Carrying out the benediction motto “Prayer and Work,” Cono’s soul refined itself to the love of God. From the moment that the monastery door squeaked, closed itself to his shoulders and segregated him forever from the world, Cono dedicated himself to prayer and work, finding in them a prodigious hedge of defense for his virtue and a safe road to arrive to the Lord.

Away from the world, he lived a life of perfect intimacy with his celestial Father, and prayer he considered to be true respiration and daily food for his soul. Prayer, in the meaning of his integral significance, besides being an elevation for the spirit and an indescribable comfort for the heart is the effective means to keep himself in continuous and close contact with the Lord.

By means of prayer, in fact, God comes close to meet us, his creatures, and we come close to meet ourselves with him, our creator. A life without prayer is a life full of dejection and loss. It is displaced, incapable of resisting temptation. That is why our religion transforms itself to continued elevation of the soul and in constant meeting with God.

As soon as he would wake up, Cono’s heart and his glance found the smile of Jesus, and at night as his last daily action he would recline his head to Christ’s heart. In his spare time, while others dedicated it to comfort and good times, Cono would retire himself to the feet of Jesus, alive and well in the Tabernacle, rhythming the beats of his heart to the alternating sways and crackle of the flame lit in front of the Tabernacle. In this way he managed to empty his heart of all that was not God. He detached himself from all creatures that could have minimally retarded his itinerary to God. Cono’s life of prayer made him docile and available to Grace and the divine will. With his thoughts, his will and his conduct nothing could be contrary to those and the will and conduct of God.

Faithful to the program of his Orders and to prayer, he also added work which became his daily occupation. Starting with his studies, he perfected himself in grammar and logic, under the able guidance of the religions scholar Father Modestro. He was, among others, the young man most attached to his scholastic duties. To make himself useful to communal life, he would seek for himself the most humble and burdensome tasks. He could often be seen sweating exhaustedly in the kitchen, washing the dishes or sweeping, cleaning the floors, etc.

His superiors, who were aware of his availability trusted him with the sacristy, the sore room and the dispensary and permitted him to spend his free time cultivating the garden of the Monastery. Work did not make his life ugly or materialistic because work served him to become stronger and elevated him to God. It also helped him to keep in constant union with the Lord. Cono did all with attentive diligence. Sanctity meanwhile, radiated from his soul and scattered his exhalation between the cloister walls to the imitation and the admiration of the entire monastic family.