Feast of St. Padre Pio

My Dear Parishioners,

This Wednesday, September 23, we celebrate the Feast of St. Padre Pio, and we will be remembering his most quoted advice: pray, hope, and don’t worry.

This advice is actually only a small part of Padre Pio’s teaching. He actually leaves extensive counsels on the need to trust in God, the power of prayer, the need for devotion to our Blessed Mother, the need for love for the Most Holy Eucharist, how suffering is a path to union with Christ, how the trials and temptations of life and the devil help our spiritual growth, the need for humility, simplicity, and charity.

In other words, St. Padre Pio challenges us. We thank him for that. We acknowledge him as a gift of God for
challenging us.

Here are some consoling, challenging, and inspiring quotes collected by The Catholic Connect Foundation
(catholicconnect.care)

St. Joseph, Patron of the Church, and our Patron, pray for us!

Fr. Michael J. Pawelko, Pastor

Prayer and Spiritual Life

Saint Padre Pio’s wisdom on prayer reveals the depth of his spiritual connection to God. His quotes about prayer continue to guide faithful Catholics in their spiritual journey:

1. “Prayer is the best weapon we possess, the key that opens the heart of God.”
2. “In all the events of life, you must recognize the Divine will. Adore and bless it, especially in the things which are the hardest for you.”
3. “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
4. “You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart; actually, on certain occasions, you should speak with only your heart.”
5. “The rosary is the weapon for these times.”
6. “Prayer is the oxygen of the soul.”
7. “If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.”

Faith and Trust in God

The Saint Padre Pio quotes about faith demonstrate his unwavering trust in divine providence:

1. “God is served only when He is served according to His will.”
2. “Faith guides even through dark moments.”
3. “Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil.”
4. “Always humble yourself lovingly before God and man, because God speaks to those who are truly humble of heart.”
5. “My past, O Lord, Ien trust to Your mercy; my present, to Your love; my future, to Your providence.”
6. “Walk in the way of the Lord with simplicity and do not torment your spirit.”
7. “Hold on tightly to the Rosary. Be very grateful to the Madonna because it was she who gave us Jesus.”

Love and Compassion

Among the most touching Saint Padre Pio quotes are those concerning love and compassion:

1. “Love is the first ingredient in the relief of suffering.”
2. “Charity is the measure by which our Lord judges all things.”
3. “You must not be discouraged or let yourself become dejected if your actions have not succeeded as perfectly as you intended.”
4. “The greater your sufferings, the greater God’s love for you.”
5. “Love and fear must go united together, fear without love becomes cowardice, love without fear becomes presumption.”
6. “God’s love takes on the character of a father’s and a mother’s love together.”
7. “It is difficult to become a saint. Difficult but not impossible.”

Suffering and Perseverance

These powerful Saint Padre Pio quotes about enduring life’s challenges:

1. “The cross will never oppress you; its weight might cause you to stagger, but its strength will sustain you.”
2. “Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter.”
3. “Ahead! Courage! In the spiritual life, he who does not advance goes backward.”
4. “The longer the trial to which God subjects you, the greater the goodness in comforting you during the time of trial.”
5. “You complain because the same trials are constantly returning. But look here, what have you to fear?”
6. “Trials are nothing else but the forge that purifies the soul of all its imperfections.”
7. “The more you are afflicted, the more you ought to rejoice, because in the fire of tribulation the soul will become pure gold.”

Hope and Encouragement

These Saint Padre Pio quotes offer hope to those facing difficulties:

1. “Do not be afraid; I am with you always.”
2. “God will never permit anything to happen to us that is not for our greater good.”
3. “The Lord sometimes makes you feel the weight of the cross. Although the weight seems intolerable, you are able to carry it,because the Lord, in His love and mercy, extends a hand to help you.”
4. “For the Lord takes delight in His faithful ones.”
5. “Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You.”
6. “Remember that God is within us when we are in a state of grace and outside of us when we are in a state of sin.”
7. “Remember that God loves you very much.”