Maxims and Counsels   "In this world not one of us deserves anything. It is the Lord Who is kind to us and it is His infinite goodness which grants us anything, because He forgives all." Padre Pio did not like the maxim: "Everyone for himself: God for all." He found it too worldly. He changed it to: "God for everyone: but no one for himself alone." . Someone asked his advice on penance and mortifications and the future Saint expressed himself thusly: "Our body is like an ass which we must beat, but not too much because otherwise it will fall down and it won't carry us any more." . "The demon has only one door by which to enter into our soul: the will; there are no secret doors. No sin is a sin if not committed with the will. When there is no action of the will there is no sin, but only human weakness." “You must speak to Jesus also with the heart, besides the lips; indeed, in certain cases you must speak to Him only with the heart.” “Suffering is a gift of God. Blessed is he who knows how to take advantage of it.” “When the Lord will call me, I will say to Him: ‘Lord, I will remain at the Gate of Paradise. I will enter there when I see the last of my spiritual children enter.’” “With what care she (Mary) accompanied me to the Altar this morning! It seemed to me as though she had nothing to think about other than me, filling my heart completely with saintly affections.” "Do not worry over things that generate preoccupation, and anxiety. One thing only is necessary: to lift up your spirit and love God." “May your soul always be the Temple of the Holy Spirit.” “I would desire to ask you in the Lord to lay down, as much as possible, every fear and to have confidence, faith, love.” “I should like to have a voice strong enough to invite the sinners of the whole world to love Our Lady!” “I exhort you, through the meekness of Jesus, to have your eyes fixed on Him Who guides you, and on your heavenly homeland, to which He will lead you.” “The world would be better off without the sun than without the Holy Mass.” “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.” “Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.” “My past, O Lord, to Thy Mercy; my present, to Thy Love; my future, to Thy Providence.” “Crosses are the necklaces of the Spouse and I am jealous of them. My sufferings are pleasant. I only suffer when I don't suffer.” “Remember that it is not a feeling of guilt that constitutes sin but the consent to sin.” “Temptations, discouragement and unrest are the wares offered by the enemy. Remember this: if the Devil makes noise it is a sign that he is still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace and concord with the human soul.” "That which proceeds from God begins with a salutary fear and finished with peace of mind." " . . . Do not be ashamed of Christ or His doctrines." "The mercy of God is infinitely greater than you malice." Someone complained to Padre Pio that he was distressed by all the sins he had committed. St. Pio answered: "That which you feel is pride; it is the demon which inspires you with this sentiment; it is not true sorrow." The penitent replied: "Father, how can you then distinguish what comes from the heart and is inspired by Our Lord, and that which instead is inspired by the devil?" "You will distinguish it"---- he replied ----"always by this: The spirit of God is a spirit of peace, and also in the case of grave sin, it makes us feel a tranquil sorrow, humble, confident, and this is due precisely to His mercy. The spirit of the demon, on the contrary, excites, exasperates, and makes us in our sorrow feel something like anger against ourselves, whereas our first charity must be to ourselves, and so if certain thoughts agitate you, this agitation never comes from God, Who gives you tranquility, being the Spirit of Peace. Such agitation comes from the devil." . To someone in a position of responsibility towards souls, and who asked what to do in the case of a person who would not listen to truth and goodness, and was made nervous by every effort to attract him, the Padre replied: "Try with love, lots of love, spending all you have, and if that is useless.  . . . rebuke him. Christ Who is our model has taught us so, since He created Paradise and also Hell." "Prayer is the key that opens the Heart of God." “To doubt is the greatest insult to Divinity.” “Let us always think of Heaven.” E-MAIL HOME------------------------------------------------------------SAINTS www.catholictradition.org/Padre-Pio/padre-pio12.htm