Convinced that no enemy was worse
than the flesh, which inclined itself to evil, he engaged in a battle without
truce. From a very young age, each Saturday he had but one frugal meal
and every day he would spread ashes and wet the food with tears. To concede
the necessary rest for his body, which was structurally very delicate,
he slept on a bare floor serving himself to a hard stone for his cheeks.
In order not to let his mother notice his acts of mortificaton, in the
early morning, before dawn he would unmake his bed to make her believe
that he slept in it during the night. He was a lover of purity and flower
so precious; so delicate and fragile.
Besides mortification and punishment
to his body, he also used every diligence to escape temptation, including
avoiding evil company or licentious conversation that might have stained
or even dimmed his candor.
He studied how to keep himself
completely united with the Lord in order to find and enjoy in him peace
of heart and joy of the spirit.
To feed his mercy and keep this
soul always immuned to the dangers of the world, he made his prayers his
daily bread for his spirits.
Not far from his home was the
Church of the Celestial Fathers called the “Annunciations.” This church
received Cono daily. He would enter in sweet and intimate dialogue with
the divine spouse of his soul transforming himself into a celestial angel.
The goodness that adorned his
soul could not help but divulge itself. As the years passed, little by
little the outline of his spirit appeared ever more profoundly. This manifested
the dawn of his sanctity. Cono was growing full of love, faith and in awe
with the saintliness of God. He was living his life happily and was strengthened
more and more in Christian virtue, behind the example and words of his
mother.
Thinking always to interpret the
will of the Lord and stimulated by a fierce divine love, he received the
“Order of Acolytes” with the intention of consecrating himself in a world
of service to God. This was not however the heavenly plan.
As the years passed, he felt in
his heart the divine voice that called him to a more grandeur perfection.
The Lord wanted him completely detached and far away from earthly things.
God wanted him to crush all ties with earthly creatures, even
the most dear ones to him, that he renounce all affections even the most saintly so that he could have a strong tie with The Lord.