April

1

Doesn’t the Holy Spirit tell us that when the soul approaches God it must prepare itself for temptations? Courage, therefore, courage my good daughter. Fight valiantly and you will receive the prize of strong souls. ( Letters III,p.427)

2

It is necessary to be strong to become great: this is our duty. Life is a struggle from which we cannot withdraw, but we must triumph. ( Consigli- Esortazioni di P. Pio)

3

Woe to those who are dishonest! Not only do they lose all human respect, but they cannot take up any public office either. So let us be honest always, casting all bad thoughts from our minds, and keeping our heartd always turned to Gos, who created us and placed us on earth in order to know, love and serve Him in this life, and then enjoy Him eternally in the next. ( P. Pio  – Componimenti scolastici no 15,pp.74f)

4

I know the Lord permits the devil to make these assaults, because his mercy renders you dear to Him, and He wants you to be similar to Him in the anguish of the desert, the Garden and on the Cross. But you must defend yourselves, casting aside and despising his evil insinuations, in the name of God and holy obedience. ( Letters III,p.588)

5

Observe well that as long as you are displeased by the temptations you have nothing to fear. But why are you sorry about this, if not because you don’t want to experience it? These troublesome temptations come from the evil of the devil. But the displeasure and suffering we experience come from the mercy of God, who, contrary to our enemy’s will, drawa holy tribulations from his malice, through which He purifies the gold that wants to be a part of his treasure. Furthermore, your temptations come from the devil but  your suffering and afflictions come from God and Paradise. The mother is from Babylon, but the children are from Jerusalem. Despise the temptations and embrace the tribulation. No, no, my daughter, let the wind blow, and do not believe the noise of leaves is the blast of arms. ( Letters III, pp.636-637)

6

Don’t make an effort to overcome your temptations, because these efforts would strengthen them. Despise them and do not dwell on them. Call to your imagination, Jesus Christ Crucified in your arms and on your breast. And say, kissing his side a number of times: ” This is my hope; the living source of my happiness. I will hold You tightly, Jesus, and will not let You go until You have placed me in a safe place “. ( Letters III, pp.573-574)

7

Put an end to these apprehensions. remember that it is not the thought that makes the sin, but consenting to those thoughts. Only the free will is capable of good or evil. But when the will groans under the trial presented by the tempter and does not want it, there is not only no sin, but there is virtue. ( Consigli – Esortazioni , 34)

8

Don’t let temptations frighten you. They are the trials of those souls whom God wants to put to the test when He sees them strong enough to sustain the battle, weaving with their own hands, the crown of glory. Up to now your life has been that of an infant; now the Lord wants to treat you as an adult. And as the trials of adult life are much greater than those of an infant, this is why you find yourself rather disorganized in the beninning. But the soul will acquire its calm, and the calm will not delay in coming. Be patient a while longer and everything will work out well. ( Letters III,p.630)

9

Temptations against faith and purity are the merchandise offered by the enemy, but do not fear him, rather, despise him. As long as he makes an uproar it is a sign that he has not yet possessed the will. Don’t be upset by what you experience through the work of this rebellious angel. Let your will always be contrary to his suggestions, and live tranquilly, because you are not at fault, but rather, you please God and gain progress for your soul. ( Letters III,p.426)

10

You must turn to God when you are assaulted by the enemy; you must hope in Him and expect everything that is good from Him. Don’t voluntarily dwell on what the enemy presents to you. Remember that, he who flees, wins, and at the first sign of your aversion for those people, you must stop thinking of it and turn to God. Bend your knee before Him, and with the greatest humility say this short prayer: ” Have mercy on me a poor weakling “.  then get up and, with holy indifference, go on about your business. ( Letters III,p.418)

11

Be firmly convinced that the more the assaults of the enemy increase, the closer God is to the soul. Think of, and ponder well, this great and comforting truth. ( Letters III,p.417)

12

Take heart and don’t fear the gloomy wrath of Lucifer. Always remember this, that it is a good sign when the enemy makes an uproar and roars around your will, as this shows he is not within you. Courage, my most beloved daughter, I offer you these words with great feeling and in Jesus; courage I say! There is no need to fear when we can say with determination, even if without feeling: ” Long live Jesus! “. ( Letters III,p.414)

13

Rest assured thet the more a soul is pleasing to God, the more it must be tried. Therefore, courage, and go forward always. ( Letters III,p.401)

14

I understand that temptations seem to stain rather than purify the soul, but this is not really the case. let us see what the saints have to say about it. For you it suffices to know what the great St. Francis de Sales says, namely that temptations are like the soap, which when spread on the laundry seems to soil, but in reality cleanses it. ( Letters II,pp.75f)

15

I therefore exhort you again to be trustful. A soul who trusts in her Lord and places all her hope in Him has nothing to fear. The enemy of our salvation is always around us to snatch from our hearts the anchor that is to lead us to salvation, by which I mean trust in God our Father. Let us keep a very firm hold on this anchor and not relinquish it for a single moment. Otherwise all would be lost. ( Letters II,p.410)

16

Oh, what joy there is in spiritual battles! It suffices to know how to fight in order to be certain of victory. ( A. Serritelli, Notizie su P. Pio, 43)

17

Be careful never to become discouraged when you see yourself surrounded by spiritual infirmities. If God lets you fall into some weakness, it is not to abandon you, but only to establish in you humility and make you more careful in the future. ( A. Serritelli, Notizie su P. Pio, 42)

18

Walk with simplicity in the ways of the Lord and do not torment your spirit. You must hate your faults, but with a quiet hate, not troublesome and restless. ( Letters III, p.583)

19

Confession which is the purification of the soul should be made no later than every eight days; I cannot bear to keep souls away from confession for more than eigh days ( P. Pio Archives )

20

The devil has only one door through which to enter into our soul; the will. There are no secret doors. There is no sin, if it has not been committed wilfully. When the will does not consent, there is no sin but human weakness. ( A. Del Fante, Per la Storia. P. Pio da Pietrelcina, 549)

21

The devil is like a raging dog on a chain; outside the limit of the chain he can bite no – one. So keep your distance. If you get too close, you will be caught. ( A. Del Fante, Per la Storia. P. Pio da Pietrelcina, 562)

22

Do not abandon your soul to temptation, says the Holy Spirit, because the joy of the heart is the life of the soul, it is an inexhaustible treasure of sanctity; while sadness is the slow death of the soul and it is of no use to anyone. ( Orologio della Passione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo … edited by Di Francia )

23

Our enemy who plots against us plucks up courage when dealing with the weak, but when anyone takes up a weapon and faces him; he becomes a coward. ( Letters II, p.85)

24

If you succeed in overcoming temptation it has the effect of soap on dirty linen. ( A. Del Fante, Per la Storia, 158)

25

I would undergo death an infinite number of times rather than deliberately offend the Lord. ( Letters I, p.910)

26

In our thoughts and at confession we must not dwell on sins that have been already confessed. Because of our contrition Jesus has forgiven them at the tribunal of penance. There He faced us and our miseries like a creditor in front of a debtor. With a gesture of infinite generosity He tore up and destroyed the bills we could certainly not have paid without the help of his divine clemency. To go back to these sins, to bring them up again just to have them forgiven again, because of doubt that they were really and abundantly remitted, would this not be considered a lack of trust in the goodness which He proved by his tearing up every document of debt contracted through sin?…. Dwell on them, if it is a source of comfort for your soul. By all means think of the offences against justice, wisdom and the infinite mercy of God, but only for the purpose of weeping redemptive tears of repentance and love. ( G. Festa, Tra i misteri della scienza e le luci della fede, 169)

27

When disturbed by passions and misfortunes, may the sweet hope of his inexhaustible mercy sustain us. Let us hasten confidently to the tribunal of penance where He awaits us at every instant with the anxiety of a father; and even though we are aware of our inability to repay Him, let us have no doubts about the solemn pardon pronounced over our errors. Let us place a tombstone over them, just as the Lord has done! ( G. Festa, Tra i misteri della scienza e le luci della fede, 171)

28

The darkness that sometimes surrounds the heaven of your soul is light. Because of this you think you are in the dark, and you have the impression of being in the centre of a burning bush. In fact when the bush burns, the air around it is filled with smoke clouds and the bewildered soul is afraid of not seeing, of no longer understanding anything. But it is then that God soeaks and is present to the soul: who hears, understands, loves and trembles. Therefore, do not wait for Tabor to see God when you already contemplate Him on Sinai! ( G. Festa, Tra imisteri della scienza e le luci della fede, 174)

29

Walk cheerfully and with a sincere and open heart as much as you can, and when you cannot always maintain this holy joy, at least do not lose heart or your trust in God. ( Letters IV, p. 490)

30

The trials to which the Lord subjects you and will subject you are all signs of divine love and are jewels for the soul. Winter will pass and the never – ending spring will come, all the more rich in beauty as violent were the storms. ( Consigli – Esortazioni, 27)

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