VOLUME 8
J.M.J.
June 23, 1907
The most beautiful act is the abandonment in the Will of God.
As I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus would not come, and I was thinking to myself about which would be the most beautiful act, and most pleasing to our Lord, which might more easily induce Him to come: sorrow for one’s own sins or resignation? In the meantime, He came for just a little, and told me: "Daughter, the most beautiful act, and most pleasing to Me, is the abandonment in my Will – but so great, that the soul would remember no more that her being exists; rather, everything for her is Divine Will. Even though sorrow for one’s own sins is good and praiseworthy, yet, it does not destroy one’s own being; while abandoning oneself completely in my Will destroys one’s own being, and makes one reacquire the Divine Being. Therefore, by abandoning herself in my Will, the soul gives Me more honor, because she gives Me everything I can demand of the creature, reacquiring, in Me, that which had come out of Me. And the soul comes to reacquire that which alone she should reacquire – that is, she reacquires God, with all the goods that God possesses. However, as long as the soul remains completely in the Will of God, she reacquires God; but as she goes out of my Will, she reacquires her own being, with all the evils of the corrupted nature."
June 25, 1907
Whether still or walking, the soul must always remain in the Divine Will.
This morning I was thinking to myself that I felt as though stopped, without moving either forward or backward; and I said: ‘Lord, I myself cannot say what I feel. But after all, I will not afflict myself; whether I am behind, or still, or ahead, as long as I am in your Will I am always fine. In whatever point or in whatever way I may be, your Will is always holy, and in whatever way I will be in It, I will always be fine’
In the meantime, blessed Jesus came for a little while, and told me: "My daughter, courage, do not fear if you feel stopped; but be careful to make your stops in my Will, without going out of my Volition at all. I too make my stops in It, but then, in a twinkling of an eye I do more than I have not done for years and years. See, according to the world, it seems that I have stopped, because since it deserves to be severely chastised and I am not doing it, it seems that I am not in motion; but if I take the rod in my hand, you will see how I will make up for all the stops. The same for you: remaining always in my Will, if you see that my Will wants you stopped, then stop and enjoy my Will; if you see that my Will wants you to walk, then walk – but walk always in my Volition, because by walking in my Will you will walk with Me, and will have the same Will of my walking. Therefore, remain always at the order of my Will, whether still or in motion, and you will always be fine."
July 1, 1907
In the Divine Will one forgets about sins.
I was reading about a female saint who would think constantly about her sins, asking God for sorrow and forgiveness. In my interior I was saying: ‘Lord, what a difference between myself and this saint: I, who do not think about sins; and she, who always thinks about them. It shows how I got it wrong.’ In one instant I felt Him move in my interior; something like a flash of light formed in my mind, and I heard Him say: "Silly, silly that you are – don’t you want to understand this? When in the world has my Will ever produced sins or imperfections? My Will is always holy, and one who lives in my Will is already sanctified, and enjoys, nourishes herself with, and thinks of all that my Will contains. And even though she has committed sins in the past, finding herself in the beauty, in the sanctity, in the immensity of goods that my Will contains, she forgets the ugliness of her past and remembers only the present, unless she goes out of my Will. Then, as she would return to her own being, it is no wonder that she remembers sins and miseries. Keep well in mind that these thoughts of sins and of oneself cannot enter my Will; and if the soul feels them, it means that she is not stable and fixed within Me, but she makes some exits."
Then, finding myself in my usual state, I saw Him for just a little, and He told me: "My daughter, as much as the Truth is persecuted, one cannot help recognizing it as Truth, and the time comes in which that very persecuted Truth is recognized and loved. In these sad times everything is falsehood and duplicity, and so that Truth may have lordship, man deserves to be beaten and destroyed. Part of these blows they themselves will give to themselves, and will destroy one another; others will come from Me – especially for France; there will be such a great mortality as to almost depopulate her."
July 4, 1907
The soul must ruminate within her mind on the truths she has learned.
I was thinking: ‘How bad I have become – yet, the Lord does not correct me; He does not scold me.’ While I was thinking of this, I felt Him move in my interior, telling me: "My daughter, keep walking, keep walking… If I am goodness, mercy, sweetness, I am also justice, strength, power. If I saw you go backward or commit voluntary defects after the so many graces I have given you, you would deserve to be struck by lightning, and indeed I would strike you. If I do not do it, you yourself can understand why; and if I do not always speak to you - ruminate constantly in your mind on all the truths I have taught you, then enter into your interior, unite yourself with Me, and I will always be with you, operating interiorly."
July 10, 1907
One begins to really live, when he begins to be a victim.
As I was in my usual state, I found myself outside of myself together with my adorable Jesus, and in seeing Him crowned with thorns, I removed the crown from His head, and with both hands I placed it on mine, pressing it thoroughly. Oh, how I felt the prickings penetrate into me! – but I felt happy to suffer to relieve the pains of Jesus. Then I said: ‘My good Jesus, tell me, is there much time left before You take me to Heaven?’
And He: "Indeed, very little" And I: ‘Your little can be ten…or twenty years. I am already forty-two.’ And He: "That is not true; your years only begin from the moment you began to be a victim. My goodness called you, and you can say that from that time you began to really live. And just as I called you to live my life upon earth, in a little while I will call you to live my life in Heaven."
In the meantime, two pillars came out of the hands of blessed Jesus, which then became one, and which He kept leaning on my shoulders quite heavily, in such a way that I could not move from beneath them. While He was calling me, there was no one who would go to place his shoulders under those pillars; so they remained suspended in His hands, and while they were suspended, slaughters of every kind occurred. I understood that those pillars were the Church and the world, which had come out of His Most Holy hands, and were held inside His holy wounds. They will always be there, but if good Jesus has no place on which to lean them, He will soon tire of keeping them suspended in His hands - and woe!… but such woes as to be horrifying. They are such and so many, that I believe it is better to keep them in silence.
July 14, 1907
Everything in the soul must be love.
Continuing in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for a little while, and without thinking, I asked: ‘Lord, yesterday I went to confession; if I had died, since confession remits sins, would You not have brought me straight to Heaven?’
And He: "My daughter, it is true that confession remits sins, but the surest and most certain thing to be exempt from Purgatory is love. Love must be the predominant passion in the soul. Love - her thought, her word, her movements… everything, everything must be enveloped by this love. In this way, finding her all love, the Uncreated Love absorbs the created love within Itself. In fact, Purgatory does nothing but fill the voids of love that are present in the soul; and once It has filled these voids, It sends her to Heaven. But if these voids are not there, it is not something that belongs to Purgatory."
July 17, 1907
The true sign to know whether one lives in the Divine Will.
Continuing in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me: "My daughter, the true sign to know whether the soul lives in my Will, is that everything that happens to her, every circumstance, takes place in peace, because my Will is so perfect and holy that It cannot produce even the shadow of disturbance. So, if in contrasts, mortifications or bitternesses she feels disturbed, she cannot say that she is inside my Will. If she feels resigned and also disturbed, she can say, at most, that she is in the shadow of my Will; in fact, while being outside of It, she is free to feel her own self – but not inside."
July 19, 1907
Neither aridities, nor temptations, nor defects enter the Divine Will.
Having spoken to someone about the Will of God, it had slipped from my mouth that if one is in the Will of God and feels aridity, one would still be at peace. Now, as I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus corrected me, telling me: "My daughter, be very careful when you speak about my Will, because my Will is so happy that It forms Our very beatitude, while the human will is so unhappy, that if it could enter Ours, it would destroy Our happiness and would wage war against Us. Therefore, neither aridities, nor temptations, nor defects, nor restlessness, nor coldness enter my Will, because my Will is light and contains all possible tastes. The human will is nothing but a little drop of darkness, all full of disgusts. So, if the soul is already inside my Will, before she enters - at the contact with my Will, Its light dissolved the little drop of darkness in order to be able to have it within Itself; Its heat dissolved coldness and aridities; Its divine tastes removed the disgusts, and my happiness freed her from all unhappinesses."
July 24, 1909
Everything the soul does out of love for God enters into Him and is transformed into His own works.
I was thinking of the misery of my present state, and I said to myself: ‘How everything is over for me! How good Jesus has forgotten about everything! He no longer remembers my hardships, the sufferings I have gone through for love of Him during many years of bed.’ And so my mind kept going back to some specialties of suffering, and the gravest ones, which I have gone through. At that moment, blessed Jesus told me: "My daughter, everything that is done for love of Me enters into Me and is transformed into my own works; and since my works are for the good of all – that is, for the pilgrim, the purging and the triumphant souls – everything you have done and suffered for Me is present in Me and does its office for the good of all, just as my works. Would you rather take them back into yourself?"
I answered: ‘May it never be, O Lord!’ But in spite of this I continued to think about it, being a little distracted from my usual interior work; and good Jesus repeated: "You don’t want to stop it? I am going to make you stop it." And He placed Himself in my interior, praying in a loud voice and saying all that I was supposed to say. On seeing this, I remained confused and I followed good Jesus; and when He saw that I was no longer paying attention to anything else, then He kept silent; and I remained alone, doing what I am used to doing.
August 22, 1907
The soul must be in the world as if there were no one else but God and herself. The cause that most renews the Passion of Jesus is the lack of resolution.
As I was in my usual state, my adorable Jesus came for just a little and told me: "My daughter, in order for Grace to have free access into the soul, she must be in the world as if there were no one else but God and herself, because any other thought or thing put themselves between the soul and Grace, preventing Grace from entering into the soul, and the soul from receiving Grace.
Another day He told me: "My daughter, the cause that most renews my Passion is the lack of resolution. Ah! Not even among themselves are they so cowardly as to not keep what they promise to one another. Only with Me do they reach such cowardice and ingratitude, even though they know that I suffer greatly because of it - that one hour they promise, and another they deny what they promised."
September 1907
The more the soul is the same in everything, the closer she comes to divine perfection.
I am going through most bitter days, with continuous privations. At the most, He comes like shadow and lightning, and with almost continuous threats of chastisements. Oh God, what an uproar! It seems that the world is shaken; all are in the attitude of making revolutions and of killing one another. The Lord seems to withdraw His Grace, and men become like many fierce animals. But after all, it is better to keep silent about these things, because talking about it embitters my poor soul too much, which is already full enough of bitternesses.
Then, this morning, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me: "All the works of God are perfect, and their perfection is recognized by their being round, or square at most; so much so, that not a stone is placed in the Celestial Jerusalem, which is not round or square." I could not understand anything of this; however, as I went about looking at the vault of the heavens, I could see the stars, the sun, the moon, and also the shape of the earth itself – all round. But I could not understand the meaning of it, and the Lord added: "Roundness is the same in all of its parts; so, in order to be perfect, the soul must be the same in all states, in all circumstances, whether prosperous or adverse, whether sweet or bitter. Equality must surround her in everything, in such a way as to shape her like a round object; otherwise, if she is not equal to herself in all things, she will not be able to enter, beautiful and smooth, into the Celestial Jerusalem, and will not be able to adorn like a star the fatherland of the Blessed. So, the more the soul is the same in everything, the closer she comes to divine perfection."
October 3, 1907
How one’s own self renders God a slave.
As I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus would not come, and I was tormented by the pain of His privation; and not only by this, but by the thought that my state of victim might no longer be Will of God. I seem to have become nauseating before God, worthy only of being abhorred. Then, while I was thinking of this, He came for just a little and told me: "My daughter, one who chooses his own self, even for one instant, represses Grace, becomes the master of himself, and renders God a slave." Then He added: "The Will of God makes one take the divine possession, but obedience is the key to open the door and enter this possession." Having said this, He disappeared.
October 4, 1907
The exaltation of the cross. The cross grafts Divinity to humanity.
Continuing in my usual state of privation, and therefore with little suffering, I was saying to myself: ‘Not only of Jesus am I deprived, but also the good of suffering is taken away from me. Oh, God! You want to put me to fire and the sword, and touch the things which are most dear to me, and which form my very life: Jesus and the cross. If I am abominable to Jesus because of my ingratitude, He is right in not coming; but you, O cross – what have I done to you, that you left me so barbarously? Ah, did I perhaps not welcome you when you came? Did I not treat you as my faithful companion? Ah, I remember that I loved you so much that I could not be without you, and sometimes I even preferred you to Jesus. I didn’t know what you had done to me, that I could not be without you. Yet, you left me! It is true that you have done much good to me; you were the way, the door, the room, the secret, the light in which I could find Jesus. This is why I loved you so much. And now, everything is over for me.’
While I was thinking of this, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me: "Daughter, the cross is part of one’s life, and only one who does not love his own life, does not love the cross, because it was with the Cross alone that I grafted the Divinity to lost humanity. Only the cross continues Redemption in the world, grafting anyone who receives it into the Divinity; and if one does not love it, it means he knows nothing of virtues, of perfection, of love of God, and of true life. It happens as to a rich man who has lost his riches, and is presented with the means to reacquire them again - and maybe even more. How much does he not love this means? Does he perhaps not put his own life into this means in order to find life again in his riches? Such is the cross. Man had become so very poor, and the cross is the means not only to save him from misery, but to enrich him with all goods. Therefore, the cross is the richness of the soul." And He disappeared, while I remained more embittered, thinking of what I had lost.
October 12, 1907
She sees places devastated because of Justice.
After going through days of privation and of tears, finally this morning Jesus came and told me: "Ah! my daughter, you know nothing of what is supposed to happen between now and one year from now. Oh, how many things will happen! Take a look."
At that moment, I found myself outside of myself, together with Jesus, and I saw, somewhere places collapsed and entire towns buried, somewhere places flooded and everything that existed in them disappeared; in other places, earthquakes with great damage, dead people, revolutions in several places - and in some of them, so violent, that one could not take a step without treading on human blood. But who can say all the tragedy that could be seen? After this, good Jesus added: "Have you seen? Ah! my daughter, courage, patience in the state in which you are; since justice wants to pours itself upon creatures, it refrains from pouring itself upon you, and the void of your sufferings will fill the void of their sufferings. Let us give course to justice a little bit – it is necessary; creatures are growing too bold. Then, everything will end, and I will be with you like before."
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."
November 3, 1907
The soul in the Divine Will must concur in everything.
This morning, as I was in my usual state, I felt Him move in my interior, repeating: "Let us go higher..."
On hearing this, I shrugged my shoulders, saying: ‘Lord, why do You say, "Let us go higher"? Say, rather, "I will go higher with chastisements" – I am afraid to put my will into it.’ And He: "My daughter, my Will and yours are one, and if I say ‘let us go higher with chastisements’, do I not say the same in the good I do to creatures which surpasses - oh, by far! - the chastisements? Also, are you not united with Me in the many other chastisements which I do not send? So, one who is united in good, should he not be united in mortifications? Between Me and you there must be no division. You are nothing but tiny little grass which God delighted in endowing with a marvelous virtue; and just as one who does not know the virtue that this tiny little grass contains, tramples it and does not even look at it, in the same way, one who does not know the gift which I have placed in you and the virtue which my little grass contains, not only tramples you, but does not understand how I delight in giving value to the littlest things."
After this, He seemed to lean His head upon mine, and I said: ‘O please! Let me feel your thorns.’ And He: "Do you want Me to beat you?" And I: ‘Yes’. At that moment, a rod armed with balls of fire found itself in the hand of Jesus, and I, seeing the fire: ‘Lord, I am afraid of fire - beat me only with the rod.’ And He: "You don’t want to be beaten, and I am going away.’ And He disappeared without giving me the time to pray Him to beat me as He pleased. Oh, how concerned and afflicted I remained! But He, who is so good, will forgive me.
November 18, 1907
By living her nothingness, the soul is filled with God.
As I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little, and as soon as I saw Him, I said: ‘My sweet life, how bad I have become – I feel I am reduced to nothing. I no longer feel anything in me, everything is empty; I just feel an enchantment in my interior, and in this enchantment I wait for You, so that You may fill me. But in vain do I wait for this filling; on the contrary, I feel I always return to nothing.’ And Jesus: "Ah, my daughter! And you afflict yourself for you feel reduced to nothing? Rather, I say to you: the more the creature is reduced to nothing, the more she is filled with the All. And if she left even one shadow of herself, that shadow would prevent Me from giving all of Myself, completely, to the soul. Your constant returning to nothing means that you are dissolving your human being to reacquire the Divine."
November 21, 1907
Love and union between Creator and creature.
Continuing in my usual state, I was uniting myself with Our Lord, making His thought, His heartbeat, His breath and all of His movements one with mine, and then adding the intention of going to all creatures, to give all this to all. And since I was united to Jesus in the Garden of Olives, I also gave to all and to each one, and also to the purging souls, the drops of His blood, His prayers, His pains and all the good He did, so that all the breaths, movements and heartbeats of creatures might be repaired, purified, divinized; and I gave the fount of all goods, which are His pains, as remedies for all. While I was doing this, blessed Jesus told me in my interior: "My daughter, with these intentions of yours, you wound Me continuously; and since you do them often, one arrow does not wait for another, and I am always wounded again."
And I said: ‘How can it be possible that You are wounded, when You hide and make me suffer so much in waiting for your coming? Are these the wounds – is this the love You have for me?’ And He: "Rather, I have said nothing of all I should tell you. The soul herself, while she is a pilgrim, cannot comprehend all the good and love that passes between creatures and Creator; that her operating, speaking, suffering is all in my life, and that only by acting in this way can she do good to all. I will just tell you that each thought, heartbeat and movement of yours, each member of yours, any suffering bone of yours, are as many lights that come out from you; and as they touch Me I melt them for the good of all, while I send back to you, tripled, as many other lights of grace; and in Heaven I will give them to you of glory. It is enough to tell you that there is such union, such closeness, that the Creator is the organ, and the creature is the sound; the Creator the Sun, the creature the rays; the Creator the flower, the creature the fragrance. Can one perhaps be without the other? Certainly not. Do you think that I do not take into account all your interior work and your pains? How can I forget them if they come from my very Self, and are one thing with Me? I also add that every time my Passion is remembered, since it is a treasure exposed for the good of all, it is as if one put it on a counter, to multiply it and distribute it for the good of all."
November 23, 1907
If the soul suffers distractions at Communion, it is a sign that she has not given herself completely to God.
Having heard from someone that she would get easily distracted at Communion, I was saying in my interior: ‘How is it possible to get distracted while being with You? Does one perhaps not remain all absorbed in You?’ Now, finding myself in my usual state, I was doing my usual interior things, and it was as if I could see some distractions wanting to enter into me, and blessed Jesus put His hands in front of them and did not let them in. Then He told me: "My daughter, if the soul suffers distractions and disturbances, it is a sign that she has not given herself completely to Me. In fact, when the soul has given herself completely to Me, since she is my own thing, I know how to keep my gift in good custody; but when they do not give Me everything, because of their free will I cannot keep that special custody, and they are forced to suffer importuning things, which disturb my union with them. On the other hand, when the soul is all Mine, she makes no effort to remain calm; the commitment is all Mine to let nothing enter which may disturb our union."
December 1907
In all of her acts, the soul must have the intention of encountering Jesus.
As I was in my usual state, I found myself with the thought of when blessed Jesus met His blessed Mother on the way to Calvary; and while I was compassionating both one and the other, sweet Jesus told me: "My daughter, my Mother went out on the day of my Passion only to be able meet and relieve Her Son. In the same way, for a true loving soul, her intention in all of her actions is only that of encountering her beloved, and of relieving Him from the weight of His cross. And since human life is a continuous attitude of actions, both external and internal, the soul does nothing but meet her beloved continuously. And will she just meet Him? No, no; she will greet Him, she will embrace Him. She kisses Him, she consoles Him, she loves Him, be it even with a little word said in passing; and He will be satisfied and content. And since the action always contains a sacrifice, if the action is done to encounter the sacrifice contained in it, it will serve to relieve Me from the weight of my cross. What will be the happiness of this soul who, in her actions, is always in contact with Me? How my Love will grow ever more at each additional encounter she has by means of her acting with Me! But, how few are those who make use of it to find the shortest way in their actions to come to Me, cling to Me, and relieve Me from the many afflictions that creatures give Me!"
January 23, 1908
Jesus never goes to the soul uselessly. Temporizing gives time and space to the enemies to wage battle.
As M. came, he told me that in these comings of Our Lord I did not deserve anything, and that I only deserved something when I practiced the virtues; and he also told me to pray for certain needs of his. Then, during the course of the day I was concerned about what I had heard, and in order to snap out of it I said to myself: ‘My adorable Good, You know that I have never cared about merits, but only about loving You. It seems that they want to make me a servant in your house, as if I cared about gains. No, I don’t want to be servant, but daughter – even more, You my beloved, and I, Yours.’ But in spite of this, that thought would come back very often. Now, as I found myself in my usual state, my blessed Jesus came and told me: "My daughter, M. did not tell you the truth, because when I go to a soul, I never go uselessly, but I always bring her some usefulness - now I speak to her about virtues, now I correct her, now I communicate my beauty to her, in such a way that all other things appear ugly to her - and many other things. And even if I did not say anything to her, it is certain that love develops more in the soul, and the more she loves Me, the more I come to love her in return; and the merits of love are so great, noble and divine, that compared to other merits, those could be called lead, and these pure gold. Besides, he himself came, and indeed he did not come like a statue – he tried to say some words, and to do some good to you, though as a creature; and then I who am the Creator, would do useless things?"
At that moment, I remembered the needs that M. had told me, and I prayed Our Lord to answer him. In the meantime, I seemed to see him with a silver-colored garment; a black veil descended from his head, covering part of his eyes, and this veil seemed to communicate itself to another person who was behind him. I could not understand anything of this, and blessed Jesus told me: "The silver-colored garment that you see on him is his purity in operating, and the black veil is the ‘human’ that he mixes with it. This human that he mixes is like a veil which, covering the light of truth that shines in his mind, sometimes makes him act with fear, or to content someone else, and not according to the truth which my Grace makes shine in his mind."
And I: ‘Lord, grant him what he told me, for it is something that regards your glory very much.’ And He: "For an irresolute soul, temporizing gives time and space to the enemies to wage battle; while by not giving them time, and by showing oneself resolute and unshakeable, the doors are closed to the enemies, and one has the good of not even exposing oneself to the brawl. So, if he wants to reach his goal quickly, these are the means, and I will be with him, and he will be victorious. And then, the very ones who are most opposed to him will be the most supportive, and will admire him the most, seeing that he has undone their human views."
February 6, 1908
Signs to know whether the soul is in Grace.
As I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me: "My daughter, the sign to know whether a soul is in my Grace is that, as my Grace communicates Itself to her, the soul is ready to execute what Grace wants, in such a way that the Grace which was already in her interior and that which communicates Itself afterwards hold hands and, united with the will of the soul, place themselves in the attitude of operating. If then she is not ready, there is much to doubt about. Grace is symbolized by electric current, which turns on only those things where preparations have been made to receive the electric current. But where these preparations are not present, or some wires are broken or consumed, even though there is current, the light cannot communicate itself." And He disappeared.
February 7, 1908
Life is a weight that will turn into a treasure.
Continuing in my usual state, I was thinking about the enormous weight that blessed Jesus felt in carrying the cross, and I said to myself: ‘Lord, life too is a weight – but what a weight, especially because You, my highest Good, are far away. At that moment, He came and told me: "My daughter, it is true that life is a weight, but when this weight is carried with Me, and one finds out that at the end of his life he can unload this weight within Me, he will find this weight changed into a treasure, in which he will find gems, precious stones, diamonds and all riches, such as to make him happy for eternity."
February 9, 1908
The way the soul must be with Jesus. Necessity of love for Jesus.
Having received Communion, I was saying: ‘Lord, keep me always clasped to You, for I am too little, and if You do not keep me clasped, because I am little, I may get lost.’ And He: "I want to teach you the way you must be with Me: first, you must enter into Me, transform yourself in Me, and take what you find in Me. Second, once you have filled yourself completely with Me, go out and operate together with Me, as if you and I were one single thing, in such a way that if I move, you move as well; if I think, you think of the same thing of which I am thinking – in sum, whatever I do, you do as well. Third, with these acts that we have done together, move away from Me for one instant, and go into the midst of creatures, giving to all and to each one everything we have done together – that is, giving my divine life to each one, and then quickly returning into Me to give Me, in the name of all, all the glory that they should give Me, praying, excusing them, repairing, loving… Ah, yes! Love Me for all, satiate Me with love! There are no passions in Me, but if there could be any passion, it would be only this and this alone: love. But love in Me is more than passion – it is my life; and if passions can be destroyed, life cannot. See the necessity of being loved in which I find Myself. Therefore, love Me, love Me."
February 12, 1908
In one day a courageous soul does more than a timid one does in one year.
As I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me: "My daughter, timidity represses Grace and hampers the soul. A timid soul will never be good at operating great things, either for God, or for her neighbor, or for herself. When a soul is timid, it is as if she had her legs tied: unable to walk freely, she always has her eyes fixed on herself, and on the effort she makes in order to walk. Timidity makes her keep her eyes low, never high. In operating, she draws her strength not from God, but from herself, and therefore, instead of becoming stronger, she becomes weaker. If Grace sows, it happens to It as to a poor farmer who, having sown and worked his little field, harvests little or nothing. On the other hand, in one day a courageous soul does more than a timid one does in one year."
February 16, 1908
How the cross is the surest sign to know whether we love the Lord.
As I was in my usual state, I was thinking about why it is the cross alone that makes us know whether we really love the Lord, while there are many other things, like the virtues, prayer, the Sacraments, which could make us know whether we love the Lord. While I was thinking of this, blessed Jesus came and told me: "My daughter, it is really so, the cross alone is that which makes one know whether he really loves the Lord - but a cross carried with patience and resignation, because where there is patience and resignation in crosses, there is divine life. Since nature is so reluctant to suffering, if there is patience, it cannot be something natural, but divine, and the soul no longer loves the Lord with her love alone, but united with the love of the divine life. So, what doubt can she have whether she loves or not, if she arrives at loving Him with His own love?
On the other hand, in the other things, and even in the very Sacraments, there also may be someone who loves, who contains this divine life within himself, but these things cannot give the certainty of the cross. It may be there, or it may not, because of lack of dispositions. One can very well go to Confession, but if he lacks the dispositions, it certainly cannot be said that he loves and that he has received this divine life within himself. Another may receive Communion; indeed he receives the divine life, but he can only say that this divine life remains within him if he had the true dispositions. In fact, it can be seen how some receive Communion or go to Confession, but as occasions arise, the patience of divine life cannot be seen in them; and if patience is missing, love is missing because love is recognized only through sacrifice. And so here are the doubts; while the cross, patience, resignation, are fruits produced only by Grace and by love."
March 9, 1908
The lives of all palpitated in the Heart of Jesus.
Continuing in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little, and He seemed to draw near me, letting me hear the beats of His Heart – but so very strongly; and many other little heartbeats palpitated in His heartbeat. He told me: "My daughter, this is the state in which my Heart found Itself in the act of my Passion. All human lives palpitated in my Heart, which, with their sins, were all in the attitude of giving Me death; and my Heart, in spite of their ingratitude, taken by violence of love, gave back life to all. This is why I palpitated so strongly, and in my heartbeat I enclosed all human heartbeats, making them rise again into heartbeats of grace, of love and of divine delights." And He disappeared.
In addition to this, having spent a day with many visits, I was feeling tired, and in my interior I was lamenting to Our Lord, saying: "Move creatures away from me; I feel very oppressed – I don’t know what they find or want from me. Have pity on the violence I do myself continuously, to be with You in my interior and with creatures externally.’ At that moment, the Queen Mama came, and raising her right hand, pointing to my interior, in which there seemed to be lovable Jesus, told me: "My beloved daughter, do not oppress yourself, creatures run to where there is a treasure. And since in you there is the treasure of sufferings, in which my sweet Son is enclosed, they come to you. You, however, while dealing with them - do not get distracted from your treasure, making each one love the treasure you contain within you, which is the cross and my Son. In this way, you will send them back all enriched."
March 13, 1908
The warmth of the union with Jesus dispels from the soul the cold of human inclinations.
While I was in my usual state, a demon came who did strange things, but as soon as he disappeared I no longer thought about it, to the point of forgetting about his strange behavior, occupying myself with my highest and only good. Later, however, a thought came to me: ‘How bad and insipid I am – nothing makes an impression on me.’ And blessed Jesus told me: "My daughter, there are certain regions in which the plants are not subject to cold, to frost, to snow, and therefore they are not stripped of their leaves, flowers and fruits; and if they take some breaks, it is for a short time, so that when their fruits are picked, there may be the necessary time for others to grow. In fact, warmth fecundates them in an admirable way, and they are not subject to slowness, as the plants in cold regions. These poor plants, because of frost and snow, for long months are subject to producing very few fruits, and for a very short time, almost tiring the patience of the farmer who has to pick them.
Such are the souls who have reached union with Me: the warmth of my union dispels from them the cold of human inclinations which, like cold, renders them sterile and stripped of leaves and of divine fruits. The frosts of passions, the snows of disturbances, block the fruits of Grace in the soul. But since they remain in the shadow of their union with Me, nothing makes an impression on them any more, nothing enters into their interior which may disturb our union and our rest; the whole of their lives turns within my center. So, their inclination, their passion, is for God; and if sometimes there is a little break, it is nothing but a simple hiding of Myself in order to give them a surprise of greater consolations, and therefore be able to enjoy in them more delicious fruits of patience and of heroism, which they have exercised during my hiding.
All the opposite happens to imperfect souls: they really seem like plants born in cold regions; they are subject to all impressions; so, their lives live more from impressions than from reason and virtue. Inclinations, passions, temptations, disturbances and all the events of life are like colds, snows, frosts, hails, which prevent the development of my union with them; and when it seems that they have had a beautiful flowering, a new failure, something that upsets them, is enough to make this beautiful flowering wither and fall to the ground. So, they are always at the beginning; they produce very few fruits, and they almost tire my patience in cultivating them."
March 15, 1908
When souls are all filled with God, storms have no strength to agitate them even slightly.
This morning, I was feeling more than ever oppressed because of the privation of my highest and only good, but at the same time I was placid, without those anxieties that used to make me go round through Heaven and earth, and only when I would find Him, then would I stop. So I was saying to myself: ‘What a change – I feel petrified from the pain of your absence, yet, I do not cry, I feel a profound peace that invests me completely; not a contrary breath enters into me.’ At that moment, blessed Jesus came and told me: "My daughter, do not want to trouble yourself. You must know that when there is a strong storm in the sea, where the waters are deep the storm is only superficial. The depths of the sea are in the most perfect calm, the waters remain tranquil, and the fish, when they detect the storm, go to nest where the water is deeper so as to be safer. So, the whole storm unloads itself where the sea contains very little water, because since there is little water, the storm has the strength to agitate it from top to bottom, and even to transport it elsewhere, to other points of the sea.
So it happens to souls when they are completely filled with God - up to the brim, up to overflowing outside: storms have no strength to upset them even slightly, because there is no strength that can defy God; at the most, they may feel it superficially. Even more, as the soul detects the storm, she puts the virtues in order, and goes to nest in the inmost depths of God. So, while externally there seems to be a storm, it is completely false – it is then that the soul enjoys more peace, and rests, tranquil, in the bosom of God, just like the fish in the bosom of the sea.
All the opposite for the souls who are empty of God, or contain just a little bit of God: storms agitate them all over; and if they have a little bit of God, they waste it. Nor does it take strong storms to agitate them; the slightest wind is enough to make virtues flee from them. Even more, holy things themselves, which form a delicious pasture for those former souls who enjoy them to their fill, for these souls, turn into storms. They are knocked about by all the winds; from no side is it ever dead calm for them, because reason demands that where the whole of God is not, the inheritance of peace is far away from them."
March 22, 1908
The state of Luisa is a state of continuous prayer, of sacrifice and of union with God.
Continuing in my usual state, I found myself outside of myself and I seemed to see M. and other priests. Then, a young man of divine beauty came, who drew near me and gave me some food, and I prayed him to share that food which he was giving me, with M. and others. So, drawing near M., he gave him a good share of it, saying to him: "I share my food with you, and you – satisfy my hunger by giving me souls", pointing to the work which M. wants to do, and also exciting him strongly in his interior, by giving him impulses and inspirations. Then he shared it with others.
In the meantime, a venerable lady came out, and those who had received food from the young man drew around her and asked her what my state was. And the lady answered: "The state of this soul is a state of continuous prayer, of sacrifice and of union with God; and while being in this state, she is exposed to all the events of the Church, of the world and of the justice of God, praying, repairing, disarming and preventing, as much as she can, the chastisements which justice wants to unload upon creatures. So, things are all suspended."
Now, while hearing this, I said to myself: ‘I am so bad, yet they say that this is my state.’ But in spite of this, I found myself near a little window up high, and from it I could see all that was being done in the Church and in the world, and the scourges which were about to fall. But who could tell them all? I move on, so as not to be too long. And I – oh, how I moaned and prayed! I would have wanted to tear myself to pieces in order to prevent all this. But all of a sudden, everything disappeared and I found myself inside myself.
March 25, 1908
Temptations can be conquered easily. Where there is passion, the devil has more strength.
Continuing in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me: "Daughter, temptations can be conquered easily, because the devil is the most cowardly creature that can exist, and a contrary act, a contempt, a prayer, are enough to make him flee. In fact, these acts render him even more cowardly than he is, and in order not to bear that confusion, as soon as he sees the soul resolute in not wanting to pay attention to his cowardice, he flees terrified.
Now, if the soul cannot easily free herself, it means that it is not only a temptation, but a passion rooted within the soul, which tyrannizes her together with the temptation. Therefore, she is unable to free herself; and where there is passion, the devil has more strength to make fun of the soul."
March 29, 1908
Peaceful souls are the delight of God.
This morning, on coming, blessed Jesus seemed to carry a black mantle; and drawing near me, He seemed to place me under it, saying: "In this way I will envelop all creatures, as within a black mantle." And He disappeared.
I remained concerned because of some chastisement, and I prayed Him to come back, for I could no longer be without Him; but I was as though bothered by that sight from before. Then, after much hardship, He came, carrying a cup filled with some liqueur. He gave me some to drink, and then He added: "My daughter, peaceful souls eat at my same table and drink at my cup, and the Divine Archer does nothing but dart through them continuously, and no dart is wasted. All of them – all of them wound the loving soul; and the soul faints, while the Divine Archer continues with His arrows which now make her die of love, now give her back new life of love. And from her wounds, the soul shoots her darts to wound the One who has so much wounded her. So, a peaceful soul is the delight and the amusement of God; while, with turbid souls, if the Divine Archer darts through them, the darts are wasted by the soul, leaving Him embittered, and forming the diabolical amusement and taste."
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