The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

November 28, 1899

Luisa accepts suffering in Purgatory in order to free some souls.

My beloved Jesus came all affability; He seemed to be like an intimate friend who makes many endearments to the other friend in order to prove his love to him.  The first words He spoke to me were:  “My beloved, if you knew how much I love you… .  I feel so very much drawn to loving you; my very delays in coming force Me, and are new causes for my coming, to fill you with new graces and celestial charisms.  If only you could comprehend how much I love you, you would just barely catch sight of your love compared to Mine.”  And I:  ‘My sweet Jesus, what You tell me is true, but I too feel that I love You very much, and if You say that my love compared to Yours can just barely be seen, it is because your power is without limits, while mine is limited, and therefore I can do according to how much You Yourself give me.  This is so true, that when the will comes to me to suffer more in order to prove my love to You more, if You do not concede the pains to me, suffering is not in my power, and I am forced to resign myself also in this, and be that useless being which, by myself, I have always been.  On the other hand, You have even suffering in your power, and in whatever way You want to manifest your love for me, You can do it.  My beloved, give the power to me, and then I will show You what I can do for love of You, because whatever the measure You give to me, that very measure I will give to You.’

He listened with great pleasure to my speaking out of proportion, and almost wanting to test me, He transported me outside of myself, close to a deep place, full of liquid fire, and dark – the mere sight of it struck horror and fright.  Jesus said to me:  “Here is Purgatory, and many souls are crammed in this fire.  You will go to this place to suffer in order to free the souls I choose, and you will do this for love of Me.”

Though trembling a little, immediately I said to Him:  ‘Everything for love of You, I am ready, but You must come with me, otherwise, if You leave me, You do not let Yourself be found any more, and then You make me cry quite a bit.’  And He:  “If I come with you, what would be your Purgatory?  With my presence, those pains would change into joys and contentments for you.”  And I:  ‘I do not want to go alone, but as we go into that fire, You will remain behind my shoulders, so I will not see You, and I will accept this suffering.’

So I went into that place filled with thick darkness, and He followed me from behind.  For fear that He might leave me, I grabbed His hands, holding them tightly upon my shoulders.  As I arrived down there… who can describe the pains that those souls suffered?  They are certainly unutterable for people clothed with human flesh.  But as I entered that fire, it would be destroyed, and the darkness would be dispelled, and many souls would come out, and others would be relieved.  After being there for about a quarter of an hour, we came out, and Jesus was all mournful.  Immediately I said:  ‘Tell me, my Good, why are You mourning?  My dear life, have I perhaps been the cause of it because I did not want to go into that place of pains by myself?  Tell me, tell me, did You suffer very much in seeing those souls suffer?  How are You feeling?’  And Jesus:  “My beloved, I feel all full of bitternesses, so much so, that unable to contain them any longer, I am about to pour them out over the earth.”  And I:  ‘No, no, my sweet love, You will pour them upon me, won’t You?”  And drawing near my mouth, He poured a most bitter liqueur, in such abundance that I could not contain it, and I prayed that He Himself would give me the strength to bear it, otherwise that which I had not allowed Our Lord to do, I would do myself, pouring it over the earth, which would be very sorrowful for me to do.  However, it seems He gave me strength, though the sufferings were so great that I felt faint; but Jesus, taking me in His arms, sustained me, telling me:  “With you one must surrender by force; you render yourself so importunate, that I almost feel the necessity to content you.”