Of course the entire Bible is the Word of God and used by the Holy Spirit to inspire and uphold and comfort you, my dear friend, but in my reading Saint Padre Pio's letters, I discovered he had favorites that he often quoted. Let me please share a few of them with you so that you can take strength and comfort from them too.
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13) No matter what the evil one, the world assails you with, my dear friend, don't worry; Jesus will never fail you!
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) "All things" means ALL THINGS, my dear friend, even your pain, your suffering, your misery.
"I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church. . . ." (Colossians 1:24) Yes, offer your sufferings, no matter what form they take, to the Lord as prayer; He will accept them and use them for the salvation of souls.
Your sister in Christ,
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Yes, Dear Friend, You are Faithful
I am delighted, dear friend, that you are trusting in the Lord. Here is what Saint Padre Pio says to you:
"Well, then, always place your confidence in Jesus, and He will know how to comfort your soul, even when it is tossed about in a stormy sea. Never be afraid of the enemy's enticements, for no matter how strong they may be, they will never be able to sweep you into the enemy's nets, as long as you remain faithful to the Lord and on your guard, while you build up your strength by prayer and holy humility. God has promised that He 'opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble' [James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5]. God has promised that those who 'watch and pray' will not 'enter into temptation' [Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38]. What are you afraid of, then? Is our God not faithful to His promises?" (Letters 2, pages 500-501)
Yes, God is faithful, my dear friend. He will never let go of you!
"Well, then, always place your confidence in Jesus, and He will know how to comfort your soul, even when it is tossed about in a stormy sea. Never be afraid of the enemy's enticements, for no matter how strong they may be, they will never be able to sweep you into the enemy's nets, as long as you remain faithful to the Lord and on your guard, while you build up your strength by prayer and holy humility. God has promised that He 'opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble' [James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5]. God has promised that those who 'watch and pray' will not 'enter into temptation' [Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38]. What are you afraid of, then? Is our God not faithful to His promises?" (Letters 2, pages 500-501)
Yes, God is faithful, my dear friend. He will never let go of you!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Do Not Halt Halfway on Your Journey, My Friend
Dear friend, you are such a wonderful soul, I want you to take encouragement today from Saint Padre Pio's words to you:
"The knowledge of God's plan for you must serve, on the one hand, to arouse gratitude in the depths of your soul towards so good a Father, so that you may give continual and heartfelt thanks to your heavenly Benefactor. You should unite your praise to that of Mary Most Holy and Immaculate, of the Angels, and of all the blessed inhabitants of the Heavenly Jerusalem. On the other hand, this knowledge must serve as an incentive to lay aside all fear and not come to a halt halfway on your journey, because of the sufferings and trials which must be endured if you are to reach the end of this extremely long road.
"The Lord has allowed me to show you all these things chiefly to prevent you from any uncertainty as you travel this road. Run, then, without growing weary, and may the Lord direct and guide your steps so that you may not fall. Make haste, I tell you, for the road is long and time is very short. Run, let us all run so that at the end of our journey we may say with the holy apostle, 'I am already on the point of being sacrificed, the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith' [2Timothy 4:6-7]." (Letters 2, pages 316-317)
May God richly bless you, my dear friend!
"The knowledge of God's plan for you must serve, on the one hand, to arouse gratitude in the depths of your soul towards so good a Father, so that you may give continual and heartfelt thanks to your heavenly Benefactor. You should unite your praise to that of Mary Most Holy and Immaculate, of the Angels, and of all the blessed inhabitants of the Heavenly Jerusalem. On the other hand, this knowledge must serve as an incentive to lay aside all fear and not come to a halt halfway on your journey, because of the sufferings and trials which must be endured if you are to reach the end of this extremely long road.
"The Lord has allowed me to show you all these things chiefly to prevent you from any uncertainty as you travel this road. Run, then, without growing weary, and may the Lord direct and guide your steps so that you may not fall. Make haste, I tell you, for the road is long and time is very short. Run, let us all run so that at the end of our journey we may say with the holy apostle, 'I am already on the point of being sacrificed, the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith' [2Timothy 4:6-7]." (Letters 2, pages 316-317)
May God richly bless you, my dear friend!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
What Cross are You Carrying Today, Dear Friend?
What is the cross you are carrying today, my dear friend? Please do not carry it alone. It makes you feel lonely, I know, when your cross is so heavy, and perhaps you've carried it for a long time now, which adds to your pain, but Saint Padre Pio offers you his blessing as he smiles on you from Heaven, and he says the following to you, just as he said it to another spiritual child of his:
"May the grace of the divine Spirit comfort your soul with that consolation which can come from God alone. May Jesus make you ever dearer to Him and ever more like Him on the path of suffering. May Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, enable you to undertand all that is contained in the great secret of suffering borne with a Christian spirit. May she obtain for you all the strength you require to climb the summit of Calvary loaded with your own cross. Great strength is needed, unfortunately, to follow this path, but take heart, for the Savior will never leave you alone or without His help. Let us make haste, then, to join and mingle with all those pious and faithful souls who follow the divine Master. Let us hasten, I say, and not remain far behind this holy company. Let us always be united with them and never lose sight of them." (Letters 2, pages 487-488)
Yes, dear friend, take heart, as Saint Padre Pio said, and know that your Savior will never leave you alone or without His help.
"May the grace of the divine Spirit comfort your soul with that consolation which can come from God alone. May Jesus make you ever dearer to Him and ever more like Him on the path of suffering. May Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, enable you to undertand all that is contained in the great secret of suffering borne with a Christian spirit. May she obtain for you all the strength you require to climb the summit of Calvary loaded with your own cross. Great strength is needed, unfortunately, to follow this path, but take heart, for the Savior will never leave you alone or without His help. Let us make haste, then, to join and mingle with all those pious and faithful souls who follow the divine Master. Let us hasten, I say, and not remain far behind this holy company. Let us always be united with them and never lose sight of them." (Letters 2, pages 487-488)
Yes, dear friend, take heart, as Saint Padre Pio said, and know that your Savior will never leave you alone or without His help.
Friday, April 2, 2010
My Yoke is Easy, My Burden is Light
Are you carrying a heavy load, my dear friend? Let Saint Padre Pio's words lighten that load for you: "May Jesus enable you to appreciate more and more, along with all the souls who love Him with a sincere and pure heart, His most loving invitation, 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light.' [Matthew 11:30] May this most tender invitation of the Divine Master console you in this trial. . . . It can truly be said that your new state is a most singular favor of the Lord, a favor that He usually grants only to those strong souls who, in His mercy, He holds most dear.
"Rejoice then, along with me, at this outstanding benevolence of our good God. Oh how delightful and consoling it is to know that without any merit of our own, this most tender Father has raised us to such high dignity. Oh, open your heart to this Father, the most loving of fathers, and let Him act freely within you. Let us not be stingy with One who enriches us even too much, whose generosity is endless and knows no limits." (Letters 2, page 385)
Here is my prayer for you, my dear friend, from Saint Padre Pio: "May the Holy Spirit sanctify you more and more, make you worthy of greater charisms, and make you a most chaste spouse of the Son of God. Amen." (Letters 2, page 384)
"Rejoice then, along with me, at this outstanding benevolence of our good God. Oh how delightful and consoling it is to know that without any merit of our own, this most tender Father has raised us to such high dignity. Oh, open your heart to this Father, the most loving of fathers, and let Him act freely within you. Let us not be stingy with One who enriches us even too much, whose generosity is endless and knows no limits." (Letters 2, page 385)
Here is my prayer for you, my dear friend, from Saint Padre Pio: "May the Holy Spirit sanctify you more and more, make you worthy of greater charisms, and make you a most chaste spouse of the Son of God. Amen." (Letters 2, page 384)
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