“Do not allow yourself to be overcome by discouragement if you don’t always visibly see your every effort crowned. Jesus sees, rewards, and commands good will and not good success…”
—Letters, Vol. 3, 792
Each of us have had periods where our faith is shaken and not as strong as we want it to be. Given all that is going on in the Church these days, it is certainly understandable. Padre Pio also had these times. Sometimes he questioned the challenges that God was putting before him. But he always kept his gaze on the greater purpose and worked his way past these periods.
What a powerful example he provides for us that, while we will have times of challenge in our faith lives, the light of Christ will always guide us out of the darkness.
Have you ever questioned your faith? Have you stumbled on your faith journey? Consider the words by Padre Pio and think about how we can take heart in God’s grace.
In Padre Pio’s Own Words
The darkness that surrounds your souls is actually light, but you are correct to say that you can see nothing despite finding yourselves in the middle of a burning bush. The bush burns, the air is full of storm clouds, but you do not see or understand any of it. Nevertheless, God is speaking and is present to the souls that hear, understand, love, and tremble.
My daughters, take heart. Do not wait for Tabor to see God.
Contemplate him even now on Sinai. The awareness of your unworthiness and inner defects is a very pure, divine light that is given to you so that you can see what your lives could be—what your potential is to commit any kind of sin—apart from grace.
(To the Ventrella sisters, December 7, 1916)
Prayer
St. Pio, serve as a guide and companion to us as we work our way through any periods of spiritual doubt and struggle.
