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It went a peaceful trip full of joy, because he would have the opportunity to visit the sacred places, where the LORD lived and to remember of those unforgettable moments that have stayed engraved inside the heart. He remembered to have been forgiven by Divine mercy, in spite of to have nailed your Lance into the Crucified LORD, checking if HE was alive or dead. He carried with him, that had supplicated to be healed of the immense war wounded in the chest and the LORD paternally it listened him. He still reminded that the LORD mercifully also cured your eyes, giving his conditions to execute with dignity the mission of the existence. And also, it was in his heart the request to meet Juliana again, and of the same way, with love and kindness, HE provided to that this could happen. Remembering all these facts, he felt the need to show his gratitude revealing publicly the Christian Truth made roots into your soul and that without the LORD his life not had meant and then, this was a natural demonstration of the recognition of a spirit converted. In fact, it was a sincere and honest demonstration of his love to GOD.

So, taken by these saint ideals, he arrived to Judea and searched for the friend Yossef, not only to tell him the news, but also to thank him once again for your great charity with him.

He also met Cornelius in the Command Guard Praetorian, to whom he thanked by the precious friendship, at the time most difficult of his life. After telling him the news, it saw about having his benefit transfer to Lycaonia.

In the following day, he wanted to see your unforgettable Jerusalem... Alone, he wandered by the city… He wanted to pass in those same places which once went used by LORD. Something deep inside his heart was begging him to do so, and then he decided to start by the “Via Cruces”, where the Redeemer suffered cruelties, passing through hard afflictions and carrying His Cross, in which He was crucified and it died. He arrived to Golgotha, sad, with a very painful heart, contemplating the view now with no crosses but was covered with vegetation and wild thorns. Lowering to the ground he held a clod, placing inside a small cloth bag and guarded into his pocket. He walked by the Olive Garden, the chosen place by LORD'S, where HE prayed for long hours in an intimate conversation with the ETERNAL FATHER.(Luke 22.39-40) In an opening between the trees from the Garden he may see a beautiful sight of the city. Right there he gave a halt to admire and also was a time of prayer. Then, he raised the arms to heaven and said a sincere thanks to LORD:

“I thank MY GOD for everything that the LORD has proportioned me and by YOUR immense compassion, always forgiving me all the sins; same the wrong-doings I have made in my life, like my weakness, my lack of patience, the pride in excess and my personal vanity. I don't want more to offend YOU again. I want to follow the Commandments to feel YOU next to me, above all, because today I feel that the LORD is part of my life. For this I thank YOU My GOD very much by YOUR protection and all the graces that for me it sent. I offer YOU my whole gratitude together with my sincere confession of eternal fidelity”.

Then he returned to the city.

He met Lyses which knew at Yossef's house. It went, with no shadow of doubt an occasional meeting, but full of joy and satisfaction. They talked a lot about everything.

Lyses passed by there in the path to Joseph’s Arymateah's house, where together with others, they would pray before the Sacred Shroud, the white linen cloth that covered JESUS' Body, when HE went placed into the Sepulcher. That cloth was very well kept. In it were printed the image of LORD'S whole body, frontal part and back, mysteriously printed by the Blood Divine in that white linen.

Longinus accepted the invitation and so, they went together to there.

At Arimateah's house it was the Apostle Jude and more four people that helped the Christian Community of Jerusalem.

They prayed before the Sacred Shroud and then listened an impressive story spoken by Jude about the pagans conversions in the Galilee. The Apostle highlighted the presence of the HOLY SPIRIT that was working wonderful of way in the Christian Communities. (An image of the Sacred Shroud, the linen that covered CHRIST’s Body, it is in Turin, Italy).

Saying good-bye, the Centurion left together with Jude and they have conversed a lot while walked. Longinus talked about the work of Paul of Tarsus, and in the miracle that he testified in Lystra. He also revealed emphatically the your gesture nailing the Lance into the Crucified’ JESUS' Heart in the Golgotha, and after the great sincere and deep remorse that involved him, as well as, the precious graces that LORD mercifully granted him as testimony of the Divine forgiveness. Following the path he said:

“I opened JESUS' Heart to check if HE was still alive. HE thanked and gave me something very precious in turn. Yes, by the open wound into my chest made by a heretic's sword, before closing it, LORD placed the remorse, the pity and a huge love that washed and purified my being. I confess dear Apostle, that today my heart is truly Christian. However something is lacking, because I feel I only will reach peace in my mind, on the day which JESUS to grant me a very especial Grace, the opportunity of to shed my regretful tears at HIS HOLY MOTHER'S feet, of that wonderful woman who brought HIM, HE, the LORD GOD to us. I heard admirable things about HER, but I would like to have the opportunity to know HER, so that to beg HER forgiveness by the Lance’s sin which I will never forget about”.

After walking for some time, they have stopped of front a small house, where was living the Apostle John. The Apostle Jude rang the bell three times; someone answered the door. It was a very beautiful Lady... SHE wore a white dress, and above it, a blue-sky mantle falling from the shoulders and a white veil covering your head. Some hair that could be seen showed was dark chestnut and coming down over the shoulders. The face had a beautiful outline, with white skin and blue eyes, and presenting delicate and soft lines, composing an enchanter aspect. Although SHE kept a serious look, of your eyes exhaled tenderness, purity and kindness, with a serene expression over the face that showed a peace wonderful.

Jude introduced HER:

- “This is MARY, JESUS’ MOTHER...”

Longinus shook of emotion! His admiration went so great which could not control the emotion that invaded your soul! With a spontaneous impulse and of immense submission, he if knelt for saluting that Wonderful Woman, LORD'S MOTHER. And not being able of to hold back his joy, he covered the face and cried - it was a cry of love begging the forgiveness… Mary opened the door while the Apostle Jude holding the Centurion led him to inside the house. After some time in silence, Longinus told his story, the long path of the conversion, highlighting, above all, the immeasurable love of JESUS, YOUR kindness and infinite mercy. Then he said:

- “Today it accomplished a great wish of my life! It's a very beautiful moment that I begged to GOD! And JESUS, once again, heard my supplication granting me this wonderful and unforgettable moment. I confess that I feel me entirely happy. For everything that happened with me in these last years, like the LORD'S teachings and the graces that were granted to me and this very especial moment, they will stay engraved in my existence completely, because they will bring joy, consolation and happiness for the rest of my life. There, in our Lystra Community, so far away, I will show my eternal gratitude, by giving my testimony of fidelity at the LORD and not leaving out any opportunity to prove, with the force of my soul, the Kindness and Mercy Infinite of the CREATOR, which always assists all they seek YOUR Love, YOUR Help and Protection. This is the reason why, LADY, for me to be completely happy, I need YOUR precious help: forgiving my wrongdoing practiced against Crucified JESUS”.

- “Longinus, JESUS has already granted you the forgiveness. Lead your life in peace and keep showing this beautiful example of Christian, wherever you go, so that GOD be always, more known and more loved by everyone. The Divine Love will never cease to shed graces over the humanity of all generations. For that reason, there is necessity of prayer, because so the graces might be dilated and might reach, a larger number of hearts, so that could exist peace into the families and the people, they could behave how true sons of GOD, like HE really wants. Stay in the LORD’S Peace. ”

Longinus with heart full of love and with very humility knelt before GOD'S MOTHER bent head until the ground and said: "Thanks LADY, pray for me".

 

 

The Centurion has left with heart overflowing of love. He never has imagined feeling so strong emotions.

Delighted with those moments, he has walked by the streets like a happy child, smiling and with long steps, as if he were jumping of joy, thinking in those happenings that in the mind they were how an unforgettable film.

He traveled to Lystra and soon after he if married with Juliana.

He assumed the responsibility by the cultivate of grapes and wine production; improving the production techniques, he has gotten a more tasteful product and of quality excellent, at the same time in that the wine fame spread in the region.

On Sundays, together with the wife and the mother-in-law, they participated of the Holy Mass and attended the Christian Community, helping those which needed some kind of support.

Certainly Longinus has taken "The Passion Lance" to Lystra, because went the instrument used by GOD to heal him physical and spiritually and also by the fact that it represented a testimony of JESUS CHRIST'S Passion OUR LORD, so that could be shown in the religious meetings at the faithful, with objective to wake the prayer spirit in the people.

The last news about Centurion's life describes, that him together with Juliana they constituted a truly Christian family. In every opportunity, in the work, in house or giving support at Community, they published the Mercy, the Kindness and the Infinite Love of GOD for us and emphasizing, the LORD GOD never forgets any of the sons that seek HIS protection, even of those “who are very far OF HIM”, because of the sin.

 

 

Still about Longinus' Life, there are some interesting facts. The first Eucharistic miracle happened in a Church of the city of Lanciano, Italy, dedicated to Saint Longinus, circa in 700 AD. A priest with the faith weakened, doubted about the true existence of JESUS into the Bread and in the Consecrated Wine. One day when celebrating the Holy Mass with little conviction, during the Consecration, before all people who attended the ceremony, the Host and Wine became "into body and blood of the LORD JESUS".

The LORD provided an extraordinary and surprising miracle demonstrating HIS true presence in the Host and the Consecrated Wine in the Holy Mass. As testimony of the Lanciano Miracle, (the reliquary with the Host transformed into Body, and the Wine into Blood), was placed into a special Chapel erected in the same Church, and can be seen by the public in Italy.

In the Museum of Vatican there is a lance that in agreement with the tradition, is the same which Longino nailed into Crucified JESUS' Heart.

In the Saint Peter Basilica, in Vatican, there is a Chapel dedicated to Saint Longinus. And also, in Jerusalem, in the Saint Sepulcher Basilica, there is a Chapel dedicated to the Roman Centurion.

These facts confirm the admirable conversion of Longinus, the Church's recognition and, above all, your immense regret that it transformed his existence in a life full of sanctity devoted to the CREATOR, as sincere testimony of your love to GOD.

The image to right - It's the image of Longinus in a Chapel, in the Basilica Saint Peter, in Vatican. Observe that he holds the lance with the right hand, and the left arm is opened stretched. This fact confirms the version that in a combat against the Turkish he went hurt severely, but he has not had the amputated left arm.

THE END

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