Pillars of Fire In My Soul

Christian and religious virtues, and upon whom, at the same time, heaven lavishly bestowed its gifts and privileges. Sister Faustina was well aware that the sanctity she fervently desired, and for which she entered religious life, did not depend primarily upon visions and revelations, but upon solid virtues. That is why even before she entered the religious life, but more especially while in the convent, she applied herself most earnestly to the acquisition of such virtues as purity of heart, humility, patience, conscientiousness, obedience, poverty, meekness, diligence, a charity ready to do kindness, interior recollection, deep devotion, and, above all, love of God. One must not imagine that these virtues, especially in their high degree, came to her effortlessly. There is no doubt that she, too, committed little sins from time to time, whether it was in speech, or in her relations with others, or in certain reflexes that betrayed slight movements of impatience or vanity, or in some inexactness at work. She confessed them, sincerely begged God’s pardon for them, but also energetically made every effort to overcome them. This she revealed in her Diary. Though from time to time she still succumbed to these little sins — for sanctity, even if heroic, is not yet, on this earth, the sanctity of heaven — nevertheless, there were progressively fewer and fewer of these infractions, and they became progressively smaller. On the other hand, lovely flowers of virtues unfolded ever more beautifully within her. Virtues Recommended by The Blessed Mother The Blessed Mother herself recommended to her the program for developing solid virtues within herself. “On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception,” writes Sister Faustina, “I saw the Blessed Mother, inconceivably beautiful. Smiling at me she said to me: My daughter, at God’s command I am to be, in a special and exclusive way, your Mother; but I desire that Divine Mercy … We Trust in You! 33