We’re reading The Diary of Lucia Fiorentino: Mystic, Visionary, and Early Spiritual Daughter of Padre Pio (The Mission of Padre Pio Book 3) by Lucia Fiorentino, Bret Thoman and wanted to share a few of her alleged messages from way back this time of year nearly a century ago (1929).
Lucia was born in 1889 in San Giovanni Rotondo and died in 1934. Sources described her as one of Padre Pio’s earliest and most favored spiritual daughters, and she was regarded by devotees as a “victim soul,” with reported mystical experiences such as visions and locutions.
What makes her notable is the claim that, before Padre Pio arrived in San Giovanni Rotondo, Lucia had a vision in 1906 of an immense tree near the Capuchin friary, which later interpreters connected symbolically to Padre Pio and his future mission there. That story is one reason she appears in devotional literature tied to Padre Pio’s life and legacy.
A sample of her messages:
April 20: “After Communion, while I was praying, Jesus said to me, ‘Courage! Do not be discouraged by the things of this world. Raise your eyes; pray first for the salvation of your sister and then for [her] temporal health. If you want to always be united with your sister, ask first for her eternal health.’”
April 25: “I went to Confession, and the Father [Padre Pio] told me to be serene and to show charity towards others and my loved ones.”
April 28: “Jesus: ‘Beloved daughter, I have told you other times to pray for the conversion of your loved ones; the salvation of souls has cost Me dearly. Pray so that these souls are not lost. Then do not mortify yourself if they do not want to obey you, for you have done your duty. Woe to them if they are harsh and capricious; do not suffer so much. Now all there is to do is pray. Pray for souls consecrated to Me, for sinners, and for the unfaithful.’”
April 28: “Jesus, ‘My beloved, resign yourself to your current state and to the conditions in which you find yourself in your family. Work with charity and for My Love. Try to draw back your attention [to Me] when your spirit is distracted, and do not think about the future, which is in My hands. I will always be your good Father, dear Brother, loving Friend, and faithful Spouse. Trust in Me, who together with My Father and the Holy Spirit will protect you, and My and your Mother Mary will embrace you.’”
May 1: “While I was in church, two of the faithful were discussing amongst themselves, and Jesus said to me, ‘Daughter, how terrible is this sin that drags them and others along! First, they cause Me displeasure; second, they give a bad example and create scandal; third, they burden their souls with fault because they rob that precious time in which they could be praying. If a soul is especially faithful, the sin is more serious and heaps upon that soul the scourges of Divine Justice.’”
May 2: “Jesus, ‘Daughter, your path will always be sown with thorns, as it has been from the beginning; roses will not bloom on earth but above. Resign yourself; the Cross will be your legacy; as long as you live, you will always be hindered in everything. Do not be disturbed. I will be everything to you.’”
May 8: “Today, the holy day of the apparition of St. Michael the Archangel on the Gargano [in Monte Sant’Angelo] and also consecrated to Our Lady of Pompeii, I felt my heart completely drawn to my Love. In praying and meditating, I asked Jesus for pure, constant love, telling Him, ‘Oh my Beloved, do not make me suffer like this; burn me in the furnace of Your Heart; let me be Yours and always Yours, otherwise I cannot live. Oh Jesus, Love, give me Love and let me die as a victim of Love and come to You.’
“And Jesus said to me, ‘Do not be disturbed; you will have everything. Love is resignation and patience in adversity; Love is prudence; Love is charity towards neighbor. Strive to practice virtues and say, “I want to suffer for the Love and glory of God; I want to accept everything from His hands.” Always say, “May Your Divine Will be done!” This is Love, My daughter; yes, it is always Love.'”
[resources: The Diary of Lucia Fiorentino: Mystic, Visionary, and Early Spiritual Daughter of Padre Pio]
