348.The Transfiguration and the Curing of the Epileptic.

 348. The Transfiguration and the Curing of the Epileptic. 3rd December 1945. Which man has never seen, at least once, a clear dawn in the month of March? If such a man exists, he must be very unhappy, because he is unaware of one of the most beautiful charms of nature awakening in springtime, when she becomes the virgin girl as creation must have been on its first day. In such graceful charm, which is pure from every point of view, from its fresh dewy herbs, to the little flowers that are opening, like babies who are born, to the first smile of daylight, to the birds that awake flapping their wings and utter their first chirps, which sound like questions and are a prelude to all their singing conversation of the day, to the very smell of the air that during the night has lost all pollution of dust, smoke and smell of human bodies through the lavation of dew and the absence of man, Jesus is proceeding with His apostles and disciples. Simon of Alphaeus is with them, too. They are going southwards, crossing the hills that encircle Nazareth and a torrent, and are walking across a narrow plain between the Nazarene hills and a group of mountains to the east. These mountains are preceded by the semi-truncate cone of the Tabor, the top of which strangely reminds me of the cocked-hat of our carabineers, seen in profile. They reach it. Jesus stops and says: «Peter, John and James of Zebedee will come up the mountain with Me. The rest will spread out at its foot, going in groups towards the roads that run along it, to preach the Lord. I want to be back in Nazareth by evening. So do not go too far away. Peace be with you.» And addressing the three He had called, He says: «Let us go.» And He begins to climb without turning back any more and with such a quick pace that Peter finds it difficult to follow Him. When they rest for a moment, Peter, flushed and perspiring, asks Him panting: «But where are we going? There are no houses on the mountain. On the top there is only that old fortress. Do You want to go and preach there?» «I would have gone up the other side. But you can see that I have turned My back to it. We are not going to the fortress, and those who are in it, will not even see us. I am going to be united to My Father, and I wanted you to be with Me, because I love you. Come on, quick!» «Oh! My Lord! Could we not go a little slower, instead, and speak of what we heard and saw yesterday, which kept us awake all night to talk about it?» «You always go quickly to the appointments with God. Come on, Simon Peter. I will let you rest up there.» And He resumes climbing... (Jesus says: «Put here the Transfiguration seen on August 5th 1944, but without the dictation added to it. After copying the Transfiguration of last year, P.M. will copy what I am going to show you now.»). -------------------- 5th August 1944. I am with my Jesus upon a high mountain. Peter, James and John are with Jesus. They climb higher up and their eyes rove over open horizons, the details of which are well defined, even in the distance, in the beautiful clear day. The mountain is not part of a range of mountains like the one in Judaea; it rises isolated, with the east in front, with respect to the place where we are, the north to the left, the south to the right, and at the rear, to the west, the summit, which is about one hundred steps higher up. It is very high and the view extends over a very wide range. The lake of Gennesaret looks like a strip of sky that has come down to be set in the green of the earth, an oval turquoise enclosed by emeralds of various shades, a mirror that trembles and ripples in a light breeze, and on which boats in full sail glide as nimbly as sea-gulls, lightly bent towards the blue water, exactly with the grace of the flight of a kingfisher skimming the water in search of prey. Then a vein flows out from the vast turquoise, it is pale blue where the river-bed is wider, and darker where the banks narrow and the water is deeper and in the shade of the trees that grow luxuriantly near the river, nourished by its water. The Jordan looks like an almost straight stroke of a brush in the greenery of the plain. Some villages are scattered here and there on both sides of the river. Some are 348.The Transfiguration and the Curing of the Epileptic. 240 only a handful of houses, others are somewhat larger, with the airs of little towns. The main roads are yellowish lines among the green. But here, on the side of the mountain, the plain is more cultivated and fertile and it is really beautiful. The various hues of the several growths are a most pleasant sight in the beautiful sunshine of a very clear day. It must be springtime, perhaps the month of March, if I take into account the latitude of Palestine, because I see the corn, which is already high, although still green, waving like a blue-green sea and I see the crests of the early fruit-trees decorate this little vegetable sea with something like tiny white and rosy clouds, and meadows strewn with the flowers of the high hay, where grazing sheep look like piles of snow spread here and there on the green grass. Just near the mountain, on the low short hills at its foot, there are two little towns, one to the south and the other to the north. The very fertile plain extends particularly and more widely to the south. Jesus, after a short rest in the cool shade of a group of trees, a pause which He certainly granted out of pity for Peter, who clearly has great difficulty in climbing, resumes going up. He goes almost to the top, where there is a grassy tableland with a semicircle of trees near the side of the mountain. «You may rest, My friends. I am going over there to pray.» And He points to a large stone, a rock that appears on the surface of the mountain and is not near the slope, but it lies internally, towards the summit. Jesus kneels on the grass and rests His hands and head on the rock, in the posture that He will take also when praying in Gethsemane. The top of the mountain protects Him from the sun. The remaining part of the grass-covered clearing is in the bright sun as far as the bordering trees, where the apostles are sitting in the shade. Peter takes off his sandals, shakes off dust and grit and remains barefooted, with his tired feet on the cool grass, almost lying down, with his head resting on an emerald green tuft, as a pillow. James does the same, but in order to be comfortable he looks for a tree, against which he leans his mantle and rests his back. John remains sitting looking at the Master. But the calm of the place, the fresh breeze, silence and fatigue overcome him also and he droops his head and eyes. None of them are fast asleep, but they are in the state of summer drowsiness that stuns people. They (the three Apostles James, John, Peter) are roused by a brilliancy that is so striking that it overwhelms the brightness of the sun and spreads and penetrates even into the shade of bushes and trees where the apostles are. They open their eyes and are astonished at seeing Jesus transfigured. He is exactly as I see in the visions of Paradise. Of course He has no Wounds and there is no banner of the Cross. But the majesty of His Face and Body is the same, the brightness is also the same and His garment, too, is identical: from deep red it has changed into a immaterial fabric of diamonds and pearls, in which He is clad in Heaven. His face shines with an extremely intense sidereal light in which His sapphire eyes are beaming. He looks taller, as if His glorification had increased His height. I cannot say whether the brilliancy, which makes even the tableland phosphorescent, emanates, entirely from Him, or whether His own is mingled with the brightness that all the light in the Universe and of Heaven has concentrated on Him. I can only say that it is something indescribable. Jesus is now standing, I would say that He is raised off the ground, because between Him and the green meadow there is something like a luminous vapor, a space consisting only of a light upon which He seems to be standing. But it is so bright that I may be wrong, and in fact that I no longer see any green grass under Jesus' feet may be due to the bright light that vibrates and waves, as is often seen in bonfires. It is snow-white incandescent light. Jesus is looking at the sky and smiling at a vision that enraptures Him. The Apostles are almost afraid and they call Him, as He is transfigured so much that He no longer appears to be their Master. They call Him: «Master, Master!» He does not hear them. «He is in ecstasy» says Peter trembling. «I wonder what He sees?» The three Apostles are now standing up. They would like to approach Jesus, but they dare not. The light increases further because of two lights that descend from the sky and take place at Jesus' sides. When they settle on the tableland, their veils open and two majestic bright personages appear. One is more elderly than the other, with a sharp severe countenance, and he has a double-pointed beard. Two horns of light depart from his forehead and make me understand that he is Moses. The other one is emaciated, bearded and hairy, more or less like the Baptist, whom I would say resembles in height, leanness, structure and severity. While the light 348.The Transfiguration and the Curing of the Epileptic. 241 emanating from Moses is white, like that of Jesus, particularly with regard to the beams issuing from their foreheads, the light of Elijah is like the bright flame of the sun. The two Prophets take a reverential attitude before their God Incarnate and although He speaks to them with familiarity, they do not drop their respectful attitude. I do not understand even one of the words they speak. The three apostles fall on their knees trembling and covering their faces with their hands. They would like to look, but they are afraid. At last Peter says: «Master, listen to me.» Jesus looks round smiling towards His Peter, who takes heart again and says: «It is wonderful to be here with You, Moses and Elijah. If You wish, we will make three tents, one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah, and we will stay here to serve you...» Jesus looks at him and smiles more warmly. He looks also at John and James, a glance that is a loving embrace. Also, Moses and Elijah stare at the three. Their eyes flash fire. They must be like rays piercing hearts. The Apostles dare not say anything more. Frightened as they are, they lapse into silence. They look as if they were inebriated, like people who are bewildered. But then a veil, which is neither fog, nor a cloud, nor a ray, envelops the Three glorious personages behind a screen that is even brighter than the one that surrounded the previously, and hides them from sight of the Apostles, a powerful harmonious Voice vibrates filling the air, three bow down with their faces on the grass. The Voice says: «This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.» Peter falling flat on his face, exclaims: «Have mercy on me, a sinner! It is the Glory of God descending!!». James does not utter a single word. John whispers with a sigh, as if he were about to swoon: «The Lord is speaking!» Even when there is total silence again, none of them dare raise their heads. Thus they do not even see that the light has come back to its natural state of daylight and that Jesus is alone and has become the usual Jesus wearing His red mantle. He walks towards them smiling, touches them and calls them by their names. «Stand up. It is I. Be not afraid» He says, because the three dare not raise their faces and are imploring mercy for their sins, fearing that the Lamb of God wants to show them to the Most High. «Stand up, now. I order you» repeats Jesus authoritatively. They look up and see Jesus smile. «Oh! Master, my God!» exclaims Peter. «How shall we be able to live near You, now that we have seen Your Glory? How shall we be able to live among men and among ourselves, since we are sinners, and we have heard the Voice of God?» «You will have to live beside Me and see My glory until the end. Be worthy of that because the time is close at hand. Obey My Father and yours. Let us now go back among men because I came to stay with them and to bring God to them. Let us go. Be holy, strong and faithful in remembrance of this hour. You will take, part in My greater glory. But do not speak now to anybody of what you have seen. Do not tell your companions either. When the Son of man has risen from the dead and gone back to the glory of the Father, then you will speak. Because it will be necessary to believe then, to take part in My Kingdom.» «But is Elijah not to come to prepare people for Your Kingdom? So the rabbis say.» «Elijah has already come to prepare the way for the Lord. Everything is happening as was revealed. But those who teach revelation do not know and do not understand it, neither do they see or recognise the signs of the time or the messengers of God. Elijah has come back once. He will come for the second time when the last time is close at hand to prepare the last for God. He now came to prepare the first for the Christ, and men refused to acknowledge him, they tortured him and put him to death. They will do the same to the Son of man, because men do not want to acknowledge what is good for them.» The three lower their heads and become pensive and sad while descending the mountain with Jesus by the same road they came up. [3rd December 1945 continuation]. ... And it is Peter again who says, while stopping half way down: «Ah! Lord! I also say what Your Mother said yesterday: “Why did You do that to us?”, and I also say: “Why did You tell us that?”. Your last words have destroyed in our hearts the joy of the glorious sight! This has been a great day of fear! First we were frightened by the great light that roused us, it was stronger than if the whole mountain had been ablaze, or the moon had descended to light up the tableland right in front of us; then Your sight and Your rising from the ground as if You were going to fly away. I was afraid that You, being disgusted with the  iniquity of Israel, were going back to Heaven, perhaps by order of the Most High. Then I was frightened when I saw Moses appear, as the people of his days could not look at him without a veil, so brightly the reflection of God shone on his face, and he was still a man, whereas now he is a blessed spirit inflamed with God, and Elijah... Divine Mercy! I thought I had come to my last moment, and all the sins of my life, since the time I was a child and used to steal fruit in the pantry, to the last one, when some days ago I gave You wrong advice, came to my mind. And trembling with fear I repented! Then I got the impression that those two just men were fond of me... and I dared to speak. But even their love frightened me, because I do not deserve the love of such spirits. And then!... The most dreadful of all fears! The voice of God!... Jehovah has spoken! He said to us: “Listen to Him!”. You! And He proclaimed You: “His Beloved Son in Whom He is well pleased.” What a fright! Jehovah!... to us!... It was certainly Your power only that kept us alive!... When You touched us, and Your fingers burnt like points of fire, I had the last fright. I thought that the hour had come when I was to be judged and that the Angel touched me to take my soul to the Most High... But how could Your Mother see... hear... and live, in that hour that You told us yesterday, and not die, and She was alone, a young girl, without You?» «Mary, the Immaculate, could not be afraid of God. Eve was not afraid, while she was innocent. And I was there. I, the Father and the Spirit, We, Who are in Heaven and on the earth and everywhere, and Who had our Tabernacle in the heart of Mary» says Jesus gently. «How wonderful!... But later You spoke of death... And our joy came to an end... But why all that just to us three? Was it not better to give the vision of Your glory to everybody?» «Just because you become senseless when you hear Me speak of death, and death by torture, of the Son of man, the Man-God decided to fortify you for that hour and for the future, by means of the foreknowledge of what I will be after Death. Remember all that, so that you may tell people in due time... Have you understood?» «Oh! yes, Lord. It is not possible to forget it. And it would be quite useless to tell people. They would say that we are “drunk”.» They resume their way down towards the valley. But when they arrive at a certain point, Jesus takes a very steep side path towards Endor, that is in the opposite direction to the place where He left the disciples. «We will not find them» says James. «The sun is beginning to set. They will be gathering where You left them, waiting for You.» «Come and do not worry about foolish thoughts.» In fact, where the brushwood opens on to a grassland that slopes gently as far as the main road, they see at the foot of the mountain the whole group of the disciples, who are very excited and with them there are some curious wayfarers and some scribes who have come from I do not know where. «Alas! Scribes!... And they are discussing already!» says Peter pointing at them. And he walks down the last few metres halfheartedly. But the apostles down there have also seen them and they point them out to one another and then they begin to run towards Jesus shouting: «How come, Master, You are here? We were about to go to the appointed place. But we have been held back by a discussion with scribes and by the entreaties of a worried father.» «What were you discussing?» «We were disputing about a possessed man. The scribes sneered at us because we were not able to free him. Judas of Kerioth tried several times out of pique. But in vain. So we said to them: “Try yourselves.” They replied: “We are not exorcisers.” Some people coming from Caslot-Tabor happened to pass by and among them there were two exorcisers. But they did not succeed either. Here is the father coming to implore You. Listen to him.» A man in fact comes forward imploring and he kneels before Jesus, Who is still on the sloping meadow and is thus at least three metres higher up than the road and clearly visible to everybody. The man says to Him: «Master, I went to Capernaum with my son, looking for You. I took my unhappy son to You, that You might free him, as You expel demons and You cure all diseases. He is often possessed by a mute spirit. When it takes him, he can but shout hoarsely, like an animal that is choking. The spirit throws him on the ground, where he rolls grinding his teeth, foaming like a horse biting the bit, or he injures himself, or he risks dying drowned or burned or smashed, because the spirit more than once has thrown him into the water, in the fire or down the steps. Your disciples tried, but they were not successful. Oh! Good Lord! Have mercy on me and on my child!» 348.The Transfiguration and the Curing of the Epileptic. 243 Jesus blazes with majesty while He shouts: «O wicked generation, o satanic crowd, rebel legion, incredulous and cruel people of Hell, how long will I have to be in touch with you? How long shall I have to put up with you?» He is so imposing that there is dead silence at once and the sneers of the scribes stop. Jesus says to the father: «Stand up and bring your son here.» The man goes away and comes back with other men and in the middle of the group there is a boy about twelve or fourteen years old. He is a handsome boy, but looks rather dull-witted, as if he were bewildered. There is a long red wound on his forehead and under it an old white scar. As soon as he sees Jesus Who stares at him with His magnetic eyes, he utters a hoarse cry and his whole body writhes convulsively and he falls to the ground foaming and rolling his eyes, so that only the white globes can be seen, while he rolls on the ground in a typical epileptic fit. Jesus comes forward a few steps to be close to him and says: «How long has that been happening to him? Speak in a loud voice, so that everybody may hear you.» And while the crowds press closer and the scribes go above Jesus to dominate the scene, the man shouting says: «Since he was a boy. I told You: he often falls on the fire, into water or down the steps or from trees, because the spirit attacks him suddenly and throws him about to kill him. He is covered with scars and burns. He is lucky that the flames of the fireplace have not blinded him. No doctor, no exorciser, not even Your disciples have been able to cure him. But You, if, as I firmly believe, can do something, have mercy on us and help us.» «If you can believe thus, everything is possible to Me, because everything is granted to those who believe.» «Oh! Lord, I do believe! But if I do not believe sufficiently, increase my faith, so that it may be complete and I may obtain the miracle» says the man weeping, while he kneels beside his son, who has fallen into a more severe convulsive fit. Jesus straightens Himself up, takes two steps back, and while the circle of the crowd presses closer and closer, He shouts loudly: «Cursed spirit, who make this boy deaf and mute and torture him, I order you: go out of him and never go back into him!» The boy, although lying on the ground, bounces frightfully, arches his back with feet and head on the ground, utters inhuman cries; and after a last bounce, he turns round, falls flat on his face striking his forehead and mouth against a large stone emerging from the grass, which becomes stained with blood, and lies motionless. «He is dead!» many shout. «Poor boy!», «Poor father!» say the better ones pitying them. And the scribes, sneering say: «The Nazarene has served you well!», or: «Master, how come? Beelzebub has made You cut a bad figure this time...» and they laugh spitefully. Jesus replies to no one. Not even to the father, who has turned his son round and is wiping the blood off the injured forehead and lips, moaning and imploring Jesus. And the Master bends, takes child by the hand. And the boy opens his eyes with a deep sigh, as if he were awaking from sleep, he sits up and smiles. Jesus draws him close to Himself, makes him stand up and hands him to his father, while the crowds cheer enthusiastically, and the scribes run away chased by the mockery of the crowd... «And now let us go» says Jesus to His disciples. And after dismissing the crowds He goes round the side of the mountain towards the road along which He came in the morning. -------------- Jesus says: «And here P.M. can now put the comment on the vision of August 5th 1944 (copybook A 930) beginning from the words: “I am not choosing you for the only purpose of making you acquainted with the sadness and the sorrows of your Master. Those who are able to stay with Me sharing My grief must share My glory as well.” And you, My faithful little John, have a rest, because you well deserve it. May My peace bring joy to you.» -------------------- [5th August 1944 continuation]. Jesus says: « I am not choosing you for the only purpose of making you acquainted with the sadness and the sorrows of your Master. Those who are able to stay with Me sharing My grief must share My joy as well. When you are before your Jesus and He shows Himself to you, I want you to have the same feelings of humility and repentance as My apostles had. You must never be proud. You would be punished by losing Me. You must always bear in 348.The Transfiguration and the Curing of the Epileptic. 244 mind Who I am and who you are. You must always remember your faults and My perfection so that your heart may be cleansed by contrition. But at the same time you must put so much trust in Me. I said: “Be not afraid. Stand up. Let us go. Let us go among men, because I have come to be with them. Be holy, strong and faithful in remembrance of this hour.” I say so also to you and to all My favourites among men, to those who have Me in a special way. Be not afraid of Me. I show Myself to you to elevate you all, not to incinerate you. Stand up: may the joy of the gift give you energy and do not let it blunt your minds with the savour of quietism, considering yourselves already saved because I have shown Heaven to you. Let us go together among men. I have invited you to superhuman deeds by means of superhuman visions and lessons, so that you may be of greater help to Me. I make you partners in My work. But I have never had and I never have a minute's rest. Because Evil never rests and Good must be always active to make void the work of the Enemy as much as possible. We shall rest when the Time is accomplished. Now we must proceed untiringly, we must work continuously and sacrifice ourselves unremittingly for the harvest of God. May My continuous contact sanctify you, may My continuous teaching fortify you and may My fond love for you make you faithful against all snares. Do not be like the old rabbis who taught the Revelation but did not believe in it, to the extent of not being able to recognise the signs of the time and the messengers of God. Ensure that you recognise the precursors of the Christ in His second coming, because the powers of the Antichrist are on the march and, making an exception on the limit I have imposed on Myself, because I know that you drink in certain truths not with a supernatural spirit but out of thirst for human curiosity, I solemnly tell you that what many people think is the victory over the Antichrist, the peace now close at hand (WWII), will be only a pause to give the Enemy of the Christ time to acquire new strength, to dress his wounds and gather his army for a fiercer struggle. Since you are the “voices” of your Jesus, of the King of kings, of the faithful and truthful king who judges and fights with justice and will defeat the Beast and his servants and prophets, ensure that you know what is your Good and follow it forever. Let no false appearance entice you, let no persecution terrify you. Let your “voices” repeat My words. Let your lives be devoted to this work. And if on the earth you should share the same destiny as the Christ, as His Precursor and Elijah, a sanguinary destiny or a destiny subjected to moral torture, smile at the future safe destiny you will enjoy with the Christ, with His Precursor and His Prophet. We shall be equal in our work, in our grief, in our glory. Here I am the Master and the Example. There I shall be the Reward and the King. To have Me will be your blessedness. It will mean forgetting sorrow. It will be what no revelation is yet sufficient to make you understand, because the joy of the future life is by far superior to the possibility of imagination of a human creature still joined to a human body.