– God, our armor and our shield -

From Padre Pio writtings:

Dear God! How happy is the interior kingdom, my dear Father, when holy love reigns there! How blessed qre the faculties of the soul when they obey so wise a king! Under obedience to hi and his realm he doesn’t permit serious sins to dwell, or any slightest affection for venial sins. It is true that he often allows sin to arrive at his frontiers, so that in the combat the virtues may be practised and strengthened. It is equally true that he permits the mastespies (venial sins and imperfections) to circulate freely in his kingdom, but this is merely to show us that without him we should be a prey for our enemies. (Letters I, p.1022/23) Leggi tutto »

– God is our Source -

From Padre Pio writings:

I do not conceal from you … that it afflicts my heart to see so many souls apostatizing from Jesus. What freezes the blood close to my heart is the fact that many of these souls become estranged from God solely because they are deprived of the divine word. The harvest is great but the labourers are few. Who is then to reap the harvest in the fields of the Church when it is almost ripe? Will it be scattered on the ground by reason of the scarcity of workers ? … Let us pray for the cause of holy Church, our most tender Mother; we must consecrate and sacrifice ourselves totally to God for this purpose and meanwhile go on waiting and expecting. ( Letters I, 523 ) Leggi tutto »

– Heirs of eternal life -

From Padre Pio writings:

This present life is given to us in order to acquire the eternal, and due to a lack of reflection, we base our affections on that which pertains to this world through which we are passing, sa that when we have to leave it we are frightened and agitated. Belive me … in order to live happily while on pilgrimage we must keep before our eyes the hope of arriving at our Homeland where we will stay for eternity, and in the meantime we should believe this firmly… He knows what we are, and he will extend his paternal hand to us while we are going through rough strstches, so that nothing will prevent us from running quickly to him. But in order to receive this grace, we must have total confidence in him. ( Letters III, p.730) Leggi tutto »

– Abduction of the spirit -

From Padre Pio writings:

Since then the merciful Lord has helped me powerfully by his grace. The Lord God has bestowed very great gifts on my soul. It seems to me that through this abundant help my soul has made progress …  The soul olaced in this state by the Lord and enriched with much heavenly knowledge ought to be more eloquent, but it isn’t, it has become almost speechless. I don’t know if this is something which happens to me alone. In very general terms and more often than not in words which are empty of meaning, my soul succeeds in expressing some small part of what the Spouse of souls is accomplishing within it. Believe me, my dear Father, all this is no slight torment for my soul. ( Letters I, 517/518) Leggi tutto »

- No fear on your mind -

From Padre Pio writings:

May Jesus always be at the centre of your heart, to fill it and make it abound with his holy love … Long live Jesus … this is the inner thought by which we must live and die. Have no fear as regards your spirit, because it is absolutely not true that you have taken the wrong path. The path you tread is the one that will lead you to Heaven. And it is all the safer because Jesus himself takes you by the hand.  Do not upset yourself at spiritual aridity and desolation.   On the contrary, be consoled in spirit,and remember what our Lord said : Blessed are the poor in spirit (…) blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Mt 5:3-6)  (Letters III,269) Leggi tutto »

– Crucified love  the ” Beloved ”

From Padre Pio writings:

I desire one thing from you in this regard, more than anything else: Your usual meditation should possibly be on the Life, Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ … You could also meditate on His public life, His most painful passion and death, the institution of Blessed Sacrament, on that precise evening when men were preparing the most atrocious suffering for him. You could also meditate on Jesus meditating in the Olive Grove whrn He perspired blood at the sight of the suffering which men were preparing for Him, and of the ingratitude of those who would not take advantage of His merits. Meditate on Jesus dragged and beaten in the tribunals; scourged and crowned with the cross; His climb up the hill of Calvary laden with the cross; His Crucifixion and finally, His death on the cross amidst a sea of anguish as His most afflicted Mother looked on. ( Letters III,65/66) Leggi tutto »