# 28 of 45 THIS HAPPY BOOK REPORT ON PADRE PIO

# 28 OF 45 - THIS HAPPY BOOK REPORT ON PADRE PIO

IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH - HTTP://WWW.CINOPSBEGONEBLOGSSPOT.COM - WED. JUNE 26/19

PADRE PIO - THE TRUE STORY BY C. BERNARD

CHAPTER 11 - THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR --137-139

"As we have seen, almost immediately after his arrival in San Giovanni Rotondo, a "circle of spiritual daughters" gathered about Padre Pio for prayer and counsel. For several years his superiors encouraged him to correspond with them and with women from out of town who sought his advice. Many of these letters have been preserved and shed much light on Padre Pio's spiritual direction....

As time went on, the number of spiritual sons of Padre Pio grew, until, some twenty years later, Padre Agostino would be astounded at the number of men who came to see Padre Pio. One reason why no correspondence has survived with spiritual sons relates to the fact that Padre Pio was more accessible to men than he was to women. Men could confess with him in the sacristy  could be granted permission to see him in his room.

After Padre Pio was finally granted the faculty to hear confession in 1917 by Pasquale Gagliardi, the archbishop of Manfredonia, responsibilities at the friary were divided in such a way that Padre Pio usually heard the confessions of men and Padre Paolino heard those of women. Padre Pio tended to advise his spiritual sons during confession, therefore, rather than through letters. At any rate, it is through his letters to his spiritual daughters that we can  learn a great deal about the advice Pio gave.

Although he heard the confessions of everyone who came to him, of course, Padre Pio was reluctant to accept as a spiritual child a man or woman whom he did not know 'know before the Lord,' about whom the Lord had not granted him some "illumination." .... Pio did not, however, flatter himself. To one of his spiritual daughters he wrote, "To (God) alone and not to me give praise and thanksgiving. You owe nothing to me. I am but an instrument in the hands of God, capable of serving a useful purpose only when handled by the Divine Craftsman. Left to myself, I know how to do nothing except sin and sin again."

The spiritual daughters met twice a week in the guest room of the friary where Padre Pio would discuss the Bible and  "the means of perfection." Maria Companile ... "He took away our doubts and illuminated our spiritual darkness." Pio established five rules for spiritual growth: weekly confession, daily Communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and examination of conscience....

"Meditation," Padre Pio told Campanile, "is the key to progress in the knowledge of self as well as the knowledge of God, and through it we achieve the goal of the spiritual life, which is the transformation of the soul in Christ." He even suggested a physical position for meditation: "Try to put yourself in the presence of God and thus understand that He  with all the celestial court, is there within your soul. Then begin your prayer and meditation. In all this, try to close your eyes, and, if possible, hold your head upright and put your forehead in the palm of your hands."

As subjects for meditation, Padre Pio suggested such themes from the Bible as Jesus' passion, death, resurrection, and ascension. "Ask God," he insisted, "for the grace to make good the mental prayer you are about to undertake, so that you can derive from the fruit that God most desires. Finally, recommend to yourself the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin, as well as to all  the heavenly court, so that they may help you meditate well and keep every distraction away from you." he continued.

Padre Pio urged two periods of meditation daily, as well as two periods of self-examination: in the morning, "to prepare for battle," and in the evening, "to purify your soul from every earthly affection that might might have able to attach itself to you during the day." Each of these periods of reflection and recollection was to last at least a half hour.

Padre Pio even gave suggestions about eating. On sitting down "call to mind some pious thought, he urged. He suggested imagining sitting with Christ at the Last Supper, and making the effort to ensure that the supper by which we satisfy the body may be preparation for ... the Holy Eucharist."Never rise from the table," he warned, "without having given due thanks to the Lord. If we act in this way, we have no fear of the wretched sin of gluttony." While the Christian should not leave the table hungry, he should "never eat more than" he really needed." ...      George H. Kubeck