87.The Evangelist Saini Matthew says: "The same day, Jesus going out of the house, sat by the seaside.And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went up into a boat and sat: and and all the multitude stood on the shore.And He spoke to them many things in parables" (Matthew XIII, 1- 3).Saint Mark (IV, 1-2) expresses himself almost in the same terms, and Saint Luke (VIII, 4) also refers to this sermon of Jesus, making clear as well that the people came from different cities.We further clarify the above texts by saying that when the banquet given by the pharisee was over, Lea's husband, Jesus and His group of followers departed for their respective religious houses, and that later Jesus and His Apostles and disciples went to the seashore, where He preached from a boat until very late in the evening of the 2nd of January as mentioned above, teaching, among other parables, that of the Sower, related by the first three Evangelists (Matthew XIII, 3-9; Mark IV, 3-9; Luke VIII, 5-8).The twelve Apostles were with Jesus in the same boat, whilst the disciples occupied others round about it.The sermon concluded, they headed for the Lake intending to disembark in a solitary place and return home alone.Once on land, according to our interpretation, there occurred that which Saint Matthew (XIII, 10-23), Saint Mark (IV, 10-20) and Saint Luke (VIII, 9-15) relate, in whose texts the puzzled Apostles and disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in mysterious words, and they also expressed their desire to understand the meaning of the parable of the Sower.He, during the walk to the conventual house, spoke to them of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and explained the contents of the parable.

88.Let us now consider the teaching which the first two Evangelists offer us on the preaching of Jesus in parables.Saint Matthew says: "All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without parables He did not speak to them.That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open My mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the fountains of the world" (Matthew XIII, 34-35).And Saint Mark says: "And with many such parables, He spoke to them the word, according as they were able to hear.And without parable He did not speak unto them: but apart, He explained all things to His disciples" (Mark IV, 33-34).As is clear fromthese texts Jesus taught in parables, taking into account in His narratives the capacity, dispositions and occupations of His hearers.And that is the meaning of the expression "according as they were able to hear."At times He used examples difficult to understand, for various reasons: One of these, in order to confound the proud.But He did so also in order to emphasize the authority of the Apostles and disciples, for Jesus first explained the true doctrinal meaning to them in order for them to teach others later on, thus accomplishing the divine plan that the Gospel be transmitted by those who constitute the magisterium of the Church.Another reason is the pedagogical, since a parable is more easily engraved on the memory, arouses curiosity as to its meaning, and stimulates inquiry of those who understand it.Once grasped, the teaching is more easily retained.Notwithstanding, the Divine Master preached also in parables easily understood by His listeners.For example in that of the Good Samaritan, they thus more easily understood and remembered the Gospel teachings.When the Evangelist say that He did not speak to them without parables, it must be understood that when He taught, Jesus ordinarily illustrated His teaching with parables.

89.As we have seen in the previous paragraph, one of the reasons why Jesus sometimes expressed Himself in parables whose true meaning would not be understood by the people without adequate explanation,- was on account of the pride of many.Returning to our commentary on Jesus' sermon on the banks of the Lake in the afternoon of the 2nd of January, we have already mentioned that He related some parables, among them that of the Sower, not easy to understand.We now teach that He acted thus because amongst the crowd listening to Him were pharisees, scribes and doctors of the Law, who had earlier caused disturbance at the curing of the possessed man who was dumb in the convent of the Apostles, and who were to remain yet more time in Capharnaum to spy on Jesus.We now examine the following texts also connected with Jesus' sermon on the banks of the Lake (Matthew XIII, 10-17; Mark IV, 10-12; Luke VIII, 9-10).Saint Matthew says: "And His disciples came and said to Him: Why speakest Thou to them in parables?Who answered and said to them: Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven: but to them it is not given...Therefore do I speak to them in parables: because seeing they see not and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand" (Mathew XIII, 10-11 and 13).That is, because with obstinate malice they rejected the Envoy of God, even though they had observed the authenticity of His works and perceived the rectitude of His teaching.This perverse disposition of the enemies of Jesus produced such extreme repugnance in His Divine Heart that He hid from them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God in parables, so that as long as they persisted in their evil conduct, they were unable to benefit from the teaching.And that is the content of the following verse of Saint Luke: "...that seeing they may not see and hearing may not understand" (Luke VIII, 10), and likewise that of Saint Mark: "That seeing they may see and not perceive; and hearing theymay hear and not understand: lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them" (Mark IV, 12).We further amplify the teaching contained in the above texts: Since Jesus' enemies rejected His Divine Word, thus evading their obligation to be converted, and consequently to having their sins pardoned, which would entail renouncing their pride and their corrupt morals, the Divine Master, in the face of an attitude proper to sons of Satan, respects their liberty and abandons them to their own darkness, permitting the infernal serpent to harden their hearts more and more.On that account they will with difficulty be able to find light to be saved.As a consequence, although seeing and hearing the Envoy of God and knowing Him to be the Light, they remain deaf and blind, not grasping the heavenly wisdom emanating from Him.Thus is fulfilled, as Saint Matthew states, the prophecy of Isaias: "By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand: and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive.For the heart of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut: lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted; and I should heal them" (Matthew XIII, 14-15; Isaias VI, 9-10).On the contrary, Jesus reserves the mysteries of the Kingdom of God for His Apostles and disciples, and in general for other simple souls, as we see in the Gospel.That is why He says of these: "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them" (Matthew XIII, 16-17).We conclude by saying that Jesus as well as His Apostles and disciples, when the moment was opportune, explained the true meaning of the parables to the humble and simple people, since to them, as we have said, was reserved the knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

90.Before continuing our Gospel narrative, we teach that since the 1st of January in the year 33, when Jesus arrived at Capharnaum from Jerusalem, until the 25th of March of the same year, when once more He left for the latter city to celebrate the Passover, He carried out an intense apostolate around the Lake of Genesareth, performing many miracles and converting many.In His teaching He preached many parables, such as those of the cockle (Matthew XIII, 24-30), the mustard seed (Matthew XIII, 31-32; Mark IV, 30-32; Luke XIII, 18-19), the leaven (Matthew XIII, 33; Luke XIII, 20-21), the hidden treasure (Matthew XIII, 44), the precious pearl (Matthew XIII, 45-46), the fishing net (Matthew XIII, 47-50), the householder (Matthew XIII, 51-52), the candle set on the candlestick (Mark IV, 21-25; Luke VIII, 16-18),- this last also related by Jesus in His sermon on the 1st of January in the year 33 (Luke XI, 33-36) -, the seed that sprouts and grows (Mark IV, 26-29), and others which we shall consider later.

91.We give a brief doctrinal explanation of some ofthem.

(a) In that of the mustard seed, as related by Saint Matthew, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field.Which is the least indeed of all seeds: but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs and become a tree, so that the birds of air come and dwell in the branches thereof" (Mathew XIII, 31-32).In this parable, the growth of the Mystical Body of Christ is symbolized, not only in its visible aspect, but above all in its invisible aspect by the members incorporated in that Mystical Body.

(b) In that of the leaven, Saint Luke relates: "Whereunto shall I esteem the Kingdom of God to be like?It is like a leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened" (Luke XIII, 20-21), signifying the transforming power by grace of the Church's doctrine.

(c) In those of the hidden treasure and of the precious pearl, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field.Which a man having found, hid it: and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field.Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls.Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way and sold all that he had and bought it" (Mathew XIII, 44 -46).These parable signify, in the first place, Sanctifying Grace, and besides, other special graces, such as the vocation to the Priesthood and to the religious life, which demand from man a special renunciation in order to acquire and preserve them.

(d) In that of the householder Jesus says: "Have ye understood all these things?They say to Him: Yes.He said unto them: Therefore every scribe instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old" (Matthew XIII, 51-52).This parable represents the preaching of the Apostles and their successors, who are the fathers and doctors of the Church.Jesus uses the term "scribe", which among the Jewish People designated those learned in Sacred Scripture, so that His Apostles and disciples,- the new scribes, learned in the mysteries of the Kingdom of God -, would be better able to understand the meaning of the parable.The expression "who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old " indicates that the fathers and doctors of the Church must be prepared to preach and defend all doctrine contained in the Deposit of Faith or Sacred Treasure of Divine Revelation impressed on their souls through grace; not only the truths already defined, but as well all those that the Church may define.This parable is an extension of that of the Sower, applied to the Apostles as future sowers.In it, Jesus also disqualifies the hierarchy of the Jewish Church as treasurers and teachers of the Faith, since they, by adhering stubbornly tothe old teachings, disdained the new,- the evangelical -, in which are contained the old now raised to their highest perfection.

(e) In the parable of the seed that sprouts and grows, Saint Mark relates: "And He said: So is the Kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the earth, and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up whilst he knoweth not.For the earth of itself bringeth forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full spike of grain.And when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come" (Mark IV, 26-29).This parable represents the maturity of doctrine in man through grace, and teaches that we must preach with ardour and apostolic zeal, even though we do not visibly perceive the fruits of our work, since it is God that works in souls and brings to maturity the seed scattered by the sowers, as Saint Paul says so well: "I have planted, Apollo watered: but God gave the increase.Therefore, neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase" (I Cor. III, 6-7).In addition, Christ shows us the different degrees of man's supernatural increase, and as a result, the different stages one passes on the way of sanctification, as well as the eternal reward reserved, according to merit, to those that are saved.

92.After this digression, we continue our Gospel chronology with the following text from Saint Matthew: "Then having sent away the multitudes He came into the house; and His disciples came to Him saying: Expound to us the parable of the cockle of the field" (Matthew XIII, 36).We teach that on the 27th of January in the year 33, Jesus, Who was preaching on the banks of the Lake, presented to the multitude the parable of the cockle, and that the Apostles and disciples asked Him, when He had returned with them to their conventual house at Capharnaum, to explain it to them.And He explained its doctrinal meaning (Matthew XIII, 37-43).

93.Saint Luke (XII, 1-59), in our judgement, refers to another of the Divine Master's sermons on the banks of the Lake, which we affirm to have been given on the 9th of February.From the sacred text we discern the pressure the pharisees, scribes and doctors of the Law put on the crowds in order to withdraw them from the divine teaching, not only using means of persuasion, but even intimidating them.The Evangelist says: "And when great multitudes stood about Him, so that they trod one upon another, He began to say to His disciples: Beware ye of the leaven of the pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Luke XII, 1).Jesus then gives a long sermon in which He stresses the need to follow Him, even at the cost of losing personal prestige, one's goods, family and even life itself, and stresses the fact that they ought not to be excessively preoccupied with temporal needs since, if God our Father fed the birds of the air and clothed the flowers of the field, how much more will He not do for men?That being so, we must seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice, that is, the salvation of souls, and God will bestowthe material things in addition to things spiritual.Furthermore Jesus stresses the need to be vigilant, that is, well prepared when God calls us to judgement.A large part of this sermon of the Divine Master is an explanation of some of the parables that He had presented to the multitude, among which parables related by the Evangelist are that of the rich fool (Luke XII, 16-21), that of the vigilant servants (Luke XII, 36-38) and that of the faithful and wise steward (Luke XII, 42-48).It is very beautiful how Jesus, now during the sermon, foretells His Passion and Death, when He exclaims: "And I have a Baptism wherewith I am to be baptized.And how am I straitened until it be accomplished?" (Luke XII, 50), words in which He also manifests His divine impatience to make reparation to the Father and to redeem men, which was only possible through the shedding of His Most Precious Blood on the Cross.This He calls Baptism, in virtue of which, at the same time as the whole Church dies with Christ, she is born cleansed and renewed from the Divine Heart.

94.According to our interpretation, the first two Evangelists refer to another of Jesus' sermons on the banks of the Lake of Genesareth, which we assert to have been given on the 14th of February of the year in question.Saint Matthew says: "And Jesus seeing great multitudes about Him gave orders to pass over the water...And when entered into them boat, His disciples followed Him" (Matthew VIII, 18 and 23).Saint Mark says: "And He saith to them that day, when evening was come: Let us pass over to the other side.And sending away the multitude, they take Him even as He was in the ship: and there were other ships with Him" (Mark IV, 35-36).Saint Luke is less precise: "And it came to pass on a certain day that He went into a little ship with His disciples.And He said to them: Let us go over to the other side of the Lake.And they launched forth" (Luke VIII, 22).Harmonizing these texts we teach that Jesus was preaching in the midst of a great multitude.The pharisees, scribes and doctors of the Law, who were often to be found at the places where He was, created a disturbance among the people.That is why Jesus, in order to avoid confrontation, saw the need to withdraw and cross over to the other bank.Saint Mark says "...they take Him even as He was in the ship."From which it can clearly be seen that Jesus, out of the midst of the tumult created by His enemies, was helped to depart in order to board a boat in an unforeseen and hasty manner.From our interpretation of Saint Luke's text we see that the Apostles went in the same boat as Jesus.And as Saint Mark says that there were other boats, we deduce that they were occupied by the other disciples.

95.The three Evangelists (Matthew VIII, 24-27; Mark IV, 37-40; Luke VIII, 23-25), go on to relate that when Jesus was crossing the Lake, a great tempest arose which He calmed.This we affirm occurred after nightfall on that 14th of February.Examining more thoroughly the details of the event, we teach the following doctrine: Tired from the physical strain of His intense preaching, Jesus lay down to rest on the stern ofthe boat, and slept.That is, He subjected Himself to the accidental need of sleep, during which He permitted a tempest of such magnitude to arise as had never before been experienced on the Lake, on account of which the Apostles, full of fear in the face of such an unwonted event, awoke Him with cries of anguish.We make clear that this tremendous storm was caused by Satan, who, enraged by Jesus' apostolate, and foreseeing the defeat that Jesus would bring him in the territory of Gerasa, as we shall see later, tried at all costs to impede the safe arrival of the Divine Master, the Apostles and disciples, at the other side of the Lake.It is noteworthy that this is the only time the Gospel mentions that Jesus slept, but we affirm that He did so with some regularity, and also that, in order to sleep, He suspended certain faculties of the lower part of His Soul, and His bodily senses in the passible state ceased their conscious function.Nonetheless the higher powers, being in the higher part of His Soul, did not interrupt His knowing of all things and His governing of the universe.So when Jesus slept, not only was everything present to Him as God, but also they were present to Him as Man in the glorified state of His Body, since the higher part of His soul always enjoyed the beatific vision as well as infused knowledge in the highest degree.The Apostles, recognizing the danger they were in, cried out to Jesus in words like these: "Lord save us, we perish" (Matthew VIII, 25); "Master, we perish" (Luke VIII, 24); "Master, doth it not concern Thee that we perish?" (Mark IV, 38).Now awake, Jesus reproached them several times, not only before He calmed the tempest, when He said to them: "Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew VIII, 26), but also afterwards, when He saw that they were still afraid: "Why are you fearful?Have you not faith yet?" (Mark IV, 40); "Where is your faith?" (Luke, VIII, 25). Similarly He reproached the disciples in the other boats when, trembling, they approached that of Jesus, once the tempest had been calmed.When on this occasion He reproached the Apostles and disciples for their lack of faith, it must not be understood that they doubted that He was the Son of God or that His power was infinite, but rather that, bewildered by the danger, they had lost confidence in Him Who, even asleep, always took care of them and could save them.In other words, they did not put into practice the conviction of their faith, and consequently used expressions that showed blameworthy despair like that related by Saint Mark: "Master, doth it not concern Thee that we perish?" (Mark IV, 38).Saint Matthew, referring to the Apostles and disciples, says that after the miracle, "...the men wondered, saying: What manner of Man is This, for winds and the sea obey Him?" (Matthew VIII, 27).Saint Mark (IV, 40)and Saint Luke (VIII, 25) tell it in similar words, although they add that it was said amongst themselves, and with fear.We teach that with those expressions the Apostles and disciples praised Jesus with deeper faith due to the marvellous display of His infinite power, for the expressions of astonishment just mentioned have the following doctrinal meaning: This is the Son of God, for even the winds and the sea obey Him!

96.The first Evangelists (Matthew VIII, 28-34; Mark V, 1-20; Luke VIII, 26-39), say that Jesus later arrived at the territory of the Gerasens, which is given this name because the town of Gerasa - also called Gadara and Gergesa, now Kursi -, and which pertained to Decapolis, a region in most part pagan, was located there.Saint Luke (VIII, 26) says that it lay facing Galilee, and according to our investigations, to the east of the Lake, not far from the coast.But before recounting what occurred in this region, we teach that once Jesus had calmed the tempest and once those accompanying Him had recovered their calm, He preached to all, from the same boat, on the Kingdom of Heaven, on the efficacy of continual and confident prayer, and on the reason He had permitted the tempest, which was also to manifest the glory of God.In addition, there were listening to Him fishermen who had approached His boat, amongst whom were several from the territory of Gerasa, who had heard Christ's powerful voice commanding the tempest and had seen how it was stilled.After the sermon they all rested in their boats until dawn of the following day, the 15th of February in the year 33, when they continued their journey to the other bank of the Lake.Saint Matthew says: "And when He was come on the other side of the water, into the country of the Gerasens, there met Him two that were possessed with devils, coming out of the sepulchres..." (Matthew VIII, 28).Saint Mark(V, 2) and Saint Luke (VIII, 27) speak of one only, whom we interpret to have been the most prominent of that episode at Gerasa, and they specify that he went to meet Jesus when He left the boat.By the term "sepulchres" must be understood the caves used for burial and in which, due to their amplitude, the possessed men dwelt.

97.Saint Mark and Saint Luke, who speak of only one possessed man, relate that he, on seeing Jesus, fell down before Him and adored Him.From the same Evangelist we learn that this episode concerned a legion of devils which, as we learn from Saint Matthew, dwelt in the bodies of the two possessed men.We teach that one of those unclean spirits was the chief of the legion, and that he was in the body of the man referred to by Saint Luke and Saint Mark.In the light of this teaching we affirm also that the unclean spirits dwelling in the two bodies, when in the Master's presence, felt the irresistible force of divine power upon them, and therefore suspected that He was the Messias.With the purpose of seeing a sign to confirm it the chief of then, in the name of the rest, impelled the two possessed men to fall down before Jesus in an attitude of feigned adoration endeavouring, moreover, to win Him over deceitfully so that He should not cast them out of those bodies.As is clear from the above texts, in the measure that Christ increasingly compelled them to leave, they, with ever greater insistence, begged Him not to expel them.Whilst in Saint Luke we see how one unclean spirit, whom we assert to have been the chief, and who spoke in the name of the others, cried: "I beseech Thee, do not torment me", in Saint Mark this same spirit repeats it more tenaciously, daring to do so even in the name of the Most High: "I adjure Thee by God that Thou torment me not." Then, in view of the futility of those petitions, the devils, now in unison, resorted to a new artifice, namely to complain to Christ that He, ahead of time, was upsetting their infernal dominion over men, endeavouring to make Him see that that would be unjust before the Redemption was consummated.For, since the time of Earthly Paradise they had known that their power would be much more restricted by the Redemption, and in the end annihilated.And that is the meaning of Saint Matthew's words: "Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?" (Matthew VIII, 29).With these words they endeavoured, moreover, to ascertain whether Jesus was the Promised Redeemer.Saint Mark, referring to the chief of the legion, also says: "And he besought Him much that He would not drive him away out of the country" (Mark V, 10), since he planned to obstruct the evangelization of the territory of Gerasa.On the other hand Saint Luke, referring to them all, says: "And they besought Him that He would not command them to go into the abyss" (Luke VIII, 31), with which the demons manifested their fear that Jesus would chain them in hell and not permit them to act on souls.We teach that Jesus permitted that the demons not leave the possessed men immediately, although that is what He had commanded, the permission being in order to confound them and to demonstrate to us also the astuteness and power of Satan.

98.Seeing that they were compelled to leave the possessed men, the unclean spirits planned to do harm by other means, and as the first three Evangelist say that there was nearby a great herd of swine, which Saint Mark calculates at some two thousand, the demons besought Jesus to allow them,- when they abandoned the possessed men -, to enter into the swine, as in fact occurred; and the latter, impelled by the evil spirits, hurled themselves into the Lake, that's is to say the Sea of Galilee, and were drowned.In this manner they tried to confront Jesus with the inhabitants of that territory, when these saw the material damage caused by the loss of the animals.And all was permitted by the Divine Master for the greater confusion of Satan,- who believed that thus he had deceived Him Whom he suspected to be the Son of God -, and, besides, as punishment for those people, the majority of whom were pagan and corrupt.The three Evangelist say that the inhabitants of the city, that of Gerasa, learning of what had happened to the possessed men and the pigs, came to Jesus and begged Him to leave their territory.Saint Mark and Saint Luke say precisely that they did so because they were greatly afraid, and we interpret that what they principally feared was that He would put an end to their vice and idolatry.We teach that in spite of all, Jesus with His Apostles and disciples remained for some days, though fewer than foreseen, in the territory of Gerasa, and from a hill far from the city taught the people who came to hear Him, and some believed in Him.Shortly after being healed the two possessed men were baptized, as also were those fishermen who had been witnesses not only of the miracle on the Lake, but also of that of the two possessed men, as well as several others.

99.Saint Mark (V, 18-20) relates that one of those freed from Satan besought Jesus, Who was on the point of departure, to be allowed to accompany Him, to which He did not assent but rather said to him: "Go into thy house to thy friends; and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had mercy on thee" (Mark V 19), and Saint Luke (VIII, 39) says the same.Relying on the revelations of Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich, we teach that the other who had been possessed made the same request and received the same reply.Saint Luke and Saint Mark end the episode when they tell of what one of the possessed men, now liberated, did.Accordingly, the former says: "And he went through the whole city, publishing how great things Jesus had done to him" (Luke VIII, 39).And Saint Mark completes the former Evangelist: "And he went his way and begun to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men wondered" (Mark V, 20).We teach that this testimony, first in the city and then throughout Decapolis, was given by both the formerly possessed men, and, besides, that they travelled together, as can be seen in the revelations of Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich, from which we select the following teaching, presented according to our interpretation: Jesus told the two formerly possessed men what their mission would be.They should go forth and proclaim Him through the region of the Gerasens, and then through Decapolis, and show and tell everyone what had happened to them, what they had heard and seen.In this way they would move the people to do penance for their sins, and to be baptized; and to send them to where He was.He told them that they should not be afraid of the difficulties which they would experience in their apostolate, and, moreover, that if they were faithful to the mission that He entrusted to them, they would in time receive, among other charismata, that of the power to expel demons and heal the sick.And when He had said this, He blessed them.They commenced their mission after Christ's departure.We amplify the above doctrine by teaching that Jesus' words, in which He promised the two formerly possessed men certain charismata and supernatural powers, were said to them in private, so that they were not heard by the Apostles and disciples; and, furthermore, that the promise was fulfilled a few days later when, whilst the two were carrying out their mission, He appeared to them alone for that purpose, so that they were joined, though secretly, to the disciples, and subject therefore to Peter, Chief of the Apostles, later to be joined officially.We conclude by saying that because of God's mysterious designs, it was expedient for the two new disciples to preach in the territory of the Gentiles without prior knowledge of the Apostles and disciples.

100.After the events in Gerasa, Saint Matthew goes on to say: "And entering into a boat, He passed over the water and came into His own city" (Matthew IX, 1).Saint Mark expresses it thus: "And when Jesus had passed again in the ship over the strait, a great multitude assembled together unto Him: and He was nigh unto the sea" (Mark V, 21).Saint Luke also refers to it: "And it came to pass that when Jesus was returned, the multitude received Him: for they were all waiting for Him"(Luke VIII, 40).Coordinating the above three texts, according to our interpretation, we teach that after the episode of the Gerasens, Jesus, with His Apostles and disciples crossed the Lake, and disembarked close to Capharnaum very early on the 18th of February, where a great multitude of people from all parts enthusiastically awaited Him, the news of the extraordinary miracle of the calming of the tempest having travelled quickly, as well as that of the healing of the two possessed men.Availing Himself of the gathering, and before going to the town of Capharnaum, Jesus addressed them all, and healed many sick besides.Whilst still addressing the crowds, there occurred what the three Evangelists speak of, (Matthew IX, 18-26; Mark V, 22- 43; Luke VIII, 41-56): There came unto Him a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus who, we affirm, ruled one of the synagogues of Capharnaum, and who besought Him to go to his house to heal his daughter.Jesus agreed to the request, and while on the way cured the woman suffering from an issue of blood.Then, at Jairus' home, He raised up the latter's daughter, who had already died.

101.With regards to the miracle of the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, we clarify the following difficulty presented by the texts of Saint Mark and Saint Luke, when compared with that of Saint Matthew.Whereas the first two relate that Jairus, prostrate at Jesus' feet, besought Him to go to his home because his daughter was dying, in Saint Matthew we read that Jairus said that his daughter had just died.From this we interpret that the same petition is not here treated of, but rather that when the ruler of the synagogue went in search of Jesus, he left his daughter dying; and after asking the Lord to cure her, they came to inform him that she had died, wherefore Jairus, prostrate anew at the Lord's feet, implored Him to restore her to life.With respect to the miracle of the woman with the issue of blood, we make clear that when Jesus asked: "Who is it that touched Me?", the woman having been cured by secretly touching the fringe of the Master's garment, it must be understood that with His question He wished to make the miracle public; for as we see in the sacred texts, the sick woman confessed before all the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had at that moment been cured.Moreover, Jesus made it quite evident that He no longer gave importance to the precept of Moses (Lev. XV) which obliged those who contracted a legal uncleanness, as was the case of the woman with the issue of blood, to live apart from others until the rite of the legal purification were completed, thus emphasizing that what was important was cleanliness of heart and not that of body.

102.Thanks to the doctrine already expounded on clinical death and real death, it is easy to understand the doctrinal meaning of the following words of Jesus when He arrived at Jairus' home, where the latter's daughter was already dead.Saint Matthew relates that He said: "Give place: for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth" (Matthew IX, 24).Saint Mark (V, 39) and Saint Luke (VIII, 52) speak with the same meaning.This indicates that real death had not yet befallen her, but that she continued in a state of clinical death; that is, her soul still animated the essential body, but both elements were already separated from the accidental body.Besides, it must be understood that following clinical death the girl, whose name was Salome, by divine providence had not been subjected to the Particular Judgement, since Jesus was going to restore her to earthly life,- which is not possible once the soul has been judged.Saint Luke says: "He taking her by the hand, cried out, saying: Maid, arise.And her spirit returned: and she rose immediately" (Luke VIII, 54-55); that is, the accidental body of the girl rose, now free from all sickness, on being united once more to the soul and to the essential body, and consequently animated by the former.We cite here the episode in the Acts of the Apostles in which Saint Paul raises up a dead man, and in which we also see the doctrine illustrated: "And a certain young man named Eutychus, sitting an the window, being oppressed with a deep sleep (as Paul was long preaching), by occasion of his sleep fell from the third loft down and was taken up dead.To whom, when Paul had gone down, he laid himself upon him and, embracing him, said: Be not troubled, for his soul is in him", by which must be understood that the soul was still united to the essential body, but both elements separated from the accidental body.The Acts of the Apostles go on to relate that "they brought the youth alive and were not a little comforted" (Acts XX, 9-10, 12).

103.We take this opportunity to teach the following doctrine: Clinical death must not be mistaken for apparent death; since in the former the soul, as we know, ceases to animates the accidental body, but not the essential body, the person being able to return to earthly life, that is to this mortal life, only through a miracle.Apparent death, on the other hand, is a state in which all perceptible signs of life have disappeared, but in which the soul continues to inform the essential body and the accidental body, due to the union of these three elements.And if a sick person, for whatever reason, gives new signs of life, it does not mean that he has risen from death.Consequently, those who in the course of history have returned to this mortal life through a true miraculous resurrection have done so because they were in the state of clinical death and had not yet been judged.

104.We now give the true doctrinal meaning of Jesus' words after the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, as cited by Saint Mark: "And He charged them strictly that no man should know it" (Mark V, 43); the content of which Saint Luke also expresses: "He charged to tell no man what was done" (Luke VII, 56).We see in the Gospel, not only in this miracle but also in others, that Jesus gives the same order and it is mainly to teach us that in our actions we must always consider the glory of God, and not our own; and besides, because many times He wished to be far from the manifestations of popular enthusiasm which His miracles caused.However, He also desired that these be broadcast everywhere for the greater glory of His Father in Heaven.And so it was, as Saint Matthew well gives us proofafter relating these two miracles, when he says that the fame of Jesus spread abroad into all that country.We conclude by saying that Jairus and his family believed in Jesus and were baptized; as well as the woman with the issue of blood, Enue by name, a widow and native of Paneas (afterwards Caesarea Philippi and now Banyas), who later was to join the pious women as a religious, and who was sister-in-law of Lea, spouse of the pharisee.

105.Saint Matthew, according to our interpretation, now continues the Gospel chronology when he tells of the episode of the two blind men (Matthew IX, 27-31) who, begging to be cured, followed Jesus when He left the house of Jairus for the conventual house, where He restored their sight.We affirm that this took place on the same day, the 18th of February, in the morning.

106.The Evangelist goes on to say: "And when they were gone out, behold they brought Him a dumb man, possessed with devil" (Matthew IX, 32), that is, that the cure of the possessed man (Matthew IX, 32-34) took place in the community house of the Apostles at Capharnaum, shortly after the two who had been cured of their blindness had left.The Evangelist tells us how the people marvelled at hearing the dumb man speak after the unclean spirit had gone out of him, and how they exclaimed: "Never was the like seen in Israel" (Matthew IX, 33); and how, on the other hand, the pharisees said: "By the prince of devils He casteth out devils" (Matthew IX, 34).We add to this Gospel passage the following facts from Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich, which we deem correct and apply in accordance with our interpretation.The possessed mute, named Joas, belonged to the sect of the pharisees and only fifteen days before had fallen into the power of the devil, who deprived him of his speech.He was a person of some prestige and formed part of the commission, already referred to, of pharisees, scribes and doctors of the Law appointed by the Sanhedrin to spy on Jesus, although his personal dispositions were far removed from the refined malice and blindness of his companions.And, as he had many times put about that Jesus was possessed and that he cast out unclean spirits by the power of Beelzebub, God permitted the devil to enter him as punishment, and thus gave him an opportunity to be converted.Joas was bound when led to Jesus and had to be restrained by force, for he was in a furious and wretched state.Once freed from the evil spirit, his use of speech recovered, he prostrated himself contrite before the Divine Master and publicly confessed his sins.And Christ baptized him in the sight of the people.

107.All this caused great uproar, since, although many marvelled at what they had seen, the pharisees, scribes and doctors of the Law once again tried to confuse the people, telling them that the deliverance of the possessed man had been the work of Beelzebub.In this way they tried to incite them against Jesus, Who, therefore, saw the need to retire once more from that place with His Apostles and disciples.This is the doctrinal meaning of the following text of Saint Matthew: "Whichwhen Jesus had heard, He retired from thence by boat into a desert place apart" (Matthew XIV, 13).Saint Mark gives one more detail, for in our judgement he tells how Jesus said to His Apostles and disciples: "Come apart into a desert place and rest a little" (Mark VI, 31), thus removing them from the tumult, as we see from the other words of the same Evangelist: "For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat" (Mark VI, 31), who adds, moreover: "And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart" (Mark VI, 32).Saint Luke adds one more piece of information to this incident, when he says: "And taking them, He went aside into a desert place, apart, which belonged to Bethsaida" (Luke IX, 10b), referring here to Bethsaida Julias.Although these latter words of Saint Luke appear to be connected with others which speak of the return of the Apostles from their mission through Galilee, we know that this episode occurred some months previously, and bears no relation with that of the withdrawal of Jesus to the territory of Bethsaida narrated by the same Evangelist.According to our interpretation, Saint John also refers to the withdrawal of the Divine Master with His Apostles and disciples consequent upon the uproar caused by His enemies, when he says: "After these things, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias" (John VI, 1).

108.The four Evangelists (Matthew XIV, 13-21; Mark VI, 31-44; Luke IX, 10b-17; John VI, 1-15) go on to speak of the miracle of the first multiplication of the loaves and fishes.Harmonizing the above texts, we teach the following: When many saw that Jesus, His Apostles and His disciples were embarking to go over to the other side of Tiberias, that is, to the side by the east bank of the River Jordan, the majority of them followed Him on foot, skirting the north-eastbank of the Lake.And many other inhabitants of different towns, who constantly came to Capharnaum because of the miracles He performed, joined them.As Jesus wished to be alone with His Apostles and disciples, this being the reason for withdrawing from the crowds, He stayed with them in the boats for some time.And when they reached shore,- after midday -, not far from Bethsaida Julias, which is a few kilometers from Capharnaum, a great multitude of people awaited Him.He, taking pity on them, commenced anew to teach them many things and to heal their infirmities.He led them to some nearby grasslands, at the foot of a mountain also covered with green grass, where He sat with His Apostles and disciples there to continue His teaching.

109.Before sunset, as dusk fell on that Thursday the 18th of February in the year 33, the Apostles saw that many showed signs of hunger and fatigue, especially the children, and so approached the Lord to tell Him to send the people away to obtain food and shelter in the nearby villages, for the place was a wilderness.But Jesus, Who had already intended to provide them with food miraculously, since it would not be possible by other means, first wished to put the faith and obedience of His Apostles and disciples to the test.That is why the Gospel relates that Jesus said to them, by way ofresponse: "They have no need to go.Give you them to eat" (Matthew 14, 16).We add that they, puzzled by that command, expressed in words and by gestures the difficulty of complying with Jesus' wish, but that He insisted, telling them that if there was no food, they were to buy it.And they rejoined to this with the same expressions of puzzlement, since the means at their disposal were insignificant.Jesus wished to try them further, and as is to be gathered from the Gospel, He, seeing the great and ever increasing multitude, and indicating it to His Apostles, said to Philip: "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" (John VI, 5), for we teach that this Apostle was the administrator of the community's goods and that he, in turn, asked Judas, the bursar, about the money in the purse.The latter replied two hundred pence, which Philip conveyed to the Lord.According to our interpretation, when He saw that there was something, He once again said, to try them: "Give you them to eat" (Mark VI, 37).And they replied: "Let us go and buy bread for two hundred pence, and we will give them to eat" (Mark VI, 37).That is to say, they were willing to obey, even though they knew that this would solve nothing.And we teach, besides, that the order was not carried out because Jesus did not insist on it when, according to the Gospel, Philip responded: "Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone may take a little" (John VI, 7).However, we add that the Lord, to try them once more, adverted to another possibility, which was to ascertain the provisions the Apostles and disciples had with them, and that is why, according to the Gospel, He asks them: 2 Regarding this we teach that, seeing they lacked reserves of food, they asked some of the people nearby if they had provisions.Finally they found a family that had five barley loaves and two fishes.They handed them to a boy, who went with Andrew to Jesus.There now takes place, as related by the Evangelist, how that Apostle, brother of Simon Peter, said to the Lord: "There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves and two fishes.But what are these among so many?" (John VI, 9).The other Apostles said the same when they saw how very small was the quantity of provisions, which is the meaning of these words of the Gospel: "And when they knew, they say: Five, and two fishes" (Mark VI, 38).To this we add that the Lord, for yet a third time, said to the Apostles: "Give you them to eat.And they said: We, have no more than five loaves and two fishes; unless perhaps we should go and buy food for all this multitude" (Luke IX, 13).And Saint Matthew expresses it thus: "We have not here but five loaves and two fishes" (Matthew XIV, 17).

110.After Jesus had shown the lack of human resources, He made ready to work the miracle, and that is why He told the Apostles to give Him the five loaves and the two fishes, which is the meaning of the Gospel expression: "Bring them hither to Me" (Matthew XIV, 18).He also ordered them to make the multitude sit on the grass in groups of one hundred and of fifty, as Saint Mark (VI, 40) says, although Saint Luke refers only to groups of fifty (Luke IX, 14).We assert that this was because the men were assembled in groups of fifty, andthe women and children in groups of one hundred.In this way it was possible to know with some precision their number.Although the Gospel only mentions the number of men to be five thousand, we teach that with the women and children, the number exceeded ten thousand.

111.Coordinating and interpreting the four Gospels, we teach that once they had offered Jesus the five loaves and two fishes, which were in a small basket, He raised His eyes to Heaven and having given thanks, blessed and broke both foods into fragments.He then inserted portions of fish into the pieces of bread, like sandwiches, and distributed them among the twelve large baskets, which miraculously became filled.Those containers, which belonged to the Apostles, are the same ones that the Gospel says were used in gathering up the left-overs, and, we understand, in the distribution as well.By a special grace the people could see from their places all that Jesus did with the loaves and fishes before giving them to eat, and were thus convinced that He was the Author of the miracle.Each of the Apostles then took a basket, and helped by the disciples, placed an abundant quantity of the loaves and fishes combined in the middle of each group, without the baskets ever becoming empty; this was observed with astonishment by the multitudes, who with joy savoured of the multiplied food, since, besides, because of the miracle, it acquired the marvellous virtue of nourishing, satiating and cheering those who ate it.When all had their fill, the baskets contained the same quantity of portions that Christ had deposited in them before working the miracle.It was therefore possible to gather in them the remainder, intact, of pieces of bread and fish, with which the baskets were once more filled, although there also remained much more that the people took away with them.During all this time Jesus manifested part of the glory of His Body, a certain luminosity appearing in His Face especially.When Christ said to the Apostles: "Make them sit down", His voice was heard miraculously by all, which facilitated the organization.Jesus and the Apostles and disciples also ate bread with fish.We make clear that when the two fishes were offered to Jesus, they were already cooked and boned.We accept as true the teaching of Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich when she says, according to our interpretation, that the time employed in the distribution and eating, and in the collection of the remainder was two hours, and, besides, that the left-overs were given to the poor the following day.

112.By means of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes Jesus tried to prepare more particularly, not only the Apostles and disciples, but also the multitudes, in order for them to have less difficulty in accepting the words He was to address to them on the following day, words in which He was to promise the Eucharist, which mystery demanded from all a faith even more profound.Jesus manifested something of the glory of His Body to the large numbers gathered, in order to leave an image in their minds of Its spiritual character, for them thus to understand afterwards that if He so could show HisFlesh, He could likewise give It to be eaten in a mysterious manner.Besides, His feeding them with bread containing fish was also a sign that He would give His Body to be eaten under the appearance of bread.Another of the signs that Jesus gave them was that the bread and fish had a delicious taste, a specially nourishing strength and gave a sense of joyful well-being, in order for all to remain conscious of how He lovingly fed His children, and thus have light to understand more readily that He would give His Flesh to be eaten in a mysterious way and as delicious food.

113.It is of great significance that the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is related by all four Evangelists.We see that the Holy Ghost moved them to do so, since this miracle prefigured, in a special way, the Eucharistic food in which the presence of Jesus and Mary is multiplied in innumerable consecrated hosts.It is likewise an important teaching for the Church that Jesus, in order to test His Apostles, say to them three times before the miracle,- "give them to eat", since the priestly ministry which they were to exercise afterwards would include, among other things, the most sacred obligation not only to instruct the faithful, but also to nourish them spiritually.Furthermore, when at Christ's command the Apostles and disciples distributed the combination of bread and fish, they prefigured priests, being the ministerial mediators and dispensers of God's graces to men.The miracle likewise palpably verified this saying of Christ: "Seek ye therefore first the Kingdom of God and His justice: and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew VI, 33); for He, seeing that the people were unconcerned about food for listening to His divine word, procured it for them in a miraculous way.On the other hand, Christ ordered the Apostles to gather up the left- overs of the loaves and fishes, among other reasons, in order to leave us a sign of His generosity, for the baskets were as full of bread afterwards as before the distribution, and also in order to teach us all the gratitude we owe for His graces, which are always more than abundant.

114.Saint John (VI, 14-15) refers to the astonishment that this miracle caused the people, who, truly convinced that He was the Promised Messias, excitedly acclaimed Jesus as the Prophet expected by the nation, and wished moreover to proclaim Him king, though moved rather by a temporal motive, in accord with the erroneous ideas that the Jews had formed about the Messias.We teach that the Apostles and disciples also manifested the same desire, to Jesus' great displeasure, since the idea that their Master should be exalted in this way filled them with pride, and they were annoyed and disappointed,- especially Judas Iscariot -, that Jesus attached no importance to the temporal honours offered Him.But He, seeing the vain spirit that moved them, and before retiring, as Saint John says, to a mountain alone, ordered them to embark with all haste for the other shore of the Lake, as Saint Matthew says (XIV, 22), towards Bethsaida as Saint Mark says (VI, 45), which is the onein Galilee.To this end He availed Himself of the fact that evening was then approaching, and that it was time to retire to the conventual house, as is evident from the words of Saint John's text when he says that, as evening was come, they went down to the sea and embarked for Capharnaum (John VI, 16--17).We teach, besides, that it was after the Apostles and disciples had commenced to sail when Jesus took leave of the people and went up to the mountain alone, as the first two Evangelists recount.Saint Matthew adds that whilst He was on the mountain, evening drew on (Matthew XIV, 22-23; Mark VI, 45-46).

115.Coordinating the following Gospel texts (Matthew XIV, 24-33; Mark VI, 47-52; John VI, 17--21), which refer to what happened to the disciples on their crossing the sea during the night, we teach the following: The Apostles and disciples embarked on the crossing in a confused and disheartened state, since they did not understand, besides, why Jesus had ordered them to go on alone as quickly as possible, even though He had told them that He would set out later.All this He did in order to draw them away from the danger to which they were exposed of being contaminated even more by the erroneous ideas the Jews had about the mission of the Messias, and also in order to purify them with tribulation and afterwards to encourage them with His presence, manifesting His glory in this way.Jesus permitted the wind to go against them, which put them off course and made navigating very tiring.Thus they came to a standstill, at the mercy of the waves, almost three miles from where they had set out.On the other hand, He let Satan blind them still more by means of Judas Iscariot, who by then was obsessed only with ambition for power and riches, because of which,- being deeply frustrated on seeing the bewildering attitude of Jesus when the people wished to make Him king - he started arguments and quarrels among the Apostles.Jesus, Who as we know had remained praying on a mountain, seeing them row with great fatigue, came to them walking on the water towards the fourth watch of the night, that is, at about three o'clock in the morning, revealing certain luminescence in His Deific Body.However, their alarm prevented them from recognizing Him, Whom they mistook for a ghost, and full of fear they began to cry out.The Evangelist Saint Mark says that Jesus "would have passed by them" (Mark VI, 48), with regard to which we interpret that He did so, in order to let them know His displeasure.Nonetheless, taking pity on them, He turned back, made Himself known and encouraged them not to fear.Then took place what Saint Matthew narrates about Peter, who, because of his lack of confidence in the word of Jesus, began to sink when he walked towards Him on the water, and was reproached because he had wavered in his faith.

116.Saint Matthew (XIV, 32) relates that when Jesus entered the boat with Peter, the wind ceased.Saint Mark (VI, 51) speaks in the same sense.Saint John adds: "They were willing therefore to take Him into the ship.And presently the ship was at the land to which they were going" (John VI, 21). Which is to say that with the exception of Judas, all welcomed the Lord with great joy, and not only did the wind which wasagainst them miraculously cease, but through a further miracle they at once found themselves on the very bank towards which they had been sailing, and likewise the boats of the disciples.Saint Mark also adds: "And they were far more astonished within themselves.For they understood not concerning the loaves: for their heart was blinded" (Mark Vl, 51-52), in which regard we understand that the Apostles, even after Jesus had reached them, continued to be upset because He had not allowed Himself to be proclaimed king, since they did not understand the principal end of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, which was to prepare them for the Promise of the Eucharist.However, we teach that He made them see the foolishness of their earthly ambitions, for His miracles were not intended for implanting an earthly kingdom in the world, but rather the spiritual kingdom of souls.We finish the interpretation of this Gospel event by giving the true meaning of the following text of Saint Matthew: "And they that were in the boat came and adored Him, saying: Indeed Thou art the Son of God" (Mathew XIV, 33).That is to say, the Apostles, now calmed by Jesus' words and freed of the darkness that had blinded them, adored Him and once again proclaimed Him the Son of God, thus acknowledging that such dignity was immensely superior to that of a temporal king.Judas, however, did so hypocritically.Saint Matthew tells us of Jesus' arrival on land, with His Apostles and disciples, after the crossing of the Lake, when he says: "And having passed the water..." (Matthew XIV, 34a).And Saint Mark as well: "And when they had passed over..." (Mark.VI, 53a).We teach that the place where the boats arrived was Bethsaida of Galilee, then after three o'clock in the morning of the 19th of February, and that afterwards, with His company, Jesus went to the conventual house at Capharnaum.

117.The Evangelist Saint John (VI, 22-24) says, according to our interpretation, that when the people who stayed the whole night at the place of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes saw, the following morning, the 19th of February, that the boat always used by Jesus,- that is, the one belonging to Peter -, was still moored at the banks of the Lake, they thought that He was still in the vicinity, for neither had they seen Him depart the previous day with His Apostles and disciples.After searching for Him they thought, puzzled, that He had gone alone by other means, and we know now that He did so miraculously.Meanwhile, some boats from the city of Tiberias came in search of Jesus, news having spread of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.And since it was told that He was no longer there, but possibly in Capharnaum, the boats set out for that town, allowing on board those who so wished.

118.The same Evangelists (John VI, 25-34) goes on to say that "when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him: Rabbi when camest Thou hither?" (John VI, 25), and relates as well Jesus' reply and the ensuing dialogue between Him and the people.We teach that His enemies also participated in the dialogue, for which reason He put an end tothe discussion in order to avoid arguments, when some of them said to Him: "Lord, give us always this bread" (John VI, 34), a subject He was to amplify in the synagogue.This event took place on the way from His house to the synagogue.

119.When the Jewish Sabbath began after sunset on Friday the 19th of February, Jesus entered the synagogue of Capharnaum with His Apostles and disciples, followed by many, among whom were pharisees, scribes and doctors of the Law, There He delivered the momentous Sermon narrated by Saint John (VI, 35-60), in which He announced and promised in mysterious manner the surrender of Himself on Calvary and its perpetuation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through which He would give His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink.The Divine Mary was also present with other holy women, for at that remarkable event there could not be absent She Who is absolutely inseparable from Her Divine Son in these most sacred mysteries.The Sermon of the Promise of the Eucharist began with these words of His: "I am Bread of Life.He that cometh to Me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst" (John VI, 35).Later on He reaffirmed the doctrine with greater emphasis and exactness when He said: "I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven.If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever: and the Bread that I will give is My Flesh, for the life of the world" (John VI, 51-52).This caused discussion among His enemies, which Jesus cut short with the following rulings, even harder to accept: "Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you.He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in last day.For My Flesh is meat indeed: and My Blood is drink indeed" (John VI, 54- 56).

120.It is expedient to clarify the following words uttered by Christ in the Sermon: "Your fathers did eat manna in the desert: and are dead" (John VI, 49).The manna that the Israelites ate in the desert, given mainly to sustain the body and also to inspire filial confidence in divine providence, communicated only a certain spiritual fortitude to the soul.Under this consideration alone may we say that it had certain repercussion in the spiritual life.Therefore, when Christ said that they "did eat manna...and are dead", He wished to teach them that food, of itself, could not save their souls; and that those who had obtained salvation had done so by other means of grace, such as the sacraments of the Old Testament, which applied in advance the infinite merits of the true heavenly Bread, Christ, Who immolated Himself on Calvary to redeem us and give Himself as food and drink of salvation.For this reason the expression "are dead" has the meaning of << all would have died supernaturally as well >>, that is to say, that no one would have been saved by the manna alone.The Psalms speak of the manna as the "Bread of Angels" and the "Bread of Heaven" (Ps. LXXVII -, 24-25), but it must be understood that it was thus designated on account of its miraculous origin and because it was a figure of the Eucharist.In the same way must be considered the loaves and fishes multiplied miraculously byJesus.

121.On Friday the 19th of February in the year 33, now late in the evening, Jesus ended His Sermon at the synagogue in Capharnaum.The eminent Doctor, Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich, says, according to our interpretation, that when Jesus had left the synagogue, the pharisees, scribes and doctors of the Law, together with some of the disciples of the Divine Master who had then decided not to follow Him, wished to detain Him and dispute with Him the doctrine He had taught, a doctrine that had scandalized them.We add, however, that Jesus, with His Apostles and the disciples who still followed Him, withdrew to the banks of the Lake, where there then took place what is referred to in the passage of Saint John (VI, 61-72) regarding the murmuring among many of the disciples, including, - according to our judgement - the Apostle Judas Iscariot, for they said: "This saying is hard; and who can hear it?" (John VI, 61).With respect to the other eleven Apostles and the more steadfast disciples we teach that they, too, showed signs of being to a certain extent disturbed by the mystery contained in the Master's words and by the atmosphere of contradiction that existed.Jesus, Who was aware of such dissension, said to all: "Doth this scandalize you?If then you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before?It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing.The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John VI, 62-64).By which He announced to them the astonishment that would be theirs if they were to see His Body, full of glory, ascend to Heaven; and that, if He was able to manifest His Most Sacred Humanity in this way, He was able also to give it as food in mysterious manner.Thus, He allowed it to be suspected that His Body was not, by nature, as it appeared to them, but glorified; and that they would not eat it in the way that meat is eaten for bodily nourishment, but that He would give Himself as food, really and truly, as spiritual nourishment for the life and sustenance of their souls, since His Flesh, being substantially united to the Divine Word, vivifies and is capable of giving life eternal to the man that eats It worthily.Consequently, His Flesh is supernatural food because it is adorable and divine, and is profitable to man for this reason alone.Jesus concluded this explanation by making them reflect on some of the more outstanding figures of the mystery of the Eucharist, as well as of miraculous proofs related to it.The Gospel says that "many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him" (John VI, 67), referring both to those who had abandoned Christ after He left the synagogue, as well as to those who did so after He had given them the explanation on the banks of the Lake.We teach that many of Jesus' followers who were not of the number of the disciples also abandoned Him after hearing the Sermon of the Promise of the Eucharist.

122.The Evangelist goes on to relate that Jesus said to the Twelve: "Will you also go away?" (John VI, 68).It must be understood that the question was addressed not only to the Apostles, but also to the disciples that had not yet left Jesus,Who thus sought to achieve several aims: One, that those who had resolved to remain with Him should publicly confess their faith, and thus strengthen it.Another, to emphasize Saint Peter as the future visible Head of the Church; for Peter, moved by the Holy Ghost, said: "Lord to whom shall we go?Thou hast the words of eternal life.And we have believed and have known that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God" (John VI, 69-70).Another of His aims was to make more manifest the falseness of Judas, in order to reprimand him and give him to understand that because of his conduct he was a devil, since shortly before he had contributed to the apostasy of many disciples by causing confusion.He, nevertheless, in order to continue his work of destruction, had remained with Jesus and did hypocritically join in the confession of Jesus which Peter made in the name of the Apostles.That is why the Master said: "Have not I chosen you twelve?And one of you is a devil.Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray Him, whereas he was one of the twelve" (John VI, 71-72).We teach, however, that although the Apostles heard these words of Jesus, they did not give them due importance; and since He, besides, did not point out anyone as a future traitor, they did not know to whom He referred.

123.Saint Mary of Jesus of Agreda says, according to our interpretation, that although Judas already showed serious signs of indifference and impenitence, Jesus and His Most Holy Mother never ceased trying to convert him through demonstrations of love, and other kindnesses and interior helps, since They ardently desired to lead him once more to virtue.Also, because of this the Apostles had not greatly noticed his evil disposition, in spite of the fact that in his ordinary relations he gave signs of his bad conscience.In an attempt to prevent Judas from consummating his apostasy, the Divine Mary spoke to him, and warned him, as to a dearly beloved son, with extraordinary gentleness and with explanations.But he failed to take advantage of the graces the Divine Mary offered him.Thus he went from bad to worse, since he endeavoured hypocritically to conceal his perverse inclinations and deceive the Apostles and disciples, but he could not do so with Jesus and Mary.And by allowing the devil even more entry into his heart, Judas began secretly to reject the Mother of Mercy until he came to hate Her.Thus, turning away from the intercession of Most Holy Mary, he closed the doors of Grace.From that hatred of his Most Sweet Mother he went on to become indignant with his Master and to hate Him also.He became dissatisfied with His teaching and considered very tedious the life of the Apostles and his dealings with them, whom he also criticized unjustly through envy and the repugnance he felt for their virtues, especially the love they showed towards Jesus and Mary.However, he tried to deal with them with pretended courtesy and amiability in order to preserve his position and to continue to pilfer the common purse.With this teaching we give some idea of the state of Judas' soul when Christ accused him of being a devil.

 124.We conclude the passage of Jesus' Sermon in the synagogue at Capharnaum and of the apostasy of many of His disciples by teaching that the Divine Mary, accompanied by the holy women, was present at the dissensions which took place among the disciples; and that, thanks to Her help the Apostles, except for Judas Iscariot, as well as the disciples who wished to remain faithful, were strengthened not only to overcome the crisis, but also to confess the Master of truth.

125.Jesus took leave of His Divine Mother immediately afterwards, and accompanied by His Apostles and faithful disciples, left by boat at night,- the 20th of February having already begun - for the territory of Genesareth, where He carried out an intense apostolate, as Saint Matthew (XIV, 34b-36) and Saint Mark (VI, 53b-56) relate.The former says: "And having passed the water, they came into the country of Genesar" (Matthew XIV, 34).As we have already indicated in previous pages of this Treatise, the words: "And having passed the water..." (Matthew XIV, 34), refer to Jesus' arrival at Bethsaida of Galilee from Bethsaida Julias where He had multiplied the loaves and fishes.However, since Saint Matthew omits the episode of Jesus' Sermon in the synagogue and the apostasy of many of the disciples, with the words of the Gospel text mentioned above "they came into the country of Genesar", he refers to the departure of Jesus with His Apostles and disciples from where the murmuring and apostasy of many of them had occurred, to the territory of Genesar or Genesareth.With respect to the words of Saint Mark: "And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Genesareth" (Mark VI, 53), we give exactly the same interpretation as those of the previous text.Through the latter Evangelist we know that Jesus, with His followers, made this journey by boat, for evidence of this is given in the expressions "and set to the shore" (Mark VI, 53), "and when they were gone out of the ship" (VI, 54).We teach that they arrived at the territory of Genesareth at dawn on Saturday the 20th of February.Saint Matthew relates that when the people of that place recognized Jesus they spread the news through the whole region, because of which they brought to Him many of its sick people.This coincides in part with Saint Mark, who says, besides, that Jesus travelled through the whole region and entered towns, villages and cities, and cured all class of sickness.

126.We teach that when Jesus was in the south of the territory of Genesareth, He visited Tiberias for the first time, in order to reciprocate the journey some had made from that city to Bethsaida Julias on learning of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, as we have already mentioned.In Tiberias Jesus taught and proved His teaching with miracles.That city was once called Genesareth, after the Lake, but Herod Antipas changed it to Tiberias in honour of the Emperor Tiberius.Jesus remained in this region until the morning of Wednesday the 10th of March in the year 33, when He embarked for Capharnaum.He arrived in the evening, and rejoined His Divine Mother.

127.On the following day there took place in Capharnaum what is related by Saint Luke (XIII, 1-5) in the passage concerning the news given to Jesus by some who had come from Jerusalem, where -, by order of Pilate, some Galileans had been slain in the Temple.We give some details of that massacre for greater illustration: Some days before the feast of Purim, which in the year 33 fell on the 6th of March, Pilate had ordered the imprisonment of some Galileans who had publicly protested against the taxes he wished to impose on the Temple and who had refused to offer sacrifices in it for the Emperor.On the day of the feast he set them free with the intention of killing them when in the Temple; and he carried out his intention as planned.In the passage of Saint Luke we see how Jesus, by referring to this event and to a previous one,- that of the death of eighteen men when the tower of Siloe in Jerusalem collapsed - warned those listening to Him that if they did not do penance, they too would perish in the same way.With this Jesus foretold the punishment which, due to their impenitence, would come upon the cities of Israel, among them Capharnaum, and principally Jerusalem, where innumerable Jews perished under the Roman armies, and where most of the buildings were destroyed.

128.According to our interpretation.Saint John is the only Evangelist who mentions, albeit indirectly, the Passover of the year 33, when on referring to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes he tells us: "Now the Pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand" (John VI, 4).We teach that Jesus left Capharnaum for Jerusalem on the 25th of March,- with the intention of celebrating the Passover -, accompanied by His Most Holy Mother, His Apostles and disciples, and some holy women.

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