The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

December 26, 1902

Calumnies, persecutions and contrasts serve to justify man.

As I was in my usual state, I felt all oppressed and with a fear of receiving persecutions, contrasts, calumnies – not only to myself, for I do not care about myself because I am a poor creature who is worth nothing, but to the confessor and other priests. So I felt my heart crushed by this weight, unable to find respite. In the meantime my adorable Jesus came, telling me: "My daughter, why be disturbed and restless, and waste time with this? As for your things, there is nothing there, and besides, everything is divine providence that allows calumnies, persecutions and contrasts in order to justify man and to make him come back to union with his Creator, one on one, without human support, just as he came out when he was created. As good and holy as a man may be, he always keeps something of the human spirit in his interior; and also in his exterior he is not perfectly free, he always keeps something human for which he hopes, on which he relies and leans, and through which he wants to obtain esteem and respect. But, let the wind of calumnies, persecutions and contrasts come about a little bit… Oh, what a devastating hail the human spirit receives! In fact, seeing himself opposed, unpopular, despised by creatures, man no longer finds satisfaction among them. On the contrary, helps, supports, trust and esteem fail him all together, and if before he used to go in search of them, afterwards he himself shuns them, because wherever he turns he finds nothing but bitternesses and thorns. So, reduced to this state, he remains alone. But man cannot be, nor is he made to be alone. What will the poor little one do? He will turn to his center, God, completely and without the slightest hindrance; God will give Himself completely to him, and man will give himself completely to God, applying his intellect to knowing Him, his memory to remembering God and His benefits, his will to loving Him. And so, my daughter, here is man justified, sanctified, and the purpose for which he was created restored within his soul. And even if later on he has to deal with creatures and he sees helps, supports and esteem being offered to him, he receives them with indifference, knowing what they are from his experience; and if he makes use of them, he does it only when he sees the honor and the glory of God - but what remains is always God and himself alone.