From Padre Pio writtings:

As you should know that the soul’s greatest misery is when it doesn’t feel weak, but feels strong; when it trusts in itself; when it is over-confident. Oh! if only all souls could experience such a holy weakness, we would not see so many souls fall at every instant. A soul who felt its weakness and had recourse to God for help, has never fallen. ( Letters III, 72 )

From Padre Pio writtings:

On the contrary, the soul is only defeated and overcome when, trusting in what it believes to be its abundant stregth, thinks it can always sustain and bear temptations. Thus it happens that the poor thing, out of presumption, believing it was touching the heavens, suddenly finds itself falling right to the doors of Hell. ( Letters III, 72 )

From Padre Pio writtings:

Do not fear … but rather, have greater confidence in divine mercy. Humble yourself before the mercy of our good God and thank him for all the favours he wants to grant you, and for all those he has granted you up to present. gratitude requires this and we could never worthily show our gratitude to He who has enriched us with so many favours … continue to pray … may you be animated in all this by the prize that awaits you, which will not be far away. (Letters III, 73)

From Padre Pio writtings:

You imagine that your powerlessness harms you, and it seems to you that this powerlessness prevents you from withdrawing into yourself and from moving closer to God … He wants our miseries to be the throne of his mercy, and your powerlessness, the seat of his Omnipotence. Tell me, my good daughter, where did God put Samson’s strength? Wasn’t it in his hair (Judg 16:17), his weakest  part? Well! Don’t let me see my daughter fall into such grave error any more!; this daughter who wants to serve her God according to his will, and not in accordance with her sensitive tastes … no … your impotence has not prevented you, nor does it prevent you from withdrawing into yourself, but rather, it prevents you from complaining within yourself. ( Letters III, 180 )

Letters III edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

2nd Edition 2001 – edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writtings:

My soul is filled with impatient longing to see itself possessed once and for all by this great God … it wants to have a full and perfect view of that gifure, of whom it has already seen, as it were, an outline or a rough sketch. In a word, my soul wants to behold the Word, the Son of God, who is the splendour of God’s glory and the perfect image of his substance. ( Letters I, p. 529)

From Padre Pio writtings:

My soul is full of gratitude to God for the many victories it obtains at every instant, and I cannot refrain from uttering endless hymns of blessing to this great and munificent God. Blessed be the Lord for this great goodness! O God, the King of my heart, the only Source of all my happiness, how much longer must I wait before I can openly enjoy your ineffable beauty? (Letters I, p.730/731)

From Padre Pio writtings:

Again at night when I close my eyes the veil is lifted and I see paradise open up before me; and gladdened by this vision I sleep with a smile of  sweet beatitude on my lips and perfectly tranquil countenance, waiting for the little companion of my childhood to come to waken me, so that we may sing together the morning praises to the Beloved of our hearts. ( Letters I, p. 347)

From Padre Pio writtings:

Through Jesus’ obedience the heavenly Father willed that all creature should confess and believe in this most holy name: “Every tongue (should) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:11) … we are imitators of Jesus Christ and face up to all life’s battles, we too will share in His victories. In conclusion, with St. John Chrysostom, I say, let us firmly believe that our divine Redeemer is adorned with great glory, but let us continue to live for His glory imitating His example and following out His will. On the other hand, our faith will avail us nothing if our actions do not bear it our. ( Letters II, p. 238)

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni

English Version – edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap. – Third Edition 2002 -

– Thy will be done -

From Padre Pio writtings:

God, who has bestowed so many benefits on us, is satisfied with such a very insignificant gift as that of our will. Let us offer it to him along with the divine Master Himself in that most sublime prayer, the Our Father: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ( Mt 6:10) … We must remember, though, that when our divine Master addressed to His Father on our behalf those words of the Lord’s Prayer ” thy will be done “, his divine mind showed him very clearly how difficult it would be for us to do what He had promised the Father for us … Our good Jesus … perceived through His divine eyes and weighed up our immense weakness, which very often prevents us from carrying out God’s will so that we invent obstacles or rather we pretend not to know what His will is. ( Letters II, p.357 )

From Padre Pio writtings:

Father, I cannot ask you now to remove Jesus from among men, for I am too selfish; and how could I who am so weak and half – hearted live without this Eucharistic food? How could I fulfil that petition made by Your Son in our name: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, if I did not receive strength from this immaculate flesh? Even now, with the powerful help which Jesus has left us in this sacrament of love, I often feel I am on the point of wavering and rebelling against Your will, so what would become of me if I asked You and You answered my request to take Jesus away from men so that He would not be treated sa badly? (Letters II, p.358 )

From Padre Pio writtings:

Holy Father, give us today our daily bread. Give us Jesus always during our brief stay in this land of exile. Give Him to us and grant that we may be increasingly worthy to welcome Him into our hearts. Yes, give Him to us and we shall be sure to fulfil the request that Jesus Himself addressed to You on our behalf: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ( Letters II, p.359 )

From Padre Pio writtings:

Let us always be prepared to recognize in every event of life the most wise order of divine Providence. Let us adore it and be ready to conform our will in all thigs and at all times to the will of God. In this way we shall give glory to the heavenly Father and everything will be to our advantage for eternal life … and when God wants to take our life fromus, our sentiment and our feeling should be those of a person who at the end of the fight, goes to receive the prize.(Letters II, p.356 )

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni

English Version – third edition 2002 – edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writtings:

This is just a pallid idea of what Jesus is doing within me. Just as torrent carries down to the depths of the sea everything it encounters on its way, so also my soul, immersed in the boundless ocean of Jesus’ love, by no merit of my own and without my being able to explain it, carries all its treasures along with it. But, my dear Father, as I write where do my thoughts fly? To the great day of my ordination … I have already begun to experience again the happiness of that day which is so sacred for me. Already this morning I began to have a taste of paradise … and what will it be when we taste it for all eternity? When I compare the peace of heart I experienced on that day with the peace of heart I have begun to feel since the eve of this feast, I find no difference … How happy I was and how I rejoiced on that day! ( Letters I, 335/336)

From Padre Pio writtings:

Accompany me continually, then, by your prayers that the divine Shepherd may give me what is lacking to me. Ask Him to give me the holiness of life that I lack. Oh, if  only I could say at least once with the apostle of the nations, raising my voice to tell everybody: ” Be imitators of me as I am of Christ “  ( 1Cor 4:16; 11:1 ) But alas, everything is lacking to me and I expect all things from your insistent prayers and those of others to the Heart of God. ( Letters II, 558 )

From Padre Pio writtings:

Every minister of the Lord ought to work continually for the good of souls. He ought never admit weariness and never say: ” I have worked too hard for the souls of others “. This is the image of the genuine Catholic priest … It is true that in my own little way I do my best for the good of those souls whom the Lord enables me to meet, but I am convinced that I am of little or no use to them. May the Lord assist me in the fulfilment of my duty. ( Letters II, 538 )

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English Version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap

Letters I, II,  2nd edition 1984, Third Edition 2002,

From Padre Pio writtings:

What a joy it is to serve Jesus in the desert without manna, water, or any other consolation, except that of being led by him and suffering for him! May the most holy Virgin be born in our hearts, to bring us her blessings. ( Letters III, 487)

From Padre Pio writtings:

Let us invariably unite with this dear Mother. With her, close to Jesus, let us go out from Jerusalem, the symbol and figure of Jewish obduracy, of the world which rejects and denies Jesus Christ and from which Jesus Christ declared himself to be separated when he said: ” I am not of this world ” (Jn 8:23). ( Letters I, 673)

From Padre Pio writtings:

I pray continually for your growth in the spiritual life, I promise you that on your feastday I will send up my feeble peas to God’s throne with greater confidence and filial abandonment, imploring Him and doing gentle violence to His divine Heart so that He may grant me the grace of increasing heavenly wisdom in your soul … The fact of having been chosen, having been elected among innumerable others and knowing that without any merit on our part, this choice, this election was decided by God from all eternity, before the foundation of the world (Jn 17:24; Eph 1:4),  for the sole reason that we might be His in time and in eternity, is such a great and at the same time such an enchanting mystery that the soul, even though it understands so little of all this, cannot but melt away with love. ( Letters II, 211/212)

From Padre Pio writtings:

Jesus and Mary continue to act as parents to me. Oh, my dear Father, who could put into writing the consolations which this heavenly Mother makes me feel during this month! I continually feel a burning heart enclosed in this frozen body of mine. ( Letters I, 321)

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English Version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap. – Letters I, III, 2nd edition; Letters II, Third edition -

From Padre Pio writings:

Let us always keep before our eyes the fact that here on earth we are on a battlefield and that  in paradise we shall receive the crown of victory; that this is a testing – ground and the prize will be awarded up above; that we are now in a land of exile, while our true homeland is heaven to which we must continually aspire. Let us live, then … with a lively faith, a firm hope and an ardent love, with eyes fixed on heaven and the keenest desire, as long as we are travellers, to dwell one day in heaven whenever this is pleasing to God. ( Letters II,470)

From Padre Pio writings:

May the motives of faith and the comfort of Christian hope offer you continual support in all this. If you act in this way the heavenly Father will alleviate your trial with the balm of His goodness and mercy. The holy and beneficent angel of faith, moreover, counsels and urges us to have rucourse by insistent humble prayer to this goodness and mercy of the heavenly Father in the firm hope that we shall be heard. In this we are basing our trust on the promise made to us by the divine Master: ” Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you … Everything that you ask the Father in my name will be given you ” (Mt 7:7;Lk 11:9;cf. Jn 15:16).

From Padre Pio writings:

A lively faith, blind belief and complete adherence to the authorities constituted by God over you, this is the light that illuminated the steps of the people of God in the desert ( Ex 14:2; Josh 24:7 ), and this is the light that always shines in the depth of those souls who are acceptable to the Father. This is the light that led the Magii to adore the newly born Messiah( Mt 2:2 ). This is the star prophesied by Balaam ( Num 24:17 ); it is the torch that directs the steps of souls in a state of desolation. And this light, star and torch, also illuminates your soul and directs your footsteps so that you do not stumble. They fortify your spirit with divine affection and, without the soul’s being aware of it, it continually advances towards the eternal goal. ( Letters III,404)

From Padre Pio writings:

Temptations against faith and purity are the merchandise offered by the enemy, but do not fear him, rathe despise him. As long as he makes an uproar it is a sign that ha 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, 426)

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

Edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

Letters II third edition 2002; Letters III second edition 2001

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 )

From Padre Pio writings:

After love for our Lord, my daughter, I recommend to you that of the Church, his Bride; this dear sweet dove which alone can lay the eggs, and give birth to the little doves of the Spouse. Thank God a hundred times a day for being a daughter of the Church, after the example of many saints, those brothers and sisters of ours who preceded us in this happy journey. Have great compassion on all pastors, preachers and directors of souls, and see how they are spread out over the face of the earth, because there is no part of the world where they are not numerous. ( Letters III,711)

From Padre Pio writings:

Pray for the wicked, pray for the lukewarm, pray even for fervent souls, but pray especially for the supreme Pontiff, for all the spiritual and temporal needs os holy Church, our most tender mother. A special prayer also for all those who are working for the salvation of souls and for God’s glory in the mission to many infidels and unbelievers … Pray, pray for everyone. ( Letters II,77/78)

From Padre Pio writings:

May Jesus and Mary always be in your heart, and may they make you grow, more and more, in the beautiful virtue of charity which is the bond of Christian perfection … May the apostasy of many souls belonging to the sheepfold of Jesus Christ, come to an end once and for all. May God’s reign come soon; may this most holy Father sanctify his Church; may he abundantly shower his mercy on those souls who have not known him up to now … May this most tender Father, enlighten the intelligence and touch the hearts of all men … Finally, may this most Father banish from the Church all the dissension that exists, and impedes the birth of other members, so that there will be only one sheepfold and only one Shepherd … Don’t ever forget to pray for these needs which I have set out. Thus, without your being either an apostle, a priest or a missionary, you will gain that crown which the heavenly Father has prepared ab aeterno for them. ( Letters III, 63/64)

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni

English Version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M.Cap. Letters I and III 2nd Edition, Letters II 3nd Edition.

From Padre Pio writings:

… We are never done trying to improve our appearence. Indeed, all our efforts are direct towards improving the body and making it more and more beautiful. Less attention is perhaps devoted to the soul, which we may have treated as a negligible quantity. Well, then, if Providence has deprived us of our motive for neglecting spiritual things while we were busy improving our bodily life, God in his infinite wisdom has placed in our hands all the necessary means for the embellishment of our souls, even after we have disfigured them by sin. The soul’s cooperation with divine grace is all that is required to enable it to develop, to reach such a degree of splendour and beauty as to attract, not so much the loving and astonished gaze of the angels, but the gaze of God Himself, according to the testimony of Holy Scripture: ” The King, that is, God, will desire your beauty “. ( Ps 45:11) ( Letters II, 241)

From Padre Pio writings:

The Christianis raised up in Jesus at baptism. He is lifted up to a supernatural life and acquires the splendid hope of occupying a heavenly throne in glory. What an honour! His vocation demands that he aspire continually to the home of the blessed and consider himself as a pilgrim in this land of exile. The Christian vocation, I say, requires that we do not attach our hearts to this miserable world. The good Christian who really follows his vocation directs all his attention, all his study to securing eternal possession. He must look on the things of this world below in such a way as to esteem and appreciate only those which help him to obtain eternal things and must despise all things which do not help him to obtain what is eternal. ( Letters II, 243)

From Padre Pio writings:

The Christian, then, who has died and risen again with Christ by baptism, must invariably strive to renew and improve himself by contemplating the eternal truths and the will of God. In a word, ha must endeavour all the tima to reproduce in himself the image of the Lord who created him. Christian perfection obliges us to all this and the apostle exhorts us to act in this way, telling us with great wisdom that we ” have put on the new nwture which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator ” ( Col 3:9). But what is this new nature to which the apostle is referring here? It is our nature made holy by baptism which, according to the principles of sanctification, must live ” in righteousness and in true holiness” ( Cf. Lk 1:75) ( Letters II, 247)

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni

English Version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M.Cap. – Third Edition 2002 -

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)

From Padre Pio writngs:

Live tranquilly and don’t worry about anything. jesus is with you and loves you, and you correspond to his inspirations and grace which works within you … he who obeys, does not have to render account for his actions, and he must only await the reward from Jesus and not the chastisement … the obedient soul will sing victory … By the actions of divine grace in you, you even have reason to be comforted, and to hope and confide in God, as this is how he behaves towards souls who have chosen him as their portion and inheritance. The prototype, the example on which one should reflect and model oneself is Jesus Christ. ( Letters III, p.248/249)

From Padre Pio writings:

I fully understand that the soul will not enter into its eternal rest until it is lost forever in that vast ocean of goodness where it will know what God knows, love what he loves and will only enjoy what is a joy to him. Happy the souls whose names are written in the book of eternal life ! … O my Jesus, I will live this cruel life and hope and silence will be my strength as long as this wretched life lasts. Meanwhile, O my Creator and my God, make this bright flame of your love burn ardently in my heart. ( Letters I, p.725)

From Padre Pio writings:

Dear Father, If I could fly, I would like to shout, to cry out to everyone at the top of my voice: love Jesus who is deserving of love. But, alas, my dear Father, my soul is still strongly bound to the body and many are the sins which impede the flight of my soul… (  Letters I, p.330)… O only source of all my happiness, O my God ,how long must I still wait ? You see, O Lord, that there is no remedy for my malady. When, then, O Lord, when ? How much longer ? ( Letters I, p.726)

Letters I and III, Edited by Melchiore of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English Version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

II Edition 1984 and 2001

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)

From Padre Pio writings:

It is like what might happen to a poor little shepherd boy who found himself btought into a royal chamber where was an infinite number of precious objects such as he has never seen before. On coming out of the royal chamber, the little shepherd would undoubtedly have in mind all those beautiful and valuable objects but would certainly be unable to say how many there were or to name them correctly one by one. He would like to tell others about all he had seen; he would muster al his intellectual and cognitive powers to do so, but finding all efforts useless to make himself understood, he would prefer to keep silence. This is what usually happens to my soul, which by divine goodness alone has been raised to this degree of prayer. ( Letters I, 518)

From Padre Pio writings:

The things which are taking place at present are so secret and private that anyone who has not himself experienced them could never, never form even a faint idea of them … it is now God himself who acts and operates directly in the depths of my soul, without the ministry of the senses, either interior or exterior. ( Letters I, 509)

From Padre Pio writings:

In this state my soul is happy for it feels it loves its dear God and at the same time experiences his love in a very delicate way. All I can say of this present state is that my soul has no concern for anything but God. I feel my whole being concentrated and recollected in God, to such an extent that all the faculties even in their very first movements turn naturally and almost spontaneously to God, rushing towards him instinctively. More often than not in this state my soul is occupied with God and does things concerning him without even noticing that it is doing all this for him. ( Letters I, 509 )

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap. II Edition 1984

 - Stigmata of Padre Pio -

He describes how the wounda were produced in his hands and feet.

San Giovanni Rotondo, 22 October 1918

From Padre Pio writings:

On the mornig of the 20th of last month, in the choir, after I had celebrated Mass I yielded to a drowsiness similar to a sweet sleep. All the internal and external senses and even the very faculties of my soul were immersed in indescribable stillness. Adsolute silence surrounded and invaded me. I was suddenly filled with great peace and abandonment which effaced everything else and caused a lull in the turmoil. All this happened in a flash. While this was taking place I saw before me a mysterious person similar to the one I had seen on the evening of 5 August. The only difference was that his hands and feet and side were dripping blood. This sight terrified me and what I felt at that moment is indescribable. I thought I should die and really should have died if the Lord had not intervened and strengthened my heart which was about to burst out of my chest. The vision disappeared and I became aware that my hands, feet and side were dripping blood. Imagine the agony I experienced and continue to experience almost every day. The heart wound bleeds continually, especially from Thursday evenig until Saturday. Dear Father, I am dying of pain because of the wounds and the resulting embarrassment I feel deep in my soul. I am afraid I shall bleed to death if the Lord does not hear my heartfelt supplication to relieve me of this condition. Will Jesus, who is so good, grant me this grace? Will he at least free me from the embarrssment caused by these outward signs? I will raise my voice and will not stop imploring him until in his mercy he takes away, not the wound or the pain, which is impossible since I wish to be inebriated with pain, but these outward signs which cause me such embarrssment and unbearable humiliation. The person of whom I spoke in a previous letter is none other than the one I mentioned having seen on 5 August. He continues his work incessantly, causing me extreme spiritual agony. There is a continual rumbling within me like the gushing of blood. My God ! Your punishment is just and your judgment right, but grant me your mercy. 

Edited by Melchiorre da Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English Version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap. (2nd edition 1984)

From Padre Pio writings:

My daughters, try as best you can, without excessive anxiety, to do what you must and wish to do with perfection. But once it is done, think no more about it, but rather, attend only to what you must and want to do or to what you are doing. 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. We must be patient with them and gain from them through holy humility. Without that patience, my good daughters, instead of diminishing, your imperfections will increase constantly, as there is nothing that nourishes our defects like restlessness, and the haste to drive them away. ( Letters III,582/583)

From Padre Pio writings:

Listen to our Lord who says to Abraham and to you also: do not fear, I am your protector. What do you seek on earth if not God? You possess him and I am not lying in this. Be firm in your resolutions: stay in the boat in which ( the Lord ) has placed you and let the storm come: long live Jesus! You will not perish. He may sleep, but at the opportune time, he will awaken to restore your calm. Sacred Scripture says that when Saint Peter saw the violent storm, he was frightened, and trembling, he exclaimed: “ Lord, save me!” And, taking him by the hand, our Lord said to him: Man of little faith. Why do you fear?(Mt 14:31; Mt 8:26). Observe, my daughters, this holy apostle: he walks with dry feet on the waters; the winds and waves do not cause him to be submerged, but fear of the wind and waves discourages him. Fear is a greater evil than evil itself. (Letters III, 584)

From Padre Pio writings:

You are walking on the sea amidst the wind and waves, but remember that you are with Jesus. What need you fear? But if fear takes you by surprise, shout loudly: “ O Lord save us!” He will hold out his hand to you; hold onto it tightly and walk joyfully. In short, don’t philosophize on your defects; don’t reply but carry on firmly. No, God could not lose you, when, in order to avoid losing him, you persist in your resolutions. Let the world turn upside down, let everything be in darkness, in smoke in confusion, but God is with us, what can we fear therefore? If God lives in the darkness, and on Mount Sinai amidst the thunder and lightning, shouldn’t we be happy knowing we are close to him? ( Letters III,584)

Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni

2^nd Edition English version 2001. Edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri, O.F.M. Cap.

- 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)

From Padre Pio writings:

During this state of aridity and desolation of spirit, don’t worry if you are unable to serve God as you would like. While you adapt to His wishes, you serve him according to his will, which is better than yours. What does it matter to us whether we belong to God in one way or another? In truth, as we seek nothing but him, and we do not find him any less whilst we are walking on the waters of perceptible consolations, we must, therefore, be content with both paths. (Letters III,270)

From Padre Pio writings:

Live tranquilly in your present state also. Rise above yourself with frequent ejaculatory prayers and aspirations of the heart which are true, continual prayers. And bearing physical and moral ailments is the most worthy offering you can make Him who saved us through suffering. The framework of your life, then, my dearest daughter, should have no further reason to cause you to fear and be dejected in spirit. Jesus has pardoned everything with the fire of his holy love. (Letters III,270)

From Padre Pio writings:

Let us pray and beseech God to let us understand his will. Let us see to it that our will desires nothing at all except his. Live tranquilly without anxiety or agitation of heart. When we meet for the first time, God will be merciful towards us if he pleases. Lift up your heart, I beg you. Your state of soul is enviable and there is no reason to fear. Therefore, don’ t fail to keep present to the eyes of the divine Bridegroom. Let your soul expand before this divine Sun and don’ t  fear its burning rays, otherwise the cocoon will not open, and the beautiful butterfly will not emerge. Always be simple, because true simplicity is always good and acceptable to God.               (Letters III,321)

Letters III, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version, second edition, years  2001, edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

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)

From Padre Pio writings:

I exhort you to love a God crucified amidst the darkness; stay a while with him. Tell him: ” It does me good to stay here. Let us make three booths (Mk 9:5), one for our Lord, one for our Lady and the other for Saint John. Make three crosses anyway, stay at the foot of that of the Son, or that of the Mother, or that of the most beloved disciple. You will be welcomed everywhere. ( Letters III,181)

From Padre Pio writings:

If the longing to love God seems to you not to be satisfied, or let us even say that it really is not satisfied; if it seems to you that you always desire without ever arriving at the possesion of perfect love, all this means that your soul must never say it has enough, it means that we cannot and must not stop on the path to divine love and holy perfection. St. Augustine says very aptly: Our heart is not at rest till it rests in the object of its love. ( St. Augustine, Confessions, Bk.I,1) . ( Letters II,424)

From Padre Pio writings:

… The Lord is with you, he suffers with you, groans with you and is pleased with you. Love, and do whatever you wish …Even if you were to have committed all the sins of this world … Jesus tells you: Your sinsm which are many, are forgiven, for you have loved much. ( Lk 7:47) But then, you will say to me, what is the reason for this trial of heavenly love. I have come into deep waters and the flood sweeps over me. (Ps 69 (68) :2) But the Prophet added to the Lord: Let not the flood sweep over me or the deep swallow me up!. ( Ps 69 (68) : 15) This is the trial of souls who are particularly loved by that Jesus who was pleased to experience all the fear of that moral tempest in the desert, the Garden and Calvary. Every soul that wants to be saved must undergo something of that mysterious storm, because every predestined soul must resemble Jesus. ( Letters III,218/219)

Letters II, III, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version, second and third edition, years  2001,2002, edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

– Jesus Heart Lovely -

From Padre Pio writings:

The most afflicted souls are those who are closest to the divine heart. And you can be sure that Jesus has chosen your soul as that which is most dear to his adorable Heart. You must hide yourself in this Heart; you must pour out your most ardent desires there, and in this Heart you must still live those remaining days which Providence grants you; you must die in this Heart when the Lord wishes.

From Padre Pio writings:

… Without fully understanding it … you are hidden in this Heart. You pour out all your desires there. In this Heart, you are, you live and you move; it is in this heart that I have placed you; I have immolated your will there … This being the case, one can understand how your soul cannot, and must not be almost inactive and selfish at the sight of those creatures who flee from their Creator.

From Padre Pio writings:

No soul who has chosen divine love either for itself or others, as in your case, and who has sacrificed everything to Him should or could be selfish in the Heart of Jesus but it absolutely must feel itself burn also with that love for its brothers and sisters, which caused the apostle of people to exclaim: ” For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsman by race” ( Rom 9:3).

From Padre Pio writings:

… Before Jesus, and in his most sacred Heart, your heart beats also with holy affection for others. I know of your ardent prayers for the salvation of souls. I am certain of this and am pleased with the admirable behaviour of divine grace towards you. But all this has its foundation in the goodness of the Lord and your complete renunciation of your own will …

Letters  III p. 324/325 , edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version, second Edition, years  2001, edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writtings:

Listen to our Lord who says to the Patriarch Abraham, and to you also: Do not fear, ” I am your protector” (Gen 15:1). What do you seek on earth except God? Well, my daughter, know that you possess him. Be comforted by the thought that he is at the centre of your heart and that you are extremely pleasing to his divine Heart, and that he observes your great struggle with the enemy with pleasure. Be firm in your resolutions; stay in the boat in which our Lord has placed you and let the storm come. You will not perish. It appears to you that Jesus is sleeping, but let it be so. Don’t you know that if he sleeps, his heart vigilantly watches over you? Let him sleep, but at the right time, he will awaken to resore your calm. (Letters III,935/936)

From Padre Pio writtings:

Scripture tells us that dearest Saint Peter was frightened, and trembling, he exclaimed: ” O Lord, save me!” And our Lord, taking him by the hand replied: ” Oh, man of little faith, why did you doubt? ” ( Mt 14:30-31). My daughter, observe this holy apostle. He walks with dry feet on the water; the waves and winds do not submerge him, but the fear of the winds and waves discourage and dishearten him. Fear is an evil worse than the evil itself… What is there to fear? But if fear takes you by surprise, cry out aloud: ” Oh Lord, save me! “. He will stretch out his hand to you; hold on to it tightly and joyfully walk on the stormy sea of life… Therefore, let the world turn upside down, let everything be in darkness, in smoke, in tumult, nothing must agitate your soul since God is with you and you are fighting valiantly. (Letters III,936/937)

From Padre Pio writtings:

St. Bernard, in the scale of values he established for his cloistered monks, recognizes four degrees or means by which to reach God and perfection, namely, reading and meditation, prayer and contemplation. As proof of what he says, he quotes the divine Master’s own words:  Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. He goes on to apply these words to the four means or degrees of perfection and says that by reading Sacred Scripture and other holy and pious books we are seeking God; by meditation we ginf Him, by prayer we knock at the door of His heart and by contemplation enter the theatre of divine delights which has been opened to our mental gaze by reading, meditation and prayer. ( Letters II, 155)

From Padre Pio writtings:

Let the glory of the heavenly Father keep you always on your guard to ward off the enemy’s blows … I see no other way out than to abandon myself in the arms of Jesus where he often allows me to fall asleep. Blessed sleep! Happy refreshment for the soul in the struggles it endure. ( Letters I, 544)

Letters I, II, III, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version, second and third edition, years 1984, 2001,2002, edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

Do not fear, my good daughter, it is Jesus who is acting within you. Humble yourself  beneath God’s powerful hand, pray to him, thank him and let Jesus treat you as he pleases … The darkness in your soul is light, in fact it is the very Sun of justice that is shining in your soul.        ( Letters III,223)

From Padre Pio writings:

The spiritual martyrdom you are enduring is caused by God himself, that is, by that mysterious force of which you speak and which, as you say yourself, keeps you continually in a delightful and painful swoon. If this were not the work of God, could this swoon be delightful and painful simultaneously? It il love which wounds and heals, heals and wounds. ( Letters III, 224)

From Padre Pio writings:

You complain to the Lord and you want to know if this is a sin? No, these are the son’s complaints to his father, they are the sighs of the soul that is seeking its Supreme Good. And as these is no fault in seeking this Good, neither is there any fault in your complaining in order to gain this Good.The soul does not see Him but He is there within it. It seeks him with groans because it does not yet possess him perfectly. ( Letters III,224)

From Padre Pio writings:

If  this outline of life is comprised of the representation of sins committed, it is lying and therefore comes from the devil. You are loved by Jesus and Jesus has already forgiven your sins, so there can be no further reason for your spirit to be depressed. Your desire to convince yourself to the contrary is truly a waste of time; it is an offence to the Heart of this most tender Lover of ours. If on the contrary, the outline of life is the representation of what you could have and could still be, then this comes from God.   ( Letters III, 244)

Letters III, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version, 2nd edition, year 2001, edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

– The power of the holy Spirit and Mary-

From Padre Pio writings:

What a joy it is to serve Jesus in the desert without manna, water, or any other consolation, except that of being led by him and suffering for him! May the most holy Virgin be born in our hearts, to bring us her blessings. ( Letters III,487)

From Padre Pio writings:

Let us invariably unite with this dear Mother. With her, close to Jesus, let us go out from Jerusalem, the symbol and figure of Jewish obduracy, of the world which rejects and denies Jesus Christ and from which Jesus Christ declared himself to be separated when he said: ” I am not of this world ” (Jn 8:23) ( Letters I,673)

From Padre Pio writings:

I pray continually for your growth in the spiritual life, I will send up my feeble pleas to God’s throne with greater confidence and filial abandonment, imploring Him and doing gentle violence to His divine Heart so that He may grant me the grace of increasing heavenly wisdom in your soul …  The fact of having been chosen, having been elected among innumerable others and knowing that without any merit on our part, this choice, this election was decided by God from all eternity, before the foundation of the world (Jn 17:24; Eph 1:4), for the sole reason that we might be His in time and in eternity, is such a great and at the same time such an enchanting mystery that the soul, even though it understands so little of all this, cannot but melt away with love. ( Letters II,211/212)

From Padre Pio writings:

Jesus and Mary continue to act as parents to me. Oh, my dear Father, who could put into writing the consolations which this heavenly Mother makes me feel during this month! I continually feel a burning heart enclosed in this frozen body of mine. ( Letters I,321)

Letters I, II, III, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version, second and third edition, years 1984, 2001,2002, edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

From Padre Pio writings:

When Mass was over I remained with Jesus in thanksgiving. Oh, how sweet was the colloquy with paradise this morning! It was such that, although I want to tell you all about it, I cannot. There were things which cannot be translated into human language without losing their deep and heavenly meaning. The heart of Jesus and my own – allow me to use the expression – were fused. No longer were two hearts beating but only one. My own heart had disappeared, as a drop of water is lost in the ocean. Jesus was its paradise, its king. My joy was so intense and deep that I could bear no nore and tears of happiness poured down my cheeks … Praise be to the divine Prisoner! ( Letters I, 308)

From Padre Pio writings:

And who is not well with Jesus? What soul, thinking of what the divine Master declared: ” I delight in the sons of men “, doesn’t feel itself filled with infinite happiness? What soul, to whom Jesus has given himself as its inheritance, can be unhappy? Is he not the same Jesus who is the delight of the angels, and the only object of the heavenly Father’s pleasure? … Let us spend the whole of our lives giving thanks to the divine Father who, in an excess of love for us, sent His only – begotten Son and our most sweet Lover! ( Letters III, 100/101)

From Padre Pio writings:

O my daughter! How beautiful is His face, how sweet His eyes and what a good thing it is to stay close to Him on the Mount of His glory! We must place all our desires and affections there … You are not unaware of the fact that I desire to die and to love God: either death or love, given that life without this love is worse than death. ( Letters III, 409/410)

From Padre Pio writings:

The prophet Isaiah said: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. (Is 9:6). This child … is the affectionate brother, the most loving Spouse of our souls, of whom the sacred spouse of the Song, prefiguring the faithful soul, sought the company … This son is Jesus and we can kiss Him without betraying Him, give Him the kiss and the embrace of grace and love He expects from us and which He promises to return. We can do all this, St. Bernard tells us, by serving Him heavenly doctrine which we profess by our words… Thus we shall end our life in the holy kiss of the Lord, an admirable kiss of divine condescension by which, according to St. Bernard, it is not a matter of approaching face to face and mouth to mouth. Rather does it mean that the Creator draws close to His creature and man and God are united for all eternity. ( Letters II, 506/507)

Cf.St.Bernard, Sermones in Cantica, Sermo IV: PL.vol 183,col.796-798

Letters I, II, III, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version, second and third edition, years 1984, 2001,2002, edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

This is just a pallid idea of what Jesus is doing within me. Just as a torrent carries down to the depths of the sea everything it encounters on its way, so also my soul, immersed in the boundless ocean of Jesus’ love, by no merit of my own and without my being able to explain it, carries all its treasures along with it. But, my dear Father, as I write where do my thoughts fly? To the great day of my ordination… I have already begun to experience again the happiness of that day which is so sacred for me. Already this morning I began to have a taste of paradise… And what will it be when we taste it for all eternity? When I compare the peace of heart I experienced on that day with the peace of heart I have begun to feel since the eve of this feast, I find no difference… How happy I was and how I rejoiced on that day! ( Letters I,335,336)

From Padre Pio writings:

Accompany me continually, then, by your prayers that the divine Shepherd may give me what is lacking to me. Ask  Him to give me the holiness of  life that I lack. Oh, if only I could say at least once with the apostle of the nations, raising my voice to tell everybody: ” Be imitators of me as I am of Christ”. But alas, everything is lacking to me and I expect all things from your insistent prayers and those of others to the Heart of God. ( Letters II,558)

From Padre Pio writings:

Every minister of the Lord ough to work continually for the good of souls. He ought never admit weariness and never say: ” I have worked too hard for the souls of others”. This is image of the genuine Catholic priest. Can I say that I am like this without fear of lying? Alas, I know myself only too well. I occupy a place in the Lord’s house which is of no benefit to others and may God forbid that I should even be the ruin of other souls. It is true that in my own little way I do my best for the good of those souls whom the Lord enables me to meet, but I am convinced that I am of  little or no use to them. May the Lord assist me in the fulfilment of my duty. (Letters II,558)

Letters I, II, second and third edition, years 1984 and 2002, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

You belong totally to Jesus. Therefore, let nothing detain you from abandoning yourself totally to the mercy of his Providence. Therefore, my dearest daughter, stay amidst the darkness of the Passion. I say, in the midst of this darkness since this will enable you to consider the most holy Virgin and Saint John who, being at the foot of the cross admist the frightening darkness, no longer heard nor saw our Lord, but felt nothing except grief and sadness. And even though they were animated with faith, this too was in darkness, as it was necessary for them to participate in the abandonment of our Lord. Well, my most beloved daughter, consider yourself happy to be in such sweet company without understanding it. ( Letters III, 181)

From Padre Pio writings:

” The darkness in your soul is light, in fact it is the very Sun of justice that is shining in your soul “. This is the truth and the whole truth.   ” The spiritual martyrdom you are enduring is caused by God himself, that is, by that mysterious force of which you speak and which, as you say yourself, keeps you continually in a delightful and painful swoon. If this were not the work of God, could this swoon be delightful and painful simultaneously? It is love which wounds and heals, heals and woubds. ( Letters III,223/224)

From Padre Pio writings:

” You complain to the Lord and you want to know if this is a sin? No, these are the son’s complaints to his father, they are the sighs of the soul that is seeking its Supreme Good”. And as there is no fault in seeking this Good, neither is there any fault in yuor complaining in order to gain this Good. ” The soul does not see Him but He is there within it “. It seeks him with groans because it does not yet possess him perfectly. And it is this Good that causes it to seek, and it is due to this searching that it preserves this same Good and this same Good becomes greater and greater always. The soul seeks this Good with groanings, because it cannot yet possess it perfectly. ” This Supreme Good has wounded your heart, and this is the wound of divine love. It is a spiritual wound but it also affects the body. This is why, in addition to the torment of divine love ” in your soul, you also feel that physical pain which sometimes makes you almost powerless. ( Letters III,224)

From Padre Pio writings:

From Padre Pio writings:

Deep darkness envelops me; an invisible and powerful force splits me up and disperses me to the four winds and while I am trying to gather up what remains of my scattered faculties, everything vanishes once more as if completely crushed and cancelled. Dear God! I come to you in deep cpnfusion, to you who are what you are, while I myself am a miserable nonentity worthy only of your contempt and commiseration. But I realize that I am dealing with God and that he is mine. Ah, yes, who can deny that he is mine ? … I re-read your repeated assurances and exhortotions and find it impossible to assimilate them fully, I ask myself if in my insensible belief there may not be something harmful to my soul, a lack of that conformity which God wants from me. Alas! The feelings which rise up in me on this account go to both extremes, they clash and reduce my soul to a state in which it is almost powerless to react and they keep it in greatest torment day and night. ( Letters I, 1229/1230)

From Padre Pio writings:

Where am I ? What is happenig within me ? Where can I find God ?  Where is my God ? It is a vicious circle which leaves me back at the starting point … Dear God ! I can no longer go on, my dear Father. I feel I am dying a thousand deaths at every instant. I feel myself being consumed by a mysterious force, a deep and penetrating force which keep me continually in a delightful but most painful languor. What on earth is this ? Is it a sin to complain to God of such harshness ? And if it is a sin, how am I to suffocate these laments when an irresistible force drives me to complain to our sweet Lord, a force over which I have absolutely no control ?         ( Letters I, 1230)

From Padre Pio writings:

Dear God, I certainly don’t want to lose hope. I certainly don’t want to wrong your infinite mercy, but in spite of  all these efforts to have confidence, I perceive within me keenly and unmistakably the dark picture of your abandonment and your rejection. Dear God, I trust in you, but this trust is full of fears … O my God ! If I could understand even ever so slightly that this state does not mean rejection by you and that I am not offending you, I should be willing to suffer this torment a hundredfold. ( Letters I, 1413)

From Padre Pio writings:

I left everything in order to please God and I should have given my life a thousand times to seal my love for him. But now, dear God, how bitter it is to feel deep down in my heart that you are irritated with me. I just cannot find peace in face of this misfortune. My heart is drawn irresistibly and vehemently towards its Lord, but an iron hand thrusts me away all the time. Imagine a poor shipwrecked man clinging to a piece of the ship’s timber while every gust of wind threatens to make him drown … Moreover, this state causes me to suffer even at dead of night when I endeavour more than ever to find my God. ( Letters I,1413)

Letters I, II Edition year 1984, Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni.

English version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

I am consumed by love for God and love for my neighbour. God is continually fixed in my mind and imprinted on my heart. I never lose sight of him. I have to admire his beauty, his benevolence, the agitation he causes, his mercies, his vengeance, or rather the severity of his justice. ( Ep. I,1393)

From Padre Pio writings:

When Mass was over I remained with Jesus in thanksgiving: Oh, how sweet was the colloquy with paradise that morning! It was such that, although I want to tell you all about it, I cannot. There were things which cannot be translated into human language without losing their deep and heavenly meaning. The heart of Jesus and my own – allow me to use the expression – were fused. No longer were two hearts beating but only one. My own heart had disappeared, as a drop of water is lost in the ocean. Jesus was its paradise, its king. My joy was so intense and deep that I could bear no more and tears of happiness poured down my cheeks. ( Ep. I, 308)

From Padre Pio writings:

Don’t worry about eseless promises of tranquillity, enjoyment or merits, but present your hearts to your divine Spouse, totally emptying them of all other affections, except his chaste love … and you will see that God will help you, and that you will do a great deal, both in choosing and carrying matters to a conclusion. ( Ep. III,572/573)

From Padre Pio writings:

Always keep ( the soul ) situated in the presence of God, while you go about your exterior practices … When you pray, if ( your soul ) wants to fly, let it fly and do not prevent it from doing so. If  it wants to move, let il move even though its present tranquillity and simple rest in seeing God, in flying to him and tasting him, is excellent … Practise this truth and virtue a great deal in your heart. Practise interior and exterior sweetness a great deal, in your heart, and keep it tranquil amidst your multiple affections.  (Ep.III,759/760)

Letters I and III, 2nd Edition, year 1984 and 2001, Edited by Melchiorre da Pobladura and Alessandro da Ripabottoni.

English version, Edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri, O.F.M.Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

Those souls who throw themselves into the whirlpool of worldly preoccupations are poor and unfortunate. The more they love the worl, the more their passions multiply, the more their desires are lit, the more they find themselves incapable of carrying out their projects, and thus they are uneasy, impatient, affected by that shock that breaks their hearts; those hearts which do not beat with charity and holy love. Let us pray for these unfortunate and miserable souls, that Jesus may forgive them and draw them to himself in his infinite mercy. ( Letters III,1105)

From Padre Pio writings:

You who have received many gifts and graces from Jesus, continue to increase always in the life of virtue, and your piety and zeal will recall those who are far fom the right path, and thus you will praise the Lord along with our common father, Saint Francis, in all the works of the creation, obtaining copious reward on earth and in heaven. ( Letters III,1105)

From Padre Pio writings:

… May your way of life be totally heavenly; we are bound to this as Christians and also as children of the Seraphic Father, Saint Francis. In imitation of this Seraphic Father let us love Jesus in the Passion more than anything else. Let us often meditate on the suffering of the God-Man and then it will not be long before the great desire to suffer more for love of Jesus is awakened in us. ( Letters III, 69 )

From Padre Pio writings:

And our Seraphic Father understood well that without love for the cross, one cannot make much progress in the ways of Christian perfection. Therefore he continually carried, sculpted in his soul, the Passion, Death and the whole mortal life of the Son of God made Man. The fruit of such assiduous meditation was the generating in his heart of love for suffering without limit, so that often enraptured in loving ecstasy, he would exclaim: ” The good that awaits me is so great that all sufferins is my delight “. ( Letters III,69 )

From Padre Pio writings:

Keep your spirit always raised on high; may your heart always be turned towards the heavenly Homeland and do not take your gaze from there except in order to check where you are walking, so as to avoid making a mistake, and once again to see the road on which you are to travel in order to get to Jesus. ( Letters III, 68/69 )

Letters III, Edited by Melchiorre da Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni, 2nd Edition year 2001

Edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri, O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

I also suffer gratly Father, when I see how people ignore Jesus, and what is worse, how they even insult him, especially by those dreadful blasphemies.I should like to die, or least become deaf rather than hear so many insults offered to God by men. (Letters I,262)

From Padre Pio writings:

There are, moreover, three virtues which perfect the devout person with regard to control of his own senses. These are: modesty, continence and chastity. By the virtue of modesty the devout person governs all his exterior acts. With goog reason, then, does St. Paul recommend this virtue to all and declare how necessary it is; and as if this were not enough he considers that this virtue should be obvious to all. By continence the soul exercises restraint over all the senses: sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing. By chastity, a virtue which ennobles our nature and makes it similar to that of the Angels,we suppress our sensuality and detach it from forbidden pleasures.This is the magnificent picture of Christian perfection. Happy the one who possesses all these fine virtues,all of them fruits of the Holy Spirit who dwells within him.(Letters II,216)

From Padre Pio writings:

Let us now consider what we must do to ensure that the Holy Spirit may dwell in our souls. It can all be summed up mortification of the flesh with its vices and concupiscences, and in guarding against a selfish spirit. As regards mortification of the flesh St. Paul warns us that those who belong to“Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”.(Letters II,216/217)

From Padre Pio writings:

St. Paul tells us in this respect: ” If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit”, as if he wished to say for our edification: Do we want to live a spiritual life, moved and guided by the Spirit of the Lord ? Let us take care, then, to mortify our selfish spirit which puffs us up, makes us impulsive and leads to aridity of soul. In a word, we must be careful to subdue vainglory, irascibility and envy, three evil spirits to which most men are slaves. These three spirits are extremely opposed to the Spirit of the Lord.(Letters II,218)

Letters II, third edition, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni

English Version – edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap.

From Padre Pio writings:

And who is not well with Jesus ? What soul, thinking of what the divine Master declared : ” I delight in the sons of men “, doesn’t feel itself filled with infinite happiness ? What soul, to whom Jesus has given himself as its inheritance, can be unhappy ? Is he not the same Jesus who is the delight of the angels, and the only object of the heavenly Father’s pleasure ? Therefore you are quite right to say you are well with Jesus. ( Letters III,100)

From Padre Pio writings:

Let all creatures praise him with one voice, and may their praise be eternal as he himself is eternal. May our souls always rejoice with happiness, o daughter, because there are those who love our God as he deserves tobe loved. May they exult and triumph because there are those who know of His goodness, and infinite perfection as it deserves to be known. ( Letters III,101)

From Padre Pio writings:

Let us spend the whole of our  lives giving thanks to the divine Father who, in an excess of love for us, sent His only-begotten Son and our most sweet Lover ! Protected, or rather, covered and defended by the uniform of this dear Lord, let us stand before him and pray with the humility of the creature and the confidence and freedom of the son. ( Letters III,101)

From Padre Pio writings:

From Padre Pio writings:

All of us are not called by God to save souls and propagate His glory by the noble apostolate of preaching. Remember, moreover, that this is not the only means of achieving these two great ideals. One can promote God’s glory and work for the salvation of souls by means of a truly Christian life, by praying without ceasing that “His kingdom come”, that His name “be hallowed”, that “we may not be led into temptation” and that He “deliver us from evil”. ( Letters II, p.77)

From Padre Pio writings:

St. Bernard, in the scale of values he established for his cloistered monks, recognizes four degrees or means by which to reach God and perfection, namely, reading and meditation, prayer and contemplation. As proof of what he says, he quotes the divine Master’s own words: “Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you”. He goes on to apply these words to the four means or degrees of perfection and says that by reading Sacred Scripture and other holy and pious books we are seeking God; by meditation we find Him, by prayer we knock at the door of His heart and by contemplation enter the theatre of divine delights which has been opened to our mental gaze by reading, meditation and prayer. ( Letters II, p.155)

From Padre Pio writings:

If you can speak to the Lord, do so, praise him, listen to him. If you are unable to speak, due to you clumsiness, don’t worry… The (…) reason for which one should place oneself in the presence of God during prayer, is in order to speak to him and to hear his voice through interior illumination and inspiration, and one ordinarily does this with great pleasure, because it is a grace for us speak to such a great Lord who, when he replies, spreads a thousand balms and precious ointments on us which render great sweetness to the soul, listening to his commands…(Letters III,p.991) Watchfulness, prayer and humility are the arms needed to overcome all temptations and they must never be unaccompanied by boundless trust in God, so that we never stop halfway. ( Letters II, p.447)

From Padre Pio writings:

May He multiply a hundredfold the number of chosen souls; send us many saints and learned ministers and sanctify those we already possess. May He, through them, make fervor return to all Christian souls. May the number of Catholic missionaries increase, as we once again have reason to complain to the divine Master: “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few!… ( Letters III, p.64) Let us pray and beseech God to let us understand his will. Let us see to it that our will desires nothing at all except his. Live tranquilly without anxiety or agitation of heart.  ( Letters III, p.320)

Letters II, III, third and 2nd edition year 2002, 2003, edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni