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Padre Pio and temptation, devil, confession; meditation, prayer, rosary
Temptation
"If you win a temptation, it has the same effect as in washing dirty laundry."
"The more a soul is liked by God, the more will be
proved."
"Temptations belong to devil and hell, sufferings belong to God and Paradise."
"The temptations come from the devil, the sufferings come from God."
"Despise the temptation and embrace the tribulation."
"Do not dwell on your temptations."
"The thought doesn't make the sin, but consenting to the thoughts does it."
"Only the free will is capable of good or evil."
"Temptations against faith and purity are the merchandise offered by the enemy."
"Don't voluntarily dwell on what the devil presents to you."
"When tempted, say to God: "Have mercy on your poor weakling."
"When the assault of the enemy increases, you are closer to God."
"When the enemy roars around you, it shows that he is not in you."
"The more a soul is pleasing to God, the more it must be tried."
"Temptation is like the soap. It seems to soil but in reality cleans."
"There is joy in the spiritual battles. Learn how to fight and you will be certain of victory."
"If God lets you fall is to make you humble and more careful in the future."
"The devil enters a soul only through one door: the will."
"We must prepare for temptation if we want to approach God."
Devil 'Barbablú' 'cosaccio' satana
Padre Pio called the devil 'cosaccio' (whatsit) (plural cosacci). At times he had a real name 'Barbablu'.
"The devil is trying to snatch me from the arms of Jesus".
"The devil wants me for himself at all costs".
"The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone.
And you: keep at a distance. If you approach too near, you let yourself be caught."
"Satan reigns over the world."
In Venafro a likely Padre Agostino entered Padre Pio's cell. 'I'm here to confess you'. Suspecting something fishy, he said:
"Repeat after me Long Live Jesus". The devil screamed 'No!' and disappeared.
Father Francesco was about to leave Padre Pio's cell. "Don't leave, otherwise the devils (cosacci) come."
He left after awhile but while few steps away he heard a terrible noise, and came back. Padre Pio had been assaulted.
Opening the letters from his spiritual director father Agostino at time they were all blank.
He would put some holy water on them and the writing could be seen again.
"Barbablu' made it invisible so that it couldn't be read."
In 1964 Padre Pio was assaulted by the devil who gave him a terrible blow on the spine, and he fell, and had a black eye and swollen face.
"If the devil makes noise it's a very good sign. What's terrifying is his peace."
August 9, 1912, in a letter to Padre Agostino: 'Barbablu' prevents me from writing to you. Every time I try, I get
a terrible headache, and the arm is paralyzed and I can't hold the pen in my hand."
December 3, 1912, in a letter to Padre Agostino: "I received you letter on November 29.
It only contained a blank page. It must have been the 'cosaccio'."
In a letter to father Benedetto on June 3, 1919:
"I don't have a free minute. All my time is spent in tearing my brothers from the clutches of satan."
"The name of the devil is 'I, I do, I can, I'm able to, I, I, I.' This is the devil."
"Io, io faccio, io posso, io riesco. Io, io, io. Questo è il diavolo".
"The human soul is the battlefield between God and Satan."
Confessions
Padre Pio spent most of his day from 8 to 5 hearing confessions. People would come to him from all over the world.
He heard the confessions in the old church, even after the new church was built.
For the women there was a confessional. The men confessed in the old sacristy.
"It is a tremendous responsibility to sit in the tribunal of the confessional."
"God runs after the most stubborn souls. They cost him too much to abandon them."
After a day of confessions: "Oh the souls! if you knew how much they cost!"
"The sight of so many souls ho wish to justify their evil ways pains me, exhausts my brain, and tears at my heart."
"Before reproaching a soul, I suffer it first. But it is not I who act, but He who is in me and above me."
"Sin to confession to sin without repentance is a deception of conscience; in essence a sacrilege."
"Among you I am your brother, on the Altar I am your victim, in the confessional I am your judge."
"Confession is the purification of the soul."
"Confession should be made no later than every eight days."
"Do not dwell on sins that have been already confessed. Jesus has forgiven them."
"Place a tombstone on the confessed sins, just as the Lord has done."
"I want to help Jesus in the tremendous task of man's salvation".
"The mercy of God, my son, is infinitely greater than your
malice
"You have confessed and God forgave you.
There is a stone over it and should never be removed."
"Don't get discourage for the enormous debt contracted with the divine justice.
Jesus belongs to everybody, but especially to the sinners."
Sinners sent away by Padre Pio would either cry inconsolably or rebel angrily.
"I suffer greatly when I have to deny absolution.
But it is better to be reprimanded by a man on this earth than by God in the next world".
"Go away. First put your life in order, and than return."
When returned: "If you only knew what you cost me."
"I refuse absolutions for certain sins, when one goes from confession to sin, and from sin to confession.
That soul needs to place itself on the right road."
"Jesus has consumed your sins with the fire of his love."
"Jesus has forgiven your sins. The enemy will try to convince you of the contrary to give you discomfort and desperation."
The past doesn't count for the lord anymore. What counts is the present, and the willingness to repair."
"A good scrubbing is what you need, but you have to have the will to be clean. "
Meditation
"Meditation, like a tireless bee, transforms the pollen of flowers into nectar of life."
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"Never let a day go by without meditating on the Passion of Christ."
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'To imitate Jesus we must meditate daily on our model."
"Meditation is like a mirror: it helps us discover and correct our defects."
In a letter to Annita Rodote, about meditation:
" Put yourself in the presence of God.
Remember that God is really present with the celestial court, inside you soul.
Than you start your prayers and meditations, holding the palm of the hand to the front, or both hands to the front.
All that must be done without affectation."
"Topics of you meditation should be the life, passion and death of Jesus. His, birth, life in Egypt
and Nazareth up to hid thirties.
The humility of the baptism by John, his public life, his extremely painful passion and death, the institution of
the Eucharist the night when men were preparing for him the most atrocious torments.
You can meditate Jesus in the garden, sweating blood seeing the torments that
men were preparing for him, and the ingratitude of men who would not take advantage of his merits,
Jesus dragged and beaten in the tribunals, scourged and crowned with thorns, the trip to the Calvary carrying the cross, his crucifixion,
and finally his death on the cross in a sea of anguishes at the sight of his sorrowful other."
In a letter to Maria Gargani, also about meditation:
"First prepare the topic of your meditation. You don't need a book for that.
Every truth in our religion can be topic for meditation.
Usually the life, passion and death of Jesus should be meditated. Ask God for the grace to meditate well, so that it can be fruitful,
than recommend yourself to the Holy Virgin and all the celestial court that may help you
meditate well and keep away every distraction or temptation.
Done that, start the meditation going over the subject in every detail.
After that one needs to make resolutions. Consider defects that are the cause of many ore defects and sins.
Resolve to work on a virtue, and only stop when you have conquered it.
Finally ask God for the graces and helps that you feel the need for. Recommend to God all the human beings in general and in particular.
Pray for the reestablishment of the kingdom of God, the propagation of faith, the exaltation and triumph of our holy other the Church.
Pray for the living an the dead, the infidels e the heretics, and for the conversion of sinners.
After all that offer your meditation and prayer, with the offering of all of yourself, and of all the persons you care for,
through the hands of the holy Mary, the Guardian Angel, St. Joseph, etc.
Lastly, examine briefly how you did your meditation, and ask for forgiveness if it has been defective.
Meditate at least twice a day. No less than half hour each time. Possibly in the morning, to prepare for the fight,
and at night to purify the soul from any earthly attachment that happened during the day."
Prayer
"I pray constantly".
"I'm only a poor friar who prays"
"I want to Save souls by continuous prayer."
"I will never tire of praying to Jesus."
"All that you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive."
"Prayer must be persistent. Persistence denotes faith."
"Prayers will never be wasted."
"The only way to gain salvation is through prayer."
"Pray, pray a great deal. Always pray, without tiring."
"Prayes is the effusion of our heart in the heart of Go."
"Prayer is the key that opens the heart of God."
"Our Lord wishes that we ask, in order to obtain graces."
"Seek, ask, and knock, in order to find, receive, and to be opened to you."
"Even though the Lord is in us, He still wants us to ask for what we desire."
"Prayer is the best weapon we possess."
"In praying, our heart needs to stay open towards heaven, and wait for the heavenly dew to come."
"Let's stay in the presence of God to honor and praise him. We don't need to talk, and he doesn't either."
"Just staying humbly in His presence is an excellent sign of perfection."
"When we are in the presence of God, let's just be happy to stay there, not being concerned about anything else."
Rosary
Padre Pio used to carry a Rosary in his hands and would pray it many times a day.
"Pray the rosary frequently. It costs so little, and it's worth so much!"
"We can't live without the Rosary."
"Say the rosary, and pray it every day."
To father Onorato Marcucci, grabbing the Rosary that he had put few seconds on the nightstand: "With this, one wins the battles."
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To Lucia Merlinda: "After the Glory, say: Jesus, I love you, and I repent for offending You."
About the repetitiveness of the Rosary: "Pay attention to the mysteries. They change at every decade."
To Enedina Mori: "When you get tired reciting the Rosary, rest a bit, and then restart again."
"The Rosary is the weapon of defense and salvation."
"The Rosary is the weapon given us by Mary to use against the tricks of the infernal enemy."
'Mary has recommended the Rosary at Lourdes and Fatima because of it's exceptional value for us and our times."
"The rosary is the prayer of the Madonna, the one that triumphs on everything and everybody."
"Always recite the rosary and recite it as often as possible."
"Mary is present in every mystery of the rosary."
"Satan always tries to destroy the rosary, but he will never succeed."
"Mary has taught us the rosary just
as Jesus taught us the Our Father".
To Lucietta Pennelli, one day at about noon: "Today I have already said 16 complete Rosaries."
To Lucia Pennelli one morning around 7:00 AM: "How many rosaries did you say so far today?" 'Two". "I already said seven."
Answering to father Michelangelo: "Today I said 32 or 33 rosaries. Maybe 1 or 2 more."
Answering to father Mariano: "About 30. Maybe some more, but not less."
'How do you do it? "What is the night for?"
Answering a question: "Some days I say 40 Rosaries, some other days 50."
How do I do it? How do you manage not so say any?"
Father Marcellino testified that he had to help Padre Pio wash his hands one at a time
"because he didn't want to leave the rosary beads, and passed the Rosary from one hand to the other."
February 6, 1954 9:00 PM, to father Carmelo: "I still have 2 rosaries to pray today. I said only 34 so far. Then I will go to bed."
da rivedere:
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