Novena II for those who work on themselves - Padre Pio

Novena II for those working on themselves

Day 1. Growing in faith.

Faith in us should grow over time, and with it the tension that drives us to seek God and the longing for God. They will reach their peak at the time of death, deciding it, how high will be the "peak" of our glory in heaven.

Living faith, blind trust and total adherence to the authority God has established over you – this is light, which enlightened the steps of God's people in the wilderness. This is light, which always shines to every soul pleasing to God the Father. […] You will see only darkness, but it will not be darkness, who envelop the sons of perdition, but which surround the eternal sun. Be firmly convinced and believe, that this sun is shining in your soul […].
Najpiękniejszym I believe (I believe) it is, that bursts out of your mouth in the dark, in sacrifice, in suffering, in the greatest effort of an unwavering will to do good. This is what 'I believe”, which tears through the darkness of your soul like a thunderbolt; this "I believe”, which in a stormy storm lifts you and leads you to God.

Day 2. Recognition of one's own powerlessness and nothingness, but humble.

Satan tempts us to doubt God's mercy and wants to keep us sad and broken because of our evil. Even after a good confession, we rarely enjoy God's forgiveness enough, to derive strength from this joy to become better.
Do not be surprised at your weaknesses, but knowing what you are, you will blush because of your unfaithfulness to God. However, trust Him, hiding quietly in the arms of the heavenly Father, like a child in his mother's arms.

We should have a low opinion of ourselves, believe, that we are smaller than all and that we do not put our own benefit before that of others.
If we should have patience, to bear the shortcomings of others, then we should have more, to bear ourselves.
Humiliate yourself in your daily infidelities, humble yourself, always humiliate yourself. When the Lord Jesus sees you humiliated to the ground, he will give you his hand and he will take care of it, to lift you up to yourself.

Day 3. Trusting prayer more and more zealous.

The more we pray, the more our soul opens to God and His love. He can then awaken in us a desire to be united with Him, which gives meaning to our earthly life, it initiates heaven on earth for us.

If it was not given to you then, to remain in prayer for a long time, on readings, etc., that's no reason, to get discouraged. As long as you carry Jesus in your heart, consider yourself happy.

If you cannot devote yourself to longer prayer, call on Jesus throughout the day. Invoke Jesus also in all your activities, even with a groan of resignation in my soul, and He will come and stay one with your soul forever through His grace and love.

Fly in spirit to the tabernacle, when you cannot physically go there and give vent to your ardent desires: speak, beg and embrace human souls with your arms. Do it more, than if you were given to receive Him in Holy Communion.

Day 4. Purity of intention.

Patron of educators, Saint John Bosco, he received the gift of night visions from God, in which he was instructed on important matters, concerning the lives of pupils, and even the Church. Once, an angel showed him a mountain of rubbish, huge up to the sky, and an information board inside it: "Good Deeds". The Saint was very surprised by this sight and was explained, that they are only seemingly good works, because made without good intentions – not out of love, but out of selfishness or to please men. They don't count in heaven, the words of the Lord Jesus can certainly be applied to them: "Who has, ago will be added; and who does not have me, this they will take and this, what he thinks he has " (Luke 8,18).

Watch and take care of yourself especially in this, which refers to the cursed vice of vain glory, which is a worm, a mole of a godly soul. All the more you have to be careful about this disadvantage, the easier it is for her to open her way and enter her soul unnoticed, and inevitably prove to be more difficult to recognize. Let us be on our guard all the time; It should never seem to us, that we fight too much against this tireless enemy, who is always at the threshold of our action.

Day 5. Entrusting yourself to a tender Mother and Guide.

The saint addressed the Mother of God with great tenderness, tenderness, simplicity of a child, which many of us are missing. Yet that was the language Jesus used, whom we are to follow in everything…

Holy Mateńko! Listen: i love you more, than all creatures on earth and in heaven… After the Lord Jesus – it goes without saying… but I love you.

May Mary be the Star, which will light your path and show you a safe path to your Father in heaven. They will be the Anchor, you should hold on very tightly, especially at the time of trial.

May Mary be your only reason for your life and may she lead you to a safe harbor of eternal salvation. Let him be a beautiful model for you and an inspiration to practice the virtue of holy humility.

One of the last statements of the Saint (two days before his death): Love Mary, our Mother, and do everything, to be loved. Always say the rosary, do it so often, as soon as possible. Satan is always trying to obliterate this prayer, but never will. This is the prayer of It, who is the Lord of everything and everyone. And Our Lady taught us this prayer, just as the Lord Jesus once taught us the Our Father…

Day 6. Fighting Satan.

Here is what O.. Pio to his spiritual director: "As for the spiritual struggles, these are getting more and more. Thick darkness envelops my spirit and I see nothing else, only darkness and always darkness. I can't see anything else except the wild beasts prowling around and threatening me, that I will become their prey. I can not hear anything, only the roar of these beasts, which makes, that I am dying at every moment of terror ".

The great stigmatic shepherd was not only looking for the lost sheep, but he tore them from the wolf's mouth at the cost of his own torments and struggles, whose weight often overwhelmed him. So he can be a teacher and advocate for us.

[…] As the soul moves closer to God, she should prepare herself for temptation.

Temptations against faith and chastity are a commodity offered by the enemy, but do not fear him and treat him with contempt. How long does he scream, means, that it has not yet settled into your will. Don't be upset just because of it, that this rebellious angel is testing you; let the will always oppose his suggestions, live peacefully, because it's not your fault, but there is good pleasure to God and benefit to your soul.

When the will groans under the trial of the tempter and does not want it, what he proposes to her, it's not only not your fault, but there is a virtue in it.

Day 7. Mercy towards others - a source of the apostolate.

The following words of Saint Father Pius, the Merciful Samaritan – speak for themselves: “I can't say no to anyone – how could i, when God Himself desires it and refuses me nothing, what am I asking for ". „[…] The Lord Jesus begins to make things happen, that I feel deep in my soul, how nice it is to live and suffer for others. " One of the participants of the Holy Mass recalls: “Somehow I saw a heavy cross on his shoulders and I didn't dare ask for any favors, because I felt, that Padre Pio will have to suffer even more, to ask for these favors for me ".

I'm very sorry, when I hear about your physical ailments and pray to the Lord Jesus incessantly, that if he wanted to send me your suffering, increased fourfold, while leaving all the merit of it to you, […] I would be totally happy, if I could be you Cyrenean.

Charity – whether, where it comes from – she is always the daughter of the same mother, that is, divine providence.

Do not think, that you are stealing my time, because the best time used is this one, which we devote to sanctifying someone else's soul.

Man can and should spread the glory of God and work for the salvation of people, leading a Christian life, constantly pleading with the Lord, "That his kingdom might come, lest he lead us into temptation and save us from evil”. This is it, what you should be doing too, continuing to offer my whole self to the Lord for this very purpose.

Do good wherever you are, so that everyone can tell: "This is the son of Christ”. Endure hardship, diseases, suffering for love of God and for the conversion of poor sinners. Support the weak, comfort the one who cries.

Remember that, that the thief is closer to God, who is ashamed of it, that he is doing wrong, than an honest man, who is ashamed of it, that he is doing something good.

Day 8. Readiness for spiritual trials, whose fruit can be peace.

The Lord Jesus announced to all his disciples, that "winds and storms" will fall on their "home", as it turns out, on what foundation it is built. Even if he uses evil spirits in these trials, always gives us enough strength to win; if it allows evil, it's always for some good.

Have a joyful peace in conscience, knowing, that you are serving the infinitely good God. […] Avoid sadness, because it breaks into hearts, who are attached to the things of this world.
Why should you worry about it, whether the Lord Jesus wants to lead you to your heavenly homeland through deserts or through fertile fields, since through both we come to a happy eternity? Distance yourself from any undue concern, born of trials, which the good God wants to subject you to. If it is not possible, don't think about it and live completely at peace with God's purposes.

Patience is all the more perfect, the less it is confused with undue concern and anxiety. If good God wants to extend the trial hour, then do not complain and do not inquire, asking a question: "why?”

A fight that precedes a good work, which you intend to perform, it is like the antiphon that precedes the psalm, to be sung solemnly.

Salvation is not achieved without crossing a stormy sea, which is in constant danger of drowning.
Calvary is the mountain of saints. It is from there that you go to another mountain, which is called Tabor.

Day 9. To stare at the eternal goal.

Earth is only given to us as a place of merit for heaven, and not as a "permanent home". We are to reside with the heart in our eternal home now. But the greater will be our eternal glory, the more people we help to enter heaven. Let us imitate the saint, who claimed, that he loves his spiritual children even more than he loves his own soul; love – that is, he is concerned primarily with their eternal fate. "I assure you, that when the Lord calls me [to each other], I'll tell him: «Lord, I stay at the gates of Heaven; I will only go in there then, when i see, that the last of my sons comes in [spiritual]»”.

The palm of glory is reserved only for that, who fights bravely to the end. So let us begin our holy fight. God will accompany us and crown us with eternal triumph.

Who is attached to the ground, will remain attached. It is better to break away from it gradually, rather than at once, completely. Let's keep thinking about heaven.
[…] As the years go by and eternity draws near, we need to double our courage and raise our spirit to God, more and more diligently to serve Him in all this, what our vocation and Christian faith oblige us to do.
O my children! How beautiful is his face and how sweet is his eyes! How good it is to stand by Him on the mountain of His glory! There we should put all our desires and our feelings.

End

Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for such a great witness of deep and steadfast faith, what Saint Padre Pio is for us. Let us also, under the protection of the Mother of God and through his intercession, pass victoriously through all spiritual trials and struggles with the powers of darkness, not only by not breaking down under the burden of our failures and weaknesses, but growing in humility.

May we, staring at the eternal goal of our lives, prayed, still growing in the virtue of mercy towards others and selfless service to You, they have received the eternal fruit of our efforts, promised to be brave and persistent. Who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.