The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

November 25, 1900

The nature of true love is to transmute pains into joys, and bitternesses into sweetnesses.

Since my most sweet Jesus delayed in coming, I was almost afraid He would not come; but then, to my surprise, all of a sudden He came and told me: "My beloved, do you want to know when it is that a work is done for one’s beloved? When, encountering sacrifices, bitternesses and pains, it has the virtue of changing them into sweetnesses and delights. In fact, this is the nature of true love: to transmute pains into joys, and bitternesses into sweetnesses. If one experiences the opposite, it is a sign that it is not true love that is acting. Oh, in how many works they say: ‘I do this for God’; but then, at some encounters, they draw back. With this they show that it was not for God, but for their own interest and for the pleasure they felt."

Then He added: "Generally it is said that one’s own will ruins everything and infects the holiest works. Yet, if it is connected with the Will of God, there is no other virtue that can surpass this one’s own will, because where there is a will there is life in operating good, but where there is no will, there is death in operating, or one operates with difficulty, as though agonizing."