The Book of Heaven
—Unofficial Version—

October 29, 1907

True love and sacrifice.

As I was in my usual state, I found myself outside of myself, and I saw baby Jesus who, placing Himself on my bed, beat my whole body with His hands, giving me also some kicks. After He beat me well and trampled me, He disappeared. As I returned into myself, I could not understand the reason for this beating; but I was content, remembering that I had drawn closer to Jesus to be beaten more. Then, while feeling all beaten up, I was surprised again by blessed Jesus who, removing the crown of thorns from His head, Himself, drove it into mine, but with such force that all the thorns were driven into me. Then, placing Himself in my interior, almost in the act of moving forward, He told me: "My daughter, how are you doing? Let us go higher, let us go higher in chastising the world."

I felt frightened on hearing that I was uniting my will to His in going higher with chastisements. And He added: "That which I tell you, you must not forget. Remember that some time ago I showed you the present chastisements, as well as those which I was to send; and you, presenting yourself before my justice, pleaded so much for mankind, offering yourself to suffer anything, that it was conceded to you, as alms, that instead of doing ‘ten’, out of regard for you it would do ‘five’. This is why this morning I beat you – to be able to give you your intent: that, though having to do ten, I do five."

Then He added: "My daughter, love is that which ennobles the soul and gives her possession of all my riches, because true love tolerates no division of any kind, even though one may be inferior to the other. ‘What is mine is yours’: this is the language of two beings who really love each other, because true love is transformation. So, the beauty of one removes the ugliness of the other, and renders him beautiful; if one is poor, I make him rich; if ignorant, I make him learned; if wretched, I make him noble. One is the heartbeat, one the breath, one the will in two beings that love each other; and if any other heartbeat or breath wanted to enter into them, they feel suffocated, breathless and torn, and they become ill. So, true love is health and sanctity, and one breathes a balsamic and fragrant air, which is the breath and the life of love itself. But it is in sacrifice that this love is more ennobled, more strengthened, more confirmed and expanded. So, love is the flame, sacrifice is the wood. Where there is more wood, the flames are higher, and the fire is always greater.

What is sacrifice? It is to empty oneself out in the love and in the being of the beloved; and the more one sacrifices himself, the more he is consumed in the being of the beloved, losing his own, and acquiring all the features and the nobility of the Divine Being. See, it is so also in the natural world, though very imperfect: who acquires a name, nobility, heroism? – a soldier who sacrifices himself, who exposes himself in battle, who lays down his life for love of the king, or another who stands arms akimbo? Certainly the first one. The same for a servant: who can hope to sit at the table of his master? – the faithful servant who sacrifices himself, who lays down his life, who has greater care for the interests of his master than for his own, out of love for his master; or the servant who, though he fulfills his duty, when he can shun the sacrifice, shuns it? Certainly the first one. The same for a son with his father, for a friend with his friend, and so with all the rest. Therefore, love ennobles and unites, and forms one single thing; sacrifice is the wood to make the fire of love grow; obedience, then, orders everything."