______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

You are in the presence of a holy person when he embraces suffering. Padre Pio said, “If you knew the value of suffering, you would never give it up.”  Suffering has so much spiritual value, we do not comprehend it sometimes . . .  We talk about the suffering cancer causes.  God allows it to bring His children closer to Him, for they consider praying when they are very sick!

Saints generally experience great suffering in their lives to attain Spiritual Growth, the Almighty God glorified His Son for His suffering on the cross, and the Holy Trinity refine people trough Suffering for noble spiritual missions, for example the Blessed Mother and the three shepherds of Fatima.  Our generation will endure The Great Tribulation for purification to be taken in the Rapture.

The enemies of the soul are the world, the flesh and Satan.  A prospective saint lives in the world but does not belong to the world, mortifies the flesh to prevent sin, and rebukes Satan’s evil gratification. They are the cost of Christian discipleship.

______________________________________________________________