“The soul’s true greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His presence, completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing, because the Lord is great, but He is well-pleased only with the humble, He always opposes the proud.” -The Blessed Virgin Mary, in private revelation given to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (Diary #1711)
From the writings of Luisa Piccarreta (on October 2, 1901):
This morning, my adorable Jesus came and transported me outside of myself, in the midst of the peoples. Who can tell the evils—the horrors—that could be seen? Then, all afflicted, He told me: “My daughter, what a stench emanates from the earth! It was supposed to be one with Heaven, and since in Heaven they do nothing but love Me, praise Me, and thank Me, the echo of Heaven was to absorb the earth and form one only; but the earth has rendered itself unbearable. Therefore come, and unite yourself with Heaven, and in the name of all, come to give Me a satisfaction for them.”
In one instant, I found myself amidst angels and saints. I am unable to say how, but I felt an infusion in me of what the angels and saints were singing and saying; and I, like them, did my part in the name of the whole earth. After this, all content, my sweet Jesus said, addressing everyone: “Behold, an angelic note from the earth! How satisfied I feel!” And while saying this, almost to repay me, He took me in His arms, He kissed me and kissed me over and over again, showing me to the whole Celestial Court as an object of His dearest satisfactions.
On seeing this, the angels said: “Lord, we pray You, show to the peoples what You have operated in this soul with a prodigious sign of Your omnipotence, for Your glory, and for the good of souls. No longer keep the treasures poured in her hidden, so that, as they themselves would see and touch Your omnipotence in another creature, this might be cause of emendation (i.e., the process of correction) for those who are evil, and of greater spur for those who want to be good.”
On hearing this, I felt myself caught by a fear, and annihilating myself completely, to the point that I saw myself like a tiny little fish, I threw myself into the Heart of Jesus, saying: “Lord, I want nothing but You and to be hidden in You—this is what I have always asked of You, and this is what I pray You to confirm in me.” Having said this, I enclosed myself in the interior of Jesus, as though swimming in the most extensive seas of the interior of God.
Then Jesus said to all: “Have you heard that? She wants nothing but Me and to be hidden in Me; this is her greatest contentment. And I, on seeing an intention so pure, feel more drawn to her; and seeing her displeasure if I were to show My work to the peoples with a prodigious sign, so as not to sadden her, will not concede what you have asked Me for.” It seemed that the angels were insisting, but I did not pay attention to anyone anymore; I did nothing but swim in God to comprehend the Divine interior.
But, no—I seemed to be like a little child who wants to clasp in his little hand an object of immeasurable magnitude, such that, as he grabs it, it escapes from him, and he can barely manage to touch it. So he is unable to tell either how much it weighs, or how large the object is. Or like another child, who, not knowing all the depth of studies, says with yearning that he must learn everything in a short time, but he can barely manage to learn the first letters of the alphabet. In the same way, the creature can say nothing but this: “I have touched It, It is beautiful, It is great, there is no good It does not possess. But how beautiful is It? How much greatness does It contain? How many goods does It possess? This I am unable to tell.” That is, of God, she can tell the first letters of the alphabet, leaving the whole depth of studies behind.
So, even in Heaven, my dearest brothers, angels and saints, being creatures, do not have the capacity of comprehending their Creator in everything. They are like many containers filled with God, which, if one wants to fill them more, overflow outside. I believe I am speaking much nonsense, therefore I stop here.
