Heroism, hero
"Heroism is not reserved only for those who must know martyrdom. Christian life is a perpetual heroism because it is a perpetual Struggle against the world, the demon and the flesh. I do not force you to follow me, I leave you free, but I do not want hypocrites."[1]
In "The Gospel as it was revealed to me"
- Improve yourselves hour by hour, with patience, with firmness, heroically. And who tells you that becoming good is not painful? I even tell you: it is the hardest work. But Heaven is the reward and it is worth exhausting yourself in this effort.[2]
- Purified, by a natural selection, strengthened by a supernatural brew, you, the best, will become my heroes: The heroes of Christ.[3]
- Repent, patience, constancy, heroism and then, oh sinners, I promise you that you will be your own liberators. In truth I tell you there is no Baptism that is valid, nor rite that serves, if there is no repentance and the will to renounce sin. In truth I tell you there is no sinner so great that he cannot make the Virtues torn from his Heart by sin be reborn through his tears of repentance.[4]
- Heroism to follow God is always proof of strong spiritual preparation.[5]
- It is not enough for the heroism of the one who must be converted, the heroism of the one who converts is also necessary. And indeed the latter must precede the former because Souls are only saved by our sacrifice.[6]
- Those who were present, with a good intention, or with an intransigence that is not, silence those who mourn having lost a parent. I compare this attitude with the gentleness of Jesus who has compassion on the suffering of the orphan and does not expect a heroism from him that would not be natural...[7]
- Comments on the resurrection of Lazarus: "Heroism is not reserved only for those who must know martyrdom. Christian life is a perpetual heroism because it is a perpetual Struggle against the world, the demon and the flesh. I do not force you to follow me, I leave you free, but I do not want hypocrites."[8]
- About Longinus, the Roman officer of Calvary: "Good is Longinus who, less powerful than the Praetor (Pontius Pilate) and less protected, in the middle of the road, surrounded by few soldiers and a hostile multitude, dares to defend me, help me, grant me rest, comfort me with the pious women, and to be aided by the Cyrenean and finally to have the Mother at the foot of the Cross. He was a hero of justice and thus became a hero of Christ."[9]
- Longinus brings the point of the lance to Mary on Holy Saturday. As she speaks to him about the Church of her Son, currently struck, but which will reunite anew, he answers: "I will come. A Religion, led by such a hero, can only be divine. Ave, Domina!"[10]
In other works of Maria Valtorta
The Notebooks from 1945 to 1950
- Catechesis of February 18, 1947: Truly, I tell you that when a creature has attained to the heroism of virtue, or as Paul says, when the creature "has put on the full armor of God, that is, his all-powerful strength"[11], then it is fitting to wear "the armor of God to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."[12]