Today, Jesus spent the entire day at the house of Lazarus with His apostles and the holy women. In the morning, He taught the disciples and the women in the hospice. Around three in the afternoon, there was a general meal in the underground vaults. The women served at the table and, once the meal was finished, they listened to Jesus' teaching from a separate area in the latticed dwelling. The Lord announced to them that they would not be together much longer: that they would not eat here, in the house of Lazarus, again. He said they would still do so at the house of Simon the Leper, but that they would not be so at peace. He invited them to trust Him and to ask Him questions with complete freedom, as if He were one of them.
Many things were asked, especially by Thomas, who had many doubts. John questioned Him a few times, but always calmly and humbly. When Jesus, after the meal, spoke of the proximity of His time and how He would be delivered by betrayal, Peter could not contain himself. He asked Jesus why He always said He would be betrayed; he asked if it was possible to believe that one of them could be the traitor, adding that he would personally guarantee that none of the twelve would be capable of betraying Him. He said this boldly, as if his honor as the leader of the apostles had been offended. Jesus answered him more severely than ever before—even more so than when He said, "Get behind me, Satan." He told them that if His goodness and grace did not aid them, they would all fall; that when danger arrived, everyone would abandon Him. He mentioned that among them there was one who did not waver, but that even he would flee, though he would return later. This referred to John, who, when Jesus was taken prisoner, fled leaving behind the linen cloth he was wrapped in. The apostles grew sad; only Judas Iscariot appeared on this occasion to be very helpful, friendly, and smiling.
When they asked Jesus about the kingdom to come, He spoke to them sweetly on the subject, announcing that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, and then they would understand all these things. He told them that He must return to the Father to be able to send them the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and from Himself. He added something I cannot quite express, something like this: That He came to become flesh to redeem man; therefore, His action upon them, His apostles, is more physical, as the body acts more physically. So that they might come to understand Him, He would send the Holy Spirit to give them spiritual growth. Then He spoke of the time of tribulation that was already coming upon Him; He warned them that they too would suffer like birth pains. Afterward, He moved on to discuss the beauty of the soul, made in the image of God, and how meritorious it was to save souls and lead them to heaven. He repeated that they had often misinterpreted and misunderstood Him; that He had always treated them with utmost patience: that they too should have great patience in dealing with others once He had departed from them, especially toward sinners. When Peter noted that He had also shown Himself to be severe and decisive at times, Jesus taught them the difference between true zeal for the glory of God and false zeal.
All of this lasted until late into the night. Nicodemus and a son of Simeon still came secretly. It was already past midnight when they retired to rest. Jesus told them to sleep peacefully once more, for a time would soon come when they would be in anguish, unable to sleep. He announced that later, during the persecutions, they would sleep with a stone under their heads, peaceful, like Jacob in the vision of the ladder to heaven. When Jesus finished speaking, they all said: "Lord, how short this evening meal and the night have seemed to us with these words You have spoken."