The Reprobates and Slaves Welcomed by Jesus
Jesus preached to wrecks of men to make them chosen of Heaven, as Mary explains in her spiritual testament during her Dormition:
"Yes. Love is really a flame. The flame, that although it destroys what is perishable, be it a wreck, some rubble, a poor wretch, makes a purified spirit of it, worthy of Heaven. How many wrecks, how many men stained, corroded, worn out you will find on your ways of evangelizers! Do not despise any of them. On the contrary, love them, so that they may reach love and be saved. Infuse love into them. Many a time man becomes wicked, because no one ever loved him or loved him badly. Do love them, so that the Holy Spirit, after the purification, may come to dwell again in those temples, that many things made empty and filthy. God, to create man, did not take an angel or choice materials.[1] He took some mud, the most worthless material.[2] Then infusing His breath into it, that is, His love again, He elevated the worthless material to the sublime rank of adoptive son of God.[3] My Son, on His way, found many wrecks of men who had fallen into filth. He never trampled on them despisingly. On the contrary He gathered them and received them and He changed them into chosen souls of Heaven. Always bear that in your minds. And do as He did."[4]
The Reprobates Preached by Jesus
- Aglae, the Sicilian woman of little virtue,
- The anonymous adulterous woman caught in the act,[5]
- Photina, the Samaritan concubine,
- John of Endor (Felix), the galley slave murderer,
- The Beauty of Korazim, the former courtesan who became leprous and was healed by Jesus,
- Galazia, the courtesan and infanticide healed at Tarichea,
- Mary of Magdala (Magdalene), divorced, adulterous and wayward,
- Matthew (Levi), the tax collector, reveler and exploiter of Capernaum,
- The prostitute bribed to tempt Jesus,[6]
- Simon the Zealot , activist and leper,
- Zacchaeus, the tax collector of Jericho who forms, after his conversion, the first community of "reprobates" like Levi, the old repentant tax collector, or Valens, the old Roman pimp or Demetes, a Greek usurer, not to mention a young thief. This community would reach up to fifteen people.[7]
The Slaves Preached by Jesus
- Albula Domitilla, Greek freedwoman, trusted woman of Claudia,
- Aurea Galla, nicknamed Christina, Gallic slave redeemed by Claudia, disciple,
- Callisto, the Numidian slave of Claudia Procula, tongue cut out, healed by Jesus,
- Eglah, Israelite slave redeemed by Claudia,
- The galley slaves, sentenced to the oars on Roman ships from Caesarea on the Sea, receive from Jesus comfort in spirit and relief in body: after announcing to them the peace of God, he offers them fruits and wine as a concrete sign of mercy and care.[8]
- Syntyche, Greek runaway slave, disciple and co-founder of the Christian community of Antioch.