The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

September 8, 1905

True charity is to do good to one’s neighbor because he is an image of God.

As I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me:  “My daughter, true charity is when, in doing good to his neighbor, one does it because he is my image.  All the charity that goes out of this sphere cannot be called charity.  If the soul wants the merit of charity she must never go out of this sphere of looking at my image in everything.  It is so true that true charity consists in this, that my very charity never goes out of this sphere.  I only love the creature because she is my image; and if by sin she deforms this image of mine, I no longer feel like loving her – on the contrary, I abhor her; and I only preserve plants and animals because they serve my images; and the creature must modify all of herself on the example of her Creator.”