The Story of Padre Pio and the Penitent Padre Pio had a remarkable gift called the reading of souls — he could see into a person’s conscience and know whether their confession was sincere or whether they were holding something back. One day, a man came to confess. He listed out some sins but deliberately withheld one serious sin he was too ashamed to admit. Padre Pio listened quietly and then, with piercing eyes, firmly told him: “You must leave. You are not forgiven.” The man was stunned. He thought he had fooled the priest, but Padre Pio had read his soul. Angrily, he stormed out of the confessional, humiliated and indignant. That night, though, his conscience tormented him. He could not sleep. He knew Padre Pio was right — he had not confessed honestly. The next day, broken and humbled, he returned to the friary and went back to the confessional. This time, he poured out the full truth, admitting every sin with a contrite heart. Padre Pio listened, then gave him absolution and said with great tenderness: “Now your soul is clean before God. Go in peace.” The man left transformed. His anger was gone, replaced with deep gratitude and joy. The Lesson Padre Pio always insisted that confession must be made with full honesty and true sorrow. His gift of reading souls was not for shame, but for mercy — to bring people to true repentance so they could receive the fullness of God’s forgiveness. We must bring our whole heart of repentance to the Lord so that we can receive the Lord's full forgiveness, mercy, and love. And as a sign of his holiness, Padre Pio’s body remains incorrupt to this very day — a visible witness that God’s grace is greater than death itself. God is good all the time.

My name is Sebastian. I’m new to this community. I’d like to make some friends. I am Catholic.

Attended Sunday mass today and the priest said something poignant towards the end that brought tears to my eyes. Usually you don’t expect priests to say anything after giving the message of peace before the recessional hymn. But he said this - Friends, don’t see the cross as just a piece of wood. See it as your refuge in times of struggle, your hope when you feel lost and your inspiration to move forward. The cross proves that not only. Even when there’s evil, the cross reminds us that Jesus’ love can overcome all.

Hi fellas, I am going out with a (non-Catholic) girl for the first time, and I am currently wrestling with lust/desire/intrusive thoughts. Do you have any advice on boundaries, and how to set them? Thanks and God Bless.

Brother, please take a moment to read this. First, I want to say that I’m a believer in Jesus Christ, and I’m grateful to call you my brother in this group. I’m thankful for all of you. I also want to give thanks to my coach Manny at the UFC gym. During practice today, he pushed me hard, and I’m truly grateful for that. Before I stepped onto the mat to wrestle,i made the sign of the cross over me. I’ve just started training in wrestling and submission fighting, and while I hold black belts in Shotokan and Tang Soo Do, this type of training is different. Wrestling and no-gi submission fighting challenge you on both a physical and spiritual level. What you put into it is what you get out of it. In Genesis 32:24, the Bible speaks of wrestling it’s the oldest martial art in the world. Whenever I feel like quitting or skipping practice, I think about what Jesus did for me on the cross. He didn’t tap out or give up He endured, got back up, and kept fighting for us. That’s the example of a true warrior: never giving up. So every time I step on the mat, I remember what Jesus has done for me. I know wrestling and submission fighting aren’t for everyone, but I encourage you to find a sport or a gym that challenges you. Put in the work, build discipline, and always stay grounded in the Word of God. The Bible is a tool that shapes our character and makes us better men. Without Christ, we are nothing but through Him, we find the strength to grow and become better.