Padre Pio: Our Imperfections Will Accompany Us To Our Graves

Padre Pio:  Our Imperfections Will Accompany Us To Our Graves

By:  Eric Gajewski

In the pursuit of perfection that, every Christian must undertake, we are going to find that we are our own worst enemies.  We set out to do something but we don’t .  We promise Jesus this or that and fall short.  Although, we must pursue perfection we must understand that we are going to fail and often times fail miserably.  Welcome to the human race.  The Saints have said that we should not beat ourselves up over these imperfections but rather be encouraged that this is all apart of following Christ.  Padre Pio, in His Letters, speak to the same subject and advises his spiritual daughters not to fall into despair for so long as you love Jesus this pleases Jesus.  He knows we are not Him and thus need His grace.  Let me cover some areas to consider in this battle against self and the rooting out of self-love.

Padre Pio:  Self-Love does not die until we do.  Simple yet profound.  Padre is telling us all that self-love to some degree will be with us to the grave.  We must do our best on a daily basis to watch over our hearts and at least attempt to govern its movements.  This is where we need Mary.  This is where we need Jesus and His grace.  Christ came to lay down the blueprint for us all to get to heaven.  It involves a complete denial of our will in pursuit of following God’s.  His Will is found on Calvary and this is why there are so few saints alive at any given point.  We must die before He can truly possess us (union).  So many of Padre Pio’s spiritual daughters were concerned that they were not loving God because “they didn’t feel holy or His presence” and yet this is the more mature aspect of the spiritual life.  When you love Jesus for Jesus and nothing else.  So those in a higher spiritual state which is dark and arid (although it doesn’t feel like it) are closer to His Sacred Heart.

Vast majority are not Saints Purgatory needed.  Unlike Protestants who seem to think every other person identifying as Christian automatically goes to heaven on the basis they believed and “knew” Jesus, we, true believer’s know just how few actually go right to heaven.  Although, we should work out our salvation in fear and trembling we must realize we are human.  Do not constantly beat yourselves up over the littlest of things.  It is true that we must govern all the movements of our hearts but there is not person who can actually avoid venial sins and imperfections altogether.  However, if you do not pursue perfection at all you are liable to fall into grave sins and even possibly lose the Faith altogether when adversity hits.  We need purification but heretic’s do not believe this.  Jesus died for me and I can do what I like I'm covered but the Blood’s Lamb!  I hear this all day long in my ministry it is both frightening and sad!

Patience with ourselves to win our souls.  This is key.  In the process of rooting out self-love we must take little baby steps.  You do not go from the greatest sinner to saint over the course of a few months or truly even in a few years.  It is by battle yourself daily and winning those daily battles that you can advance onward to greater trials the Lord has designed for you.  Do you have Faith in the divine process?  Do you have Hope in God’s grace?  Stay positive and be encouraged.  Avoid bad company and surround yourself with those pursuing the virtues lest their example rub off on you.

Looking ahead?  Jesus teaches not to be anxious for the next day.  It is human nature that we try to map everything out ahead of time.  I know this all too well.  Yet we are not called to do so in this sense.  Today has enough of its own problems to be carrying tomorrows Cross as well.  St. Therese was once asked about looking into the future to see all her Crosses and she advised that no one ought too.  Why should we?  In order to trust God we must distrust ourselves and if we look into the future our human nature might try to “grasp” hold of the situation rather than letting God work.  We are sustained on the divine level.  For although every eagle ought be able to see what is coming on the horizon this does not mean that we should worry.  God sometimes granted various gifts to His Saints that they might see with an eagles eyes into the future but this didn’t stop them from carrying out the cross they were daily enduring.

Padre Pio:  Christ did not come for rest but to fight and die.  In the same message to one of his spiritual daughters he encourages her by showing forth the heroic virtue necessary to advance in the spiritual life.  If Christ came and suffered every hour why should we expect to suffer only one hour a day?  If He avoided comforts and pleasures why do we try and pursue them and hide behind them trying to convince ourselves that we are acting in prudence?  Some things to meditate upon.  We are called to fight as Christians and yet so many want Christ to do all the fighting for them.  At times Christ allows His Saints to “feel abandon” so that He can see what is them. 

Love or lust.  We must carefully examine our own actions to see if we are truly loving Jesus or lusting self.  Do we do desire what He wants?  Or do we do what is most comfortable?  Do we choose the path of least resistance?  Love His Will or lust after our own?  Today, let us all, reflect, upon how much we all need to improve.  For if we are truly going to make this society a Christian society once again we are going to first have to start with ourselves.  Yet so many will first look to their neighbor, the government or the Vatican and say, “they need to change!”.  Well, yes but what about you?  The interior man is too busy speaking with Jesus within to be overly concerned with others in this respect and by our example we can win more souls to Jesus and the Church.  In the end, our imperfections, will accompany us to the grave, but let us not live, as if, we are already, “living inside our coffins”, while still alive, for He is risen!

REAL VOICE of St. Padre Pio: Sermon on love

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