The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

October 4, 1900

Jesus suffers in chastising men, because they are His images.

After going through a day of privation and of scarce suffering, I felt convinced that the Lord no longer wanted to keep me in this state. However, obedience does not want to yield to me, in this either, and she wants me to continue to stay, should I even croak and snuff out. May the Lord be always blessed, and may His holy and lovable Will be done in everything.

Then, this morning, on coming, blessed Jesus made Himself seen in a pitiful state; He seemed to be suffering within His members, and His body was being torn into so many pieces that it was impossible to count them. With plaintive voice, He was saying: "My daughter, what I feel! What I feel! These are unspeakable pains and incomprehensible to the human nature. It is the flesh of my children being lacerated, and the pain I feel is such that I feel my own flesh being lacerated." And while saying this, He moaned and grieved.

I felt moved in seeing Him in this state, and I did as much as I could to compassionate Him and pray Him to share His pains with me. He contented me in part, and I could just say to Him: ‘Ah, Lord, did I not tell You: "Do not lay hand to chastisements, for what grieves me the most is that You Yourself will be struck in your own members!" Ah, this time there has been no way nor prayers to placate You.’ But Jesus did not pay attention to my words; He seemed to have something serious in His Heart which pulled Him somewhere else, and in one instant He transported me outside of myself, taking me to the places where bloody slaughters were happening. Oh, how many sorrowful scenes could be seen in the world! How much human flesh tormented, torn to pieces, trampled upon as one tramples the earth, and left unburied. How many tragedies, how many miseries! And what is more, more terrible ones are to happen! Blessed Jesus looked and, all moved, began to cry bitterly. Unable to refrain, I cried with Him over the sad condition of the world; so much so, that my tears mixed with those of Jesus.

After crying for quite a while, I admired another trait of the goodness of Our Lord. In order to make me stop crying, He turned His face away from me, He dried His tears hiddenly, and then, turning back again, with a cheerful face said to me: "My beloved, do not cry – enough, enough; what you see serves to Iustificare Iustitiam Meam [Justify My Justice]." And I: ‘Ah, Lord, then I am right to say that my state is no longer your Will! Why my state of victim, if it is not given to me to spare your so very dear members, and to exempt the world from so many chastisements?’ And He: "It is not as you say. I too was victim, but even though I was victim, it was not given to Me to spare the world all chastisements. I opened Heaven for it, I released it from sin, yes; I carried its pains upon Myself, but it is Justice that man receive upon himself part of those chastisements which he himself draws upon himself by sinning. And if it were not for the victims, he would deserve not only the simple chastisement – that is, the destruction of his body – but also the loss of his soul. So, here is the necessity of the victims: whoever wants to avail himself of them – because man is always free in his will – can find the sparing of his pain and the port of his salvation." And I: ‘Ah, Lord, how I would like to come before these chastisements advance more!’ And He: "If the world reaches such wickedness as to deserve no victim, surely I will take you."

On hearing this, I said: ‘Lord, do not permit that I remain here, present at such sorrowful scenes.’ And Jesus, almost reproaching me, added: "Instead of praying Me to spare, you say you want to come. If I were to take with Me all of my own of the poor world, what would happen? Indeed I would have nothing to do with it any more, and I would no longer have any regard." After this, I prayed for various people; He disappeared from me, and I returned inside myself.