The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

September 18, 1917

Effects of constancy in good.

Continuing in my usual state, I was in the midst of pains; more so, since my Celestial Mama had made herself seen, crying. And as I asked her: ‘My Mama, why are you crying?’; She told me: "My daughter, how could I not cry, since the fire of Divine Justice would want to devour everything? The fire of sins devours all the good of souls, and the fire of Justice wants to destroy all that belongs to the creatures. And in seeing the fire running, I cry. Therefore, pray, pray."

Then, I was lamenting to Jesus about His privations. It seemed to me that, without Him, I could take no more. Moved to compassion for my poor soul, my lovable Jesus came, and transforming me within Himself, told me: "My daughter, patience. Constancy in good puts everything in a safe place. Even more, I tell you that when you are deprived of Me, fighting between life and death for the pain of being without your Jesus, and in spite of this you remain constant in good and you neglect nothing, you do nothing other then squeeze yourself. And in squeezing, love of self, natural satisfactions, come out; your nature remains as though undone, and what is left is a juice so pure and so sweet that I take it with great delight - and I soften, looking at you with so much love and tenderness that I feel your pains as if they were mine. So, if you are cold, dry and the like, but you remain constant, you give as many squeezes to yourself, and you form more juice for my embittered Heart.

It happens as with a prickly fruit with a hard skin, but which contains a sweet and useful substance inside. If the person is constant in removing the prickles, in squeezing that fruit, he will extract all of its substance, and will enjoy the best of that fruit. So, the poor fruit is emptied of the good which it contained; even more, the prickles and the skin have been thrown away. The same for the soul: in coldness, in aridities, she casts natural satisfactions to the ground, she empties herself of herself, and through constancy, she squeezes herself. So, the soul remains with the pure fruit of good, and I enjoy the sweetness of it. Therefore, if you are constant, everything will serve you as good, and I will place my graces with confidence."