The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

February 12, 1900

Voluntary defects form clouds.

As I was in a state of abandonment on the part of my adorable Jesus, I felt my poor heart crushed by the pain, as though under a press.  Oh God, what an unutterable pain!  While I was in this state, I saw my dear Good almost like a shadow, but not clearly; I only saw one hand clearly, which seemed to carry a lamp which was lit.  He dipped His finger in the lamp and anointed the area of my heart, embittered to the summit by the pain of His privation.  At that moment I heard a voice saying;  “The truth is light, which the Word brought upon earth.  Just as the sun illuminates, vivifies and fecundates the earth, so does the light of truth give life and light, and it renders souls fecund with virtues.  Even though many clouds obfuscate this light of truth, which are the iniquities of men, in spite of this, it does not cease to send forth glimmers of vivifying light from behind the clouds, so as to warm souls.  And if these clouds are clouds of imperfection and of involuntary defects, this light, piercing them with its heat, makes them vanish and it penetrates freely into the soul.”  

I understood that the soul must be attentive not to fall even into a shade of voluntary defects, which are those dangerous clouds that prevent the entrance of divine light.