The absence of love for the Word of God is a diminution of Grace; it is an absence of knowledge which leads to the dominion of the infernal spirits who, by conquering the spirit of man, divide men.
Padre Pio received as a gift from God the discernment of spirits; I personally had proofs of this divine gift.
The spirits of evil who know how to hide in sheep’s clothing have never confused the spirit of Padre Pio, who knew how to recognize the source and origin of the spirits that animate men.
The love of holy humilty, which knows how to recognize as gifts of Divine Wisdom the sorrows and joys of the life of men, is the teaching that the word of Padre Pio has given to the world.
Apparently severe, Padre Pio cared for, with particular love, the souls who did not know the gravity of sin. He loved the humble who, overtaken by the spirit of evil, did not know how to recognize the origin of their ills for the non-cognisance of the will of love expressed by the Word of God.
Padre Pio taught me that “The humble one speaks of God even when he does not know anything about God”. Only in humilty is practiced the charity that God desires.
In the humble man who does not speak about God, God confounds the proud one who says he speaks of God, in the Name of God.
In the name of God the proud who spoke of God caused the Son of God to be crucified, God become man for the love of man.
Out of love for man, God allowed himself to be crucified by men who in his name judged His Name.
The life of Padre Pio, offered to the Love of the Name of God, wants to offer itself in the spirit of love to all the souls who, to the love of God, offer their hearts.
The heart of man offered to God will know how to speak of God every time that it pronounces the Name of God.
To that Heart, God will reveal the intimate mystery enclosed in his Word. In the Word of God the Heart of God speaks.

I ended my stay at San Giovanni Rotondo in June 1956 with an unexpected meeting: a pharmacist colleague from Capodimonte (Viterbo) saw me in the convent square. After a friendly talk, she invited me to join her group going to Naples and Pompei. I decided not to accept the invitation because I had to go back home, but in my last conversation with Padre Pio before my departure, while saying goodbye, he pointed at an image of the Madonna in the convent corridor. He wanted me to pray with him and said to me :”Go to Pompei, your mother lives in the Heart of Jesus; now the Madonna is your mother”. I then realized that the meeting with my colleague from Capodimonte and her group going just to Pompei had not been incidental. The same day, I left with them for Naples and Pompei.
The things that happened showed me that THE MOTHERHOOD OF THE VIRGIN IS TRUTH. The love of Padre Pio had known how to give me this certainty.
By the increased certainty of the Love of the Mother of God, I found again my lost joy and the wish to give it to those who do not have it.

On Christmas Eve 1956 I went back to San Giovanni Rotondo. At Foggia station I met a kind, elderly lady, the Baroness Bianca Remy de Turicque of Rome. After exchanging a few friendly words, we proceeded together to san Giovanni Rotondo. I spent a happy Christmas, between the love of the Padre and the kind company of the Baroness who, at the moment of her departure, invited me warmly to visit her in Rome.
Our common interest in things of the spirit, the love of God and of Padre Pio, created a link of very deep fraternal friendship between Remy and me. The constant search for God in exceptional joy and enthusiasm gave such vitality to this seventy – year – old lady as to make me spend hours in her company as if they were minutes.
After the religious function on December 26th, 1956, in the corridors of the convent, a great number of people who had come from all over Italy and from abroad gathered around Padre Pio.
I could not get near the Padre but, even from a distance, I managed to hear a few words of a conversation between the Padre and some high Prelates and lay people.
I understood that one of these illustrious persons had asked Padre Pio for an explanation about a very difficult and important question. It was not possible for me to hear exactly what the question posed to Padre Pio was. I did however clearly hear the reply of Padre Pio who addressing those gentlemen said: “You intellectuals complicate things too much! I would know how to answer the question about the Angels, but I keep it in my heart and I cannot reveal it to you.”
Shortly afterwards, I was in front of the fireplace of the hotel where I was staying in San Giovanni Rotondo. Beside me was a distinguished gentleman who kindly introduced himself. He was a high magistrate in Rome.
The lawyer asked me if I had been present during the conversation between Padre Pio and some theologians. He told me which was the inquiry from the Bible put to Padre Pio for a clear solution.
The lawyer spoke to me for a few hours, always going back in his conversation to the very interesting and difficult question to be solved.
I tried in vain to distract him with other conversations on spiritual subjects.
The next morning, after Holy Mass, Padre Pio gave me the explanation of the question, without my having asked for it. Padre said:”You must give only to the lawyer of Rome the explanation that I have given to you about the question of the Angels”.
About an hour later, I again saw the lawyer at the bar of the hotel. All that the illustrious lawyer wished to know about the question, I related to him, using the exact words given to me by Padre Pio.
The lawyer was moved to tears and the next day, as he was leaving for Rome, he urged me to pay him a visit in his city.
On January 1th, 1957, I said goodbye to my beloved Padre Pio and returned to San Matteo della Decima.
About two months later, at the beginning of March 1957, I was again in the corridors of the Convent of San Giovanni Rotondo. I encountered Padre Pio listening attentively to the words of the Mayor of the town and of the Father Guardian of the Convent. The Mayor was telling Padre Pio that the application made by the city of San Giovanni Rotondo to the “Cassa del Mezzogiorno”, to obtain financing for public road works and urgent others, had been rejected. Involuntarily, I heard the Mayor’s words since I was behind Padre.
Suddenly, Padre Pio turned towards me and said: “You must go to Rome and busy yourself with this matter at the ‘Cassa del Mezzogiorno’”. I was surprised, astounded and I answered: ”Padre, I do not know Rome and I do not have friends who can help me in this task.”
The Padre with gentleness and firmness answered: “You don’t have to cross the ocean to go to Rome. Be on your way; leave at once; with the blessing of God I will accompany you.”
The Mayor and the Father Guardian described the situation to me and the correct requests to be made at the ‘Cassa del Mezzogiorno’.
I left that same day for Rome, accompanied only by my faith in the guidance of Padre Pio.
On the train for Rome, I met a young lawyer. We spoke at lenght about various things. Before getting off at the station in Rome, the lawyer gave me his address encouraging me to go to him if I needed any advice. The lawyer was an expert in matters concerning applications for funds at the ‘Cassa del Mezzogiorno’. His work took place in the offices of the High Commissariat of Tourism.

Rome, September, 25th, 1959

Cassa del Mezzogiorno
The V. President

Dear Doctor:
With reference to your request I wish to inform you that the following works:
the construction of a new road along route 685, between the township of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the nearby provincial road S. Marco in Lamis;
the realization of a 2,800 sq.ms. car-park in front of the hospital.
the completion and paving of the square in front of the church, which should resolve the problems of traffic and parking in San Giovanni Rotondo, will be included in the next budget for tourist infrastructures, which is being finalized and is expected to be submitted for approval by October 3rd.
In the meantime I send you my most cordial regards
Luigi Tavassi La Greca

Dr. Luigi Gaspari
Ponte Decima (Bologna)

I was very warmly welcomed by the Baroness Remy in Rome, a city I was not familiar with.
I went to the “ Cassa del Mezzogiorno”, accompanied by the notable persons whom I had met, the one in the train and the other in Rome, the same day I arrived. After a period of time, while I was in Bologna, I received a letter, which I still have, from the vice-chairman of the “Cassa del Mezzogiorno”. He assured me that funds for the roadworks, for the Convent square and other works, had been approved.

From 1957 to 1968, I went to San Giovanni Rotondo almost every month.
After each confession, Padre Pio used to tell me: “Go to Rome!”. I did not understand very well why I should go to Rome. I obeyed the desire expressed by Padre and I went on going to Rome with an ever increasing enthusiasm. Even so, my home was still in San Matteo della Decima.
Many friends from Rome and other cities used to visit me in my town.
At Decima, I had assembled a group of excellent collaborators, among them was Primo Capponcelli, who later became a tour leader of groups of people wishing to have meetings and maintaining spiritual contacts with the beloved Padre Pio.
The inhabitants of San Matteo della Decima received with joy the invitation of Primo and myself to pay a visit to the holy Capuchin friar of San Giovanni Rotondo.
The prayers and blessing of the Padre produced copious fruits of Graces for many families and, through them, for all the inhabitants of San Matteo della Decima. I recall at this point that my family, too, had a sign of the solicitude and love of Padre Pio and proof that he, even after many years, remembered all our requests for prayers and protection.
In the days between Christmas and the new year 1967-1968, I was in San Giovanni Rotondo.
The confession with Padre Pio, on one of those days, was longer than usual. Padre told me many things, among others he advised me not to go to Rome for the New Year; instead I was to go to Bologna, and he added: “In the year 1968 we will have a lot of work to do…we have no time to lose…etc..” Gradually, light was shed on the mysterious words spoken to me in that confession.

In fact, during the night between the 8th and 9th of April, 1968, on my forty-second birthday, the REVELATION started. Padre began to give me inspiration for the pages of the “Book of Love”.