"Jesus tells me that when it comes to love, he is the one who delights in me; when it comes to sorrow, instead it is I who delight in him. For me to desire health right now would be seeking joy for myself and not seeking to comfort Jesus. Yes, I love the cross and only the cross. I love it because I always see it on Jesus' shoulders. By now Jesus knows full well that my whole life, my whole heart, is dedicated to him and to his sufferings.

Oh father! Forgive me for using such language. Only Jesus can comprehend the pain there is for me when I place myself before the sorrowful scene of Calvary. It is incomprehensible that Jesus is comforted not only by sharing his sorrows but also by finding a soul who, out of love for him, asks not for consolation but for participation in his very sufferings.

When Jesus wants me to know he loves me, he lets me experience his wounds, his thorns, his agonies."

-St. Pio of Pietrelcina