The New (& the Old) Evangelization The temptations of a Catholic celebrity (continued)

Jul 29, 2011

For St. Paul, while laying the foundation of Christianity, he was constantly beaten down, not just by trying circumstances, but by a demon. He said, “…because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.” (II Corinthians 12:7) In his human weakness he implored God for help in the following passage: “Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’" (II Corinthians 12:8-9)

The method of perfecting St. Padre Pio was the same as St. Paul’s. Because he was gifted with spiritual ecstasies and levitations, he was also physically beaten up by demons immediately afterward so as to keep him humble. And it was precisely because so many people came to him in search of God that he suffered the stigmata of Christ on his hands and feet. No doubt, this was a form of spiritual sacrifice for sinners. Nevertheless, who can doubt that this holy priest benefited from these graces too? The wounds of Christ on his own body kept him grounded in the reality that he was but a slave of Christ and a servant of the people.

This holy priest, therefore, understood the dangers of presuming God’s mercy without the accompanying gift of the Holy Spirit, namely, the fear of the Lord. In the year 1913 one of his friends wrote to him about a woman who had backslid in her Christian life. His friend was dumbfounded as to how this could have happened. St. Padre Pio replied:

“This is how that soul was snared in the devil’s net. When she saw that she was so favored by God…she began to wonder at all the good that God sent her and she clearly discerned the difference between the goods of heaven and those of earth. At this point she was proceeding well.

But the Enemy, who is always alert, seeing such affection, convinced her that such great confidence and certainty could never decline…Furthermore, he put into her heart a clear vision of the heavenly prize, so that it seemed impossible for her to renounce so great a felicity for things so base and vile as earthly pleasures.

The devil used this immoderate confidence to make her lose that holy distrust in herself, a diffidence that must never leave the soul, not matter how privileged it is by God…”

This holy distrust of self that St. Padre Pio writes about is strengthened by God’s grace through adversity. Indeed, the good things in life such as success, public recognition and even the heights of the spiritual life need to be tempered by the abrasive texture of the cross. And to be sure, the Cross of Christ is a reminder that power is made perfect in weakness!

Appreciating this truth more deeply just may be the reason why the Lord permitted the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the departure of John Corapi from the priesthood. In the meantime, let us pray for those who have been inspired by his sermons who do not yet have the spiritual maturity to make the distinction between God’s grace and the instruments (i.e. human beings) he uses to communicate that grace. The former is always trustworthy to the end but the latter is imperfect and can sometimes disappoint.