«You are crying, Master, because someone has hurt You. For several days Your face has been like the sun darkened by clouds. I have been watching You. Your goodness hides the wound, that we may not hate him who wounds You. But the wound is a painful and abhorrent one. But tell me, my Lord: why do You not remove the source of Your pain?»
«Because it would be useless from a human point of view and it would not be charitable.»
«Ah! You are aware that I am speaking of Judas! It is because of him that You are suffering. How can You, the Truth, tolerate that liar? He lies shamelessly. He is more deceitful than a fox and more closed than a rock. He has now gone away. What for? How many friends has he got? I am sorry to leave You. But I would like to follow him and see… Oh! My Jesus! That man… send him away, my Lord.»
«It is useless. What is to be, shall be.»
«What do You mean?»
«Nothing special.»
«You were pleased to let him go, because You were disgusted with his behaviour at Jericho.»
«It is true, Simon. I tell you once again: what is to be, shall be. And Judas is part of this future. He is to be there, too.»
«But John told me that Simon Peter is very frank and full of ardour… Will he put up with Judas?»
«He must stand him. Also Peter is destined for a part, and Judas is the canvas on which he must weave his part, or, if you prefer so, Judas is the school where Peter will learn more than with anyone else. Also idiots are capable of being good with John and understanding souls like John’s. But it is difficult to be good with people like Judas, and to understand souls like Judas’ and to be a doctor and priest for them. Judas is your living teaching.»
«Ours?»
«Yes. Yours. The Master will not be on the earth forever. He will leave after eating the hardest bread and drinking the most sour wine. But you will stay to continue Me… and you must know. Because the world does not end with the Master. It will last longer, until the final return of Christ and the final judgement of man. And I solemnly tell you that for every John, Peter, Simon, James, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, there are at least seven Judases. And many, many more!…»