Saint Padre Pio: Part Eight

Dear friend, I thought I'd begin today with an encouraging quote from Saint Padre Pio that I'm looking at right now in his third volume of Letters. He is speaking to you when he says, "Don't let temptations frighten you. They are the trials to which God subjects His chosen ones when He sees they are strong enough to sustain the trials, and thus weave the crown of glory with their own hands. Therefore, live tranquilly and do not fear because Jesus is with you." Amen.

Please let me continue sharing with you Dorothy M. Gaudiose's account of St. Padre Pio's life. As I've said in Parts One through Seven, she worked for Padre Pio for three years in his monastery, and she was a good friend of mine. In fact, the two books she wrote about Padre Pio are published by Alba House, and Dorothy was the impetus behind my writing my first of many books about Padre Pio, published by Our Sunday Visitor, The Word Among Us Press, and Pauline Books & Media--all by God's grace, of course. Last week I shared with you about Padre Pio as Confessor, and now this week I'll continue that topic:

"Many said Padre Pio could be gruff and irate in the Confessional," wrote Dorothy, "and he would shut the Confessional's panel door in the penitent's face. They said Padre Pio could demolish a penitent with a searing phrase. This is sometimes did actually happen, but it was always because Padre Pio would first recognize immediately any insincerity, hypocrisy, or falsehood on the part of the penitent, and then Padre Pio struck at it. But it was not out of vindictiveness that he did so. He loved souls too deeply for that. It was his way of 'netting the fish.' And where Padre Pio had been rough or angry, the penitent would be found later to have returned to Confession in a more correct or chastened disposition, and then Padre Pio would receive him with gentle forgiveness.

"When Padre Pio left the Confessional," continued Dorothy, who herself used to go to Confession to him, so she knew the truth of all that she wrote about him, "his step was slower and he looked tired. It was as though, in addition to his own cross, he was bearing those of the souls he had brought back to God through Confession.

"It is also well to know that when Padre Pio has 'bought' a soul by means of his suffering, he does not allow Satan to recapture it, for he is always on hand to guide, to support, and to help it in every circumstance that may arise. [And since St. Pio is now in Heaven, and closer to the Source of Life, he can look after you, too, my friend, even better than he could while on Earth.] It was thus that Padre Pio reassured a lawyer from Rome who was fearful lest he return to his former sinful ways," wrote Dorothy. "Padre Pio said to the lawyer, 'My son, pray without ceasing and never leave off, and you can be sure that when I have rescued a soul, I never let it fall again.'"

Dorothy continued, "One of Padre Pio's spiritual sons said to him one day, 'Padre Pio, you love what I fear--suffering.' St. Padre Pio replied, 'No, I don't love suffering itself; I ask it of God because I desire its fruits: It gives glory to God, saves my brothers and sisters here in this earthly exile, and frees souls from the fires of Purgatory. What more can I ask?'

"The spiritual son asked, 'Padre Pio, what is suffering?' And St. Pio replied, 'Expiation!' The spiritual son said, 'And for you, what is it?' Padre Pio answered, 'My daily bread; my delight!'

"Many of the Saints of the Church," continued Dorothy, "had one or more of these spiritual gifts, [which I elaborated on in Parts One through Eight], but none had as many as Padre Pio of Pietrelcina."

Do you have a great need today, my dear friend? Ask your holy Guardian Angel to take your need to St. Padre Pio. Padre Pio will do what he can to help you; he will intercede for you with Our Lady, the Mother of Christ, who will then intercede for you with her Divine Son, the Source of Life, the Author of All.

"Pray, hope, and don't worry." Amen.