The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

May 19, 1899

Humility is the safeguard of the celestial favors.

This morning I felt a fear within me that it might not be Jesus, but the devil, who wanted to deceive me. Jesus came, and seeing me with this fear, He said to me: "Humility is the safeguard of the celestial favors. Humility clothes the soul with such safety that the tricks of the devil cannot penetrate into her. Humility places all celestial graces in safety, so much so, that when I see humility, I let flow, abundantly, all kinds of celestial favors. Therefore, do not want to disturb yourself for this, but rather, with a simple eye, look always into your interior, to see whether you are invested with beautiful humility, and do not worry about all the rest."

Then He showed me many religious people and, among them, priests - even of holy life. But as good as they were, they lacked that spirit of simplicity in believing in the many graces and the many ways the Lord uses with souls. Jesus said to me: "I communicate Myself both to the humble and to the simple, because they immediately believe in my graces and take them into great consideration, though they may be ignorant and poor. But with these others you see, I am very reluctant, because the first step which draws the soul near Me is belief; and it happens that these, with all of their science and doctrine, and even holiness, never come to experience a ray of celestial light – that is, they walk along the natural way, and they never arrive at touching, even slightly, that which is supernatural. This is also the reason for which in the course of my mortal life there was not one learned, one priest, one man of power, among my followers, but all ignorant and of low condition – because these were more humble and simple, and also more disposed to make great sacrifices for Me."