New Testament

69.5 I have real flesh, so that through the experience of the flesh, I might learn which are the temptations of man.»

«And what about sins?»

«Everyone can be tempted. Sinners are only those who want to be such.»

«Have You ever sinned, Jesus?»

«No, I never wanted to sin. Not because I am the Son of the Father. But because I wanted and I want to prove to man that the Son of man did not sin because He did not want to sin, and that man can, if he wants, not sin.»

«Have You ever been tempted?»

«I am thirty years old, Judas. And I did not live in a cave upon a mountain. I lived amongst men. And if I had been in the loneliest place in the world, do you think temptations would not have come to Me? We have everything in us: good and evil. We carry everything with us. And the breath of God blows on the good and vivifies it like a thurible of sweet-smelling holy incense. And Satan blows on evil, thus kindling a furious blazing fire. But diligent goodwill and constant prayer are like damp sand on the hellish fire: they suffocate it and put it out.»

«But if You have never sinned, how can You judge sinners?»

«I am a man and the Son of God. What I might ignore as a man and judge wrongly, I know and judge as the Son of God. After all!… Judas, answer this question of Mine. Will one who is hungry, suffer more by saying: “I will now sit down at the table” or by saying: “There is no food for me”?»

«He suffers more in the latter case, because the simple thought that he is without food, will bring back to him the pleasant smell of food and his bowels will be tortured by biting desire.»

«Right: temptation is as biting as that desire, Judas. Satan makes it more intense, more real, more alluring than any accomplished act. Further, the act satisfies, and at times nauseates; whereas temptations do not subside, but like pruned trees, they grow stronger and stronger.»

«And have You never yielded?»

«No, never.»

«How did You manage?»

«I said: “Father. lead Me not into temptation”.»

«What? You, the Messiah, You work miracles and You ask Your Father for help?»

«Not only for help: I ask Him not to lead Me into temptation. Do you think that I, simply because I am I, can do without the Father? Oh! no! I solemnly tell you that the Father grants everything to His Son, and that the Son receives everything from the Father. And I tell you that everything the Father will be asked for in My name will be granted.»

• Incarnation
• Jesus Christ - God-Man
• Jesus Christ - Son of God
• Jesus Christ - Son of Man
• Temptations of Jesus Christ

All classes of people are worthy or unworthy. And without lacking in charity, but to avoid offending justice, I tell you that the unworthy, the mischievously unworthy, are often to be found amongst the great ones. It is not necessary and it is of no use being influential to be good or to hide sins from the eyes of God. Everything will be turned over under My Sign. And not he who is mighty will be great, but he who is humble and holy.

• Dignity
• Humility
• Indignity
• Malice
• Sin
• The poor man
• The powerful man
• The rich man
• The smallest and the biggest

70.3 They go out into the olive-grove. But before going out, John takes something out of the knapsack in the corner. They walk for a little while and they reach a brow from which the whole of Jerusalem can be seen.

«Let us sit down here and talk a little» says Jesus.

But John prefers to sit at Jesus’ feet on the short grass, and he rests his arm on Jesus’ knees, with his head reclined on his arm, looking now and again at Jesus. He looks like a little boy near the person dearest to him. «It is beautiful also here, Master. Look how large the town seems at night. Larger than by day.»

«It is because the moonlight shades the outlines. See: the borders seem to widen out in a silver brightness. Look at the top of the Temple, up there. Does it not look as if it were suspended in mid air.»

«It seems supported by angels on their silver wings.»

Jesus sighs.

«Why are You sighing, Master?»

«Because the angels have abandoned the Temple. Its feature of purity and holiness is now confined to its walls only. Those who should impress it into its soul — because every place has its soul, that is the spirit for which it was built, and the Temple has, or should have, a soul of prayer and holiness — those who should energise such spirit, are instead the first to suffocate it. You can not give what you do not possess, John. And if there are many priests and Levites living there, not even one tenth of them are capable of giving life to the Holy Place. They give death instead. They transmit the death of their own souls, which are dead to what is holy. They have their formulae. But they do not have the essence of them. They are corpses that are warm only because putrifaction swells them.»

«Have they done You wrong, Master?» John is all upset.

«No. On the contrary they allowed Me to speak when I asked to.»

«Did You ask them? Why?»

«Because I do not want to be the one who starts war. There will be war in any case. Because I shall be the cause of a silly human fear for some, and the cause of reproach for others. But this must be written in their book, not in Mine.»

• Angels
• Jerusalem
• Jerusalem Temple (spiritual state - teachings - various episodes)

«Do you know what tires Me? Indifference. Oh! What a burden it is! It is like carrying a weight on your heart.»

«I love You, Jesus.»

«Yes, and you comfort Me. I love you so much, John, and I always will, because you will never betray Me.»

«Betray You! Oh!»

«And yet there will be many who will betray Me…»

• Betrayal of Jesus Christ
• Jesus' omniscience
• Prophecies of Jesus Christ

I ask you to evangelise him with your faith, your charity, your purity (...). It is a land defiled by stagnant waters. It must be dried up by the sun of love, purified by the integrity of thoughts, desires and deeds, and cultivated with faith. You can do that.

• Apostolate - Evangelism
• Charity
• Faith
• Honesty
• Love of neighbor
• Master of souls
• Purity

Love is not proportionate to education or formation. A virgin loves with all the strength of her first love. That applies also to the virginity of mind. And the beloved penetrates and is more deeply impressed on a virgin heart and a virgin mind, rather than on hearts and minds imbued with other loves.

• Blessed are the poor in spirit
• Blessed are the pure in heart
• Instruction
• Knowledge
• Love
• Virginity

« (...) I want you to love one another, without preferences, helping one another mutually and bearing with one another, No one is perfect, John, Neither the young nor the old. But if you have goodwill, you will reach perfection and what is wanting in you, I will supply. You are like the children of a holy family. In it there are very different characters. One is strong, another is sweet, or brave, or shy, or impulsive or very cautious. If you were all alike, you would be really strong in one character, but very weak in all the others. Whereas you thus form a perfect union, completed by you all. Love unites you, it must unite you, for the sake of God’s cause.»

«And for Your sake, Jesus.»

«First the cause of God and then the love for His Christ.»

• Catholic Church
• Family
• How to perfect and sanctify yourself
• Lessons and Teachings for the Apostles
• Love
• Love of neighbor
• Sanctification
• The Twelve

He is the one who divests himself also of his own way of thinking and judging, in order to be “the disciple”. He is the one who gives himself without wishing to withhold even a particle of himself, as his self was before becoming a disciple. Judas is the one who does not want to divest himself of himself. His donation is therefore unreal. He carries with himself his ego diseased with pride, sensuality and greed. He maintains his way of thinking. And he thus counteracts the effect of the donation and of Grace.

Judas: the first of all the apostles who failed. And they are so many! John: the first of those who become victims out of love for Me. And you are one of them.

My Mother and I are the sublime Victims. It is difficult to reach us, in fact it is impossible, because our sacrifice was of total bitterness. But My John! He is the victim that all My lovers can imitate: virgins, martyrs, confessors, evangelisers, servants of God and of the Mother of God, devoted to activity or contemplation: he is an example for everyone. He is the one who loves.

Note their different ways of reasoning. Judas investigates, quibbles, is obstinate, even when he pretends to give in, he still has mental reservations. John feels he is nothing, he accepts everything, he does not ask for reasons, he is satisfied with making Me happy. That is the example.

• Discipleship - Following Jesus Christ
• How to perfect and sanctify yourself
• Purity
• Virginity

There are no distinctions in My heart between the first and the last. If the first one should err and the last one were a holy man, then there would be a distinction in the eyes of God. But I will love just the same: I will love the holy living man with a blissful love, and the sinner with a suffering love.

• The first and last
• The smallest and the biggest

The more one is deformed, the more assistance one needs. The others… oh! the others form properly, also by themselves, by simple contact. I do not want to do everything by Myself. I want the will of man and the help of other people to form a man. I ask you to help Me… and I am grateful for the help.

• Co-editors
• Discipleship - Following Jesus Christ
• Goodwill
• Instruction
• Knowledge
• Soul-victim
• Spiritual formation - Spiritual growth
• Will