The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

January 22, 1900

Correspondence to Grace.

After going through most bitter days of privation, my poor heart was struggling between the fear of having lost Him and the hope that, who knows, I might see Him again.  Oh God, what a bloody war this poor heart of mine had to bear!  The pain was so great that now it would become ice-cold, now it would be squeezed as though under a press, and would drip blood.  While I was in this state, I felt my sweet Jesus near me; He removed a veil from me which prevented me from seeing Him, so finally I was able to see Him.  Immediately I said to Him:  ‘Ah, Lord!  You don’t love me any more!’

And He:  “Yes, yes… What I recommend to you is correspondence to my grace, and in order to be faithful, you must be like the echo that resounds in an empty space:  as soon as a voice is emitted, immediately, without the slightest hesitation, one can hear the echo booming after it.  In the same way, as soon as you begin to receive my grace, without even waiting for Me to finish giving it, begin immediately the echo of your correspondence.”