“Man, every man, possesses in himself the image which God has conceived of for Man. But not all men possess the likeness to God in themselves.”1
If all have God’s image, how is it possible they do not have his likeness?
Read on how the loss of God’s countenance in us and the resulting spiritual diseases of our lives are the result of our choosing and acquiescence – and why it doesn’t have to be so.
Jesus says: “Widespread ignorance among believers generates erroneous ideas about the image of God. It is not a physical image. God as Spirit has no face, height, or structure. But man has the image which God the Creator has conceived of for man.
“This ignorance still exists among you believers! An ignorance which is both understandable and not understandable.
“Understandable ignorance is that which derives from really elementary instruction, religious instruction stopping at the ABC’s of Religion, caused by distance from religious facilities or ‑ something quite blameworthy on the part of the blameworthy ‑ by the neglect of ministers who do not consume themselves in making God known to their lambs, idol pastors whom I observe with a severe expression.
“This ignorance does not take Heaven away from those undergoing it. For I am just and do not accuse a spirit if I know that its ignorance is not voluntary. But, rather, I observe it in terms of faith, and if I see that it is upright, with that thread of the knowledge of God it has been given, as if it had known a lot, I reward it as I reward a holy doctor. It is not to blame if it knows little. It has merit if it is able to turn a little into strength with these few, coherent ideas: ‘God exists. I am his son. Obedience to his Law makes me such. And by obeying I shall come to possess God eternally through the merits of the Savior, who has restored Grace to me.’ The Spirit of God substitutes with lucid ideas in illuminating the believer neglected by his pastor or living in areas rarely visited by a pastor.
“But there is also ignorance that is not understandable. That of those who, though able to, do not want to receive instruction or, after being instructed, neglect it and become ignorant again because this is what they want for their own convenience. It is necessary for those wanting to live as beasts to forget the Truth.
“I curse this ignorance. It is one of the sins drawing down my disdain without forgiveness. Why? Because it is repudiation of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“A son who does not want to know anything about his father or who, in knowing, wants (and comes) to forget him ‑ what sort of son is he? I do not say he is a rebel [only] against supernatural voices, but also against the voices of blood. Inferior, then, to the beasts, that, as long as they are subject by age to their father, recognize and follow him. I shall then leave you to consider what kind of rebellious revolt against a God who is a Father in terms of flesh and blood and also of soul and spirit is.
“They repudiate the Son because, with no thought for the sacrifice of God the Son, who has become incarnate to bring the Truth to man, in addition to Redemption, they cancel out every voice of this Truth in themselves to live in their deceit.
“They repudiate the Holy Spirit because Truth is always joined to Knowledge, and it is Knowledge that with its light brings you to comprehend the most sublime truths. I said, ‘I am leaving and still have many things to say to you, but for the time being you are not capable of comprehending them. But when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will instruct you on all truth and complete my work as the Teacher by making you able to understand.’
“O eternal Divine Spirit, who love us so much that for the glory of the Father You descended to the purest marriage to beget the Redeemer and who, though equal to Me, became my generator. You that proceed from Me and from the Father! O eternal Divine Spirit, who for the glory of the Son poured forth your Fire and continually pour it forth so that the Word will be understood and creatures will change from men into gods by living according to Grace and the Word! The mystery of our Love! An inconceivable poem which only in Paradise will be fully known by the elect!
“I said, ‘Blasphemy against Me will still be forgiven. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.’ What blasphemy is used towards Him? A lack of love which is expressed by refusing to receive the Truth illuminated by Him.
“The likeness to God is in this eternal, incorporeal, supernatural spirit which you have in yourselves. It is in this spirit, an atom of the Infinite Spirit, which, enclosed in a narrow, precarious jail, waits and longs to be reunited with its Source and with It share freedom, joy, peace, light, love, and eternity.
“The image [the spiritual soul] persists even where there is no longer a likeness [a holy countenance]. For man remains physically such in the eyes of men even if in the eyes of God and the supernatural inhabitants of the Heavens and of a few elect on the earth he appears with his new countenance of a demon. With his true appearance, from the moment mortal sin deprives him of the likeness to God, and the spirit in him no longer has life.
“Man without Grace, which sin takes away, is nothing more than the tomb where the dead spirit putrefies. This is why, at the resurrection of the flesh, human beings, though all of them will have a common physical image, will be very dissimilar in appearance. The blessed, with a semi‑divine appearance; the damned, with a demoniac appearance. The mystery of consciences will then shine forth externally. A terrible knowledge!
“The more man lives in Grace and increases it ‑ which is itself already infinite ‑ with the merits of his holy life, the more he comes to resemble God. One must make an effort to reach the perfection of the likeness. You will never reach it, for the creature cannot be like the Creator, but you approach this supernatural Beauty to the extent that it is granted to you.
“I said, ‘Be perfect as my Father is. I have set no limit on your perfection. The more you strive to reach this perfection, the more the diaphragms of what is human will fall, like a wall attacked by victorious forces, and the distances will diminish, and vision will grow, and the capacity to grasp, comprehend, see, and know God will increase.
“But it is necessary to tend towards it with all your strength, with all your generosity. Without ‘looking back,’ to observe what is left behind. Without ever stopping. Without tiring. The reward justifies heroism, for the reward is to plunge into the enjoyment of Love, to possess God, then, as you will in Heaven.
“O beatific union and wonderful possession! It is yours, faithful children. Come and satiate yourselves! ”
1 Maria Valtorta, The Notebooks 1944, pp. 433-436; used by permission of the publisher Centro Editoriale Valtortiano srl, Viale Piscicelli 89-91, 03036 Isola del Liri FR, Italy