The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

March 9, 1900

Grace is like the sun.

As I was a little disturbed because of something which it is not necessary to say here, my mind wanted to go wandering about, so as to be assured about my disturbance and so remain at peace.  But blessed Jesus, wanting to contradict my will, prevented me from seeing what I wanted; and since I insisted in wanting to see, He told me:  “Why do you want to go wandering about?  Don’t you know that one who goes out of my Will goes out of the light and confines himself into darkness?”  And almost wanting to distract me from what I wanted, He transported me outside of myself, and changing the subject He added:  “Take a look at how ungrateful men are to Me.  The light of the sun fills the whole earth, from one end to another, in such a way that there is no land which does not enjoy the benefit of its light, and there is no one who can complain about being without its beneficial influence.  In fact, investing the whole universe, the sun takes it as though in hand to be able to give light to all.  Only one who, escaping from its hand, goes to hide in dark places can complain of not enjoying its light; and yet, continuing its charitable office, the sun does not cease to send him a few glimmers of light through its fingers.  So is my Grace, an image of the sun, which inundates the people everywhere:  poor and rich, ignorant and learned, Christians and unbelievers - no one, no one can say he is without it, because the light of truth and the influence of my Grace fill the earth, more than the sun in its full midday. 

But what pain is mine in seeing people who, passing through this light with their eyes closed and confronting my Grace with the pestilent torrent of their iniquities, deviate from this light and live voluntarily in dark places, in the midst of cruel enemies?  They are exposed to a thousand dangers, because, not having light, they cannot know clearly whether they are in the midst of friends or enemies, and therefore shun the dangers that surround them. 

Ah, if the sun had reason and men were able to give this affront to its light, and some of them, to irritate its light and not to see it, reached such ingratitude as to pluck their eyes out so as to be more sure of living in darkness – ah!, instead of sending light, the sun would send laments and cries of sorrow, such as to turn all nature upside down!  Yet, that which one would have horror in doing to natural light, men reach such excess as to do to my Grace, treating it in this way.  But my Grace, always benign with them, in the midst of darkness itself and of the madness of their blindness, always sends glimmers of light, because my Grace never leaves anyone.  It is man who voluntarily goes out of it, and Grace, not having him within itself, tries to follow him with glimmers of its light.”

While saying this, sweet Jesus was extremely afflicted, and I did as much as I could to console Him, praying Him to pour His bitternesses into me.  And He added:  “Bear with Me if I am a cause of affliction for you, because once in a while I feel all the necessity, with my beloved souls, to pour out my pain in words for the ingratitude of men, so as to move their hearts to repair for such an excess, and to compassion for men themselves.”  And I:  ‘Lord, what I would like is that You do not spare me the sharing in your pains.’  And as I tried to say some more, He disappeared from me and I returned into myself.