Today we're going to be looking at Padre Pio's teaching on how to make a good confession. We
have to remember that Padre Pio was an absolute expert on confession. In fact,
he had queues at his confessional which were days long. You had to get a ticket to put confession
with him. Can you believe it? And the reason being that he was such an expert, he was able to read
people's souls and to see the state of their soul and to really help them in the confessional.
Welcome to our YouTube channel Following Padre Pio, where we look at the miraculous life of
Padre Pio, the Capuchin Monk. And if you are new to our channel, then please do like,
share and subscribe to our channel. But the very best way to actively participate in our Padre
Pio apostolate, is to enroll your mass prayer intentions for our monthly masses which are said
specifically for the intentions of Padre Pio. And today's story, we're going to be looking at
Padre Pio's advice on a good confession. As we said, Padre Pio had this incredible
gift in the confessional. And if people went to confession with him... It's always difficult to go
to confession, but if they went to confession and they forgot to mention some sins or they hid some
sins they were embarrassed of, Padre Pio seemed to know what those sins are, and he would help people
overcome them. He was a real doctor. We could say, a doctor of souls in the confessional.
Now, his spiritual advisor or spiritual superior, that is Padre Pellegrino,
notes that Padre Pio expresses his convictions much more in works than in words. Padre Pio
liked to walk the talk and not just talk the talk. Now, before hearing confessions,
Padre Pio would always invoke and sought the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It seemed that Padre Pio could not imagine the penitents and confessors
without the presence of the one who actually harmonizes this whole process.
Padre Pio was absolutely convinced that his enlightenment in the confession came
from the Blessed Virgin Mary, and obviously she brought this enlightenment from Christ Himself.
Padre Pio considered in a way, in fact, that he was a slave of Our Lady,
and he attributed to her the fruits of his works in the confessional and considered that only
prayer obtained the merits with her continuous assistance. It's a combination of those two
things, prayer and the assistance of Our Lady. It seems that Padre Pio had told Padre Pellegrino
about his practices in the confessional. And Padre Pellegrino writes the following.
He says, "He told me with a hint of accusation, 'You are afraid people will
laugh at you if you show a greater devotion to Our Lady.' Encouraging me, he continued,
'You should not, however, be confused with ideas that certain half-baked theologians may say.'"
You know that by sacrificing your pride for the Blessed Virgin Mary, you will in fact arrive at
the true spirit of the Church in the sacrament of penance of confession. And that was Padre
Pio's secret we may say. I hope to see you in the future confessions, he concluded.
Now, what kind of confessions Padre Pio would ask do we make if we don't ask Our Lady for the grace
to distinguish good from evil, or the grace of knowing how to conduct a good examination
of conscience, or the grace to resist with a sacred wisdom against the cunning and the
wiles of the devil? "My son, the sacrament of confession is made for man." This is what
Pedro Pio said, and not the other way around. Confession is like going to the doctor, you may
say. It's made to really help us. But remember that only in sweet devotion to Our Lady will you
find the way to know yourself. You will realize that this has been done especially for you,
that you do not become a foolish prisoner of evil. That is why confession has been given to us, so we
can break out of the chain of evil we may say. I do not lament that many non-Catholics who do not
have the privilege of going to confession so much as the Catholics who do not confess properly.
Next time we prepare for our confession, which is always very difficult because we're overcoming
our pride there. Let us do a good examination of conscience and let us ask, particularly Our
Lady to enlighten our minds and to give us the grace to resist as Pedro Pio advises.
Please continue listening to the short blessing video of Padre Pio that follows.