🍷🍷🍷JESUS TELLS APOSTLES WHERE THEIR ASSIGNED SEAT IS 🍷

🍷🍷🍷🍷JESUS TELLS APOSTLES WHERE THEIR ASSIGNED SEAT IS 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Peter and Simon come in together.
«Oh! You have come at last! Where have you been again? After you came with the
Master and us, you ran away again» says the Iscariot.
«We had another errand before supper-time» replies Simon briefly.
«Are you suffering from depression?»
«I think there is every reason to be so, considering what we have heard these past days,
and from those lips that we have never found to be false.»
«And with that stench of… Well, be quiet, Peter» grumbles Peter between his teeth.
«And you as well!… You seem to have gone mad for some time. Your face is like that
of a wild rabbit that realises it is being chased by a jackal» replies Judas Iscariot.
«And your face is like the snout of a weasel. You have not been very handsome either,
these last few days. You look in such a way… You are even cross-eyed… What do you
expect or do you hope to see? You seem to be self-confident, you want to appear so, but
you look like one who is afraid» retorts Peter.
«Oh! With regard to being afraid!… You are not a hero either!»
«None of us is, Judas. You have the name of the Maccabee, but you are not such. I,
with my name, say “God grants graces”, but I swear to you that I tremble like a man
who knows that he brings mischance and above all that he has lost God's favour. Simon
of Jonah, renamed “the stone”, is now as soft as wax near a fire. He no longer gets the
weather-gauge of his own free-will. And yet I have never seen him frightened in the
most violent storms! Matthew, Bart and Philip look like sleep-walkers. My brother and
Andrew do nothing but sigh. The two cousins, who are grieved because of their family
ties and of their love for the Master, look at them. They already look like old men.
Thomas has lost his cheerfulness. And Simon seems to have become again the
exhausted leper of three years ago, so much is he worn out by grief, I would say that he
is worn away, deathly pale, dejected» John replies to him.
3 «Yes. He has influenced us all with His melancholy» remarks the Iscariot.
«My cousin Jesus, my Master and Lord and yours, is and is not melancholy. If you
mean, by that word, that He is sad because He is being excessively grieved by the
whole of Israel, as we are aware, and because of the other hidden sorrow that He alone
sees, I say to you: “You are right.” But if you use that word to say that He is mad, I
forbid you to do so» says James of Alphaeus.
«And is a fixed melancholy idea not madness? I have studied also profane matters and I
know. He has given too much of Himself. Now He is mentally tired.»
«Which means insane. Is that right?» asks the other cousin Judas, who is apparently
calm.
«Exactly! How right was your father, a man of blessed memory, whom you resemble so
much in justice and wisdom! Jesus, the sad destiny of an illustrious family now too old
and struck by psychic senility, has always had a disposition to this illness. Mild at first,
then more and more aggressive. You have seen how He attacked Pharisees and scribes,
Sadducees and Herodians. He has made His life impossible, like a road strewn with
quartz splinters. And He spread them Himself. We… we have loved Him so much that
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our love veiled our eyes. But those who did not love Him in an idolatrous manner –
your father, your brother Joseph and at first also Simon – saw right… When we heard
their words we should have opened our eyes. Instead we were all enticed by His meek
charm of a sick person. And now… Who knows!»
Judas Thaddeus, who is as tall as the Iscariot, and is standing just in front of him and
seems to be listening to him peacefully, has an outburst of rage and, with a mighty
backhanded blow, knocks Judas down with his back on one of the seats, and with anger
repressed in his voice, bending over the face of the coward who does not react, as he is
probably afraid that Thaddeus may be aware of his crime, he whispers: «This is for His
insanity, you reptile! And only because He is in the other room, and this is Passover
evening, I will not strangle you. But remember this, and remember it carefully! If any
evil befalls Him, and He is not there to check my strength, no one will save you. The
halter is as good as round your neck, and these strong honest hands of mine, the hands
of a Galilean artisan and of a descendant of Goliath's slinger, will do the job for you.
Get up, you spineless debauchee! And watch how you behave.»
Judas stands up, he is livid, but does not react in the least. And, what amazes me, no
one reacts to the new gesture of Thaddeus. On the contrary!… It is obvious that they all
approve of it.
4 The room has just become calm again when Jesus come in. He appears on the
threshold of the little door, through which His tall person can just pass, He sets foot on
the small landing, and with His meek sad smile He says, opening His arms: «Peace be
with You.» His voice is tired, like that of one who is languishing physically and
morally.
He comes down. He caresses the fair-haired head of John, who has rushed towards
Him. He smiles at His cousin Judas, as if He did not know anything, and He says to His
other cousin: «Your mother asks you to be kind to Joseph. He asked the women after
you and Me a little while ago. I am sorry I have not greeted him.»
«You will do it tomorrow.»
«Tomorrow?… I shall always have time to see him… Oh! Peter! We shall be together
for a little while at last! Since yesterday you seem a will-o'-the-wisp. I see you, then I
no longer see you. Today I can almost say that I lost you. And you, too, Simon.»
«Our hair, which is more white than dark, can assure You that we were not absent
craving for flesh» says Simon gravely.
«Although… at all ages it is possible to suffer from that hunger… The old! Worse than
the young…» says the Iscariot offensively.
Simon looks at him and is about to reply. But Jesus also looks at him and says: «Have
you a toothache? Your right cheek is swollen and red.»
«Yes, it is aching. But it is not worth worrying about.»
The others do not say anything, and the matter dies away.
5 «Have you done everything that was to be done? You, Matthew? And you, Andrew?
And you, Judas, have you seen to the offer for the Temple?»
Both the first two and the Iscariot say: «Everything You said was to be done today, has
been done. Do not worry.»
«I took the early fruits of Lazarus to Johanna of Chuza. For the children. They said to
me: “Those apples were better!” They had the savour of hunger, those ones! And they
were Your apples» says John smiling and dreaming.
Jesus also smiles at the recollection…
«I have seen Nicodemus and Joseph» says Thomas.
«You have seen them? Did you speak to them?» asks the Iscariot with excessive
interest.
«Yes, I did. What's strange about it? Joseph is a good customer of my father.»
«You never mentioned it before… That is why I was amazed!…» Judas tries to make
up for the impression, he had given previously, of his worry about Thomas' meeting
with Joseph and Nicodemus.
«It seems strange to me that they have not come to venerate You. They did not, neither
did Chuza, nor Manaen… None of…»
But the Iscariot laughs sneeringly, interrupting Bartholomew, and he says: «The
crocodile hides itself at the right moment.»
«What do you mean? What are you insinuating?» asks Simon aggressively as never
before.
«Peace, peace! What is the matter with you? It is Passover evening! We have never had
such a worthy display for the consumption of the lamb. So let us consume the supper in
the spirit of peace. I see that I have upset you considerably with My instructions of
these last evenings. But, see? I have finished! Now I will not upset you any more. Not
everything has been said of what refers to Me, but only the essential part. The rest…
you will understand later. You will be told… Yes. There will come Who will tell you!
6 John, go with Judas and somebody else to get the basins for the purification. And then
let us sit at the table.» Jesus is heartrendingly kind.
John with Andrew, Judas Thaddeus with James, bring the large basin, they pour water
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into it and offer the towel to Jesus and to their companions, who do the same for them.
The basin (which is a metal wash-hand-basin) is placed in a corner.
«And now to your seats. I here, and here (at His right side) John, and on the other side
My faithful James. The first two disciples. After John My strong Stone, and after James
he who is like the air. He is never noticed, but is always present and comforting:
Andrew.
Beside him, My cousin James. You are not sorry, My kind brother, if I give the first
place to the first ones? You are the nephew of the Just One, whose spirit palpitates and
quivers over Me this evening, more than ever. Have peace, father of My childish
weakness, oak-tree in whose shadow the Mother and Son had solace! Have peace!…
Beside Peter, Simon… Simon, come here a moment. I want to fix My eyes on your
loyal face. Later I shall not see you well, because others will cover your honest face.
Thank you Simon, for everything» and He kisses him.
Simon, when he is left free, goes to his seat, covering his face with his hands for a
moment, with a gesture of distress.
«Facing Simon, My Bart. Two honest wise men reflecting each other. They match very
well. And beside him, you, Judas, My brother. So I can see you… and I seem to be at
Nazareth… when some festivity gathered us all together round one table… Also at
Cana… Do you remember? We were together. A party… a wedding party… the first
miracle… water changed into wine… Also today a festivity… and also today there will
be a miracle… the wine will change its nature and will be…»
Jesus becomes engrossed in His thoughts, His head lowered and isolated in His secret
world. The others look at Him and do not speak.
He raises His head again and stares at Judas Iscariot, to whom He says: «You will sit in
front of Me.»
«So much You love me? More than Simon, since You always want me in front of
You?»
«So much. As you said.»
«Why, Master?»
«Because you are the one who has done more than everybody for this hour.»
Judas casts an ever-changing glance at the Master and at his companions. At Jesus with
ironical commiseration, at the others with an air of triumph.
«And near you, on one side Matthew, on the other Thomas.»
«So, Matthew on My left and Thomas on My right side.»
«As you wish, as you like» says Matthew. «It is enough for me to have my Saviour in
front of me.»
«Last, Philip. Now, see? Who is not beside Me in the place of honour, has the honour of
being in front of Me.»