"...unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit."
Today is the Memorial of St Maria Goretti, a 12 year old girl who chose to preserve her virginity against the threat of being stabbed by her attacker.
Dying to self (mortification) is a heroic virtue; it can only occur with God's grace and our free will to cooperate with it. Jesus made it clear: it is necessary to die to self in order to "produce much fruit".
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