The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

March 13, 1899

All Creation speaks of the love of God for man, and teaches him how he must love Him.

This morning, beloved Jesus did not make Himself seen in the usual way, all affability and sweetness - but severe. I felt my mind in a sea of confusion, and my soul so afflicted and annihilated, especially because of the chastisements I saw in these past days. In seeing Him with that appearance I did not dare to tell Him anything; we looked at each other, but in silence. Oh God, what pain! Then, in one instant, I also saw the confessor, and Jesus, sending forth a ray of intellectual light, spoke these words: "Charity. Charity is nothing but an outpouring of the Divine Being, and this outpouring I have diffused over the whole Creation, in such a way that all Creation speaks of the love I have for man, and all Creation teaches him how He must love Me - from the largest being to the most tiny little flower in the field.

"See", it says to man, "with my sweet fragrance and by always facing the sky, I try to send an homage to my Creator. You too, let all your actions be fragrant, holy, pure; do not offend my Creator with the bad odor of your actions. O please, o man", the little flower repeats to us, "don’t be so senseless as to keep your eyes fixed on the earth; but rather, raise them up to Heaven. See, up there is your destiny, your fatherland – up there is my Creator and yours who awaits you."

The water that flows continuously before our eyes also says to us: "See, I have come out of darkness, and I must flow and run so much until I go and bury myself in the place from which I came. You too, O man, run - but run into the bosom of God, from which you came. O please! I beg you, do not run along the wrong paths, the paths which lead to the precipice; otherwise - woe to you!"

Even the wildest animals repeat to us: "See, O man, how wild you must be for all that is not God. See, when we see that someone is approaching us, with our roars we strike so much fear that no one dares to come close to us any more, to disturb our solitude. You too, when the stench of earthly things - that is, your violent passions – are about to make you muddy and fall into the abyss of sins, with the roars of your prayers and by withdrawing from the occasions in which you find yourself, you will be safe from any danger." And so with all the other beings – it would take too long to tell them all. With one voice they resound among themselves, and repeat to us: "See, O man, our Creator made us for love of you, and we are all at your service. And you, don’t be so ungrateful – love, we beg you; love, we repeat to you; love our Creator."

After this, my lovable Jesus told me: "This is all I want: love God and your neighbor for love of Me. See how much I have loved man – and he is so ungrateful. How could you not want me to chastise them?" At that very moment, I seemed to see a terrible hail, and an earthquake which is to cause considerable damage, to the point of destroying plants and men. Then, with all the bitterness of my soul, I said to Him: ‘My always lovable Jesus, why so indignant? If man is ungrateful, it is not so much because of malice, but because of weakness. Oh, if they knew You a little bit - oh, how humble and palpitating they would be! Therefore, placate Yourself. I commend to you at least Corato and those who belong to me.’ As I was saying this, it seemed to me that something was to happen also in Corato, but it would be nothing compared to what would happen in other towns.