February 5, 2010 (Friday)

Mark 6:14-29

Maria Valtorta Poem of the Man God

Volume 2, pp 729-735

269. The News of the Murder of John the Baptist.

            4th September 1945.

            Jesus is curing some sick people; Manaen only is present. They are in the house in Capernaum, in the shady kitchen garden, early in the morning. Manaen is no longer wearing his precious belt or the thin plate on his forehead. His tunic is held tight by a woollen cord and his headgear by a thin strip of cloth. Jesus is bareheaded, as He always is, when at home.

            After curing and comforting the sick people, Jesus goes upstairs with Manaen and they both sit on the window-sill of the window facing the mountain, because the sun is shining on the other side of the house and it is very warm, although it is no longer the height of summer.

            «Vintage will be starting soon» says Manaen.

            «Yes. Then it will be the feast of the Tabernacles... and it will soon be winter. When are you thinking of going away?»

            «H'm... I would never leave... But I am thinking of the Baptist. Herod is weak. If one knows how to influence him to do good, if he does not become good, he remains at least... not blood-thirsty. But only few people advise him wisely. And that woman!... That woman!... But I would like to stay here until Your apostles come back. Not that I rely much on myself... but I still have some weight... although the favour I enjoyed previously has diminished much since they have realized that I now follow the way of Good. But it does not matter. I would like to have enough courage to be able to abandon everything and follow You completely, like the disciples whom You are expecting. But shall I ever succeed? We who are not of the common people find it more difficult to follow You. Why?»

            «Because the tentacles of your poor wealth hold you back.»

            «However, I know some people who are not exactly rich, but are learned or about to be so, and they do not come either.»

            «They also have the tentacles of poor riches holding them back. One is not rich only in money. There is the wealth of knowledge. Few can confess with Solomon: "Vanity of vanities. All is vanity", which confession is resumed and enlarged not so much materially but deeply in Qoheleth. Do you remember it? Human science is vanity because to increase human knowledge only "is anguish and affliction of the spirit and he who multiplies science multiplies such anguish". I solemnly tell you that it is so. And I also tell you that it would not be so if human science were supported and bridled by supernatural wisdom and the holy love of God. Pleasure is vanity, because it does not last, but quickly fades away after burning, leaving ashes and emptiness. Wealth stored up by means of various industries is vanity for the man who dies, as he leaves it to other people and cannot repel death by means of it. Woman is vanity, when she is considered a female and desired as such. So we conclude that the only thing which is not vanity is the holy fear of God and obedience to His commandments, that is the wisdom of man, who is not only flesh, but has a second nature: the spiritual one. Who can reason thus and is willing, is able to break off from every tentacle of poor wealth and move freely towards the Sun.»

            «I want to remember those words. How much You have given me during the past days! I can now go back to that ugly Court which seems bright only to fools, and seems powerful and free, whereas it is misery, prison and darkness, and I will be able to go back with a treasure that will enable me to live better waiting for the best. But will I ever reach that best, which is to be entirely Yours?»

            «Yes, you will.»

            «When? Next year? Later? Or when old age will make me wise?»

            «You will reach it in a few hours by becoming spiritually mature and perfect in willing.»

            Manaen looks at Him thoughtfully, inquisitively... But he does not ask any other question.

            There is silence. Then Jesus says: «Have you ever approached Lazarus of Bethany?»

            «No, Master. I can say no. If we met on few occasions I cannot say it was out of friendship. You know... I was with Herod and Herod was against him... So...»

            «Lazarus would now see you in God, beyond such things. You must endeavour to approach him, as a fellow-disciple.»

            «I will do it, if You wish so...»

            Excited voices are heard in the garden. They are anxiously asking: «The Master! The Master! Is He here?»

            The harmonious voice of the landlady replies: «He is upstairs. Who are you? Sick people?»

            «No. Disciples of John and we want Jesus of Nazareth.»

            Jesus looks out of the window saying: «Peace be with you... Oh! It is you. Come in!»

            They are the three shepherds John, Matthias and Simeon. «Oh! Master!» they say looking up and showing their sorrowful faces. Not even the sight of Jesus cheers them up.

            Jesus leaves the room and goes out to meet them on the terrace. Manaen follows Him. They meet where the staircase leads on to the sunny terrace.

            The three men kneel down kissing the floor. Then John says on behalf of them all: «Receive us now, Lord, because we are Your inheritance» and tears stream down the faces of the disciple and his companions.

            Jesus and Manaen utter one only cry: «John!?»

            «He has been killed...»

            The word drops like a loud dull noise, which drowns every other noise in the world. And yet it was uttered in a low voice. But it petrifies both him who speaks and those who listen. And the earth, upon hearing it and being horrified, seems to interrupt every noise, such is the period of deep silence and complete immobility in animals, in leafy branches, in the air. Doves stop cooing, blackbirds interrupt their musical songs, the choir of sparrows is struck dumb, and a chirping cicada suddenly becomes silent, as if its contrivance had broken down unexpectedly, while the wind, which was caressing the leaves of vines and trees, making them rustle like silk and causing poles to squeak, drops completely.

            Jesus becomes as pale as ivory while His eyes dilate glazing over. He opens His arms saying, and His voice is deep in the effort to make it steady: «Peace to the martyr of justice and to My Precursor.» He folds His arms, collects His thoughts in prayer, communicating with the Spirit of God and of the Baptist.

            Manaen does not dare to make a gesture. Contrary to Jesus, he blushes vehemently and has an impulsion of anger. Then he becomes stiff and his excitement is revealed by the mechanical movement of his right hand rumpling the cord of his tunic, and of the left one which unintentionally searches for his dagger... and Manaen shakes his head pitying his weak mind that does not remember that he had renounced weapons in order to be «the disciple of the Meek Master, near the Meek Messiah.»

            Jesus opens His mouth and eyes again. His countenance, His eyes, His voice have resumed the divine majesty habitual to Him. Only a deep melancholy tempered with peace hovers about Him. «Come and tell Me. As from today you will be Mine.» And He takes them into the room, closing the door and half-drawing the curtains, to have a subdued light and an atmosphere of concentration around the sorrow and the beauty of the Baptist's death, and to form a partition between such perfection of life and the corrupt world. «Speak» He tells them.

            Manaen is still petrified. He is near the group but does not utter one word.

            «It was the evening of the feast... The event was unforeseeable... Only two hours before Herod had consulted with John and had dismissed him very kindly... And shortly before the... murder, the martyrdom, the crime, the glorification, Herod had sent a servant with icy fruit and rare wines for the prisoner. John had distributed everything to us... he never changed his austerity... We were the only ones to be there, thanks to Manaen, we were in the palace as kitchen servants and stable-grooms. And that was a grace because we could always see our John... John and I were in the kitchen, while Simeon supervised in the stables ensuring that the grooms looked after the mounts of guests properly... The palace was full of important people, military commanders and gentlemen from Galilee. Herodias had locked herself in her rooms after a violent quarrel in the morning with Herod...»

            Manaen interferes: «But when did the hyena come?»

            «Two days previously. Unexpectedly... saying to the monarch that she could not live away from him and be absent on the day of his feast. Viper and sorceress as she had always been, she had made a laughing-stock of him... But that morning, although he was already full of wine and lust, Herod refused to give the woman what she asked for with loud cries... But nobody thought it was John's life!... She remained disdainfully in her rooms. She sent back the royal dishes that Herod sent to her on precious trays. She kept only a precious one full of fruit, exchanging the gift with an amphora of drugged wine for Herod... Drugged... Ah! Her vicious intoxicated nature was sufficient to drug him for the crime! From the servants waiting at the table we learned that after the dance of the mimers, nay half way through it, Salome had rushed dancing into the banquet hall. And the mimers, in the presence of the royal girl, had withdrawn against the walls. We were told that her dance was perfect. Lewd and perfect. Worthy of the guests... Herod.... Oh! perhaps a new desire of incest was fermenting in his heart!... Herod, at the end of the dance, said enthusiastically to Salome: "You have danced very well! I swear that you deserve a prize. I swear that I will give it to you. I swear that I will give anything you may ask me for. I swear it in the presence of everybody. And the word of a king is loyal also without swearing. Ask what you want". And Salome, simulating perplexity, innocence and modesty, enveloping herself in her veils with bashful gesture after so much impudicity, said: "Allow me, great king, to ponder for a moment. I will withdraw and I will come back later because your grace has moved me"... and she left going to her mother. Selma told me that she went in laughing, saying: "Mother, you have won! Give me the tray". And Herodias with a cry of triumph ordered the slave to give the girl the tray that she had kept previously, saying: "Go, and come back with the hated head and I will clothe you with pearls and gold". And Selma was struck with horror and obeyed... Salome re-entered the hall dancing and went to prostrate herself at the king's feet saying: "Here. On this tray that you sent to my mother as a token that you love her and you love me, I want the head of John. And I will dance again, if it pleases you so much. I will dance the dance of victory. Because I have won! I have beaten you, king! I have defeated life and I am happy!" That is what she said, and her words were repeated to us by a friendly cup-bearer. And Herod was embarrassed, being caught by two desires: to abide by his promise, to be just. But he could not be just, because he is unjust. He nodded to the headsman who was standing behind the royal seat, and he took from Salome's raised hands the tray and from the banquet hall went down to the lower rooms. John and I saw him cross the yard... and shortly afterwards we heard Simeon's cry: "Murderers!" and then we saw the headsman pass again with the head on the tray... John, Your Precursor, was dead...»

            «Simeon, can you tell Me how he died?» asks Jesus after some time.

            «Yes, he was praying... He had previously said to me: "The two messengers will be back before long, and those who do not believe, will believe. But remember, should I be no longer alive when they come back, I, on the point of dying, say to you: 'Jesus of Nazareth is the true Messiah' so that you may repeat it to the others". He was always thinking of You... The headsman entered. I uttered a cry. John looked up and saw him. He stood up and said: "You can take only my life. But the lasting truth is that it is not legal to do wrong". And he was about to say something to me when the headsman swung his heavy sword, while John was standing and the head fell from the bust in a stream of blood that reddened the goatskin while his thin face blanched, but his open eyes were still alive and accusing. The head rolled at my feet... I fell at the same time as his body, as I fainted with grief... After... After Herodias had disfigured it, the head was thrown to the dogs. But we picked it up at once and we tied it in a precious veil together with the trunk and during the night we recomposed the body and carried it out of Machaerus. We embalmed it at daybreak in a nearby acacia-thicket with the help of other disciples... But it was taken from us again to be slashed... Because she cannot destroy it and cannot forgive him... And her slaves, fearing death, were more ferocious than jackals in taking the head from us. If you had been there, Manaen!...»       «Had I been there... But that head is her malediction... Nothing is taken from the glory of the Precursor, even if the body is mutilated. Is that right, Master?»

            «That is true. Even if the dogs had destroyed it, his glory would not change.»

            «Neither has his word changed, Master. His eyes, although disfigured, under a large wound, still say: "You are not allowed". But we have lost him!» says Matthias.

            «And we are now Your disciples, because that is what he said, and he told us that You already know.»

            «Yes you have been Mine for months. How did you come?»

            «On foot; by stages. It was a long painful journey, in the heat of sands and of the sun, made even more painful by grief. We have been walking for almost twenty days...»

            «You will rest now.»

            Manaen asks: «Was Herod not surprised at my absence?»

            «Yes, at first he was annoyed, then he became furious. But when his rage calmed down, he said: "One judge less". That is what our friend, the cup-bearer, told us.»

            Jesus says: «One judge less! He has God as a judge and that is enough. Let us go to where we sleep. You are tired and covered with dust. You will find the garments and sandals of your companions. Take them, refresh yourselves. What belongs to one, belongs to everybody. Matthias, since you are tall, you can take one of My tunics. We will provide later. My apostles will be coming before night, because this is the Sabbath eve. Isaac will be coming next week with the disciples, and later Benjamin and Daniel will come; Elias, Joseph and Levi will be here after the Tabernacles. It is time for others to join the Twelve. Go and rest now.»

            Manaen takes them in and then comes back. Jesus remains with Manaen. He sits down pensively, and is clearly sad, with His head reclined on a hand, His elbow resting on His knee as a support. Manaen is sitting near the table and does not move. He is sullen. His face is a storm.

            After a long time, Jesus raises His head, looks at him and asks: «And what are you going to do now?»

            «I do not know yet... There is no purpose in staying any longer at Machaerus. But I would like to remain at the court to find out... to protect You according to what I learn.»

            «You had better follow Me without any delay. But I will not force you. You will come, when the old Manaen has been destroyed bit by bit.»

            «I would also like to take that head away from that woman. She is not worthy to have it...»

            Jesus has a pale hint of a smile and says frankly: «And you are not yet dead to human wealth. But you are dear to Me just the same. I know that I shall not lose you even if I have to wait. I know how to wait...»

            «Master, I would like to give You my generosity to comfort You... Because You are suffering. I can see it.»

            «It is true. I am suffering. Very much!»

            «Only because of John? I do not think so. You know that he is in peace.»

            «I know that he is in peace and I perceive him close to Me.»

            «Well, then?»

            «Then!... Manaen, what does dawn precede?»

            «The day, Master. Why do You ask me?»

            «Because the death of John precedes the day when I will be the Redeemer. And the human part in Me trembles at the idea... Manaen, I am going up the mountain. You stay here to receive whoever should come and to assist those who have already come. Stay until I come back. Then... you will do whatever you wish. Goodbye.»

            And Jesus leaves the room. He goes slowly down the steps, crosses the kitchen garden and at the back of it He takes a little path along ruffled gardens, olive-groves, orchards of apple and fig-trees and vineyards and He climbs the slope of a little hill where He disappears from my sight.

***

February 6, 2010 (Saturday)

Mark 6:30-34

Maria Valtorta Poem of the Man God

Volume 2, pp 739-743

271. Speaking to a Scribe on the Banks of the Jordan.

            6th September 1945.

            When Jesus sets foot on the right bank of the Jordan, a good mile, probably more, from the little peninsula of Tarichea, where there is nothing but beautiful green country, because the ground, which is now dry, but moist in its depths, keeps also the weakest plants alive, He finds a large crowd waiting for Him.

            His cousins come to meet Him with Simon Zealot: «Master, the boats have given us away... Perhaps Manaen also was a hint...»

            «Master» says Manaen apologetically «I left at night so that no one could see me and I have not spoken to anyone. Believe me. Many of them asked me where You were. And my reply to everybody was: "He left". But I think the trouble was brought about by a fisherman who said that he had given You his boat...»

            «That fool of my brother-in-law!» thunders Peter. «And I told him to keep his mouth shut! And I also said to him that we were going to Bethsaida! And I told him that if he said one word I would tear his beard off! And I will do it! I will, indeed. And what are we going to do now? That's the end of our peace, solitude and rest!»

            «Be good, Simon, be good. We have already had our peaceful days. In any case I have attained part of what I intended: teach you, comfort and calm you to prevent offences and contrasts between you and the Pharisees of Capernaum. Now let us go to these people who are waiting for us, and reward their faith and love. Is their love not a relief, too? Hatred grieves us. But there is love here, so it is joy.»

            Peter calms down like a wind that drops suddenly. And Jesus goes towards the crowd of sick people, who are waiting for Him so anxiously, that their desire seems engraved on their faces, and He heals them, one after the other, kindly, patiently. He goes also to a scribe who shows his little sick son to Him.

            And it is the scribe who says to Him: «See? You are running away. But it is useless. Hatred and love are shrewd in finding. In this case, love has found You, as it is written in the Song of Songs. You are like the Beloved of the Songs. And they come to You as the maid of Shulam goes to her bridegroom, facing patrol guards and Amminadib's quadrigae.»

            «Why do you say that?»

            «Because it is true. It is dangerous to come because You are hated. Do You not know that Rome is watching for You and the Temple hates You?»

            «Why are you tempting Me, man? Your words are insidious, to take My answers back to Rome and to the Temple. I did not cure your son by deceit...»

            The scribe, who has been reproached so gently, lowers his head confusedly and confesses: «I see that You can really read the hearts of men. Forgive me. I now see that You are truly holy. Forgive me, Yes, it is true, I came and the yeast that others put into my heart was fermenting within me...»

            «And it had found in you the necessary heat to ferment.»

            «Yes, it is true... But now I am going away without any such yeast. That is, with a new leaven.»

            «I know. I bear no grudge. Many are at fault through their own will, many through the will of other people. God, Who is just will judge them with different measures. Scribe, be just and do not corrupt in future as you were corrupted. When the pressure of the world will be urging you, look at the living grace, which is your son, who was rescued from death, and be grateful to God.»

            «To You.»

            «To God. All glory and praise to Him. I am His Messiah and I am the first to praise and glorify Him. And the first to obey Him. Because man does not degrade himself by honouring and serving God in truth, but he lowers himself by serving sin.»

            «You are right. Do You always speak thus? To everybody?»

            «Yes, to everybody. If I spoke to Annas, or to Gamaliel, or to a begging leper on a country path, the words would be the same because one is the Truth.»

            «Speak, then, because everybody here is begging for a word or a grace of Yours.»

            «I will. So that nobody may say that I am biased against those who are honest in their convictions.»

            «Those I had are now dead. But it is true. I was honest in mine. I believed that I was serving God by fighting You.»

            «You are sincere. And that is why you deserve to understand God, Who is never falsehood. But your convictions are not yet dead. I am telling you. They are like burned couch-grass. They seem to be dead superficially and have in fact received a hard blow that has exhausted them. But the roots are alive and the soil nourishes them. And the dew invites them to strike new rhizomes, which will emit fresh shoots. You must watch that that does not happen, otherwise you will be invaded once again by couch-grass. Israel is a die-hard!»

            «So Israel must die? Is it a wicked plant?»

            «It must die to rise again.»

            «A spiritual reincarnation?»

            «A spiritual evolution. There is no reincarnation of any kind.»

            «Some believe in it.»

            «They are wrong.»

            «Hellenism has spread such beliefs also among us. And learned people feed on them and are proud of them as if they were a most noble nourishment.»

            «An absurd contradiction in those who cry anathema when one of the minor six hundred and thirteen precepts is neglected.»

            «It is true. But that is how things are. People like to imitate even what they hate.»

            «Well, imitate Me, seeing that you hate Me. And it would be better for you.»

            The scribe cannot help laughing at Jesus' witty remark. The people are listening open-mouthed and those who are farther away ask those who are near Jesus and the scribe to repeat their words.

            «But, in confidence, what do You think of reincarnation?»

            «That it is an error. I told you.»

            «There are some who maintain that the living originate from the dead and the dead from the living, because what exists cannot be destroyed.»

            «In fact, what is eternal cannot be destroyed. But tell Me. According to you, has the Creator limitations to Himself?»

            «No, Master. To think that would be an abatement.»

            «You are right. Can, then, one think that He allows a spirit to reincarnate because no more than so many spirits can exist?»

            «One should not think so. Yet there are some who believe it.»

            «And what is worse, Israel believes it. The thought of the immortality of the spirit, which is already a great one, even if it is joined to the error of a wrong evaluation by a pagan as to how such immortality takes place, ought to be perfect in an Israelite. Instead it becomes a small, low, guilty thought in those who believe in it in the terms of the heathen thesis. It is not the glory of a thought, which proves itself worthy of admiration by coming close to the Truth by itself and which therefore testifies to the composite nature of man, as it is in heathens, because of their intuition of an eternal life of the mysterious thing that is called soul and distinguishes us from brutes. But it is a degradation of the thought, which being acquainted with Divine Wisdom and the True God, becomes materialistic even in so highly a spiritual thing. A spirit transmigrates only from the Creator to the being and from the being to the Creator, to Whom it presents itself after this life to receive a sentence of life or of death. That is the truth. And it remains for ever where it is sent.»

            «Do You not admit Purgatory?»

            «Yes, I do. Why do you ask Me?»

            «Because You say: "It remains where it is sent". Purgatory is temporary.»

            «That is why in My thought I assimilate it to eternal Life. Purgatory is already "life". Stunned, tied, but always vital. After the temporary stay in Purgatory, the spirit reaches perfect Life, without any limitation or ties. Two things will remain: Heaven – the Abyss. Paradise – Hell. Two categories: the blessed – the damned. But from those three kingdoms that now exist, no spirit will ever come to clothe itself with flesh. And that until the final resurrection, which will end for ever the incarnation of spirits in flesh, of the immortal in the mortal.»

            «Not of the eternal?»

            «God is Eternal. Eternity is to have no beginning and no end. And that is God. Immortality is to continue to live since when life began. And that is the spirit of man. That is the difference.»

            «You say: "Eternal Life".»

            «Yes. From the moment man is created to live, because of his spirit, through Grace and his own will, he can reach eternal Life. Not eternity. Life implies a beginning. We do not say "the Life of God", because God had no beginning.»

            «And what about Yourself?»

            «I will live because I am also flesh and to My divine spirit I joined the soul of the Christ in the flesh of man.»

            «God is called the "Living God".»

            «In fact He does not know death. He is Life. The endless Life. Not Life of God. Just Life. Only that. They are nuances, O scribe. But Wisdom and Truth clothe themselves in nuances.»

            «Do You speak thus to Gentiles?»

            «No. They would not understand. I show them the Sun. But as I would show it to a boy, so far blind and silly, who had miraculously recovered sight and intelligence. Thus: like a star. Without going into the details of its composition. But you people of Israel are neither blind nor fools. For ages the finger of God has opened your eyes and cleared your minds...»

            «That is true, Master. And yet we are blind and foolish.»

            «You have made yourselves such. And you do not want the miracle of Him Who loves you.»

            «Master...»

            «It is the truth, scribe.»

            The man lowers his head and is silent. Jesus leaves him and passes by and while doing so He caresses Marjiam and the scribe's little boy, who are playing with many-coloured pebbles. Rather than preach He talks to this or that group. But He is continuously preaching as He resolves doubts, clarifies ideas, He sums up or expands on things already said or concepts only partly remembered by someone. And the hours go by thus...

***

February 7, 2010 (Sunday)

Luke 5:1-11

Maria Valtorta Poem of the Man God

Volume 1, pp 341-343

65. The Miraculous Draught of Fishes.

10^th November 1944.

The vision begins once again when Jesus starts speaking.

«When all the trees bloom in spring, the happy farmer says: "I will have a good crop" and that hope causes his heart to rejoice. But from springtime to autumn, from the month of flowers to the month of fruit, how many days, winds, rains, sunshine and storms must pass, and sometimes wars or the cruelty of the mighty ones and diseases of plants, and at times diseases of the men of the fields, so that the plants, no longer hoed up, no longer watered, pruned, supported or cleaned, although they promised copious fruit, wilt and die or bear no fruit!

You follow Me. You love Me. Like plants in springtime you adorn yourselves with purposes and love. Israel, indeed, at the dawn of My mission is like our sweet countryside in the bright month of Nisan. But listen. Like the excessive heat in dry weather, Satan, who is envious of Me, will come to scorch you with his wrath. The world will come with its icy winds to freeze your blooms. And passions will come like storms. And tedium will come like a persistant rain. All My enemies and yours will come to sterilise what should be the fruit of your inclination to bloom in God.

I am warning you, because I know. Will everything then be lost, when I, like a sick farmer, even more than sick: dead, will no longer be able to speak to you and work miracles for you? No. I will sow and cultivate as long as I have time. Then everything will grow and ripen for you, if you keep a good watch.

Look at the fig-tree near the house of Simon of Jonas. Who planted it did not find the right and most favourable spot. Planted as it was near the damp northern wall, it would have withered, if by itself it had not found protection to survive. And it sought sunshine and light. There it is: all bent, but strong and proud, drawing the rays of the sun from early dawn and converting them into nutrition for its hundreds and hundreds of sweet fruits. It defended itself by itself. It said: "The Creator wanted me, that I may give joy and food to man. And I want to join my will to His". A fig-tree! A speechless tree! A soulless tree! And will you, children of God, the children of man, will you be inferior to a wooden plant?

Keep a good watch to bear fruits of eternal life. I will cultivate you, and at the end I will give you such a potent juice, that you will never find a more powerful one. Do not allow Satan to laugh at the destruction of My work, of My sacrifice and of your souls. Seek light. Seek sunshine. Seek strength. Seek life. I am the Life, Strength, Sunshine and Light of those who love Me. I have come to take you whence I came. I am speaking to you here, to call you all and point out to you the ten commandments that give eternal life. And with loving advice I say to you: "Love God and your neighbour". It is the first condition to fulfil everything else well. It is the most holy of the holy commandments. Love. Those who love God, in God and for the Lord God, will have peace both on the earth and in Heaven, for their abode and their crown.»

People go away with difficulty after Jesus' blessing. There are neither sick nor poor people.

Jesus says to Simon: «Call the other two. Let us go on to the lake and cast the net.»

«Master, my arms ache with fatigue: all night I cast and hauled the net, and all in vain. The fish are down at the bottom. I wonder where.»

«Do as I tell you, Peter. Always listen to those who love you.»

«I will do as You say, out of respect for Your word.» And he shouts to the assistants and also to James and John: «Let us go out fishing. The Master wants to go.» And while they are moving away, he says to Jesus: «However, Master, I assure You that it is not the right time. Goodness knows where the fish will be resting just now!...»

Jesus, sitting at the prow, smiles and is silent.

They form a semicircle on the lake and then cast the net. After a few minutes' waiting, the boat is shaken in a strange way, because the lake is as smooth as a glass pane under the midday sun.

«But that is fish, Master!» says Peter, with his eyes wide open.

Jesus smiles and is silent.

«Heave ho! Heave ho!» Peter orders his assistants. But the boat lists to one side, where the net is: «Hey there! James! John! Quick! Come Quick! With the oars! Quick!»

They rush and the joint efforts of the two crews succeed in hauling in the net without damaging the catch.

The two boats draw closer. They are now united. One, two, five, ten baskets. They are all full of wonderful fish, and there are still so many wriggling in the net: live silver and bronze, struggling to escape death. There is only one thing to be done: to empty the net into the bottom of the boats. They do that and the bottoms become a turmoil of agonizing lives. And the crew are up to their ankles in such abundance that the boats sink below the water-line because of the excessive weight.

«To the shore! Steer! Quick! The sails! Watch the depth line! Have the poles ready to prevent a clash. We have too much weight!»

As long as the manoeuvre lasts, Peter thinks of nothing else. But when he gets ashore, he begins to realise. He understands. He is frightened. «Master! My Lord! Go away from me! I am a sinner! I am not worthy of being near You!» He is on his knees on the damp shore.

Jesus looks at him and smiles: «Get up! Follow Me! I will not leave you any more! From now on, you will be a fisher of men, and your companions with you. Be afraid of nothing. I am calling you. Come!»

«At once, Lord. You look after the boats. Take everything to Zebedee and to my brother-in-law. Let us go. We are all for You, Jesus! Blessed be the Eternal Father for this choice.»

And the vision ends.

***

---