The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

March 5, 1903

The crosses of disillusion.

As I was in my usual state, I found myself together with blessed Jesus, who was carrying a bundle of crosses and of thorns in His arms, all tired and weary. On seeing Him in that state, I said: ‘Lord, why weary Yourself so much with this bundle in your arms?’ And He: "My daughter, these are the crosses of disillusion, which I keep always ready to disillusion the creatures." As He was saying this, we found ourselves in the midst of people, and as soon as blessed Jesus would see that someone would become attached to creatures, He would take the cross of persecution from that bundle and would give it to him; and that person, seeing himself persecuted, unpopular, would be disillusioned and would comprehend that those were the creatures, and that God alone deserves to be loved. If someone would become attached to riches, He would take from that bundle the cross of poverty and would give it to him; and that person, seeing that riches had vanished away from him and he was now poor, would comprehend that everything down here is smoke, and that true riches are eternal, and so he would attach his heart to everything that is eternal. If someone else would become bound to his self-esteem, to knowledge, blessed Jesus, with all sweetness, would take the cross of slanders and of confusions and would give it to him; and that person, confused and slandered, would remove as though a mask from himself and comprehend his own nothingness, his being, and would order his whole interior in the order of God, and no longer of himself. And so on with all the other crosses.

After this, my adorable Jesus told me: "Have you seen the reason why I have this bundle of crosses in my arms? It is my love for creatures that forces Me to keep it, remaining in continuous attitude for them. In fact, the cross is the primary disillusion and the first thing that judges the works of creatures, in such a way that if the creature surrenders, the cross will make him avoid the judgment of God, as I am satisfied when one submits to the judgment of the cross during his life. If then he does not surrender, he will find himself in the sphere of the second judgment at his death, and will be judged with much more severe rigor by God; more so, since he has shunned the judgment of the cross, which is a judgment all of love." After this He disappeared, and I also comprehended that it is true that Jesus loves the cross, but many times it is man himself that incites and provokes Jesus to give him the cross. In fact, if man were ordered in the order of God, of himself and of creatures, not seeing any disorder in him, the Lord would remain at peace and would give him peace.