You have thought of the welfare of the people, rather than the little advantage of Mary. And She is alone. Tell me, Master, is it not right for a son to say to his father, without lacking respect: “Father, I love you. But God is above you and I will follow Him”?»

«Judas, My cousin and My friend, I tell you: you have made good progress on the way to Light. Come. It is lawful to speak thus to a father, when it is God Who calls. There is nothing above God. Also the laws of relationship cease, that is they are raised to a dignity, because with our tears we give our fathers and mothers a greater help and for something everlasting, not for a short time in this world. We draw them with us to Heaven, and by sacrificing our affections, to God. So, Judas, stay here. I have been waiting for you and I am happy to have you, the friend of My life at Nazareth.»

Judas is touched.

• Alphée de Jacob (father of James and Jude d'Alphée and uncle of Jesus)
• Jude of Alphée (apostle)
• Kinship of Jesus Christ

«(...) It is He, Who sent You, Who is speaking here, in my heart, and says to me: “Go to Him”. It is She, Who bore You, my sweet teacher, Who with Her gentle look, as mild as a dove’s, says to me without uttering a word: “Be of Jesus!”. Can I ignore that heavenly voice that pierces my heart? Can I ignore the prayers of such a Holy Woman, Who implores me for my own good? Only because I am Your cousin on Joseph’s side, am I not to acknowledge You for what You are, whereas the Baptist recognised You, although he had never seen You, here, on the banks of this river and he greeted You as the “Lamb of God”? And I, should I not be capable of anything, although I was brought up with You, and I was good because I followed You, and I became a son of the Law through Your Mother, from Whom I learned not the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the rabbis, besides the Scriptures and the prayers, but the essence of them all?»

«And your father?»

«My father? He does not lack bread and assistance, and then… You give me the example. You have thought of the welfare of the people, rather than the little advantage of Mary. And She is alone. Tell me, Master, is it not right for a son to say to his father, without lacking respect: “Father, I love you. But God is above you and I will follow Him”?»

«Judas, My cousin and My friend, I tell you: you have made good progress on the way to Light. Come. It is lawful to speak thus to a father, when it is God Who calls. There is nothing above God. Also the laws of relationship cease, that is they are raised to a dignity, because with our tears we give our fathers and mothers a greater help and for something everlasting, not for a short time in this world. We draw them with us to Heaven, and by sacrificing our affections, to God. So, Judas, stay here. I have been waiting for you and I am happy to have you, the friend of My life at Nazareth.»

• Discipleship - Following Jesus Christ
• God's call
• Religious vocation
• The Virgin Mary

Only because I am Your cousin on Joseph’s side, am I not to acknowledge You for what You are, whereas the Baptist recognised You, although he had never seen You, here, on the banks of this river and he greeted You as the “Lamb of God”?

• Baptism of Jesus Christ
• Jean-Baptiste

56.6 Jesus addresses Thomas: «You obeyed faithfully. That is the first virtue of a disciple.»

«I came because I want to be faithful to You.»

«And you will be. I tell you.»

• Prophecies of Jesus Christ
• Thomas (apostle)

• Discipleship - Following Jesus Christ
• Obedience

(...) I say to you: “Follow Me”. As My follower you will find father and children. Look up, Simon. There, the True Father is smiling at you. Look at the wide world, at the continents, at the countries: there are children and children everywhere; children of the souls for the childless. They are waiting for you, and many like you are also waiting. There are no foundlings under My Sign. There is no solitude, no difference in My Sign. It is a sign of love, and it gives love.

• Abandon
• Apostolate - Evangelism
• Cross
• Discipleship - Following Jesus Christ
• God the Father
• Loneliness - Isolation
• Sterility

Tell the sick people that He Who can cure their illnesses is about to come here (...). Tell those who are waiting, that the Messiah is among His people. Tell the sinners that He Who forgives has come to give them strength to rise…

• Apostolate - Evangelism
• Illness - Disability - Handicap
• Mercy and forgiveness
• Messiah

«And you, Judas, My cousin, come with Me and these. But you will stay at Nazareth.»

«Why, Jesus?»

«Because you must prepare My way in My fatherland. Do you think it is a small mission? I can tell you that there is not a harder one…» Jesus sighs.

«And will I succeed?»

«You will and you will not. But it will be sufficient to be justified.»

«Justified of what? And with whom?»

«With God. With your fatherland. With your family. They will not be able to reproach us, because we offered good things: and if the fatherland and the family will disdain our offer, we shall not be blamed for their loss.»

• Kinship of Jesus Christ
• No prophet is welcome in his own country

57.3 He then says: «Well, see? I am here, but I am not alone. I have My first disciples with Me, and the other ones are in Judaea. Also My cousin Judas is with Me and follows Me…»

«Judas?»

«Yes, Judas. I know why You are surprised. Among those who told You what happened, there certainly was Alphaeus with his sons, and I am not mistaken if I tell You that they criticised Me. But do not be afraid. Today it is so, tomorrow it will be different. A man is to be cultivated like the soil, and where there are thorns, there will be roses. Judas, of whom You are so fond, is already with Me.»

«Where is he now?»

«Outside with the others. Have You got enough bread for everybody?»

«Yes, Son. Mary of Alphaeus is taking it out of the oven just now. Mary is very good to Me, particularly now.»

«God will give her glory.» He goes to the door and calls: «Judas! Your mother is here! Come in, My friends!

(...) Mary of Alphaeus rushes in, flushed and covered with flour, she greets Jesus Who blesses her, she then leads the six men into the kitchen garden, to the fountain, and comes back happy. «Oh! Mary!» she says to the Virgin. «Judas told me. How happy I am! For Judas and for You, my dear sister-in-law. I know that the others will scold me. But it does not matter. I will be happy the day I know that they are all for Jesus. We are mothers and we know… we feel what is good for our children. And I feel that You, Jesus, are the wealth of my children.»

Jesus caresses her head and smiles at her.

• Alphée de Jacob (father of James and Jude d'Alphée and uncle of Jesus)
• Jude of Alphée (apostle)
• Kinship of Jesus Christ
• Marie d'Alphée (Mary of Cleophas)
• The Virgin Mary