Maria Valtorta
Jesus falls
A century is arranged in two rows three meters from each other, and so comes to the square in which another century has formed a square away from the people, so they do not obstruct the procession. On the square are men and horses: a decuria with a young cavalry officer who captained their badges.
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According to the revelations of Maria Valtorta
Carry the crosses. The crosses of the thieves are shorter: that of Jesus is much longer. I say the vertical stick is not less than four meters. I see it already taken formed. Prior to the cross Jesus was put on the table neck with the inscription "Jesus of Nazareth. King of the Jews". And the rope that holds it becomes entangled in the crown that moves and scratches the skin and where it is still bruised and into new sites causing pain and bringing forth new blood again. People full with cheerful sadism: laughs, insults, curses...
Jesus stumble on stones ... and potholes, and every stumble is pain, because it moves abruptly the cross and hits the crown, that rubs his back scarred and enlarges the wound and increases the pain.
T he Jews can no longer hit him directly. But some of them throws a stone or a shot comes to him. The firs ones arrive in crowded places. The latter, however, are carried out in the streets with steps going up and up, and one and two, and three, for the continued unevenness of the city. There, by force, courtship decreases and there is always some willing that challenges the Roman spears, just to give a new touch torture master.
The soldiers defend Jesus as the can. But even to defend him they strike him because the long shafts of spears, exercised in so little space, and they do beat him stumble. But just at a certain point the soldiers do a flawless, maneuver despite the shouts and threats, courtship deviates sharply, by a street that goes straight into a wall, downhill, toward a much abbreviated shortcut arrival to the place of execution.
Jesus advances panting. Every bump in the road is a snare to his hesitant feet and a torture for his wounded shoulders to his head crowned with thorns on the floor in the sun thar descends in perpendicular direction, the sun is excessively hot, that sometines hides behind a bank of clouds. But that, though hidden, never ceases to burn Jesus, which is congested by fatigue, fever and heat.
Jesus pants more each time. Sweat waters the face together with the blood that flows from the wounds of the crown of thorns. The sweat hits the face wet and slick strange things. Because there is also wind now. From the syncopated bursts at long intervals, dust falls, as the blast has raised swirls that bring debris to the eyes and face.
I FALL
He finds a rock overhung, and even worn as is, raise his foot a little, he falls on his right knee, making, however, stand with his left hand. People shout of joy ... He gets up. Continued. Each time more stooped, panting, flushed and feverish ...
The sign in front sways him, it obstructs the view, the long robe also, because He is hunched against the land of locks his step. He stumbles back and falls on both knees hurting again where he was wounded, and the cross that is slipping out of his hand and falls, after having loaded heavily on the shoulders, which forces him to bend over to lift and tire for charging again on the back. While doing this is clearly visible in the sore right shoulder made by the gall of the cross, which has opened many wounds of the ashes and has unified them into one that exudes serum and blood, so that the white robe is in that place all stained.
I FALL
Have people gone mad by the applause and joy of seeing him fall so bad ... Longinus encourages them to separate, and soldiers with punches dice with daggers plane, ask the poor Jesus to continue. It resumes the road with more slowliness each time heavier, despite the request.
III FALL
And immediately after the pain the third fall is complete. And this time he does not stumble, but the sudden falls bend forces for syncope. The blows on the face are stronger, and he falls senseless on the stones, standing in the dust under the cross, bending over. The soldiers try to lift him. But since he seems dead, the soldiers go to consult with the centurion. As they come and go Jesus recovers, and slowly, with the help of two soldiers, one of which lifts the cross, and the other helps the sentenced to stand up, and they put him back in place. But he is exhausted. "Make him to die on the crosst" people scream. "If you make him die before, you will have to answer to the Proconsul, remember. The inmate must arrive alive to torture" - say the scribes heads of the soldiers.
In this road there are people who come, but they do not participate in the undignified clamor of following Jesus freaks to enjoy their torments. Women most tearful and covered, and a group of men so, indeed, that later disappear when the entourage turn to the mount.
Jesus staggers more each time and again another row of soldiers hit him and he increasingly bends to the ground. They think to solve the problem well by passing a rope around his waist and holding him for two heads, as if they were reins. This holds him. But it does not relieve the weight. Instead, the string hits the cross and makes continuously move back and knocks on the crown, which it has done in the face of Jesus a blood tattoo.
In addition, the rope rubs his waist where there are many wounds, and it will hurt him again, therefore, the white robe is stained of a pale red. To help him, they make him suffer even more.
Extracted from "Il Uomo-Dio poem" Maria Valtorta. Ninth volume, p. 278. Valtortiano Editoriale Center..
