The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

August 27, 1913

Snares and rage of the devil against the soul who lives in and speaks about the Divine Will, pushing other people against her. She must not feel disturbed, because she has Jesus with her.

Finding myself in my usual state, I was lamenting with my always adorable Jesus about my poor current state, and with all the bitterness of my soul I told Him: ‘Life of my life, You no longer have compassion for me. Why live? You don’t want to use me any more - all is over. My bitterness is so intense and so great that I feel petrified for the pain. And what is worse is that while I remain all abandoned in your arms, as if I didn’t give a thought to my great misfortune, the others - and You know who they are - whisper in my ear: ‘How is this? Why? It might be that you’ve committed sins! You’ve been inattentive...!’ What is worse is that, while they say this to me, I feel that I don’t want to hear them, as if they interrupted the sleep in which You keep me in the arms of your Will... Ah, Jesus, maybe You did not pay attention to how hard this pain is for me, otherwise You would come to my aid.’ And I told Him many more silly things.

Then blessed Jesus told me: "My daughter, poor daughter of mine, they want to sadden you, don’t they? Ah, my daughter, I do so much to keep you at peace, and they want to disturb you! No, no. Know that if you dared to offend Me, I would be the first one to be saddened, and the first one to tell you. So, if I do not say anything - don’t worry. But do you want to know who is the cause of this? The devil. He is consumed with rage. And every time you speak about the effects of my Will to those who approach you, he blows up in fury and, unable to approach directly the one who does my Will, he goes around, approaching those who can get close to you under the appearance of good, in order to obtain at least the miserable purpose of disturbing the serene heaven of the soul in whom I delight to dwell. So, he thunders and lightenings from afar, thinking of doing something, but - unhappy him! - the power of my Will breaks his legs, making those thunders and lightenings fall upon himself. So he remains more furious than before.

Furthermore, what you say is not true, ‘What’s the purpose of my state?’ You must know that, for the soul who really does my Will, the virtue of my Will is so great that if I get close to the place where that soul is in order to send chastisements, finding there my Will and my own Love, I don’t feel like punishing Myself in that soul; rather, I remain wounded and I faint. So, instead of chastising, I throw Myself in the arms of that soul, who contains my Will and my Love. I rest and I remain all cheered.

Ah, if you knew into what constraints of love you put Me, and how much I suffer when I see you the least bit saddened or disturbed because of Me! You would be more content, and the others would abstain from bothering you." And I: ‘Do you see, O Jesus, how much evil I do, to the extent of making You suffer?’ And soon Jesus: "My daughter, don’t be troubled for this. Sufferings which come from the love of the soul contain also great joys, because true love, though it brings sufferings, is never separated from great joy and unspeakable contentments."