The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

October 24, 1899

The cause of chastisements: the love of God for creatures.

This morning my adorable Jesus came and transported me outside of myself, into the midst of the people. Jesus seemed to look at creatures with eyes of compassion, and the very chastisements appeared as infinite mercies of His, come out of His inmost most loving Heart. Then, turning to me, He told me: "My daughter, man is a product of the Divine Being, and since Our food is love, always reciprocal, alike and constant among the Three Divine Persons, since he came out of Our hands and from pure and disinterested love, he is like a particle of Our food. Now, this particle has become bitter for Us; not only this, but the majority of them, by moving away from Us, have made themselves pasture for the infernal flames and food for the implacable hatred of demons, Our capital enemies and theirs. This is the main cause of Our sorrow in the loss of souls: they are Ours – they are something that belongs to Us. Likewise, the cause that pushes Me to chastise them is the great love that I have for them, so as to place their souls in safety."

And I: ‘Ah, Lord, it seems that this time You have no other words to say but about chastisements! Your power has other means to save these souls. And then, if I were certain that all the pain would fall upon them and You would remain free, without suffering in them, I would resign myself; but I see that You are already suffering very much from those chastisements You have sent. What will happen if you continue sending more chastisements?’

And Jesus: "Even though I suffer, love pushes Me to send heavier scourges, and this, because in order to make man enter himself and recognize what his being is, there is no means more powerful than making him see himself undone. It seems that the other means make him grow bolder; therefore, conform to my Justice. I see well that the love you have for Me pushes you very much not to conform to Me, and you don’t have the heart to see Me suffer, but my Mother too loved Me more than all creatures - no one can equal Her; and yet, in order to save these souls She conformed to Justice and She resigned Herself to see Me suffer so much. If my Mother did this, could you not do it yourself?" And as Jesus was speaking, I felt my will being drawn so much to His, that I was almost unable any more to withstand not conforming to His Justice. I did not know what to say, so much was I convinced; however, I have not yet manifested my will. Jesus disappeared, and I remained in this doubt, whether I must conform or not.