The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

April 25, 1902

The Cross is Sacrament.

This morning I found myself outside of myself, and after going in search of my sweet Jesus, I found Him - but in such a pitiful state as to break my heart. He had His hands wounded, contracted because of the sharpness of the pain, to the point that they could not be touched. I tried to touch them in order to extend His fingers and heal His wounds, but I could not, because blessed Jesus was crying for the strong pain. Then, not knowing what to do, I squeezed Him to myself and said to Him: ‘My loving Good, it has been a while since You shared with me the pains of your wounds; maybe this is why they are so embittered. I pray You to let me share in your pains, so that, as I suffer myself, your sufferings might be lessened.’

As I was saying this, an Angel came out with a nail in his hand, and he pierced my hands and feet through. As he was driving the nail into my hands, the fingers of my dear Jesus loosened up, and His wounds were healed. And while I was suffering, the Lord told me: "My daughter, the Cross is Sacrament. Each one of the Sacraments contains Its special effects – one removes sin, another confers grace, another unites one with God, another gives strength, and many other effects. But the Cross alone unites all these effects together, producing them in the soul with such effectiveness as to render her, in a very short time, similar to the original from which she came." After this, as though wanting to take some rest, He withdrew into my interior.