“Be at peace! God loves you. If only the world could see the beauty of a soul in a state of grace! All sinners and unbelievers would convert on the spot.” (Padre Pio)
What would sinners and unbelievers see? They would surely see the incredible love with which God created and redeemed humanity, and how this love is revealed in a soul living in a state of grace. It would certainly be a light overflowing onto mankind, opening eyes.
But dearest Padre Pio, you know very well that people are often blinded. They rarely recognize the tender yet strong light of chastity, the splendor of truth, the attraction of our Heavenly Father’s love, or the gentle gaze of the Virgin Mary. Sin obscures their path, and unbelief closes their minds to recognition.
They simply have not recognized our Father as He truly is. Therefore, they are also unable to perceive the reflection of His glory in the children of His grace. Ice can form around the heart, and fog can obscure the ability to see clearly.
But what you say remains true. What can we do, dear priest of the Lord?
Surely we can pray earnestly for the light of understanding for sinners and unbelievers, and offer our sufferings to the Lord for their conversion, as you did. We are called to live in a state of grace ourselves, so that people may be touched by God’s grace through our lives and the beauty of our souls may unfold more and more. Above all, we should bear witness to our Father’s love and share His goodness.
That, dear Padre Pio, is what we can do. Will you help us? You are already in the perfection and contemplation of God’s glory, while we are still on our way. But we will try. Perhaps it will happen that the testimony will be passed on—how beautiful a soul in a state of grace is, and how our Father knows how to bring everything to perfection.