The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

May 23, 1899

Sweetness. Detachment from oneself.

This time my adorable Jesus wanted to play a little bit. He would come, He would show He wanted to listen to me, but as I would begin to speak, He would disappear from me like a flash. Oh, God, what pain! While my heart was swimming in this most bitter pain of Jesus’s distance, and it was also almost a little restless, Jesus came back again, telling me: "What is it? What is it? More peaceful, more calm. Speak, speak, what do you want?" But the moment I spoke, He disappeared.

I did as much as I could to calm myself, but – no, after a while my heart returned to being unable to give itself peace, without its only and sole comfort; and maybe more than before. Coming back again, Jesus told me: "My daughter, sweetness has the virtue of making things change their nature; it knows well how to convert bitter into sweet. Therefore, more sweet, more sweet!" But He gave me no time to say a word. This is how I spent the morning.

After this, I felt I was outside of myself, together with Jesus. There were many people; some aspired to riches, some to honor, some to glory, and some even to sanctity, and many other things – but not for God, but rather, to be considered someone by creatures. Turning to them, shaking His head, Jesus said: "Foolish you are – you are working your own net to entangle yourselves."

Then, turning to me, He told me: "My daughter, this is why the first thing I recommend is detachment from all things, and also from oneself. When the soul has detached herself from everything, she has no need to struggle in order to stay away from all the things of the earth which, by themselves, come around her. But rather, in seeing themselves ignored, and even more, despised, saying good-bye to her, they take leave of her to bother her no more."