The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

January 28, 1900

What mortification does.

It still continues in the same way.  This morning He transported me outside of myself; after a long time, I seemed to see Jesus with clarity, but I saw myself as so bad, that I did not dare to utter a single word.  We looked at each other, but in silence.  Through those mutual gazes I understood that my good Jesus was filled with bitternesses, but I did not dare to say:  ‘Pour them into me.’  He Himself drew near me and began to pour them; but unable to contain them, as I received them I threw them to the ground. 

He said to me:  “What are you doing?  You do not want to share in my bitternesses any more?  You no longer want to give Me relief in my pains?”  And I:  ‘Lord, this is not my will; I myself don’t know what has happened to me.  I feel so full that I do not know where to contain them.  Only a prodigy of Yours can enlarge my interior so that I may receive your bitternesses.’

Then Jesus marked me with a large sign of the cross, and He poured them again.  So it seemed I was able to contain them; and then He added:  “My daughter, mortification is like fire which dries up all humors.  In the same way, mortification dries up all the bad humors which are present in the soul, and it inundates her with a sanctifying humor, in such a way as to make the most beautiful virtues sprout.”