The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

July 10, 1900

Difference between living for God and living in God.

While I was in the same confusion, He made Himself seen like a flash and made me understand that I had not written everything He had told me the day before – that is, that the soul must not only live for God, but in God.  So, blessed Jesus repeated to me the difference that exists between living for God and living in God, saying to me:  “In living for God, the soul can be subject to disturbances, to bitternesses, to being inconstant, to feeling the weight of passions, to meddle in earthly things.  But the living in God – no, it is completely different, because the most important thing so that one person may enter to dwell inside another person is to lay down all that belongs to him – that is, to strip himself of everything, to leave his own passions; in a word, to leave everything in order to find everything in God. 

Now, when the soul has not only stripped herself, but has slimmed down well, then will she be able to enter through the narrow door of my Heart to live in Me, according to my way and from my own Life.  In fact, even though my Heart is immense, so much so, that there is no end to Its boundaries, Its door, however, is extremely narrow, and only one who is stripped of everything can enter into It.  This, with reason, because since I am Most Holy, I would never admit anything to live in Me which is extraneous to my sanctity.  Therefore, my daughter, try to live in Me and you will possess Paradise in advance.”

Who can say how much I understood of this living in God?  But then He disappeared and I was left in my same state.