55. Thomas Becomes a Disciple.

 55. Thomas Becomes a Disciple. 27th October 1944. This morning, as I recovered my senses after a very heavy torpor which had lasted many hours, while I was praying awaiting daylight, I saw the resumption of the vision. I say resumption because we are still in the same place: the low, wide kitchen, with its dark, smoky walls, dimly lit up by the small flame of an oil lamp on the rustic table. It is a long narrow table at which eight people are sitting: Jesus and His six disciples, and the landlord, four each side. Jesus, sitting on a stool – the only seats here are three-legged stools, real country furniture – is still turned round speaking to Thomas. Jesus' hand has fallen from Thomas' head on to his shoulder. Jesus says: « Stand up, My friend. Have you had any supper yet? » « No, Master. I walked a few yards with the other fellow who was with me, then I left him and I came back saying that I wanted to speak to the healed leper… I said that because I thought he would disdain approaching an impure man. I guessed right. But I wanted to see You, not the leper… I wanted to say to You: “Please take me”… I wandered up and down the olive-grove until a young man asked me what I was doing. He must have thought I was ill-disposed. He was near a pillar, at the boundary of the olive-grove. » The landlord smiles. « It's my son » he explains and adds: « He is on guard at the oil-mill. In the caves under the mill, we still have almost all the crop of the year. It was a very good one and we made a lot of oil. And when there are large crowds about, robbers always get together to plunder unguarded places. Eight years ago, just at Parasceve, they robbed us of everything. Since then we keep a good watch one night each. His mother has gone to take him his supper. » « Well, he asked me: “What do you want?”, and he spoke in such a tone that to save my back from his stick, I answered at once: “I am looking for the Master Who lives here”. He then replied: “If what you say is true, come to the house”. And he brought me here. It was he who knocked at the door and he did not go away until he heard my first words. » « Do you live far away? » « I live on the other side of the town, near the Eastern Gate. » « Are you alone? » « I was with some relatives. But they have gone to stay with other relatives on the road to Bethlehem. I remained here to look for You day and-night, until I found You. » Jesus smiles and says: « So no one is waiting for you? » « No, Master. » « It is a long way, it is a dark night, the Roman patrols are about the town. I say: stay with us, if you wish. » « Oh! Master! » Thomas is happy. « Make room for him. And each of us will give something to our brother. » Jesus gives him the portion of cheese He had in front of Him. He explains to Thomas: « We are poor and our supper is almost over. But there is so much heart in who offers. » And He says to John who is sitting beside Him: « Give your seat to our friend. » John gets up at once and sits down at the end of the table near the landlord. « Sit down, Thomas, and eat. » And then He says to them all: « You will always behave like that, My friends, according to the law of charity. A pilgrim is already protected by the law of God. But now, in My name, you must love him even more. When anyone asks you for some bread, a drop of water or a shelter in the name of God, you must give it in the same name. And you will receive your reward from God. You must behave so with everybody. Even with your enemies. And that is the new Law. Up till now you were told: “Love those who love you and hate your enemies.” I say: “Love also those who hate you.” Oh! if you only knew how much you will be loved by God, if you love as I am telling you! And when anyone says: “I want to be your companion in serving the true Lord God and following His Lamb”, then he must be dearer to you than a brother by blood, because you will be joined by an eternal bond: the bond of Christ. » « But if someone comes who is not sincere? It is easy to say: “I want to do this or that.” But words do not always correspond to the truth » says Peter, rather irritated. I do not know why, but he is not in his usual jovial mood. « Peter, listen. What you say is sensible and fair. But, see: it is better to exceed in bounty and trust rather than exceed in distrust and hardness. If you help an 55. Thomas Becomes a Disciple. 173 undeserving person, what harm will befall you? None. Nay, God's reward will always be active for you, whereas the person will be guilty of betraying your trust. » « No harm? Eh! Very often a worthless person is not satisfied with ingratitude, but goes much further, even to the extreme of ruining one's reputation, wealth and one's very life. » « True. But would that diminish your merit? No, it would not. Even if the whole world should believe slander, even if you became poorer than Job, even if the cruel person should take your life, what would change in the eyes of God? Nothing. Nay, something would change. But to your advantage. God, to the merits of your bounty, would add the merits of your intellectual, financial, physical martyrdom. » « All right! Perhaps it is so. » Peter does not speak any more. He sulkily rests his head on his hand. Jesus addresses Thomas: « My friend, before, in the olivegrove I said to you: “When I come back here, if you are still willing, you will be one of My disciples.” Now I say to you: “Are you willing to do Jesus a favor?”» « Most certainly. » « And if this favor should cost you some sacrifice? » « There is no sacrifice in serving You. What is it You want? » « I wanted to say… but you may have some business, some affections…» « None, none! I have You! Tell me. » « Listen. Tomorrow at daybreak the leper will leave the sepulchers to find someone who will inform the priest. You will be the first to go to the sepulchers. It is charity. And you will shout: “Come out, you, the one who was cleansed yesterday. I have been sent by Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, He who cleansed you.” Let the world of the “living dead” know My name, let them throb with hope, and let those come to Me, who will have faith in addition to hope, that I may heal them. It is the first form of purity that I am bringing, the first form of the resurrection, of which I am the lord. One day I will grant a greater purity… One day the sealed tombs will violently expel those who are really dead, and they will appear and laugh with their empty eye sockets, with their bare jaws, because of the rejoicing of the souls freed from Limbo, a remote rejoicing and yet perceived even by skeletons. They will appear to laugh because of this liberation and to throb knowing it is due to… Go! He will come to you. You will do what he asks you to do. You will assist him in everything, as if he were your brother. And you will also say to him: “When you are completely purified, we will go together along the road of the river, beyond Doco and Ephraim. Jesus, the Master, will be waiting for us to tell us in what we have to serve him.” » « I will do that. And what about the other one? » « Who? The Iscariot? » « Yes, Master. » « The advice I gave him still stands. Let him decide by himself and let him take a long time. Nay, avoid seeing him. I will be with the leper. Only lepers wander about in the valley of the sepulchers and those who pitifully are in touch with them. » Peter mumbles something. Jesus hears him. « What is the matter with you, Peter? You either grumble or are silent. You seem to be discontented. Why? » « I am discontented. We were the first and You did not work a miracle for us. We were the first and You let a stranger sit beside You. We were the first and You entrust him, not us, with a task. We were the first and… yet, yes, we seem to be the last ones. Why are You going to wait for them on the road near the river? Certainly to entrust them with some mission. Why them, and not us? » Jesus looks at him. He is not angry. On the contrary He smiles as one smiles at a child. He gets up, goes slowly over to Peter and, smiling, says to him: « Peter! Peter! You are a big, old baby! » And He says to Andrew, who is sitting beside his brother: « Go and take My seat » and He sits beside Peter, clasping his shoulders with His arm, and He speaks to him, holding him thus against His own shoulder: « Peter, you think I am being unfair, but I am not. On the contrary it is a proof that I know what you are worth. Look. Who needs proofs? He who is not yet certain. I knew you were so certain about Me, that I did not feel any need to give you evidence of My power. Proofs are required here in Jerusalem, where vices, irreligiousness, politics and many worldly things dim souls to such an extent that they can no longer see the Light passing by. But up there, on our beautiful lake, so clear under a clear sky, amongst honest and good willing people, no proof is required. You will have miracles. I will pour torrents of 55. Thomas Becomes a Disciple. 174 graces upon you. But consider how I valued you, I took you without exacting any proof and without finding it necessary to give you any, because I know who you are. You are dear to Me, so dear, and so faithful. » Peter cheers up: « Forgive me, Jesus. » « Yes, I forgive you because your sulkiness is a sign of love. But do not be envious any more, Simon of Jonas. Do you know what the heart of your Jesus is? Have you ever seen the sea, the real sea? You have? Well, My heart is bigger than the immense sea! And there is room for everybody. For the whole of mankind. And the smallest person has a place exactly as the greatest. And a sinner finds love just like an innocent. I am entrusting these with a mission. Certainly. Do you want to forbid Me? I chose you. You did not choose yourselves. I am therefore free to decide how I want to employ you. And if I leave them here with a mission – which might well be a test, as the lapse of time granted to the Iscariot may be due to mercy – can you reproach Me? How do you know that I am not keeping a greater mission for you? And is not the nicest mission to be told: “You will come with me”? » « It is true. I am a blockhead! Forgive me… » « Yes. I forgive everything. Oh! Peter!… But I beg you all never to discuss merits and positions. I could have been born a king. I was born poor, in a stable. I could have been rich. I lived with My work and now I live out of charity. And yet, believe Me, My friends, there is no one greater than I in the eyes of God. Greater than I am, Who am here: the servant of man. » « You a servant? Never! » « Why not, Peter? » « Because I will serve You. » « Even if You served Me as a mother serves her child, I have come to serve man. I will be a Savior for him. What service is there like that? » « Oh! Master! You explain everything. And what seemed dark becomes clear at once! » « Are you happy now, Peter? Now let Me finish talking to Thomas. Are you sure you will recognize the leper? He is the only one healed; but he may already have left by starlight, to find an early wayfarer. And someone, anxious to enter the town and see his relatives, might perhaps take his place. Listen to his description. I was near him and I saw him well in the twilight. He is tall and thin. Of a dark complexion, like a cross-breed, very deep and dark eyes with snowwhite eyebrows, hair as white as linen and somewhat curly, and a long snubbed nose like the Lybians', two thick protruding lips particularly the lower one. He is so olive-colored that his lips verge on violet. He has an old scar on his forehead and it will be the only stain, now that he has been cleaned from scabs and dirt. » « He must be old, if he is all white. » « No, Philip, he looks old, but he is not. Leprosy made him white. » « What is he? A cross-breed? » « Perhaps, Peter. He resembles African people. » « Will he be an Israelite, then? » « We will find out. But suppose he is not? » « Eh! If he were not, he would go away. He is already lucky that he deserved to be healed. » « No, Peter. Even if he is an idolater, I will not send him away. Jesus has come for everybody. And I solemnly tell you that people living in darkness will overcome the children of the people of Light… » Jesus sighs. He then stands up. He thanks the Father with a hymn and blesses everyone. The vision ends thus. -------------- I point out incidentally that my internal adviser said to me, since yesterday evening when I saw the leper: « It is Simon, the apostle. You will see him and Thaddeus coming to the Master. » This morning, after Holy Communion (today is Friday) I opened my missal and I saw that this is the eve of the feast of Saints Simon and Judas, and tomorrow's Gospel deals with charity, almost repeating the very words I heard before the vision. However, I have not seen Judas Thaddeus so far.

54.Jesus Meets Judas Iscariot and Thomas and Cures Simon the Zealot

 54. Jesus Meets Judas Iscariot and Thomas and Cures Simon the Zealot. 26th October 1944. Jesus is together with His six disciples. Neither the other day nor today have I seen Judas Thaddeus, who said he wanted to come to Jerusalem with Jesus. It must still be Passover time, because there is always a lot of people in town. It is evening and many people are hurrying home. Jesus also goes towards the house where He is a guest. It is not the house of the last Supper, which is in town, although not far from its walls. This house, instead, is a real country house, amongst thick olive-trees. From the rustic open space in front of the house, one can see the olive-trees down the terraces of the hill, right down to a little torrent, with very little water, which flows away along the valley formed by two hills: on the top of one there is the Temple, on the other hill there are only olive-trees. Jesus is at the first slopes of the latter hill, which rises smoothly, completely covered with peaceful trees. « John, there are two men awaiting your friend » says an elderly man, who must be the farmer or the owner of the olive-grove. I would say that John knows him. « Where are they? Who are they? » « I don't know. One is certainly a Judaean. The other… I don't know. I didn't ask him. » « Where are they? » « In the kitchen, waiting, and… and… yes… there is another man who is all covered with sores. I made him stay over there, because I am afraid he may be a leper. He says he wants to see the Prophet Who spoke in the Temple. » Jesus, Who up to this moment has been silent, says: « Let us go to him first. Tell the others to come if they so wish. I will speak to them there, in the olive-grove. » And He makes for the place indicated by the man. 54.Jesus Meets Judas Iscariot and Thomas and Cures Simon the Zealot. 169 « And what about us? What shall we do? » asks Peter. « Come, if you want. » A man, muffled up, is leaning against the rustic wall supporting a terrace, the nearest to the boundary of the property. He must have climbed up there along a path coasting the torrent. When he sees Jesus approaching him, he shouts: « Go back. Back! Have mercy on me! » And he uncovers his trunk dropping his tunic to the ground. If his face is covered with scabs his trunk is one big sore. Some of the sores have already become deep wounds, some are like burns, some are whitish and glossy, as if there was a thin white pane of glass on them. « Are you a leper? What do you want of Me? » « Don't curse me! Don't stone me. I have been told that the other evening You revealed Yourself as the Voice of God and the Bearer of Grace. I was also told that You gave assurance that by raising Your Sign, You will cure all diseases. Please raise it on me. I have come from the sepulchers… over there… I crept like a snake amongst the bushes near the torrent to arrive here without being seen. I waited until evening before leaving because at dusk it is more difficult to see who I am. I dared… I found this man, the man of the house, he is good. He did not kill me. He only said: “Wait over there, near the little wall.” Have mercy on me » and as Jesus is going near him, all by Himself, because the six disciples and the landlord, as well as the two strangers, are far away and are evidently disgusted, he adds: « Don't come nearer. Don't! I am infected! » But Jesus proceeds. He looks at him so mercifully, that the man starts crying and kneels down almost touching the ground with his face, moaning: « Your Sign! Your Sign! » « It will be raised when it is time. But now I say to you: Stand up. Be healed. I want it. And be the sign in this town that must recognize Me. Rise, I say. And do not sin, out of gratitude to God! » The man rises slowly. He seems to emerge from the long flowery grass as from a shroud… and is healed. He looks at himself in the last dim light of the day. He is healed. He shouts: « I am clean! Oh! What shall I do for You now? » « You must comply with the Law. Go to the priest. Be good in future. Go. » The man is on the point of throwing himself at Jesus' feet, but he remembers he is still impure, according to the Law, and he restrains himself. But he kisses his own hand, and throws a kiss to Jesus and weeps. He weeps out of joy. The others are dumbfounded. Jesus turns away from the healed man and rouses them smiling. « My friends, it was only a leprosy of the flesh. But you will see leprosy fall from hearts. Is it you that wanted Me? » He asks the two strangers. « Here I am. Who are you? » « We heard You the other evening… in the Temple. We looked for You in town. A man, who said he is a relative of Yours, told us You stay here. » « Why are you looking for Me? » « To follow You, if You will allow us, because You have words of truth. » « Follow Me? But do you know where I am going? » « No, Master, but certainly to glory. » « Yes. But not to a glory of this world . I am going to a glory which is in Heaven and is conquered by virtue and sacrifice. Why do you want to follow Me? » He asks them again. « To take part in Your glory. » « According to Heaven? » « Yes, according to Heaven. » « Not everybody is able to arrive there. Because Mammon lays more snares for those yearning for Heaven than for the others. And only he who has strong will power can resist. Why follow Me, if to follow Me implies a continuous struggle against the enemy, which is in us, against the hostile world, and against the Enemy who is Satan? » « Because that is the desire of our souls, which have been conquered by You. You are holy and powerful. We want to be Your friends. » « Friends!!! » Jesus is silent and sighs. Then He stares at the one who has spoken all the time and who has now removed the mantle-hood from his head, and is bareheaded. He is Judas of Kerioth. « Who are you? You speak better than a man of the people. » « I am Judas, the son of Simon. I come from Kerioth. But I am of the Temple. I am waiting for and dreaming of the King of the Jews. I heard You speak like a king. I saw Your kingly gestures. Take me with You. » 54.Jesus Meets Judas Iscariot and Thomas and Cures Simon the Zealot. 170 « Take you? Now? At once? No. » « Why not, Master? » « Because it is better to examine ourselves carefully before venturing on very steep roads. » « Do You not believe I am sincere? » « You have said it. I believe in your impulsiveness. But I do not believe in your perseverance. Think about it, Judas. I am going away now and I will be back for Pentecost. If you are in the Temple, you will see Me. Examine yourself. And who are you? ». « I am another one who saw You. I would like to be with You. But now I am frightened. » « No. Presumption ruins people. Fear may be an impediment, but it is a help when it originates from humility. Do not be afraid. Think about it, too, and when I come back… » « Master, You are so holy! I am afraid of not being worthy. Nothing else. Because I do not doubt my love… » « What is your name? » « Thomas, of Didymus. » « I will remember your name. Go in peace. » Jesus dismisses them and He goes into the hospitable house for supper. The six disciples who are with Him want to know many things. « Why, Master, why did You treat them differently? Because there was a difference. Both of them had the same impulsiveness… » asks John. « My friend, also the same impulsiveness may have a different taste and bring about a different effect. They both certainly had the same impulsiveness. But they were not the same in their purposes. And the one who appears less perfect is, in fact, more perfect, because he has no incentive to human glory. He loves Me because he loves Me. » « And so do I. » « And I, too. », « And I. », « And I. », « And I. », « And I. » « I know. I know you for what you are. » « Are we therefore perfect? » « Oh! No! But, like Thomas, you will become perfect if you persevere in your desire to love. Perfect?! Oh! My friends! And who is perfect but God? » « You are! » « I solemnly tell you that I am not perfect by Myself, if you think I am prophet. No man is perfect. But I am perfect because He Who is speaking to you is the Word of the Father: part of God. His thought that becomes Word. I have Perfection in Myself. And you must believe Me to be such if you believe that I am the Word of the Father. And yet, see, My friends, I want to be called the Son of man because I lower Myself taking upon Myself all the miseries of man, to bear them as My first scaffold, and cancel them, after bearing them, without suffering from them Myself. What a burden, My friends! But I bear it with joy. It is a joy for Me to bear it, because, since I am the Son of mankind, I will make mankind once again the child of God. As it was on the first day. » Jesus is speaking very gently, sitting at the poor table, gesticulating calmly with His hands on the table, His head slightly inclined to one side, His face lit up from below by a small oil lamp on the table. He smiles gently, He Who formerly was so majestic a Master in His bearing, is now so friendly in His gestures. His disciples are listening to Him carefully. « Master… why did Your cousin not come, although he knows where You live? » « My Peter!… You will be one of My stones, the first one. But not all the stones can be easily used. Have you seen the marble blocks in the Praetorium building? With hard labor they have been torn away from the bosom of the mountain side, and are now part of the Praetorium. Look instead at those stones down there shining in the moonlight, in the water of the Kidron. They arrived in the riverbed by themselves, and if anyone wants to take them, they do not put up any resistance. My cousin is like the first stones I am speaking of… The bosom of the mountain side: his family, they contend for him with Me. » « But I want to be exactly like the stones in the torrent. I am quite prepared to 54.Jesus Meets Judas Iscariot and Thomas and Cures Simon the Zealot. 171 leave everything for You: home, wife, fishing, brothers. Everything, Rabboni, for You. » « I know, Peter. That is why I love you. Also Judas will come. » « Who? Judas of Kerioth? I don't care for him. He is a dandy young man, but… I prefer… I prefer myself… » They all laugh at Peter's witty remark. « There is nothing to laugh at. I mean that I prefer a sincere Galilean, a rough fisherman, but without any fraud to… to townsfolk who… I don't know… here: the Master knows what I mean. » « Yes, I know. But do not judge. We need one another in this world, the good are mixed with the wicked, just like flowers in a field. Hemlock grows beside the salutary mallow. » « I would like to ask one thing… » « What, Andrew? » « John told me about the miracle You worked at Cana… We were hoping so much that You would work one at Capernaum… and You said that You would not work any miracles before fulfilling the Law. Why Cana then? And why here and not in Your own fatherland? » « To obey the Law is to be united to God and that increases our capabilities. A miracle is the proof of the union with God, as well as of God's benevolent and assenting presence. That is why I wanted to perform My duty as an Israelite, before starting the series of miracles. » « But You were not bound to fulfill the Law. » « Why? As the Son of God, I was not. But as a son of the Law, yes, I was. For the time being, Israel knows Me only as such… and, even later, almost everyone in Israel will know Me as such, nay, even less. But I do not want to scandalize Israel and therefore I obey the Law. » « You are holy. » « Holiness does not bar obedience. Nay it makes obedience perfect. Besides everything else, there is a good example to be given. What would you say of a father, of an elder brother, of a teacher, of a priest who did not give good examples? » « And what about Cana? » « Cana was to make My Mother happy. Cana is the advance due to My Mother. She anticipates Grace. Here I honor the Holy City, making her, in public, the starting point of My power as Messiah. But there, at Cana, I paid honor to the Holy Mother of God, Full of Grace. The world received Me through Her. It is only fair that My first miracle in the world should be for Her. » There is a knocking at the door. It is Thomas once again. He goes in and throws himself at Jesus' feet. « Master… I cannot wait until You come back. Let me come with You. I am full of faults, but I have my love, my only real great treasure. It is Yours, it's for You. Let me come, Master… » Jesus lays His hand on Thomas' head. « You may stay, Didymus. Follow Me. Blessed are those who are sincere and persistent in their will. You are all blessed. You are more than relatives to Me, because you are My children and My brothers, not according to the blood, that dies, but according to the will of God and to your spiritual wishes. Now I tell you that I have no closer relative than those who do the will of My Father, and you do it, because you want what is good. » The vision ends thus. It is 4 o'clock p.m. and the shadows of torpor are already falling upon me: a torpidity which I perceive will be violent, a logical consequence of yesterday's painful hour… But I was very ill also on October the 24th. So much so, that when the vision was over – I wrote it suffering from a headache quite as bad as meningitis – I did not have enough strength to add that at last I saw Jesus dressed as He appears to me when the vision is entirely for me: wearing a soft tunic of white wool just verging to ivory and a mantle of the same hue. The garments He was wearing the first time He revealed Himself as Messiah in Jerusalem.

53. Jesus Drives the Merchants out of the Temple

 53. Jesus Drives the Merchants out of the Temple. 24th October 1944. I see Jesus entering the enclosure of the Temple with Peter, Andrew, John, James, Philip and Bartholomew. There is a very large crowd both inside and 53. Jesus Drives the Merchants out of the Temple. 166 outside the enclosure. Pilgrims are arriving in flocks from every part of the town. From the top of the hill on which the Temple is built, one can see the narrow twisted streets of the town, swarming with people. One gets the impression that a self-moving, many-colored ribbon has been laid between the white houses. The town looks like a rare toy indeed, a toy made of gaily-colored ribbons between two white threads, all converging on the point where the domes of the House of the Lord are shining. Inside it is... a real market. The concentration of a holy place has been destroyed. Some run, some call, some contract for lambs, shouting and cursing because of the extortionate prices, some drive the poor bleating animals into their enclosures (rough partitions made of ropes and pegs, at the entrance of which stand the merchants or owners, awaiting buyers). Blows with cudgels, bleatings, curses, shouts, insults to the boys who are not prompt in gathering together or selecting the animals, abuses to the purchasers who haggle over prices or who go away, graver insults to those who wisely brought their own lambs. Near the benches of the money-changers, there is more bawling. It is obvious that either always, or at Passover time, the Temple functioned as a... stock exchange or black market. There was no fixed rate of exchange. There must have been a legal rate, but the money-changers imposed a different one, making whatever profit they fancied, for exchanging the money. And I can assure you they were not joking in their usury transactions!... The poorer the people were and the farther they came from, the more they were fleeced: old people more than young people, those coming from beyond Palestine more than the old folk. Some poor old men looked over and over again at the money they had saved in a whole year, I wonder with how much hard work, they took it out and put it back into their purses dozens and dozens of times, going from one money-changer to another and at times ending up by going back to the first one, who avenged himself for their original desertion by increasing the premium for the exchange. And the big coins passed from the hands of the sighing owners into the clutches of the usurers and were changed into smaller coins. Then a further tragedy would take place with vendors over the choice and payment of their lambs, and the poor old men, particularly if they were half blind, were fobbed off with the most wretched little lambs. I see an old couple, man and wife, come back pushing a poor little lamb which must have been found faulty by the sacrificers. They cried and begged the vendor, who, far from being moved, replied with nasty words and rude manners. « Considering what you want to spend, Galileans, the lamb I gave you is even too good. Go away! Or if you want a better one, you must pay five more coins. » « In the name of God! We are poor and old! Are you going to prevent us from celebrating this Passover which may be our last one? Are you not satisfied with what you wanted for a poor little lamb? » « Go away, you filthy lot. Joseph the Elder is now coming here. I enjoy his favor. God be with you, Joseph! Come and make your choice! » The man whose name is Joseph the Elder, that is Joseph of Arimathea, enters the enclosure and picks a magnificent lamb. He passes by, stately and proud, magnificently dressed, without even looking at the poor old people weeping at the gate, that is the enclosure entrance. He almost bumps into them when he goes out with the fat, bleating lamb. But Jesus also is now nearby. He also has made His purchase, and Peter, who probably bargained for Him, is pulling a fairly good lamb. Peter would like to go at once where they offer the sacrifices. But Jesus turns to the right, towards the dismayed, weeping, undecided old couple, who are knocked about by the crowds and insulted by the vendor. Jesus, Who is so tall that the heads of the poor old souls reach only up to His heart, lays one hand on the shoulder of the woman and asks her: « Why are you crying, woman? » The little old woman turns round and she sees the young, tall, stately man, wearing a beautiful new white tunic and a snow-white mantle. She must think He is a doctor because of His garments and His aspect and is greatly surprised, because doctors and priests pay no attention to the poor, neither do they protect them from the stinginess of merchants. She explains to Jesus the reason for their tears. Jesus addresses the lamb vendor: « Change this lamb for these believers. It is not worthy of the altar, neither is it fair that you should take advantage of two poor old people, only because they are weak and unprotected. » « And who are You? » 53. Jesus Drives the Merchants out of the Temple. 167 « A just man. » « By Your way of speaking and Your companions', I know You are a Galilean. Can there be a just man in Galilee? » « Do what I told you, and be a just man yourself. » « Listen! Listen to the Galilean Who is defending His equals! And He wants to teach us of the Temple! » The man laughs and jeers, imitating the Galilean accent, which is more musical and softer than the Judaean, at least I think so. Many people go near them and other merchants and moneychangers take their companion's part against Jesus. Amongst the people present there are two or three ironical rabbis. One of them asks: « Are You a doctor? », in such a way that even Job would lose his temper. « Yes, I am. » « What do You teach? » « This I teach: to make the House of God a house of prayer and not a usury or a market place. That is what I teach. » Jesus is formidable. He looks like the archangel posted on the threshold of Eden. He has no flashing sword in His hand but the beams from His eyes strike the impious mockers like lightning. Jesus has nothing in His hands. All He has is His wrath. And full of wrath, He walks fast and solemn between the benches, He scatters the coins which had been sorted out so meticulously according to their values, He turns over the benches and tables, and everything falls on the ground with great noise, in the bustle of rebounding metals and beaten wood, angry cries, shrieks of terror and shouts of approval. He then snatches from the hands of the stable-boys some ropes with which they were holding oxen, sheep and lambs, and He makes a very hard lash, in which the slip-knots are real scourges: He lifts it, swings it and strikes mercilessly with it. Yes, I can assure you: mercilessly. The unforeseen storm hits heads and backs. The believers move to one side admiring the scene; the guilty ones, chased as far as the external wall, take to their heels, leaving their money on the ground and abandoning in a great confusion of legs, horns and wings, their animals, some of which run and fly away. The bellows, bleatings, and fluttering of turtle doves and pigeons, added to the burst of laughter and shouting of the believers at the escaping usurers, overcome even the plaintive chorus of lambs, slaughtered in another yard. Priests, rabbis and Pharisees rush to the spot. Jesus is still in the middle of the yard, on His way back from the chase. The lash is still in His hands. « Who are You? How dare You do that, upsetting the prescribed ceremonies? From which school are You? We do not know You, neither do we know where You come from. » « I am He Who is Mighty. I can do anything. Destroy this true Temple and I will raise it to give praise to God. I am not upsetting the holiness of the House of God or of the ceremonies, but you are perturbing it, allowing His House to become the centre of usurers and merchants. My school is the school of God. The same school as the whole of Israel had when the Eternal God spoke to Moses. You do not know Me? You will know Me. You do not know where I come from? You will learn.» And turning towards the people, without noticing the priests any longer, tall in His white tunic, with His mantle open and blowing behind His back, His arms stretched out like an orator at the most important part of his speech, He says: « Listen, Israel! In Deuteronomy it is said: “You are to appoint judges and scribes at all the gates... and they must administer an impartial judgment to the people. You must be impartial; you must take no bribes, for a bribe blinds wise men's eyes and jeopardizes the cause of the just. Strict justice must be your ideal, so that you may live in rightful possession of the land that Yahweh your God is giving you.” » « Listen, Israel. In Deuteronomy it is said: “The priests and scribes and the whole of the tribe of Levi shall have no share or inheritance with Israel, because they must live on the foods offered to Yahweh and on His dues; they shall have no inheritance among their brothers, because Yahweh will be their inheritance.” » « Listen, Israel. In Deuteronomy it is said: “You must not lend on interest to your brother, whether the lack be of money or food or anything else. You may demand interest on a loan of a foreigner; you will lend without interest to your brother whatever he needs.” The Lord said that. But now you see that in Israel judgments are administered without justice for the poor. They are not inclined to justice, but they are partial 53. Jesus Drives the Merchants out of the Temple. 168 with the rich, and to be poor, to be of the common people means to be oppressed. How can the people say: “Our judges are just” when they see that only the mighty ones are respected and satisfied, whereas the poor have no one who will listen to them? How can the people respect the Lord, when they see that the Lord is not respected by those who should respect Him more than everyone else? Does he who infringes the Lord's commandment respect Him? Why then do the priests in Israel possess property and accept bribes from taxcollectors and sinners, who make them offerings to obtain their favors, while they accept gifts to fill their coffers? God is the inheritance of His priests. He, the Father of Israel, is more than a Father to them and provides them with food, as it is just. But not more than what is just. He did not promise money and possessions to His servants of the sanctuary. In eternal life, they will possess Heaven for their justice, as Moses, Elijah, Jacob and Abraham will, but in this world they must have but a linen garment and a diadem of incorruptible gold: purity and charity, and their bodies must be subject to their souls, which are to be subject to the true God, and their bodies are not to be masters over their souls and against God. I have been asked on what authority I do this. And on what authority do they violate God's command and allow in the shade of the sacred walls usury on their brothers of Israel, who have come to obey the divine command? I have been asked from what school I come and I replied: “From God's school” Yes, Israel, I have come from and I will take you back to that holy and immutable school. Who wants to know the Light, the Truth, the Way, who wants to hear once again the voice of God speaking to his people, let him come to Me. You followed Moses through the deserts, Israel. Follow Me, because I shall lead you through a far worse desert, to the true blessed Land. At God's command, I will draw you to it, across an open sea. I will cure you of all evils lifting up My Sign. The time of Grace has come. The Prophets expected it and died waiting for it. The Prophets prophesied it and died in that hope. The just have dreamt of it and died comforted by that dream. It is now here. Come. “The Lord is about to judge His people and have mercy on His servants,” as He promised through Moses. » The people crowding round Jesus stand open-mouthed listening to Him. Then they comment on the new Rabbi's words and ask His companions questions. Jesus goes to another yard, separated from this one only by a porch. His friends follow Him, and the vision ends

52. Jesus at the Wedding at Cana.

 52. Jesus at the Wedding at Cana. The evening of 16th January 1944. I see a house. A typical middle east house: a long, low, white house, with few windows and doors, with a terraced roof, surrounded by a little wall, about one metre high, with a shady vine pergola, which reaches up to the sunny terrace and stretches its branches over more than half of its surface. An outside staircase climbs up along the front, reaching up to a door which is situated half way up 52. Jesus at the Wedding at Cana. 163 the facade. At ground level there are a few low doors, not more than two on each side of the house, and they open into low dark rooms. The house is built in the middle of what looks like a kind of threshing-floor, but is actually more a grassy open space than a threshing-floor, with a well in its centre. There are some fig and apple-trees. The house faces the road, but-it is not set right on the roadside. It is a little way off the road and a path along the grass links it to the road, which looks like a main road. It seems to be on the outskirts of Cana: a house owned by farmers who live in the middle of their holding. The country stretches calm and green far beyond the house. The sun is shining in a completely blue sky. At first I do not see anything else. There is no one near the house. Then I see two women, with long dresses and mantles that also cover their heads like veils, walking along the road and then on the path. One is older than the other: about fifty years old, with a dark dress, the grey-brown hue of raw wool. The other woman is wearing lighter garments: a pale yellow dress and a blue mantle. She looks about thirty-five years old. She is really beautiful, slender, and Her carriage is most dignified, although She is most kind and humble. When She is nearer, I notice Her pale face, Her blue eyes and Her blond hair visible on Her forehead. I recognise Our Most Holy Lady. I do not know who the other older woman is. They are speaking to each other and Our Lady smiles. When they are near the house, someone, who is obviously watching the arrival of the guests, informs the others in the house, and two men and two women, all in their best clothes, go to meet them. They give the two women and particularly Our Lady a most warm welcome. It is early morning, I would say about nine o'clock, perhaps earlier, because the country has the fresh look of the early morning hours, when the dew makes the grass look greener and the air is still free from dust. It appears to be springtime because the grass in the meadows is not parched by the summer sun and the corn in the fields is still young and green and earless. The leaves of the figtree and apple-tree are green and tender and those of the vines are the same. But I see no flowers on the apple-tree and there is no fruit on the apple and fig-tree or on the vines: which means that the apple-tree blossomed only recently and the little fruits cannot be seen as yet. Mary, Who is most warmly welcomed and is escorted by an elderly man who appears to be the landlord, climbs up the outside staircase and enters a large hall which seems to fill the whole of the house upstairs, or most of it. If I am correct, the rooms on the ground floor are the ones where they actually live, where they have their store-room, wine cellar, whereas the hall upstairs is used on special occasions, such as feast days, or for tasks which require a lot of space, such as drying and pressing foodstuffs. For special celebrations the hall is cleared of every object and then decorated, as it is today, with green branches, mats and tables prepared with rich dishes. In the centre there is a richly laid table with amphorae and plates full of fruit. Along the right-hand side wall, in respect to me, there is another table already prepared, but not so sumptuously. On the left-hand side, there is a kind of long dresser with plates of cheese and other foodstuffs, which look like cakes covered with honey and sweetmeats. On the floor, near the same wall, there are more amphorae and six large vases, shaped more or less like copper pitchers. I would call them jars. Mary listens benignly to what they are telling Her, then She takes off Her mantle and kindly helps to finish laying the tables. I see Her going to and fro sorting out the bed-seats, straightening up the wreaths of flowers, improving the appearance of the fruit dishes, making sure that the lamps are filled with oil. She smiles, speaks very little and in a very low voice. Instead She listens a lot and with so much patience. A loud sound of musical instruments (not very harmonious) is heard coming from the road. They all rush out, with the exception of Mary. I see the bride come in, smartly dressed and happy, surrounded by relatives and friends. The bridegroom, who was the first to rush out and meet her, is now beside her. At this point there is a change in the vision. Instead of the house I see a village. I do not know whether it is Cana or a nearby village. And I see Jesus with John and another man, who I think is Judas Thaddeus, but I may be wrong. I am sure about John. Jesus is wearing a white tunic and a dark blue mantle. When he hears the sound of the instruments, Jesus' companion questions a man about something and then tells Jesus. Then Jesus, smiling, says: « Let us go and make My Mother happy.» And He starts walking across the fields towards the house, with His two companions. I forgot to mention that it is my impression that Mary is either a relation or a close friend of the bridegroom's relatives, because She is on familiar terms with them. 52. Jesus at the Wedding at Cana. 164 When Jesus arrives, the same watchman as before, informs the others. The landlord, with his son, the bridegroom, and Mary goes down to meet Him, and greets Him respectfully. He then greets the other two and so does the bridegroom. But what I like is the loving and respectful way in which Jesus and Mary exchange their greetings. There are no effusions, but the words « Peace be with You» are pronounced with a look and a smile worth one hundred embraces and one hundred kisses. A kiss trembles on Mary's lips, but it is not given. She only lays Her little white hand on Jesus, shoulder and lightly touches a curl of His long hair. The caress of a chaste lover. Jesus climbs the staircase beside His Mother, followed by His disciples, the landlord and the groom, and enters the banquet hall, where the women start bustling about, adding seats and plates for the three guests, who, apparently, were not expected. I would say that Jesus' coming was uncertain and the arrival of His companions was completely unforeseen. I can distinctly hear the Master's full, virile, most sweet voice say on entering the hall: « May peace be in this house and the blessing of God on you all. » A greeting of majesty addressed to all the people present. Jesus dominates everybody with His bearing and His height. He is a guest, and a casual one, but He seems to be the king of the banquet, more than the groom, more than the landlord. No matter how humble and obliging, He is the one who dominates influential friends. The two disciples are also invited to sit at the same table, out of respect for Jesus. Jesus' back is turned to the wall where the large jars and the dresser are. He therefore cannot see them, neither can He see the steward bustling about the dishes of roast meat, which are brought in through a little door near the dresser. I notice one thing. With the exception of the mothers of the young couple and of Mary, no woman is sitting at that table. All the women, who are making a din worthy of one hundred people, are sitting at the other table near the wall, and are served after the young couple and the guests of importance. Jesus is sitting near the landlord, in front of Mary, Whose place is near the bride. The banquet starts. And I can assure you that they lack neither appetite nor thirst. The ones who eat and drink little are Jesus and His Mother, Who speaks also very little. Jesus talks a little more. But although very moderate, He is neither sullen nor disdainful in the little He says. He is kind, but not talkative. He answers when He is questioned, when they speak to Him, He takes an interest in the subject, he states His opinion, but then He concentrates on His thoughts, like one accustomed to meditation. He smiles, He never laughs. If He hears any inconsiderate joke, He pretends He has not heard. Mary is nourished by the contemplation of Her Jesus, and so is John, who is at the end of the table and hangs on His Master's lips. Mary notices that the servants are talking in low voices to the steward, who looks very embarrassed and She understands what the cause of the unpleasant situation is. « Son », She whispers in a low voice, thus drawing Jesus' attention. « Son, they have no more wine.» « Woman, what is there still between Me and You?» Jesus, when saying these words, smiles even more gently, and Mary smiles too, like two people aware of some truth which is their joyful secret and is ignored by everyone else. -------------- Jesus explains the meaning of the sentence to me. « That “still”, which is omitted by many translators, is the keyword of the sentence and explains its true meaning. I was the Son, submissive to My Mother, up to the moment when the will of My Father told Me that the hour had come when I was to be the Master. From the moment My mission started, I was no longer the Son submissive to My Mother, but I was the Servant of God. My moral ties with My Mother were broken. They had turned into higher bonds, all of a spiritual nature. I always called Mary, My Holy “Mother”. Our love suffered no interruptions, neither did it even cool down, nay, it was never so perfect as when I was separated from Her as by a second birth and She gave Me to the world and for the world, as the Messiah and Evangeliser. Her third sublime mystical maternity took place when She bore Me to the cross in the torture of Golgotha, and made Me the Redeemer of the world. “What is there still between Me and You?” Before I was Yours, only Yours. You gave Me orders, and I obeyed You. I was subject to You. Now I belong to My mission. Did I not say: “He, who lays his hand on the plough and looks back to bid farewell to those who are staying, is not fit for the Kingdom of God”? I had laid My hand on the plough not to cut the ground with the ploughshare, but to open 52. Jesus at the Wedding at Cana. 165 the hearts of men and sow there the word of God. I was to take My hand away from the plough only when they would tear it away to nail it to the Cross and to open with My torturing nail My Father's heart, out of which forgiveness for mankind was to flow. That “still”, forgotten by most, meant this: “You were everything for Me, Mother, as long as I was only Jesus of Mary of Nazareth, and You are everything in My spirit; but since I became the expected Messiah, I belong to My Father. Wait for a little while and once My mission is over, I will be, once again, entirely Yours; You will hold Me once again in Your arms, as when I was a little child, and no one will ever again contend with You for Your Son, considered as the disgrace of mankind, who will throw His mortal remains at You, to bring on You the shame of being the mother of a criminal. And afterwards You will have Me once again, triumphant, and finally You will have Me forever when You are triumphant in Heaven. But now I belong to all these men. And I belong to the Father, Who sent Me to them.” That is the sense of that short but so full of meaning “still”. » ------------------ Mary says to the servants: « Do what He will tell you.» In the smiling eyes of Her Son, Mary has read His consent, veiled by the great teaching to all those “who are called”. And Jesus says to the servants: « Fill the jars with water. » I see the servants filling the jars with water brought from the well (I hear the pulley screeching as the dripping pail is pulled up and lowered down). I see the steward pour out some of the liquid with astonished eyes, then taste it with gestures of even greater astonishment, relish it and speak to the landlord and the groom. Mary looks at Her Son once again, and smiles; then having received a smile from Him, She bows Her head, blushing slightly. She is happy. A murmur spreads throughout the hall, they all turn their heads towards Jesus and Mary, some stand up to get a better view, some go near the jars. Then a moment's silence, which is immediately broken by an outburst of praises for Jesus. He stands up and simply says: « Thank Mary » and withdraws from the banquet. His disciples follow Him. On the threshold He repeats: « May peace be in this house and God's blessing on you » and He adds: « Goodbye, Mother.» The vision ends. ------------------- Jesus teaches me as follows: « When I said to My disciples: “Let us go and make My Mother happy”, I had given the sentence a deeper meaning than it seemed. I did not mean the happiness of seeing Me, but the joy of being the initiatress of My miraculous activity and the first benefactress of mankind. Always remember that. My first miracle happened because of Mary. The very first one. It is a symbol that Mary is the key to miracles. I never refuse My Mother anything and because of Her prayer I bring forward also the time of grace. I know My Mother, the second in goodness after God. I know that to grant you a grace is to make Her happy, because She is All Love. That is why I said, knowing Her: “Let us go and make Her happy.” Besides I wanted to make Her power known to the world together with Mine. Since She was destined to be joined to Me in the flesh, it was fair She should be joined to Me in the power that is shown to the world. Because We were one flesh: I in Her, She around Me, like the petals of a lily round its scented lively pistil; and She was united to Me in sorrow: because we were both on the cross, I with My body, She with Her soul, as a lily is scented because of its corolla and because of the essence extracted from it. I say to you what I said to the other guests: “Thank Mary. It is through Her that you had with you the Master of the miracle and you have My graces, particularly those of forgiveness.” Rest in peace. We are with you.»

51.Judas Thaddeus at Bethsaida to Invite Jesus to the Wedding at Cana

 51. Judas Thaddeus at Bethsaida to Invite Jesus to the Wedding at Cana 17th October 1944. I see the kitchen in Peter's house. In addition to Jesus, there are Peter and his wife, James and John. I think they have just finished eating their supper. They are talking, and Jesus takes an interest in fishing. Andrew enters and says: « Master, there is the man here in whose house You are living, together with another man who says he is Your cousin. » Jesus gets up and goes towards the door saying: « Let them come in. » And when He sees Judas Thaddeus in the light of the oil lamp and of the fireplace, He exclaims: « You, Judas?! » « Yes, Jesus. » They kiss each other. Judas Thaddeus is a handsome man, in the fullness of his virile manhood. He is tall, although not quite so tall as Jesus, well built and strong, of a dark brownolive complexion, like saint Joseph when young, but not sallow: his eyes have something in common with those of Jesus, because they are blue, verging on periwinkle. His brown beard is squarely cut, his hair wavy, but not so curly as Jesus', and is the same hue as his beard. « I have come from Capernaum, I went there by boat and I have come here in the same boat to gain time. Your Mother sends me; She says: “Susanna is getting married tomorrow; please come to the wedding.” Mary will be there, and also my mother and brothers. All the relatives have been invited. You would be the only one absent, and they ask You to come and make the young couple happy. » Jesus bows lightly stretching out His arms and says: « A wish of My Mother is a law for Me. But I will come also for Susanna's and our relatives' sake. Only… I 51.Judas Thaddeus at Bethsaida to Invite Jesus to the Wedding at Cana 161 am sorry for you… » and He looks at Peter and the others. « They are My friends » He explains to His cousin. And then He mentions their names, beginning with Peter's. He then adds: « And this is John » with a special expression that causes Judas Thaddeus to look at him more carefully while the beloved disciple blushes. He ends the introductions stating: « My friends, this is Judas, son of Alphaeus, My cousin according to the custom of the world, because he is the son of the brother of My Mother's spouse. A very good friend of Mine, and a companion both in life and in work. » « My house is open to you as it is to the Master. Sit down » and then addressing Jesus, Peter says: « So? Are we no longer going to Jerusalem with You? » « Of course you will come. I will go after the wedding feast. The only difference is that I will not stop at Nazareth any longer. » « Quite right, Jesus, because Your Mother is my guest for a few days. That is what we intend to do. She also will come there after the wedding. » It is the man from Capernaum who speaks thus. « This is what we will do. I will now go in Judas' boat to Tiberias and from there to Cana. With the same boat I will come back to Capernaum with My Mother, and with you. You will come the day after the next Sabbath, Simon, if you still wish to come, and we will go to Jerusalem for Passover. » « Of course I want to come! Nay, I will come on the Sabbath to hear You in the synagogue. » « Are You already teaching, Jesus? » asks Thaddeus. « Yes, My cousin. » « And you should hear His words! Ah! no one else speaks like Him! » exclaims Peter. Judas sighs. With his head resting on his hand, his elbow on his knee, he looks at Jesus and sighs. He seems anxious to speak but does not dare. Jesus encourages him: « What is the matter, Judas? Why do you look at Me and sigh? » « Nothing. » « No. It must be something. Am I no longer the Jesus of Whom you were fond? From Whom you had no secrets? » « Of course You are! And how I miss You, You the Master of Your older cousin… » « Well, then! Speak. » « I wanted to tell You… Jesus… be careful… You have a Mother… She has but You… You want to be a “rabbi” different from the others and You know, better than I do, that… that the powerful classes do not allow anything which may differ from the customary laws they have laid down. I know Your way of thinking… it is a holy one… But the world is not holy… and it oppresses saints… Jesus… You know the fate of Your cousin the Baptist… He is in jail, and if he is not yet dead, it is because that evil Tetrarch is afraid of the crowds and of the wrath of God. As evil and superstitious as cruel and lustful… You… what are You going to do? To what fate are You going to expose Yourself? » « Judas, you are so familiar with My way of thinking, and that is what you ask Me? Are you speaking on your own initiative? No, don't lie! You have been sent, certainly not by My Mother, to tell Me such things… » Judas lowers his head and becomes silent. « Speak, cousin. » « My father… and Joseph and Simon with him… You know, for Your sake, because they are fond of You and Mary… do not look favorably on what You intend doing… and… and they would like You to think of Your Mother… » « And what do you think? » « I… I… » « You are drawn in opposite directions by the voices coming from High Above and those coming from the world. I am not saying from below. I say from the world. The same applies to James, even more so. But I tell you that above the world there is Heaven, and above the interest of the world there is the cause of God. You must change your ways of thinking. When you learn to do that, you will be perfect. » « But… and Your Mother? » « Judas, She is the only one who, according to the way of thinking of the world, 51.Judas Thaddeus at Bethsaida to Invite Jesus to the Wedding at Cana 162 should be entitled to recall Me to My duty as a son: that is to My duty to work for Her, and provide for Her material needs, to My duty to assist and comfort Her with My presence. But She does not ask for any of these things. Since She had Me, She knew She would lose Me, to find Me once again in a much wider manner than the small family circle… And since then She has prepared Herself for that. Her unreserved voluntary donation of Herself to God is nothing new. Her mother offered Her in the Temple before She even smiled at life. And – as She told Me the innumerable times She spoke to Me of Her holy childhood, holding Me close to Her heart in the long winter evenings or in the clear starry summer nights – She gave Herself to God since the dawn of Her life in this world. And She gave Herself even more when She had Me, that She might be where I am, fulfilling the Mission given to Me by God. Everybody will abandon Me at a certain moment, perhaps only for a few minutes, but everyone will be overcome by cowardice, and you will think that it would have been better, for your own safety, if you had never known Me. But She, Who understood and knows, She will always be with Me. And you will become Mine, once again, through Her. With the power of Her unshaken, loving faith, She will draw you to Herself and will thus bring you to Me, because I am in My Mother, and She is in Me, and We are in God. I would like you all to understand that, both you who are My relatives according to the world, and you, friends and children in a supernatural way. Neither you, nor anyone else know Who My Mother is. But if you knew, you would not criticise Her in your hearts stating She is not capable of keeping Me subject to Her, but you would venerate Her as the closest friend of God, the Mighty Woman Who can obtain all graces from the heart of the Eternal Father and from Her beloved Son. I will certainly come to Cana. I want to make Her happy. You will understand better after the wedding. » Jesus is majestic and persuasive. Judas gazes at Him. He is thinking. He then says: « And I will certainly come with You, with these friends, if You want me… because I feel that what You say is right. Forgive my blindness and my brothers'. You are so much holier than we are!… » « I bear no grudge against those who do not know Me. I am also without illfeeling towards those who hate Me. But I feel sorry for them, because of the harm they do themselves. What have you got in that satchel? » « The tunic Your Mother sent You. It is a big feast tomorrow. She thinks that Her Jesus will need it, so that He may not look out of place amongst all the guests. She worked from early morning till late night every day, to have it ready for You. But She did not finish the mantle. Its fringes are not yet ready and She is very sorry about it. » « It does not matter. I will wear this one, and I will keep that one for Jerusalem. The Temple is much more important than a wedding feast. » « She will be so happy. » « If you want to be on the way to Cana at dawn, you ought to leave at once. The moon is rising and it will be a pleasant crossing » says Peter. « Let us go, then. Come, John. I am taking you with Me. Goodbye, Simon Peter, James, Andrew. I will see you on the Sabbath evening at Capernaum. Goodbye, woman. Peace be with you and your house. » Jesus goes out with Judas and John. Peter follows them as far as the lake and helps them cast off. And the vision ends