Padre Pio Writings on Charity

 Charity

The pivot of perfection is charity. He who lives in charity lives in God, because God is charity, as the Apostle says.

Charity which has not truth and justice for its foundation is faulty. He who offends against charity, offends the pupil of the eye of God.

To fail in charity is like wounding God in the pupil of his eye. What is more delicate that the pupil of the eye? To fail in charity is like failing against nature.

Try always to advance more in charity: enlarge your heart with confidence for the divine gifts which the Holy Spirit is anxious to pour into it.

Always do a little work. The wise man praises the valiant woman. Her fingers, he says, worked the spindle. Your distaff is the sum of your desires. Spin a little therefore everyday; make your design thread by thread till they are all used up and you shall infallibly see their completion. But see that you do not hurry, because you might twist the thread with knots and you would entangle your spindle. Work therefore, and though you keep on advancing slowly, you will nevertheless go a long way.

Charity is the queen of virtues. As the pearls are held together by the thread, thus the virtues by charity; and as the pearls fall when the thread breaks, thus the virtues are loss if charity diminishes.

Humility and charity are the master chords, all other depend on them. The one is the lowest, the other the highest. The preservation of the entire edifice depends on the foundation and the roof. If the heart keeps itself directed in the exercise of these, no difficulty will be encountered in the others. These are the mothers of virtue, the other follow them as the chick to their mother.

St. Pio of Pietrelcina - Teachings on Love of God

Love of God

You must speak to Jesus also with the heart, besides with the lips; indeed, in certain cases you must speak to Him only with the heart.

My daughter, may Jesus be always the only center of our aspirations, sustain us with His grace, enlighten our mind and warm our hearts always with new love for Him. Behold this is the synthesis of all my desire which I place assiduously before Jesus for you and for me. May Jesus in his infinite goodness listen to them and grant them.

Do not worry over things that generate preoccupation, and anxiety. One thing only is necessary: to lift up your spirit and love God.

A pure soul is synonymous with a heart full of love of God.

The Heart of our Divine Master has no more amiable law than that of sweetness, humility, charity. Often place your confidence in Divine Providence and be assured that sooner heaven and earth shall pass away than that the Lord neglect to protect you.

Thank and sweetly kiss the hand of God that strikes you, because it is always the hand of a Father who strikes you because He loves you.

My past, O Lord to Your mercy; my present, to Your love; my future, to Your providence!

You must always have prudence and love. Prudence has the eyes. Love has the legs. Love which has the legs would like to run to God, but its impulse to rush towards Him is blind and times might stumble, if it were not guided by prudence which has the eyes. When prudence sees that love could become unbridled, it loans its eyes to love. In this way, love restrains itself and, guided by prudence, acts as it should and not as it would like.

God loves man with an infinite love and when He punishes, He does so with reverence, almost fearing to hurt.

Always live under the eye of the Good Shepherd and you will walk unharmed through evil pastures.

God can reject everything in a creature conceived in sin and which bears the indelible impression inherited from Adam. But He absolutely cannot reject the sincere desire to love Him.

Are we sufficient of ourselves to form one holy desire without grace? Certainly not! Faith teaches us this. If in a soul there is nothing else but the longing to love its God, everything else is there already, because God is not present where there is no desire of His love, Say to God: Do you want greater love from me? I have no more. Give me more, therefore, and I will offer it to You. Don't doubt. God will accept this offer.

Have you not for sometime loved the Lord? Do you not love Him now? Do you not long to love Him forever? Therefore: Do not fear!

Even conceded that you had committed all the sins of the world, Jesus repeats to you: Many sins are forgiven you because you have loved much!

You are trying to find the highest good but, in all truth, it is within you and holds you stretched out on the naked cross, instilling strength to sustain the insupportable martyrdom, and also to love bitterly. Say to Our Sweetest Lord, and say it always: “I want to live by dying, because from death comes life which does not die and assist life to raise the dead”.

Let us follow the advice of David: “Raise your hands in the holy places during the night and bless the Lord”. Yes, children, let us bless Him always and let us pray that He will always be our guide, ship, and our port.

If Jesus reveals Himself, thank Him; if He hides Himself thank Him also. All is a pleasantry of His love. May the merciful and compassionate Virgin continue to obtain from you from the ineffable goodness of the Lord the strength to endure to the end so many proofs of charity which He bestows on you. My wish for you is that you will come to expire on the Cross with Jesus and be able sweetly to exclaim in Him: “Consummatum est!”

Often kiss Jesus with affection and you will recompense Him for the sacrilegious kiss of the unfaithful Apostle, Jesus.

Prayer for Healing

God of healing mercy, in Jesus your Son you stretch out your hand in compassion, restoring the sinner, healing the sick, and lifting up those bowed down. Embrace us now in your loving care, particularly those afflicted with cancer, for whom this intention is offered. May the Spirit of Jesus bring us all health in soul and body, that with joy and thanksgiving we may praise you for your goodness, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.