Importance of the Knowledges

 IMPORTANCE OF THE KNOWLEDGES

Vol. 13, August 25, 1921

"Every time I speak to you about my Will and you acquire new understanding and knowledge,

your act in my Will receives more value and you acquire more immense riches. It happens as

to a man who possesses a gem, and knows that this gem is worth a penny: he is rich one penny.

Now, it happens that he shows his gem to a skilled expert, who tells him that his gem has a

value of five thousand liras. That man no longer possesses one penny, but he is rich five

thousand liras. Now, after some time he has the opportunity to show his gem to another expert,

even more experienced, who assures him that his gem contains the value of one hundred

thousand liras, and is ready to buy it if he wants to sell. Now that man is rich one hundred

thousand liras. According to his knowledge of the value of his gem, he becomes richer, and feels

greater love and appreciation for the gem; he keeps it in custody more jealously, knowing that

the gem is all his fortune, while before he held it as a trifle. Yet, the gem has not changed – that

which it was, so it is now; he is the one who has changed, by understanding the value that the

gem contains.

Now, the same happens with my Will, as well as with virtues. According to how the soul

understands their value and acquires knowledge of them, she comes to acquire new values

and new riches in her acts. Therefore, the more you know my Will, the more your act will

acquire value. Oh, if you knew what seas of graces I open between you and Me every time I

speak to you about the effects of my Will, you would die of joy and would make feast, as if

you had acquired new reigns to dominate!"

Volume 18, December 25, 1925

I was thinking about what is said above – that the Divine Will is a gift, and, as gift, one possesses

It as one’s own; on the other hand, one who does the Will of God must submit to commands,

and ask very often what he must do, and to be lent the gift - not to be owner of it, but to do

that action which God wants, and, once it is done, give back the gift he had borrowed. Many

images and similes formed in my mind about one who lives in the Divine Volition and possesses

It as a gift, and one who does the Most Holy Will of God, who not only does not possess the

fullness of the gift, but, if he possesses It, it is at intervals and as a loan. I am going to tell some

of those similes.

I imagined I had a gold coin, which had the virtue of making arise as many coins as I wanted.

Oh! how rich I could become with this gift. On the other hand, someone else receives this gift

as a loan for one hour, or in order to carry out one action of his, to then give it back

immediately. What difference between my richness because of the gift I possess, and that of

one who receives it as a loan! Or, [I imagined] I had received the gift of a light which never goes

out; so, both at night and during the day, I am safe, I always have the good of seeing this light,

which no one can take away from me. It becomes as though a natural part of me, and it gives

me the good of knowing what is good in order to do it, and what is evil in order to escape it. So,

with this light that I received as gift, I sneer at all – at the world, at the enemy, at my passions,

and even at myself. This light is perennial source of happiness for me; it is without weapons,

and it defends me; it is without voice, and it instructs me; it is without hands and feet, and it

directs my way, making itself the sure guide to bring me to Heaven. On the other hand,

someone else has to go and ask for this light when he feels the need for it, therefore he does

not have it at his disposal. Not being used to always looking with this light, he does not possess

the knowledge of good and evil, and has not enough strength to do good and to avoid evil. So,

not possessing the light, turned on and continuous, in how many deceptions, dangers and

narrow ways does he not find himself? What difference between one who possesses this light

as his own gift, and one who has to go and ask for it when he needs it.

Now, while my mind wandered amid many similes, I said to myself: ‘So, the living in the Will of

God is to possess the Will of God, and this is a gift. Therefore, if the goodness of God does

not condescend to give It, what can the poor creature do?’ At that moment, my lovable Jesus

moved in my interior, as though clasping me all to Himself, and told me: “My daughter, it is true

that the living in my Will is a gift, and it is to possess the greatest gift; but this gift - which

contains infinite value, which is currency that arises at each instant, which is light that never

goes out, which is sun that never sets, which puts the soul in her place, established by God in

the divine order, and therefore she takes her place of honor and of sovereignty in the Creation –

is given but to one who is disposed, to one who will not waste it, to one who will esteem it so

much and love it more than his own life; even more, he must be ready to sacrifice his own life

so that this gift of my Will may have supremacy over everything, and be held as more than life

itself - even more, his life be nothing compared to It.

Therefore, first I want to see that the soul really wants to do my Will and never her own, that

she is ready to make any sacrifice in order to do Mine, and that in everything she does, she

always asks Me for the gift of my Will, even just as a loan. Then, when I see that she does

nothing without the loan my Will, I give it as gift, because by asking for it over and over again,

she has formed the void within her soul, in which to place this celestial gift; and by becoming

used to living with the loan of this divine food, she has lost the taste for her own will, her palate

has been ennobled and will no longer adapt itself to the vile foods of her own self. Therefore, in

seeing herself in possession of that gift which she longed for, yearned for, and loved so much,

she will live of the Life of that gift, she will love It, and will give It the esteem It deserves.

Would you not condemn a man who, taken by a childish affection for a child, only to have him

around a little bit, to amuse himself with him, would give him a banknote worth a thousand;

and the little boy, not knowing the value of it, tears it to a thousand pieces after a few minutes?

But if, on the other hand, first he makes the child desire it, then he makes him know its value,

then the good which that banknote of a thousand can do for him, and then he gives it to him -

that child will not tear it to pieces, but will go put it under lock and key, appreciating the gift and

loving the giver more; and you would praise that man who had the ability to make known to the

little child the value of money. If man does so, much more I do, who give my gifts with wisdom,

with justice and with true love. Here is, therefore, the necessity of the dispositions, of the

knowledge of the gift, of the esteem and appreciation, and of love for the gift itself. Therefore,

knowledge of It is like the herald of the gift of my Will which I want to give to the creature.

Knowledge prepares the way; knowledge is like the contract I want to make of the gift I want

to give; and the more knowledge I send to the soul, the more she is spurred on to desire the

gift and to solicit the Divine Writer to place the final signature – that the gift is hers and she

possesses it. So, the sign that in these times I want to give this gift of my Will is the

knowledge of It. Therefore, be attentive not to let anything escape you of what I manifest to

you about my Will, if you want Me to place the final signature on the gift which I yearn to give

to creatures.”