The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

November 16, 1902

The word of God is joy. The command of Monsignor regarding the coming of the confessor.

I spent last night in great distress; I saw the confessor in the act of giving me prohibitions and commands. Blessed Jesus came for a little, only telling me: "My daughter, the word of God is joy, and one who listens to it but does not let it bear fruit with his works, gives it a black shade and covers it with mud." Then, feeling much suffering, I tried not to pay attention to what I was seeing, when, all of a sudden, the confessor came, telling me that Monsignor commanded, in an absolute way, that the priest was not supposed to come any more to make me come out of my usual state, but that I should go out of it by myself - something which I had not been able to obtain for as many as eighteen years, in spite of tears and prayers, and the vows and promises I made to the Most High. In fact, I confess before God that all the sufferings I might have gone through have not been true crosses for me, but delights and graces of God; but the sole and true cross for me has been the coming of the priest. So, knowing the impossibility of this outcome from many years of experience, my heart was lacerated by the fear that I might not be able to obey, and I would do nothing but shed most bitter tears, praying to that God who alone sees the depth of my heart, that He would have pity on the position I found myself in. While praying in tears, I saw a flash of light, and a voice saying: "My daughter, to make known that it is I, I will obey him, and after I have given him proofs of obedience, he will obey Me." And as I said, ‘Lord, I fear very much that I may not be able to obey’, He added: "Obedience releases and chains; and since it is chain, it binds the Divine Volition with the human, and makes them one, in such a way that the soul does not act with the power of her will, but with the power of the Divine Will. Besides, it is not you who will obey, but I will obey in you." Then, all afflicted, He added: "My daughter, did I not tell you that keeping you in this state of victim and starting the slaughter in Italy is almost impossible for Me?" So I became a little bit more calm, though I did not know how this obedience was to be carried out.