Remember

After the holidays I will share more of Saint Padre Pio's words with you, but for now, remember what he always said, "Pray, hope, and don't worry." Amen

Heavenly Homeland

You are hoping to reach the Heavenly Homeland, and when you do, you will finally rest in Jesus' Sacred Heart. Saint Padre Pio speaks of this future of yours when he says this to you: "May Jesus continue to possess your heart, as you will one day possess His in the Heavenly Homeland."

But if you fear you will not reach that Heavenly Homeland, take encouragement from what Padre Pio says next: "You must not fear at all, because God, who is always faithful to His promises, will not permit you to be oppressed." St. Padre Pio is basing that claim for you on God's own Word in 1 Corinthians 10:13, where the Holy Spirit says that if you put your faith in God, He will not allow you to be tempted "beyond that which you are able to bear, but with the temptation will also provide a way to escape so that you may be able to bear the temptation." (I've paraphrased that.)

But in reply, you say to me, "Oh, but I'm so weak and so often tempted to sin." Well, St. Padre Pio assures you in the next few sentences: "Once again I assure you that your soul is pleasing to God. You are not sinning in the trials which you are experiencing, do you understand? Therefore, you must not have any fear at all in this regard." (Letters 3, pp. 878-879)

You Are On Your Way to Holiness

Saint Padre Pio is so positive about your becoming and staying holy, my dear friend. He opens one of his letters with, "May Our Lord be always with you and make you holy." That is Saint Pio's hope for you, and he continues with his wish that "Our Beloved Redeemer" will always "keep you in His holy grace and invariably treat you as a chosen child."

You'll hopefully smile as you read what Saint Padre Pio continues with in that letter: "Well, then, Jesus wants to toss and shake you, to thresh you like wheat in order that your spirit may be cleansed and purified as He wishes. Could grain be stored in the barn if it were not free from all husk or chaff? Could linen be stored in the owner's cupboard if it had not first been made quite spotless? So, too, must it be with the chosen soul."

And you, my dear friend, ARE a "chosen soul," so take heart. When your daily life hands you little unpleasantries; the never-ending repetition of daily drugeries; and the frequent annoyances from friends, family, others, and even from your own body, you can look up at Jesus and smile and say, "Okay, Lord, you're jiggling me a bit to shake off the chaff and husk so that my dear soul can shine for eternity in Your Kingdom."

No matter what your day brings, always remember what Saint Padre Pio says to you: "Hold resolutely to the comforting thought that God is with you all the time and will never abandon you. . . ."

Amen!

(I have quoted St. Pio's Letters, Volume II, pages 75 and 76.)

When Tempted

When you are tempted to sin but refuse to give in to the temptation, you deserve a reward, according to Saint Padre Pio. One day one of his spiritual children, Mario Tentori, was afflicted with a violent temptation. Mario prayed to God and thought about Padre Pio who always prays for and cares about and looks after his spiritual children. As a result, Mario restrained from sinning. When he went to Confession a few days later to Padre Pio, the first thing Mario related to Padre Pio was about the difficult moment when he was near to offending God. Padre Pio, rather than chastizing him, as Mario had expected, said to Mario, "But you didn't do it!" Our Saint Pio knew that Mario was the scrupulous type, so he went on to explain that a rejected temptation is NOT a sin but is a reason for reward. (page 231, Testimonies, by Father Marcellino IasenzaNiro)

So keep "fighting the good fight," my dear friend, and don't be so hard on yourself. You're on the right path, so never fear; Jesus is with you every step of the way, accompanied by His Mother and Saint Padre Pio and your dear sweet faithful Holy Guardian Angel.

I love you.

You are a Seraphim of Love

"A seraphim of love." Such beautiful terms did Saint Padre Pio use! Right now, I ask him to bless you with the following, as he did to his friend to whom he sent this message in 1917: "May God be pleased to make you a seraphim of love. This is the most sincere wish, which I continually make for you before the Lord." (Letters 3, page 824)

May God make YOU, my dear friend, a "seraphim of love." Amen!

And, my dear seraphim of love, "live tranquilly, follow the path on which the Lord has placed you and, in a holy manner, diligently try to keep Jesus satisfied and pleased; this Jesus who suffers the abandonment of his Father for love of us, and by whom this heavenly Father wanted you to be accompanied. So just like a bee who is carefully making the honey of holy devout practices, also make the wax of domestic affairs, because if the former brings with it a sweetness pleasing to Christ, who while He lived in the world nourished Himself with butter and honey, as Scripture tells us, the latter superabounds with glory for Him, because it serves to make lighted candles for the edification of your neighbor. God, who has taken you by the hand with special care, is guiding you to the port of eternal salvation. Let us confide in Him and have no fear." (Saint Padre Pio, Letters 3, pages 841-842)

Amen, dear friend in Christ. Amen!