Saint, Holiness, Sanctification

The Virgin Mary in Heaven with a gathering of saints - August Hess

Holiness is nothing other than the fruit of the continual Struggle that the Soul and reason of the just wage against the assaults of their evil inclinations, and the fruit of the victory they achieve in the effort to remain faithful to Love. (Lessons on Saint Paul's Epistle to the Romans^[1])

In "The Gospel as It Was Revealed to Me"

Holiness in the young Mary: Whoever possesses purity possesses love, whoever possesses love possesses wisdom, whoever possesses wisdom possesses generosity and heroism, because they know for whom they sacrifice themselves.^[2]
I offer only one thing: holiness. On earth, it is the narrowest, poorest, hardest, thorniest, most persecuted thing that exists. In Heaven its narrowness becomes immensity, its poverty turns into riches, its thorns into a carpet of flowers, its harshness into an easy and pleasant path, its persecution into Peace and beatitude. But here below, being holy is a heroic effort.^[3]
All the redeemed will have life through Me, and through my light the splendor. But not all will have the same splendor, the same greatness. Some will be just a simple dust of stars [...] Others will be brighter and more formed [...] Then there will be the planets of incredible splendor.^[4]
Let us sanctify the day with a page of the Gospel. For my Word is sanctification. Look, Maria. Because to watch the days of the Christ on earth is sanctification. Write, Maria. Because to write about the Christ is sanctification. Because to repeat what Jesus says is sanctification. Because to preach Jesus is sanctification. Because to instruct the brothers is sanctification.^[5]
It is not because I have called you that you will be holy. It is because you become so after my Call. Holiness is a building that each one raises by himself. Wisdom can indicate the method and the plan. But the material work concerns you.^[6]
Therefore be true friends of the true God, always acting throughout life with the intention of deserving Him in the future life.^[7]
Holiness is not only to be humble, or only prudent, or only chaste, etc., but it is to be virtuous.^[8]

In the other works of Maria Valtorta

The Notebooks of 1943

Catechesis of June 10: The more perfect the fusion is, the more the creature takes on my imprint, my properties, my bWaterties. This is how those you call ‘Saints’, that is, the perfect beings who have understood who I am, know how to unite with me.^[9]

The Notebooks of 1944

Catechesis of January 10: I cannot say who these three heavenly creatures are but, as two of them bear palms and only one bears flowers — palms are the only sign distinguishing martyrs from virgins, I think I am not mistaken if I say they are Agnes, Cecilia, and Thérèse of Lisieux.^[10]

Lessons on Saint Paul's Epistle to the Romans

Lesson No. 23: Holiness is nothing other than the fruit of the continual Struggle that the Soul and reason of the just wage against the assaults of their evil inclinations, and the fruit of the victory they achieve in the effort to remain faithful to Love.^[11]

In fundamental Christian texts

In the catechism of the Catholic Church

The Church is holy.^[12]
The communion of saints.^[13]
Indulgences in the communion of saints.^[14]
Christian holiness.^[15]

Notes and references

[1] Lesson No. 23, page 145

[2] EMV 8

[3] EMV 98

[4] EMV 136

[5] EMV 364

[6] EMV 366

[7] EMV 371

[8] EMV 514

[9] Catechesis of June 10, 1943

[10] Catechesis of January 10, 1944

[11] Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans, Lesson No. 23

[12] 823 and following

[13] CEC 946 and following

[14] CEC 1474 and following

[15] CEC 2012 and following

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]