141. Instruction to the Disciples while Going towards Arimathea.
19th April 1945.
1 « My Lord, what shall we do with this man? » Peter asks Jesus pointing at a
man, whose name is Joseph, and who has been following them since they left
Emmaus. Joseph is now listening to the two sons of Alphaeus and to Simon,
who are paying particular attention to him.
« I have told you. He is coming with us as far as Galilee. »
« And then?...»
« And then... he will be staying with us. You will see that that is what is going
to happen. »
« Is he going to be a disciple, too? With that foul story about him? »
« Are you a Pharisee, too? »
« Not me! But... I think that the Pharisees are too keen on keeping an eye on
us...»
« And they will cause us trouble if they see him with us. That is what you mean.
So, we should allow a son of Abraham to be plunged into grief, because we are
afraid of being annoyed. No, Simon Peter. It is a soul that can be lost or saved
according to how its deep wound is healed. »
« But, are we not Your disciples?... »
Jesus looks at Peter and smiles sweetly. He then says: « One day, many months
ago, I said to you: "Many more will come." The field is vast, very vast. Because
of its vastness, the workers will never be sufficient... also because many, like
Jonah, will die working hard. But you will always be My favoured ones »
concludes Jesus, drawing gloomy Peter close to Himself and His promise cheers
the apostle.
« So, he is coming with us. »
« Yes, until his heart is refreshed. He is deeply disillusioned by all the bitter
hatred he has had to endure. He is indeed poisoned. »
Also James, John and Andrew have joined the Master and are listening to Him.
« You cannot appraise the enormous harm that a man can do another man by
means of his hostile intolerance. I ask you to remember that your Master was
always very benign towards those who were suffering from a spiritual disease.
You think that My greatest miracles and My main virtue consist in the curing of
bodies. No, My friends... Yes, you too, who are ahead of us and you, who are
behind Me, come here. The road is wide and we can walk in a group. »
They all gather round Jesus Who continues: « My main deeds, the ones that bear
the clearest witness to My nature and My mission, the ones upon which the
Father looks with joy, are the healing of hearts, whether they are freed from one
or more capital vices, or relieved from grief. Hearts are discouraged by grief
when they are convinced that they have been struck and abandoned by God.
What is a soul that has lost the certainty of the help of God? It is a thin bearbine
crawling in the dust, as it is no longer able to clutch at the idea that was its
strength and its joy. It is horrible to live without hope.
Life is beautiful, in its hardship, only because it receives such warmth from the
Divine Sun. The aim of life is that Sun. The days of man may be dismal, wet
with tears and smeared with blood. But the Sun will rise again. Then there will
be no more grief, no separations, no harshness, no hatred, no misery or solitude
in an enveloping fog. Instead there will be brightness and singing, serenity and
peace, there will be God. God: the eternal Sun! See how gloomy the earth is
when there is an eclipse. If man were compelled to say: "The sun is defunct"
would he not feel as if he were to live forever in a dark hypogeum, buried and
dead before dying? But man knows that behind the planet that hides the sun and
makes the world look dismal there is still God's bright sun. And the thought of
being united to God during life is like that. If men hurt, steal, calumniate, God
cures, grants, justifies. And He does so in full measure. Men may say: "God has
rejected you." But a confident soul thinks, must think: "God is just and good. He
knows all reasons and is benign. He is more benign than the most benign of
men. He is infinitely so. Therefore He will not reject me if I lean my tear-stained
face on His bosom and I say to Him: 'Father, I have but You. Your son is in
anguish and depressed. Give me Your peace....' ".
I have been sent by God to gather those whom man has upset and Satan has
overwhelmed and I save them. That is really My work. A miracle on a body is a
manifestation of divine power. The redemption of souls is the work of Jesus
Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer. I think, and I am not mistaken, that those who
have been rehabilitated by Me in the eyes of God and in their own, will be My
faithful disciples, the ones who with greater strength will be able to lead crowds
of people to God saying: "Are you sinners? So am I. Are you depressed? So am
I. Are you desperate? So was I. And yet you can see that the Messiah had mercy
on my spiritual distress and He wanted me to be His priest. Because He is mercy
and He wants the world to be convinced of that, and no man is more suitable to
convince than he who has experienced such mercy in himself." Now I will put
them on a par with My friends, and with those who have worshipped Me since I
was born, that is, I will associate them with you and with the shepherds. Nay, I
will set them alongside the shepherds, with those who have been cured, with
those who without any special election, like you twelve, have followed My way
and will follow it as long as they live.
Isaac is near Arimathea, as requested by our friend Joseph. I will take Isaac with
Me, so that he may join Timoneus when the latter arrives. You may join them,
Joseph, if you think that there is peace in Me and a purpose for a whole life.
They will be good brothers to you. »
« O my Comfort! It is exactly as You say. My deep wounds, both as a man
and as a believer, are being cured very quickly. I have been with You three days.
And I feel that what was my torture only three days ago, is a dream that is
fading away. I had that dream, but the more time elapses, the more its harsh
details vanish before reality. During the past nights I have pondered over things.
I have a good relative at Joppa. He was... the involuntary cause of my trouble,
because it was through him that I met that woman. And that will tell You
whether we were in a position to know whose daughter she was... True, she may
have been the daughter of my father's first wife. But he was not the father. Her
name was different and she came from far away. She became acquainted with
my relative through business transactions. And that is how I met her. My
relative was very fond of my business. I am going to make him an offer. The
business would come to an end without a master. I am sure he will buy it, also
because thereby he will not feel remorse for the trouble he caused me. I will
then be self-sufficient and I will be able to follow You without any worry. I only
ask You to grant me that man Isaac You mentioned. I am afraid of being all
alone with my thoughts. They are still too sad...»
« I will let you have Isaac. He is a kind soul. Sorrow has perfected him. He has
carried his cross for thirty years. He knows what it means to suffer... In the
meantime we will go ahead. And you will join us at Nazareth. »
