A good sign from Mary of Magdala. Death of the Old Israel.

§ 226.1

Jesus in the company of the Zealot arrives at Lazarus’ garden on a beautiful summer morning. It is still dawn and thus everything is cool and smiling.

The gardener, who has come to receive the Master, points out to Him the hem of a white tunic disappearing behind a hedge and says: «Lazarus is going to the jasmin pergolas and has taken some rolls to read. I will call him.»

«No, I will go, by Myself.»

Jesus walks fast along a path bordered with hedges in bloom. The grass close to the hedges deadens the noise of His steps and Jesus endeavours to walk on it, to reach Lazarus unexpectedly.

He in fact surprises him while standing, after laying the rolls on a marble table, he is praying in a loud voice: «Do not disappoint me, my Lord. Help me to grow the ray of hope which has begun to shine in my heart. Grant me what I have asked You for thousands of times with my tears, what I have asked for by my actions, by forgiving, by my whole self. Give me it in exchange for my life. Grant me it in the name of Your Jesus, Who has promised me that peace. Can He possibly tell lies? Must I think that His promise was nothing but vain words? That His power is inferior to the sinful abyss which my sister is? Tell me, my Lord, that I may resign myself for Your sake…»

«Yes, I tell you!» says Jesus.

Lazarus turns around startled and cries: «Oh! my Lord. When did You arrive?» and he bends to kiss Jesus’ tunic.

«Only a few minutes ago.»

«All alone?»

«With Simon Zealot. But I came here alone. I know that You have a great thing to tell Me. So tell Me.»

«No. Answer first the questions which I ask God. According to Your answer, I will tell You.»

«Tell Me, do tell Me, your great thing. You can tell Me…» and Jesus smiles stretching out His arms invitingly.

«Most High God! It is true? So You know that it is true?!» and Lazarus goes towards Jesus’ arms to confide his great thing.

§ 226.2

«Mary asked Martha to go to Magdala. And Martha left full of anxiety as she feared some misfortune… And I was left here, with the same fear. But through the servant who accompanied her there, Martha has sent me a letter, which has filled me with hope. Look, I have it here, on my heart. I keep it here, because it is more valuable to me than a treasure. It is very short, only a few words, but I read them now and again, to make sure that they have really been written. Look…» and Lazarus takes from under his tunic a small roll tied with a violet ribbon and unfolds it. «See? Read it, read it. In a loud voice. If You read it, it will sound more certain to me.»

«“Lazarus, my brother. Peace and blessing to you. I arrived in a short time safe and sound. And my heart has no longer throbbed with fear of fresh misfortunes, because I saw that Mary, our Mary, is all right and… shall I tell you? She looks less disturbed than previously. She wept on my heart. She wept bitterly… And then, during the night, in the room where she had taken me, she asked me many things about the Master. That is all for the time being. But since I see Mary’s face and I hear her words, I can say that hope has been raised in my heart. Pray, my dear brother, and hope. Oh! If it were true! I will be staying here a little longer because I feel that she wants me to be close to her, as if she wished to be defended from temptations. And that she wants to learn… What? What we already know. Jesus’ infinite bounty. I told her about that woman who came to Bethany… I see that she is pensive, very pensive indeed… Jesus ought to be here. Pray and hope. The Lord be with you”.» Jesus folds the roll and hands it back.

«Master…»

«I will go. Is it possible for you to tell Marthe to come and meet Me at Capernaum in a fortnight’s time, at the most?»

«Yes, I can do that. And what about me?»

«You will stay here. I will send Martha here as well.»

«Why?»

«Because redemptions are deeply modest. And nothing causes more shame than the eye of a parent or of a brother. I also say to you: “Pray, pray, pray”.»

Lazarus weeps on Jesus’ chest… Then, when he recovers, he tells of his anxiety, of his depression… «For almost a year I have been hoping… and despairing… How long is the time taken by resurrection!…» he exclaims.

§ 226.3

Jesus lets him speak… until Lazarus realises he is failing in his duty of a host and he stands up to take Jesus into the house. To do so they pass near a thick jasmin hedge in full bloom, on the star-shaped corollas of which golden bees are humming.

«Ah! I was forgetting to tell You… The old patriarch You sent me, has gone back to Abraham’s bosom. Maximinus found him here, with his head leaning against this hedge, as if he had fallen asleep near the beehives which he looked after as if they were houses full of golden children. That is what he used to call the bees. He seemed to understand them and to be understood by them. And on the patriarch sleeping in the peace of a clear conscience, when Maximinus found him, there was a precious veil of little golden bodies. The bees were lying on their friend. He was so good that he probably tasted of honey… And he was so honest that he was probably like an uncontaminated corolla for the bees… It grieved me. I would have liked to have him longer in my house. He was a just man…»

«Do not mourn his death. He is in peace, and from his peace he prays for you, who made his last days happy. Where is he buried?»

«At the end of the orchard. Still close to his beehives. Come and I will show You…»

And they go through a laurel grove towards the actively buzzing beehives.