Discipleship in a Cross‑Rejecting Age

Message from Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina to The Little Apostle on 05/18/25

St. Padre Pio:

Dearly beloved in Christ,

Today I bring a message for the Body of Christ on earth, bearing a word from the very Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He has sent me to illuminate the Church’s teachings on redemptive suffering and to help you understand how such trials often mark the journey of those who follow Him in His one, holy, Catholic Church.

You, children of the Most High, are each uniquely made and chosen for a holy purpose.
Never doubt, for the Spirit of Truth and Life dwells within you by virtue of your Baptism.
Remember, dear ones, the cost of true discipleship!

Our Lord hears those who complain of their lot and doubt His word and protection. Though they still seek His graces as if they were mere consolations—joyful favors meant only to spare them from suffering—they do not fully understand the mystery of the Cross or their call to share in Christ’s redemptive work.

They look for the protection of their bodies—granted at times by God—yet often overlook the greater safeguarding He promises: the preservation of their souls, keeping them from eternal separation from Him. Too many claim to follow Jesus yet shy away from the language of the Cross. They resist the very means by which their hearts are purified—praising God in their sufferings—so that they may ascend to the heights of Heaven.

As instruments of the Lord in the world, meditate on this mystery! Jesus assures you that all who belong to His Mystical Body will encounter trials for His name’s sake. The graces born of the Cross are not mere ornaments of the soul; they are the path to your greatest joy in Heaven.

God indeed protects every soul; yet He promises not a life without hardship, but the grace to endure and grow in holiness through those trials.

Today I impart to you the blessing of the Most Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

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