About Padre Pio: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/padre-pio-his-biography-13815
Letter from Padre Pio To Raffaelina Cerase, May 19, 1914
Stones of the eternal dwelling
The divine craftsman gets ready to prepare stones to build an eternal temple; he cuts these stones by repeated blows of his hammer and carefully polishes them by removing any excess.
This is what the holy Catholic church, our tender Mother sings, as the hymn of the Office of the Dedication of a Church. And it can be seen to be true in this way. Each heart intended for eternal glory can be very well considered as one of these stones created for the eternal temple. When a contractor wants to build a house, he must first cut the stones, which will be used for construction; this he does with blows of hammer and chisel. Thus our heavenly Father acts on the heart which he chooses and desires from all eternity, in his great wisdom and Providence, to build as an eternal dwelling place.
To reign with Christ in eternal glory, the heart must thus be cut with large blows of hammer and chisel; in this way, as with stones, the divine architect prepares the hearts that it chooses. What are these blows of hammer and chisel? They are the shadows, my sister: the fears, temptations, afflictions, spiritual anxieties, and also the physical maladies.
Therefore, give thanks for the infinite tenderness of our Heavenly Father, who deals thus with your heart to save it. Why will mature people not praise these kind gestures that every father does? Open your heart to this celestial doctor of hearts and surrender yourself in all confidence to his very sacred hands for he treats you as someone whom he has chosen to follow Jesus closely, until the summit of martyrdom. As for me, I believe, that his grace will make itself manifest in you through the joy and wise movement of your heart. Thus, do not doubt that all that happens to your soul has been willed by the Lord. Thus, do not fear that God makes you fall into some evil or ruin! It should be enough for you to know that in all your life, you never offended the Lord whom you should approach more and more.
If this most benevolent Spouse hides himself in your heart, he does so, not as a punishment for your sin as you believe, but to further test your fidelity and your constancy; and moreover, to cure some weakness that your eyes of feeble, failing flesh, do not see, of which no one is simply free. As we know from the Holy Scripture: the righteous man falls seven times a day. (Pr 24,16).
And believe me, if I did not learn that you are also afflicted, I would be less happy, since I would think that the Lord decides to give you less pearls… Drive out like temptations doubts to the contrary… Drive out also the doubts that refer to your manner of living, namely, that you did not heed the divine calls and that you opposed the gentle invitations of your Husband. All that does not come from the good spirit, but from the bad. They are diabolic tricks that aim to bring you away from perfection, or at least to delay you along his way. Do not lose courage!
When Jesus shows himself to you, thank him; should he hide from you, thank him still. To love, everything is a joy. I wish that you deliver your spirit with Jesus on the cross and that you be able to say with him: All is accomplished! (Jn 19,30)
(retrieved from the Divine Office of Readings)
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