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CONCRETE INSTRUMENTS OF HOLINESS
The fixed points of the Martin family

The daily life of the Martin family, made up of joys but also at
times of anguish, was lived always keeping two dimensions together.
There was a horizontal dimension, which enabled them to know how
to rejoice in beautiful things and to accept suffering in difficulties.
There was also a vertical dimension, which constantly directed their
gaze towards heaven, preventing them from turning in on themselves
and preparing them to accept everything as a gift from God.
Hence, the Martins live a spirituality embodied in their daily
lives, which led them to love starting with small things, to have
special attention for each of their children, to take care of the people
who worked for them or those in need. We did not see extraordinary
actions, but small gestures, simple, within everyone’s reach.

1. lookinG to tHe Heavens, entrustinG oneselF totally to
tHe Will oF God CONCRETE INSTRUMENTS OF HOLINESS

«Let us put ourselves in the hands of the good Lord; He knows
better than we do what we need: “It is He who makes the wound and
He who binds it up”» 26.

After the passing of her two little boys, Zélie was very tried, she
could not live the new pregnancy with serenity and confided her fears
to her sister-in-law: «I see with pleasure, my dear sister, that your
little daughter is your joy: I was so happy with my first one; in my
eyes there were no children like her. I hoped it would go so well for
everyone else, too. I was wrong. [...] You can’t imagine how terrified
I am about the future, about this little creature I’m expecting. [...] The
best thing is to put everything in God’s hands and wait for events in
calmness and abandonment to His will. This is what I will try to do» .
27
26 Ivi, p. 225.
27 Laura Mattioli, Il cammino di santità e di missione nella famiglia come risposta alla volontà di Dio,
Thesis ad Doctorandum in Theologia, Romae 2021, pp. 86-87.