The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

November 16, 1900

Jesus removes her heart and gives her His love as heart.

This morning, after I received Communion, my adorable Jesus made me see my interior all strewn with flowers, in the shape of a hut, and He was inside of it, amusing and delighting Himself completely. Seeing Him in that attitude, I said: ‘My most sweet Jesus, when will it be that You take this heart of mine to conform it completely to Yours, in such a way that I may live from the life of your Heart?’ While I was saying this, my highest and only Good took a lance and opened me at the place corresponding to my heart; then He pulled it out with His hands, and He looked at it thoroughly to see whether it was stripped and possessed those qualities to be able to be inside His Most Holy Heart. I too looked at it, and to my surprise I saw, impressed on one side of it, the cross, the sponge and the crown of thorns. But as I wanted to see the other side and the inside, for it seemed swollen as if it could be opened, my beloved Jesus prevented me, saying to me: "I want to mortify you by not letting you see all that I have poured into this heart. Ah, yes! Here inside this heart there are all the treasures of my graces that human nature can arrive at containing." At that moment He enclosed it inside His Most Holy Heart, adding: "Your heart has taken possession within my Heart, and I will give you my love as heart, which will give you life." And drawing near that part, He sent three breaths containing light which took the place of my heart. Then He closed the wound, telling me: "Now more than ever is it appropriate for you to fix yourself in the center of my Will, having my love alone as heart. You must not go out of It even for one instant, for my love will find its true nourishment in you only if it finds my Will in you, entirely and completely. In It will my love find its contentment and true and faithful correspondence."

Then, drawing near my mouth, He sent me three more breaths, and He also poured a most sweet liqueur which inebriated me completely. Then, as though taken by enthusiasm, He said: "See, your heart is in Mine, therefore it is no longer yours." And He kissed me over and over again, and made many finesses of love to me. But who can say them all? It is impossible for me to manifest them. Who can say what I felt when I found myself inside myself? I can only say that I felt as if I were no longer myself: with no passion, with no inclination, with no desire – completely immersed in God. At the place of my heart I could feel a sensible icy cold compared to the other parts.