The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

October 10, 1900

These writings manifest in clear notes how Jesus loves souls. The soul can only go out of the body either by force of pain or by force of love.

While writing, I was thinking to myself: ‘Who knows how much nonsense in these writings – they deserve to be thrown into the fire. If obedience conceded it to me, I would do it, because I feel something like a hitch in my soul, especially if they reached the sight of some people. At certain points they show as if I loved and did something for God, while I do nothing and do not love Him, and I am the coldest soul that can be found in the world. So here is how they would consider me different from what I am, and this is a pain for me. But since it is obedience that wants me to write, and this is one of the greatest sacrifices for me, I commend myself completely to her, with the sure hope that she will make my excuses and will justify my cause before God and before men. But as I am saying this, blessed Jesus has moved in my interior and is reproaching me; He wants me to deny what I have said, or to stop writing if I do not do it. He is telling me that by saying this I moved away from the truth, while the most essential thing for a soul is never to go out of the circle of truth: "What is this – you do not love Me? With what courage are you saying it? Don’t you want to suffer for Me?" And I, all blushing: ‘Yes, Lord.’ And He: "Well then, how can you think of going out of the truth?" Having said this, He withdrew in my interior, without letting Himself be heard any more, and I was left as if I had received a heavy blow. How many devices lady obedience comes up with! If it wasn’t for her, I would not find myself in these vicissitudes with my beloved Jesus. How much patience it takes with this blessed obedience!

Now I resume what I was going to say, since the Lord distracted me a little bit from what I started. So, on coming, blessed Jesus answered my thought, telling me: "Surely these writings deserve to be burned up – but do you want to know in what fire? In the fire of my love, because there is not one page that does not manifest in clear notes how I love souls, both in the things which regard you, and in those which regard the world. And in these writings of yours, my love finds an outpouring for my concerned and loving languors."

After this, He transported me outside of myself, and finding myself alone without body, I said: ‘My beloved and only Good, what a chastisement it is for me, having to return so many times into my body. Because certainly now I do not have one – it is my soul alone that is together with You; but then, I don’t know how, I find myself imprisoned in my miserable body as though inside a dark prison, and there I lose that freedom which is given to me when I go out. Is this not a chastisement for me – the hardest that can be given?’ And Jesus: "My daughter, what you say is not a chastisement, nor does this happen to you because of your fault. Rather, you must know that for two reasons alone can the soul go out of the body: by force of pain, which happens at natural death, or by force of the reciprocal love between the soul and Me. In fact, when this love is so strong, that neither could the soul last, nor could I endure for too long without enjoying her, I keep drawing her to Myself, and then I put her in her natural state again; and the soul, drawn more than by an electric wire, comes and goes as I please. And here is how what you think is a chastisement, is finest love." And I: ‘Ah, Lord, if my love were enough, and strong, I believe I would have the strength to remain before You, and would not be subject to returning into my body. But since it is very weak, I am subject to these circumstances.’ And He: "On the contrary, I tell you that this is greater love, extracted from the love of sacrifice, that for love of Me and for love of your brothers you deprive yourself and return to the miseries of life."

After this, blessed Jesus carried me to a city in which the sins committed were so many, that something like a fog was coming out, most dense and stinking, rising toward heaven; and another thick fog was coming down from heaven, with so many chastisements condensed within it, as to seem to be enough to exterminate this city. So I said: ‘Lord, where are we? What places are these?’ And He: "This is Rome, where the evils committed are so many, not only by secular but also by religious, that they deserve this fog to finish blinding them, deserving their own extermination."

In one instant I saw the disaster that was happening, and it seemed that the Vatican would receive part of the shakings. Not even priests were being spared; therefore, all consternated, I said: ‘My Lord, spare your beloved city, so many ministers of Yours, the Pope… Oh, how gladly I offer You myself to suffer their torments, as long as You spare them.’ And Jesus, moved, told me: "Come with Me and I will show you to what extent the human malice reaches." He transported me inside a palace, and in a secret room there were five or six deputies, saying among themselves: "Only then will we surrender when we have destroyed all Christians." And it seemed that they wanted to force the king to write in his own hand the decree of death against Christians, and the promise of taking possession of their goods, saying that ‘as long as he would permit this to them, it did not matter if they would not do it for now, for they would do it at the right time and circumstance’.

After this, He transported me somewhere else, and showed me how one of those who are said to be leaders was going to die, and this one seemed so united with the devil, that not even at that point would he detach himself from him. All of his strength he took from the demons, who courted him like a faithful friend of theirs. On seeing me, the demons were shaken, and some wanted to beat me, some wanted to do one thing to me, some another; however, paying no attention to their bothers – because the salvation of that soul cost me more – I tried hard and I arrived near that man. Oh God, what a frightening sight – more than the demons themselves! In what a heart-rending state he lay! He aroused more than pity. He was not at all moved by our presence; on the contrary, he seemed to make fun of it. Jesus immediately pulled me away from that place, and I began to plead before Him for the salvation of that soul.