The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

August 25, 1905

True virtues must have their roots in the Heart of Jesus, and be developed in the heart of the creature.

This morning, on coming, blessed Jesus told me:  “My daughter, the soul must reside in my Heart; and her very virtues… she must make it in such a way that they have their roots in my Heart and be developed in her heart.  Otherwise, there might be the natural virtues, or those of sympathy, which are called virtues at times and circumstances, and are mutable; while the virtues whose roots are fixed in my Heart and are developed in the soul, are stable and adapt themselves to all times and to all circumstances, and are the same for all.  But the others are not, and it happens that they feel an unlimited charity for someone, that is, at one time they are all fire, they make true sacrifices, they would want to lay down their lives; but then someone else comes, perhaps more in need than the first one, and in one moment the scene changes:  they become icy, they don’t even want to make the sacrifice of listening or saying a word; they are listless and send him back embittered and irritated.  Is this perhaps the charity whose root is fixed in my Heart?  Certainly not.  On the contrary, it is a vicious charity, all human and of sympathy, which seems to flourish at one moment, and it withers and disappears at another.  Someone else is obedient to someone, submitted, humble; he makes himself a rag, in such a way that the other can do with him what he wants.  But with another he is disobedient, recalcitrant, proud.  Is this the obedience that comes from my Heart; as I obeyed everyone, even my very executioners?  Certainly not.  Someone else is patient on certain occasions; be they even serious sufferings, he looks like a lamb that does not even open its mouth to lament.  But with another suffering, maybe smaller, he loses his temper, he gets irritated, he swears.  Is this perhaps the patience whose root is fixed in my Heart?  Certainly not.  Someone else one day is all fervent, he prays always, to the point of transgressing the duties of his state; but another day he has had an encounter a little disappointing, he feels cold, and he abandons prayer completely, to the point of transgressing the duties of a Christian - the prayers of obligation.  Is this perhaps my spirit of prayer, as I reached the point of sweating blood, of feeling the agony of death, and yet I never neglected prayer for one single moment?  Certainly not.  And so with all the other virtues.  Only the virtues which are rooted in my Heart and grafted in the soul are stable and lasting, and shine as full of light.  The others, while they appear to be virtues, are vices; they appear to be light, but they are darkness.” 

Having said this, He disappeared, and as I continued to desire Him, He came back and added:  “The soul who desires Me always impregnates herself with Me continuously; and I, feeling Myself impregnated by the soul, impregnate Myself with the soul, in such a way that, wherever I turn, I find her with her desires, and I touch her continuously.”