17 Iyar 32 AD = Saturday Julian 17 May = vision of Saturday 29 July 1820

(p. 468) When Jesus and the Apostles approached Bethabara on the Jordan, they found already assembled there an innumerable crowd of people. The whole country was full, and they were encamping under sheds and trees. Numbers of mothers with crowds of children of every age, even infants in the arms, were coming in procession. As they proceeded up the broad street to meet Jesus, the disciples who led the way wanted, on account of His great fatigue (for He had already blessed a great many), to repulse the women and children, and that even a little rudely. But Jesus checked them, and bade them bring the crowd to order. On one side of the street stood in five long rows children of all ages, one behind the other, the boys and girls apart, the latter being by far the more numerous. The mothers with infants in their arms were placed behind the fifth row. On the other side of the street stood the rest of the people, who passed in turn from the last rank to the first. Jesus now went down along the first row of children, laying His hand on their head and blessing them. He laid His hand on the head of some, on the breast of others; some He clasped to His breast, and some He held up as models to the others. He instructed them, exhorted them, encouraged them, and blessed them. When He had thus passed down one row of children, He crossed to the opposite side of the street and (p. 469) came up among the grown people, exhorting and instructing them, and even placing before them the example of some of the children. Then He went down the next row of children and came up, as before, among the grown people whose front ranks had been replaced by those from behind. And so it went on, until even the infants in the last row had received a loving caress and blessing. All the children blessed by Jesus received an interior grace, and later on became Christians. Jesus must have blessed fully a thousand children on this occasion, for the concourse continued during several days. He labored constantly, ever grave, mild, and gentle, with a certain secret sadness in His manner very touching to see. He taught now along the streets, now in some house into which they had pulled Him by His robe. He related many parables, by which He instructed both the wise and the simple, and impressed upon the former the obligation of thankfully returning to God all that they had received from Him, as He Himself did.

Of the holy women, Veronica, Martha, Magdalen, and Mary Salome were gone on to Jerusalem. I saw Mary Salome with her sons, John and James the Less, coming to Jesus and requesting that they should be allowed to sit, one at His right and the other at His left. Messengers had been sent thither by the Pharisees in Jerusalem, but many of them, being converted, remained; while others, returning in a rage to Jerusalem, repented on the way and later on became Jesus’ followers.

18 Iyar 32 AD = Sunday Julian 18 May = vision of Sunday 30 July 1820

Jesus left Bethabara with the Apostles, and on His way He was entreated to visit a house in which lay ten lepers. The Apostles, dreading contact with the leprous, went on ahead in a southerly direction, with the intention of waiting for Jesus under a tree. The lepers, enveloped in their mantles and full of sores, lay in a retired part of the house. Jesus commanded them to do something, and it seems to me that He touched one of them and then left (p. 470) them The lepers one after another were taken by two people to a little pool near the house, and washed in the bathing tubs, after which they were able to present themselves to the priests as cured.

Jesus next went through another building that had a four-cornered courtyard. On either side of the latter was a covered archway, in one of which lay men, sick and crippled, and in the other, afflicted women. The beds were laid in rows of hollow places, scooped out in the ground to receive them. Another covered way on the same line cut through the middle of the house and led to a space in which the cooking and washing were done. Between this middle walk and those in which the sick lay, were grass plots. Jesus again cured several here. As He proceeded on His way, I saw following Him one of the lately healed lepers proclaiming His praise. Jesus looked around, and the man fell on his face giving thanks. Further on the route, Jesus blessed many children who had been brought by their mothers to meet Him.

19 Iyar 32 AD = Monday Julian 19 May = vision of Monday 31 July 1820

The road travelled by Jesus and the Apostles on leaving Bethabara ran on the right past Machaerus and the city of Madian.

20 Iyar 32 AD = Tuesday Julian 20 May = vision of Tuesday 1 August 1820

(Christ teaches near Madian.)

21 Iyar 32 AD = Wednesday Julian 21 May = vision of Wednesday 2 August 1820

They again approached the Jordan, made a circuit of Bethabara, and went by roundabout ways through a desert region toward Jericho. As they proceeded on their journey, the disciples who had been sent out on missions returned to Jesus one after another and related to Him all that they had done.

22 Iyar 32 AD = Thursday Julian 22 May = vision of Thursday 3 August 1820

He instructed them in parables, but I remember only these words of His discourse: “They who say that they are chaste, but who eat and drink only what pleases their appetite, are like those that try to extinguish a fire with dry wood.”

23 Iyar 32 AD = Friday Julian 23 May = vision of Friday 4 August 1820

(p. 471) In a little town near the Jordan, I saw a woman entreating Jesus to cure her daughter, who was covered with ulcers. Jesus told her that He would send one of the disciples to her. But she wanted Him to go Himself, which, however, He did not do.

24-27 Iyar 32 AD = Saturday-Tuesday Julian 24-27 May = visions of Saturday-Tuesday 5-8 August 1820

(Christ is in Bethjesimoth and teaches in parables in the synagogue.)

28 Iyar 32 AD = Wednesday Julian 28 May = vision of Wednesday 9 August 1820

(p. 470) Another parable referred to the future of the Twelve Apostles. Jesus said: “Now ye cling to Me, because ye fare well”; but they did not understand that by these words He meant the peace and beautiful instructions that they then enjoyed. “In the time of need,” He continued, “ye will (p. 471) act otherwise. Even they whom I carry about with Me like a mantle of love, will cast that mantle off and flee.” These words referred to John in the garden of Gethsemani.

(p. 471) When He was drawing near to Jericho, the woman again approached and begged His aid. She urged that she had now renounced all that He had commanded her. Jesus, however, still repulsed her. Her child was the fruit of sin, and Jesus reproached her with a fault (it appeared to be but a small one) to which she had already clung for several years. He told her that she should not come again to Him until she had freed herself from it. Then I saw the woman hurrying past the Apostles and disciples toward Jericho.

29 Iyar 32 AD = Thursday Julian 29 May = vision of Thursday 10 August 1820

Having almost reached the city, four Pharisees sent by their colleagues of Jerusalem came and warned Him not to enter lest Herod would put Him to death. This they did, however, not because they cared for Him, but because having heard of His numerous miracles, they were afraid of Him. Jesus replied that they should say to Herod, the fox, these words only: “Behold, I cast out devils and do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I am consummated. Two of these Pharisees were converted and followed Jesus, but the other two returned in a rage to Jerusalem.

Then came to Jesus two brothers belonging to Jericho. They could not agree on the subject of their patrimony; one wanted to remain, the other desired to go away. One of them proposed that Jesus, so renowned everywhere, should divide the patrimony between them, and they had in consequence come to meet Him. But He refused, saying that it was not His business. And when even John (p. 472) remarked to Him that it was a good work, and Peter seconded the word, Jesus replied that He was not come to distribute earthly goods, but only heavenly ones. After which He took occasion to deliver a long exhortation before the rapidly increasing crowd. But the disciples as yet did not always understand Him rightly. They had not yet received the Holy Ghost and so they went on expecting an earthly kingdom.

Jesus was again met by crowds of women with their children, for whom they implored a blessing. The disciples, disturbed by the recent menaces of the Pharisees and desirous of shunning such excitement, tried to drive the women back, for they were entrusted with the duty of keeping order. But Jesus commanded them to allow the children to come forward. They needed His blessing, He said, in order that they too might become His disciples. Then He blessed many of the infants at the breast and the children of ten and eleven years. Some He did not bless, but later on these again presented themselves.