November 15, 1976

PRODIGIOUS METAMORPHOSIS

Fr. Octavio, I am Father Enrico.

I do not want to tell you again, what was said to you repeatedly; I think it is better to recall our first meeting in the chapel of F. of G.

My broken physical health and my body in bad condition made a deep impression on you; my soul imprisoned in a totally inefficient physique aroused commiseration in those who were near me, because in the greater number of cases, these persons only saw the exterior part of my life; they were incapable of penetrating and of understanding the prodigious metamorphosis that was realized in my soul, by means of suffering, both physical and moral, suffering that by the grace of God, I never rejected.

Even I myself did not always have the possibility of valuing the enormous importance of this spiritual digestion, and one should not be surprised at this; man does not even realize the importance that his physical digestion has, by means of which he transforms the food he eats, into flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones.

Poor human creature, that, having human intelligence to penetrate the value of things, weakened and darkened as it is by sin, realizes very little of what happens in it and around it. This marvelous metamorphosis of the spirit escapes men, but not God, who is its author.

To know oneself better

Fr. Octavio, if Christians, instead of permitting themselves to be drawn away and overcome by the futile things of exterior life, would exert themselves a little more in knowing themselves, and in what happens within them, not by personal merit or capability, but by the work of God, author of human nature, then the ascent toward God would be realized in a great measure.

Only when I entered into his presence, the presence of my Savior and Redeemer, did I see, like a flash of lightning, the indescribable effect of the stupendous consequences of the metamorphosis of my physical and moral sufferings.

I must tell you, as others have already told you before, that no member of the Church militant upon earth can ever comprehend the happiness that he reserves for his elect; no mortal could sustain the vision of a soul in glory.

Unlimited foolishness of men

Fr. Octavio, from here one sees, as it is possible to see from no other place, the unlimited foolishness of men upon earth; from here one sees how man upon earth not only allows himself to be deceived, but to be knocked down and overcome by the evil one.

I say foolishness of men, and in truth it is thus: it would be enough to have the faculties received from God and a more lively desire of truth, in order to take the correct path; it is inconceivable that man, created by God, a child of God, redeemed by God, restored to his previous human and divine dignity by God, would reject God, his highest good.

Is it conceivable that man, created to the image of God, a son of God, should lift his pride against God, and shout rebellion against him, making himself an ally of Satan?

Does it seem to you natural and comprehensible that a child, whose existence is conditioned to the life of his parents, to the love and the care that they give him, should rebel and should reject them, shouting into their faces: "I do not recognize you; I do not like you; I do not love you"?

Is not man a creature of God, a son of God, conditioned in his earthly and eternal life toward God? Has he not been created in order to know, love, and serve God?

If the priests would reflect

In priests there is lacking the consciousness and the conviction of the tragic and perverse action of the evil one in souls, who were created for light, for love, for happiness; while Satan attempts the annihilation of the finality of creation with his deceits, and also of the Redemption, due to the hatred that he nourishes against God and against men.

If the priests would reflect, if they would meditate seriously about the infinite value of even one soul, for which the Father sacrificed his onlybegotten Son, what would they not do, to prevent souls from failing into the claws of Satan?

Oh, if only the priests would reflect and meditate seriously, the customs of priestly life would be radically changed!

I spoke to you of the prodigious metamorphosis that he realizes in souls by means of suffering, physical or moral; but do not forget that the evil one, who mimics God without tiring, also realizes his metamorphosis in souls, by means of sin, whose consequences are well known to you.

Fr. Octavio, it is necessary to make known the value of life; it is necessary to make known the marvelous and stupendous metamorphosis of sorrow and of suffering, to those who unconsciously rebel against it and reject it.

If the very ministers of God reject suffering, how can they, the teachers and co-redeemers, inculcate it in the rest?

Fr. Enrico