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St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

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1St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Empty St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:35 pm

Easter-won

Easter-won

The church Honor him today ,September 23

Saint Padre Pio, canonized in Rome on June 16, 2002 by Pope John Paul II.
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Padre Pio was the first priest in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to bear the wounds of Christ (the stigmata) on his body.  He bore the stigmata for 50 years, and lived in the twentieth century in Southern Italy, passing away in 1968. Though basically a cloistered monk, he erected one of the greatest hospitals in all of Europe, which he called the House for the Relief of Suffering. He spent most of his time in the confessional, where he could read the sins of penitents in their hearts, and often reminded them of transgressions that they themselves had forgotten.




His miracles are so many and so fantastic that one has to be prepared to learn about them a little at a time, otherwise it would lead to incredulity. The words of Christ, "greater signs than these you shall do because I go to the Father" were fulfilled in the life of Padre Pio.    He was declared Venerable by the Church on December 18, 1997, the first step on the way to canonization. He had many detractors and suffered great persecution, in addition to the painful wounds of the stigmata, most of his priestly life.



Last edited by Easter-won on Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:14 pm; edited 5 times in total

Easter-won

Easter-won

Padre Pio: A Patron Saint for the Unborn

The Blessed Mother said to him: “I am entrusting this unborn child to your care and protection.”

by Frank M. Rega, S.F.O.

     

     While two patron saints are generally invoked for the protection of the unborn, St. Joseph and St. Gerard Majella, neither is specifically assigned by the Church for that cause.  St. Gerard is in fact the Patron of Expectant Mothers, and by accommodation becomes a patron for the unborn.   St. Joseph has often been proposed as a patron saint of the unborn, because of his role as protector of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church.  However, St. Padre Pio has a specific claim to this honor, a prerogative that was confirmed by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself.  




    The story begins in 1905, well before he became famous for his stigmata and other spiritual gifts. At that time he was still a seminarian, known as Brother Pio, and was assigned to the humble friary of St. Elia a’ Pianisi, in southern Italy.  After his involvement in an unusual and striking spiritual encounter, Brother Pio immediately wrote everything down and handed it to his spiritual director, Padre Agostino.  The note eventually became part of the documentation presented to the Vatican during the process of his canonization over seventy-five years later.  Here is what occurred, in Brother Pio’s own words:




Several days ago I had an extraordinary experience.  About 11:00 in the evening [of January 18, 1905] Brother Anastasio and I were in the choir.  Suddenly I found myself at the same time in the palace of an extremely wealthy family.  The master of the house was dying just as his daughter was about to be born.




Then the Blessed Mother appeared and, turning to me, said, “I am entrusting this unborn child to your care and protection.  Although she will become a precious jewel, right now she has no form.  Shape and polish her.  Make her as brilliant as you can, because one day I would like to adorn myself with her.”




I replied, “How can this be possible?  I am only a poor seminarian and don’t even know whether I will have the joy and good fortune to become a priest.  Even if I do, how will I ever be able to take care of this girl since I will be so far way from here?”




The Blessed Mother admonished me, “Don’t doubt me.  She will come to you, but first you will find her in the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome.”




After that I found myself back in the choir.










    Until now, this note has been considered important primarily because it is the first documented instance of St. Pio’s supernatural gift of bilocation.   However, in the light of today’s battle against the abortion holocaust, another aspect of the note takes on added significance.   That is, the words of the Blessed Virgin to Brother Pio: “I am entrusting this unborn child to your care and protection.”  




    What greater recommendation could there possibly be for Padre Pio to be the patron saint of the unborn, than that given by the Blessed Mother herself?  She specifically entrusted the care of an infant still in her mother’s womb, and whose father lay dying, to a young seminarian destined to become one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church.  Furthermore, she called this girl about to be born a child; she was not a lump of flesh or a blob of tissue, whose life could be legally snuffed out in today’s world by a heinous partial birth abortion procedure.




    The name of the child was Giovanna Rizzani. Events happened as Our Lady had predicted, and Padre Pio did meet Giovanna, now a young girl, in St. Peter’s Basilica in 1922.  It was another case of bilocation, where he heard her confession and resolved her doubts about the faith.   The next year, she did come to see him, again as Our Lady had prophesized, and she realized he was the friar who had heard her confession in Rome.  At this latest encounter, Padre Pio explained to her the vision and supernatural events of 1905 when he witnessed her father’s death.  He explained that the Virgin Mary had entrusted her to him in order to direct and perfect her soul.




    For the next forty-five years, until Padre’s passing in 1968, Giovanna visited him often for spiritual direction, and confessed almost exclusively to him.  On one occasion she asked him, “Padre, do you really care for me?  He replied: “How could I not care for you.  You are the first born of my heart.  Love Jesus.  Love Our Lady, who thought of you before you were born!” 1,2,3      










Abortion: “That’s Killing!”




    Padre Pio’s horror of abortion is made clear in an incident told to one of his biographers, Rev. Bernard Ruffin, and recounted in the book Padre Pio: The True Story. 4  Ruffin had interviewed a gentleman named Albert Cardone, who stated that he had learned of Padre Pio from a woman who had gone to the saint for confession.  After the woman had enumerated all the sins she could recall, Padre Pio asked her, “Try to remember the other sin.”  She said that she could not think of anything more, and Padre Pio told her to visit the cross that is at the top of the mountain, and to recite fifteen Ave Maria’s and Our Fathers as a penance.  She then returned to Padre Pio’s confessional a second time, and he asked her if she remembered all of her sins.  She insisted that she remembered all of them, but the Padre replied, “No, you still don’t remember all.”  He sent her once again to the cross on the mountain.  The scenario was repeated a third time, and she still did not recall any other sins.  Finally, in a loud voice, Padre Pio said, “Don’t you know he could have been a good priest, a bishop, even a cardinal?”  




    The poor woman began to cry, exclaiming that she did not know abortion was a sin.  The saint countered with, “What do you mean, you didn’t know that this was a sin? That’s killing!” The woman said that no one had been told of the abortion except for her mother, and asked how he could say that the child would have been a priest or a cardinal.   Padre Pio answered by repeating, “But it’s a sin, a great sin.” In other words, it did not matter what his position in life would have been.  




    The Padre Pio literature is replete with stories of infertile couples asking Padre’s intercession for the grace of childbirth.   The following story is typical.




During confession, among other things, I manifested to him my great desire to become a father.  I had been married for three years, but my wife had not succeeded in having a child.  I had her visit the most famous specialists and all of them said that we had to resign ourselves to the situation.  There was no other alternative but to ask for a miracle from Padre Pio, and I did so.  He replied to me:   ‘Do not worry about this, for within a year you will become a father.’  Although I realized that to believe in these words meant denying the medical evidence, my heart was filled with joy.  As the Padre had predicted, in 1944 I became the father of a lovely little girl. 5  




(It is important to note here that Padre Pio never attributed miraculous cures and occurrences to himself, but always to the grace of God and his Virgin Mother.)




Often he would even successfully predict whether the child would be a boy or a girl.  One day an officer in the Carabinieri (State Police) and his expectant wife visited Padre Pio.   He asked the saint what name they should give to the soon-to-be-born baby.




“Name him Pio.”




“And what if it is a girl?”




“I said, call him Pio!”




When the time arrived, the newborn boy was given the name of Pio.




Two years later, the same officer went to San Giovanni Rotondo to ask Padre Pio what they should name their second child, who was expected shortly.




“Call him Francesco.”




“But Padre, I grant that you were right last time, but what if it is a girl?”




“Man of little faith!”




A beautiful child was born, and given the name Francesco. 6










    Padre Pio is currently known as the patron saint of civil defense volunteers, after a group of 160 of them petitioned the Italian Bishops’ conference.  The Bishops forwarded the request to the Vatican, which gave its approval to the designation. 7   He is also “less officially” known as the patron Saint of stress relief and the “January blues,” after the Catholic Enquiry Office in London proclaimed him as such.   They designated the most depressing day of the year, January 22, as Don’t Worry Be Happy day, in honor of Padre Pio’s famous advice:  “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” 8 (Quite interesting that the British found the 22nd, the day of Roe v. Wade in the USA, as their most dismal day too.)




    Perhaps the latter patronage is a little tongue-in-cheek, but that of the civil defense volunteers is  quite legitimate.   It is significant to note that it only took 160 signatures for the Vatican to give its official approval to that designation.  Incidentally, Padre Pio believed 8 children was an ideal family size.  










References




1.     D’Apolito, Padre Alberto, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, Our Lady of Grace Friary, 1986, pp. 275-296.  




2.     D,Apolito, Padre Alberto, “Protected by P. Pio all of her life,” The Voice of Padre Pio,” Volume III, no. 1, 1973, pp. 7-9.  




3.     Schug, Fr. John A.,  A Padre Pio Profile, Petersham MA., St. Bede’s Publications, 1987, pp. 14-30.




4.     Ruffin, Rev. C. Bernard, Padre Pio: The True Story, Huntington, IN., Our Sunday Visitor, 1991, pp. 296-297.




5.     Allegri, Renzo, Padre Pio, Il santo dei miracoli, Milano, Mondadori, 2002, p, 311, present writer’s translation.  




6.     Del Fante, Alberto, Per La Storia, Bologna, Anonima Arti Grafiche, 1949, p. 474, present writer’s translation.  




7.     “Italy makes St. Padre Pio patron of civil defense volunteers,” http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2004/03/30/WORLD-1/




8.     “Saint Pio of Pietrelcina,” http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/pio.shtml



Last edited by Easter-won on Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:16 pm; edited 2 times in total

3St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Empty Re: St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:39 pm

Easter-won

Easter-won

The famous cure of Bishop Karol Wojtyla's good friend Dr. Wanda Poltawska through the intercession of the Saint of the Gargano

Rumors that Padre Pio had predicted that the Polish Bishop would be Pope are denied

_____________________________

Copyright 2005, Frank M. Rega

www.frankrega.com







    In the early 1960’s Angelo Battisti held two important positions in the Church. He was the administrator for Padre Pio’s hospital, the Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza, located just across the piazza from the Capuchin friary at San Giovanni Rotondo. In addition, he worked in the offices of the Vatican Secretary of State. Shuttling back and forth between Rome and San Giovanni was a weekly occurrence for Battisti, and he was known as a close personal friend of Padre Pio’s. Thus, it was not altogether unusual when in November of 1962 he was asked by a colleague in the secretariat, Guglielmo Zannoni, to deliver an urgent letter to Padre Pio. The letter had been passed on to Zannoni by a Polish monsignor who would eventually become a Cardinal, Andrej Deskur. [notes 1,2] But this important letter was not written by Deskur himself. Instead, it was composed by another Polish prelate, a bishop from Krakow by the name of Karol Wojtyla.




    Bishop Wojtyla was in Rome as a member of the Polish episcopate that was attending the opening session of the Second Vatican Council, which had convened in October. Not long after his arrival in Rome, he received disturbing news about a close friend and collaborator, Dr. Wanda Poltawska. Wojtyla had known Poltawska and her husband Andrei from his earliest days as a priest in Krakow. She had been very active in various Catholic youth movements in Poland prior to the Second World War. But when the nazis came to power, she was arrested and imprisoned for five years in a concentration camp, where she underwent intense sufferings. Along with other Catholic women, she was forced to submit to "medical experiments" performed by nazi doctors at the camp. [3]




    After the war, she resumed her university studies and her involvement with Catholic youth. At that time, Karol Wojtyla was assigned by his superiors to Saint Florian parish, in the center of Krakow, where he was in charge of the student chaplaincy. This enabled him to personally reach out to the younger men and women. One of ways he did this was by holding conferences to discuss theology and philosophy, areas in which he was already degreed. The popularity of his conferences drew a large following, including the young couple, Wanda and Andrei, who were pursuing careers in medicine and philosophy respectively. [4]




    The bond between the new prelate and those who attended his talks and discussions was cemented by his charisma, intelligence, and warmth. He became the spiritual leader and mentor of a close circle of friends. Soon, small groups of students, inspired to learn more about the humanitarian, social, and religious discussions that Wojtyla led, joined him on week-long mountain retreats, which included kayaking and camping.  Although Poland was under soviet communist domination, they celebrated Mass together in the open, which was forbidden by the regime. [5]  These excursions were held a few times each year.




   Dr. Wanda Poltawska was a specialist in family issues, and made important contributions to Wojtyla's early thought on family matters. [6]  Many of her ideas were incorporated in his first non-fiction book Love and Responsibility in 1960, and eventually influenced Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae. [7]   Much later, after Wojtyla had become Bishop of Krakow, she assisted him in founding an Institute for the Family at the curia.




    Though still a young man, Karol Wojtyla had lost both of his parents and his brother, and had no real family of his own. But his loneliness was assuaged by the deepening of his friendship with the Poltawskas. The couple’s own family life had been enriched with children, and eventually Wanda and Andrei were blessed with four young ones. Wojtyla was so close to them that they grew up calling him their "uncle."




    As the years progressed, he earned two doctorates, became a university professor, and eventually was nominated auxiliary bishop of Krakow. Then, while participating in the Second Vatican Council in Rome, he received the tragic news from his adopted family that Wanda had been diagnosed with an intestinal tumor. The doctors had decided to operate, and if the growth were cancerous, she was given only eighteen months to live. [8]  They also told her that there was a ninety-five percent chance that the tumor was malignant.




    When the news that his close friend and collaborator had been hospitalized reached Bishop Wojtyla, he immediately began to ask for prayers from his fellow priests, friends, and religious sisters. Wojtyla prayed intensely that further tragedy would not strike this woman, who had endured five cruel years in a concentration camp. Dr. Poltawska was only forty years old, and her four children still needed her. The Polish bishop’s thoughts soon turned to a man he had not seen for fifteen years, a man whose sanctity and prayers he greatly respected.










Karol Wojtyla’s visit to Padre Pio




    In the long-ago summer of 1947, Wojtyla had been a priest for less than a year. He was in Rome in the midst of a two-year study program, working on his first doctorate. Extremely interested in Carmelite spirituality and mysticism, he had chosen for his dissertation topic the mystical theology of Saint John of the Cross. It was in Rome that he first heard about another Catholic mystic, a Capuchin rather than a Carmelite, whose fame had not yet spread beyond the iron curtain into Poland. He was said to bear the wounds of Christ, the only priest ever to do so, and he lived only half-day’s journey by train and bus from Rome.




    During a break in the school year, Wojtyla decided to visit this modern-day mystic, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. He spent almost a week in San Giovanni Rotondo that summer, and was able to attend Padre Pio’s Mass and make his confession to the saint. Apparently, this was not just a casual encounter, and the two spoke together at length during Wojtyla’s stay. [9]   Their conversations gave rise to rumors in later years, after the Polish prelate had been elevated to the Papacy, that Padre Pio had predicted he would become Pope. The story persists to the present day, even though on two occasions "Papa Wojtyla" has denied it. In 1984, the Capuchin Minister General, Bishop Flavio Carraro personally asked him about the prediction. Also Monsignor Riccardo Ruotolo, president of Pio’s hospital, The House for the Relief of Suffering, asked the same question of the Pope three years later. On both occasions the Holy Father emphatically denied that Padre Pio had made such a prophecy. [10]




    Back in Rome, the news reaching Bishop Wojtyla about the condition of his dear friend Wanda Poltawska continued to be ominous. A major operation to stem the growth in her intestine now loomed a few days hence. With no time to lose, he took pen in hand and hastily wrote a short, urgent letter to Padre Pio in Latin. The letter, written on the official stationery of the diocese of Krakow, was dated November 17, 1962. Brief and to the point, the Bishop pleaded:




Venerable Father, I ask for your prayers for a certain mother of four young girls, who lives in Krakow, Poland (during the last war she spent five years in a German concentration camp), and now her health and even her life are in great danger due to cancer. Pray that God, through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin, has mercy on her and her family. Most obligated in Christ, Karol Wojtyla. [11]




    Since it was essential that the letter arrive as soon as possible, Bishop Wojtyla, acting through intermediaries, enlisted the help of Angelo Battisti in order to have it hand-delivered to Padre Pio. Battisti’s positions at the Vatican Secretary of State and as the administrator for Pio’s hospital, guaranteed him virtually unlimited access to the saint at almost any hour. He was told that the letter was of utmost importance, and was asked to leave at once and deliver it personally to Pio. The hastily summoned messenger later remarked: "I had never received such an urgent assignment. I quickly went home to get my car, and departed immediately." [12]










This One Cannot be Refused!




    Battisti drove to the friary at San Giovanni Rotondo and headed straight for Padre Pio’s room. There he found the priest seated with his head bowed over his chest, engrossed in prayer. The messenger held out the envelope, explaining that it dealt with a pressing matter. Without moving, Pio simply replied, "Open it and read it." He listened in silence as Angelo Battisti read the letter, and remained silent for some time afterwards. Battisti was now surprised that this missive had to be urgently delivered; it seemed to be similar to the torrent of grave requests about life and death matters that daily reached Padre Pio, imploring his prayers. Finally, the Padre raised his head, and with a serious demeanor turned towards the messenger. "Angelo, to this one [questo] it is not possible to say no!" Then he bowed his head as before and resumed praying.




    Battisti understood that by using the term "questo", a masculine pronoun, Pio was referring to the person (this one) who sent the letter. On the drive back to Rome, he thought about the many years he had known Padre Pio, and how every single word he wrote or spoke was carefully chosen and had a profound significance. He did not use the feminine "questa," which would have referred to the request or to the letter itself. No, it was "questo" – he who sent it – that could not be refused. But who was this Polish Bishop? Though Battisti worked at the Secretariat of State, he never heard of him. Nor, he found out when he arrived at  the Vatican, had any of his colleagues ever heard of Bishop Wojtyla. Yet, why had Padre Pio considered him so important? [13]




    The operation to remove the tumor in Dr. Poltawska’s intestine was to take place on a Friday in late November, 1962. On Saturday, Bishop Wojtyla telephoned the sick woman’s husband Andrei to learn whether or not the tumor had been malignant. Andrei started to explain that the operation never took place because the doctors had found that there was nothing they could do. The Bishop immediately began to console his friend, believing that the cancer had been declared inoperable. Andrei interrupted: "Oh no, you do not understand...The doctors are confronted with a mystery... They could not find anything." [14]  The growth, which had been previously confirmed as present by the doctors, had now completely disappeared! For Bishop Wojtyla, only one explanation for this cure was possible – the prayers that Padre Pio had raised to heaven.




    At the time, the Poltawskas knew nothing about their friend’s letter to the holy man of the Gargano, and they did not find out until later. In fact, the couple had never heard of Padre Pio, since Poland was still a closed-off Iron Curtain country, and there was little opportunity for them to learn about events in the free world. Thus, at first Wanda attributed the results to the one-in-twenty possibility that it was an inflammation which had healed on its own, and not a tumor at all. [15]




    Upon hearing the good news, Bishop Wojtyla composed a second letter to Padre Pio, this time thanking him for interceding before God for this mother of four children. In the letter dated November 28, again in Latin, he clearly attributes the doctors’ failure to find any diseased tissue to divine intervention.




Venerable Father, the woman living in Krakow, Poland, and mother of four children, on the twenty-first of November, prior to the surgical operation, was suddenly cured. Thanks be to God! And also to you venerable father, I offer the greatest possible gratitude in the name of the woman, of her husband, and all of her family. In Christ, Karol Wojtyla, Capitular Bishop of Krakow. [16]




    Once again the bishop’s letter was consigned to Angelo Battisti, with instructions from Vatican officials to immediately carry it to San Giovanni Rotondo. He departed at once, and upon reaching Our Lady of Grace Friary, the messenger approached Padre Pio in his cell. As before, Pio spoke the simple command: "Open it and read." This time Battisti himself was extremely curious, and upon reading aloud "the truly extraordinary and incredible news" he turned to Padre Pio in order to congratulate him. But the friar was immersed in prayer. "It seemed that he had not even heard my voice as I was reading the letter." [17]   The minutes passed by in silence, and finally the Padre asked Angelo to keep these letters from Bishop Wojtyla, because some day they would become very important.




    Returning to Rome, Battisti secured the letters in a safe place, and as the years passed, he almost completely forgot about them. Then, after sixteen years, the evening of October 16, 1978 arrived. Gathered with the crowds in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica, he waited anxiously for the announcement of the name of the new pope. When he heard the words "Karol Wojtyla," Battisti was stunned. His first thoughts were of the words of Padre Pio from long ago, "Angelo, to this one it is not possible to say no!" – and then tears came to Battisti’s eyes. [18]










Confirmation of the Miracle




    Five years after her sudden 1962 cure, Wanda Poltawska had a rare opportunity to travel from communist controlled Poland to Rome. By then information on Padre Pio had begun to reach her from various sources, and she had learned of the letters sent to him by Wojtyla, asking for his prayers and subsequently thanking him for her healing. But as a medical doctor herself, she was still inclined to believe that the absence of any tumor at the time of the scheduled surgery was due to a mistaken diagnosis.[19]  "It seemed too difficult to comprehend a supernatural intervention." [20]




    Hoping to learn more about Padre Pio, attend his Mass, and perhaps meet him in person, she journeyed from Rome to San Giovanni Rotondo in May of 1967. Thanks to a friar she had spoken to the day of her arrival, on the next morning she was led through the sacristy to a seat near the altar for Padre Pio’s 5:00 am Mass. She could thus closely observe the Capuchin as he celebrated "...with incredible intensity and with an expression of suffering on his face." [21]  To her, Padre Pio’s Mass meant much more than the experience of God’s presence during the consecration of the Holy Eucharist. She was able to perceive Christ’s Passion itself as it was reflected in the sufferings of Padre Pio as the Mass progressed. The stigmatized friar’s own agony, the bloodstains from his wounds, the perspiration running from his forehead, all invoked the sense of Christ’s own Calvary. "This sacrifice of the altar was truly the representation of the Passion of Christ." [22]




    Afterwards, Wanda gathered with many others in the sacristy, waiting to greet the holy Padre. He passed by quite close to her, walking slowly on his pierced feet. Looking around at the people, he stopped, and then gazed directly at her. A smile then beamed on his face, as he approached nearer, patted her on the head, and said, "Adesso, va bene?" (Now are you all right?). She was speechless! [23]  The other women around Dr. Poltawska wondered who she was, since she had been conspicuously singled out by their beloved Padre. All she could say to them was, "I am from Poland." [24]




    The moment Padre Pio’s eyes met hers, she understood that he recognized her, and now knew for certain why she had not needed an operation several years earlier. It was not because of a wrong diagnosis, but because, "...this monk had come into my life in such an extraordinary way because the Archbishop of Krakow had asked for it." [25] And Padre Pio had known at the time he received the urgent request from Karol Wojtyla that "this one" could not be refused. [26]

Easter-won

Easter-won

St. Padre Pio's Secret: His Shoulder Wound


    Shortly after World War II was over, a young Polish priest who was studying in Rome, Fr. Karol Wojtyla, visited Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo. This encounter took place around 1947 or 1948. At that time in post-war Italy, it was possible to have access to Padre Pio, since travel was difficult and great crowds were not besieging the Friary. The young priest spent almost a week in San Giovanni Rotondo during his visit, and was able to attend Padre Pio’s Mass and make his confession to the saint. Apparently, this was not just a casual encounter, and the two spoke together at length during Fr. Wojtyla’s stay. Their conversations gave rise to rumors in later years, after the Polish prelate had been elevated to the Papacy, that Padre Pio had told him he would become Pope. The story persists to the present day, even though on two or three occasions "Papa Wojtyla" denied it.




    Recently, new information about this visit has come to light, according to a new book in Italian published by Padre Pio's Friary, Il Papa e Il Frate, written by Stefano Campanella (1).  As reported in this book, the future Pope and future Saint had a very interesting conversation.  During this exchange, Fr. Wojtyla asked Padre Pio which of his wounds caused the greatest suffering. From this kind of personal question, we can see that they must have already talked together for some time and had become at ease with each other. The priest expected Padre Pio to say it was his chest wound, but instead the Padre replied, "It is my shoulder wound, which no one knows about and has never been cured or treated." This is extremely significant, not only because it reveals that Padre Pio bore this wound, but because, as far as is known, the future pope is the only one to whom Padre Pio ever revealed existence of this secret wound.




    Centuries earlier, Our Lord himself had revealed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux in a vision, that his shoulder wound from carrying the heavy wooden cross caused him his greatest suffering, and that the cross tore into his flesh right up to the shoulder bone.




    At one time, Padre had confided to his paisano from Pietrelcina, Brother Modestino Fucci, that his greatest pains occurred when he changed his undershirt. (Brother Modestino is currently the doorkeeper at Padre Pio’s friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.) Modestino, like Fr. Wojtyla, thought Padre Pio was referring to pains from the chest wound. Then, on February 4, 1971 Modestino was assigned the task of taking an inventory of all the items in the deceased Padre’s cell in the friary, and also his belongings in the archives. That day he discovered that one of Padre Pio’s undershirts bore a circle of bloodstains in the area of the right shoulder.




    This reminded Brother Modestino that he had once read about a devotion to the shoulder wound of Jesus, caused by his bearing of the heavy cross beam, the patibulum, to Calvary. The beam could weigh up to 100 pounds. Part of this devotion to the shoulder wound of Christ is to pray daily three Our Father’s, Hail Mary’s and Glory Be’s, to honor the severe pains and lacerations Our Lord suffered from the weight of the patibulum.




    On that very evening of February 4, 1971, Brother Modestino asked Padre Pio in prayer to enlighten him about the meaning of the bloodstained undershirt. He asked Padre to give him a sign if he truly bore Christ’s shoulder wound. Then he went to sleep, awakening at 1:00 AM with a terrible, excruciating pain in his shoulder, as if he had been sliced with a knife up to the shoulder bone. He felt that he would die from the pain if it continued, but it lasted only a short time. Then the room became filled with the aroma of a heavenly perfume of flowers – the sign of Padre Pio’s spiritual presence – and he heard a voice saying "Cosi ho sofferto io!" – "This is what I had to suffer!" Modestino remarked that he had a strange sensation after the pain subsided: that being deprived of this pain was also a suffering. His body had suffered from it, but his soul had desired it. He said, "It was painful and sweet at the same time."




    What is the mystical and spiritual significance of the shoulder wound of St. Padre Pio? The book by journalist Saverio Gaeta, Sulla Soglia del Paradiso (2), reports that Padre Pio said this of his spiritual children: "When the Lord entrusts a soul to me, I place it on my shoulder and never let it go." From this statement, it can reasonably be inferred that the saint offered up the suffering and the extreme pain of his shoulder wound for his spiritual children.




    Cleonice Morcaldi once said in the presence of Gaeta, "On the shoulders of Padre Pio rests the whole world and the Church." This expression seemed an exaggeration to the writer. But on the very same day that Gaeta had heard this, he later joined Padre Pio and some others in conversation. Padre Pio was telling the story of St. Christopher, and how he had carried the child Jesus on his shoulders across a river. Then, turning his gaze to look directly at Saverio Gaeta, Padre Pio pointedly said to the writer, "On my shoulders is the whole world."




References:




1.  Campanella, Stefano, Il Papa e Il Frate, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, Edizioni Padre Pio da Pietrelcina, 2005.




2.  Gaeta, Saverio, Sulla Soglia del Paradiso, Edizione speciale per Famiglia Christiana, San Paolo Edizioni, 2002.




Based on the author’s earlier article in the December 2007 Newsletter of the Padre Pio Foundation, Cromwell, CT., USA www.padrepio.com

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Our Lady of Grace Friary

71013 SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO (FG), Italy


[ This letter is an exceptional explanation of Christian perfection. Padre Pio explains the twofold action of the Holy Ghost -- internal and external. The first virtue is Charity with Joy and Peace as it's wonderful fruit. The role of trials and the need for patience. Kindliness, Forbearance, Meekness and faithfulness; Modesty, Continence and Chastity. ]

Letter 29 - Pietrelcina, 23 October 1914.

Feast day greetings and prayers. The spirit of wisdom. three principal considerations. Christian perfection. internal and external elements. How we must act: mortification and self- denial. Postscript.
J.M.J.D.F.C.



Beloved daughter of Jesus,



May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (1) be always with you and with your family. Jesus wants me to write to you for your feast day and I therefore willingly do so. Imagine what my feelings are as I send you my greetings for this day. You are no stranger to my sentiments with regard to your spiritual and corporal well-being and thus we understand each other. May our most sweet Jesus redouble His heavenly blessings upon you and invariably give you the strength to overcome all the snares of our common enemy. I dont wish you worldly happiness and prosperity, both because such things are by no means suited to a soul espoused to the Crucified and because you have no desire for them.




Take care not to heed the Evil One if he suggests anything to you with regard to my concern for you. Dont listen to him, for you know he is a liar. Listen to Jesus alone who comes to you in His own name, and that is enough.




Unworthy as I am, although I pray continually for your growth in the spiritual life, I promise you that on your feast- day I will send up my feeble pleas to Gods throne with greater confidence and filial abandonment, imploring Him and doing gentle violence to His divine Heart so that He may grant me the grace of increasing heavenly wisdom in your soul, so that you may have a clearer knowledge of the divine mysteries and of Gods immensity.




Yes, ask for this grace yourself and ask the heavenly Father to grant it also to me. Do this through the intercession of the saint whose name you bear and through your good Guardian Angel as well. This is the finest grace that can be asked by and on behalf of those who aspire to the spiritual life, namely, an increase of heavenly light. This is a light which cannot be acquired either by prolonged study or through human teaching, but which is directly infused by God. When the righteous soul obtains this light, it comes to know and love its God and eternal things in its meditations with extreme clarity and relish. Although it is nothing but a light of faith, it is still sufficient to produce such spiritual consolation that the earth, in the first place, disappears from view, while all that this world can offer is seen to be worthless.




We must ask the Spirit, the Comforter, to enlighten us with regard to three great truths in particular. Firstly, to make us increasingly aware of the excellence of our Christian vocation. The fact of having been chosen, having been elected among innumerable others and knowing that without any merit on our part, this choice, this election was decided by God from all eternity, before the foundation of the world (2), for the sole reason that we might be His in time and in eternity, is such a great and at the same time such an enchanting mystery that the soul, even though it understands so little of all this, cannot but melt away with love.




Secondly, let us pray that He may enlighten us more and more as to the immensity of the eternal inheritance which has been reserved for us by the goodness of the heavenly Father. May our discernment of this mystery turn our hearts away from earthly goods and make us eager to arrive at our heavenly home.




Finally, let us pray to the Father of all light to enable us to penetrate more and more deeply into the mystery of our justification, how wretched sinners like ourselves have been led to salvation. Our justification is such an enormous miracle that Sacred Scripture compares it to the Resurrection of our divine Master (3). Yes, my dear, our conversion from ungodliness is such that it can well be said that God revealed His power more fully in our justification than in drawing heaven and earth from nothing, since there is a greater contrast between the sinner? and grace than there is between non-existence and being. Non-existence is less far from God than is the sinner. In point of fact, since non-existence is the lack of being, it has no power to resist Gods will, while the sinner as a being, and a free being, is capable of resisting all Gods wishes. Besides, in creation there is question of the natural order, while the justification of the ungodly belongs to the supernatural and divine order.




Oh! If all men could only understand the extreme wretchedness and dishonour from which Gods omnipotent hand has rescued us. Oh! If we could only perceive for a single instant that which still amazes the heavenly spirits themselves, namely, the state to which Gods grace has raised us, to be nothing less than His own children, destined to reign with His Son for all eternity!




When it is granted to a human being to fathom this, that person cannot live anything but a heavenly life. 0 wretched condition of human nature! How often would the heavenly Father not be willing to reveal His secrets to us were He not compelled to do otherwise, since by our own malice we have rendered ourselves incapable of receiving these secrets. May the Lord be pleased to put an end to such squalor and wretchedness. May Satans kingdom come to an end once and for all and may justice triumph everywhere.




In our meditations let us frequently dwell on the truths which I have set forth so far, for in this way we shall be strengthened in virtue and our thinking will Je rendered more sublime.




Certain that it will give you pleasure, I want to speak to you about something very useful, namely, Christian perfection. I already feel my strength failing me and it would be well to end this letter here, but since Jesus wants me to speak to you a little on the subject I have mentioned, I am making every possible effort to satisfy Him.




(a) The person who desires to be perfect needs to undertake a twofold action: internal action and external action. Let us speak a little, in the first place, about the former, while we can deal with the latter afterwards.




The first virtue required by the person who is striving for perfection is charity. In all natural things, the first movement, the first inclination or impulse is to tend towards the center, in obedience to a physical law. The same thing happens in the supernatural sphere: the first movement of our hearts is a movement towards God, which is nothing more than loving our own true good. With good reason Sacred Scripture speaks of charity as the bond of perfect harmony. (4)




Charity has as its close relatives joy and peace. Joy is born of happiness at possessing what we love. Now, from the moment at which the soul knows God, it is naturally led to love Him. If the soul follows this natural impulse which is caused by the Holy Spirit, it is already loving the Supreme Good. This fortunate soul already possesses the beautiful virtue of love. By loving God the soul is certain of possessing Him. When a person loves money, honors and good health, unfortunately, he does not always possess what he loves, whereas he who loves God possesses Him at once.




This idea is not the product of my own mind but is to be found in Holy Scripture where we read: He who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (5). What does this scriptural passage mean to tell us? Does it not, perhaps, mean that the soul devoted to God out of love belongs entirely to God, while God gives Himself entirely to that soul?




Joy, then, is an offspring of love, but if this joy is to be true and perfect it must be accompanied inseparably by the peace which pervades us when the good we possess is supreme and certain. Now, is not God the Supreme Good which the soul loves and which it possesses as the result of loving Him?




This Good, as well as being supreme, must also be certain. Our divine Master assures us that no one will take your joy from (6). What testimony could be more certain than this? Pondering on all this one cannot fail to experience great gladness. This is what leads people to face the most painful trials with a cheerful heart.




It must be noted, however, that as long as we are wayfarers on this earth we can never be perfect, and hence we can never enjoy perfect peace. Trials and contradictions are so many and the conflicts by which the soul is harassed so numerous as to cause it agony at times, to the point at which life itself becomes unbearable. All this arises because the soul sees itself in danger of utter ruin.




Now, to stand up to such harsh trials the soul needs patience, a virtue which enables us to bear all adversity without giving in. Those who are striving for perfection must attribute great importance to this virtue unless they want their efforts to be completely wasted, for it is this virtue which maintains order in ones interior life.




From what has been said up to this point it is clear that love, joy and peace are virtues which perfect the soul with regard to what it possesses, while patience perfects it with regard to what it endures.




(b) This is what is required for interior perfection. As regards exterior perfection, certain virtues are required, some of which concern the manner in which the one seeking perfection must behave towards those around him, while others concern the control of his own senses.




As regards the virtues to be practiced in dealing with others, the first is kindliness. By this virtue the pious soul, by showing agreeable, courteous and polite manners with no trace of uncouthness, draws others to imitate him in the devout life.




But all this is still very little. We must come down to actual practice and here at once we have kindliness, a virtue which leads us to be helpful to others. Here it is well to point out two very important things to those who are striving for perfection. First of all, they must be aware of it if the other person is not responding to the help that is being offered him. Secondly, they must realize it when the other person not only fails to derive benefit from their help but, what is worse, responds at times with offenses and insults. The undiscerning are often deceived here. May God forbid that we should fall into such snares prepared for us by the enemy in order to ruin us and deprive us of the reward due to our efforts.




We must therefore arm ourselves against the first snare by the noble virtue of forbearance. This is a virtue which leads one never to desist from one s efforts to help others, even when they are deriving no benefit from this help. We must protect ourselves against the second snare by cultivating meekness, which makes us stifle our anger even when we see our efforts repaid with ingratitude, insults and offenses.




But all these fine virtues are not yet sufficient if we do not add to them the virtue of faithfulness, by which the devout soul gains the confidence of others and all become aware that his behavior is straightforward and free from duplicity.




There are, moreover, three virtues which perfect the devout person with regard to control of his own senses. These are: modesty, continence and chastity. By the virtue of modesty the devout person governs all his exterior acts. With good reason, then, does St. Paul recommend this virtue to all and declare how necessary it is and as if this were not enough he considers that this virtue should be obvious to all. By continence the soul exercises restraint over all the senses: sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing. By chastity, a virtue which ennobles our nature and makes it similar to that of the Angels, we suppress our sensuality and detach it from forbidden pleasures.




This is the magnificent picture of Christian perfection. Happy the one who possesses all these fine virtues, all of them fruits of the Holy Spirit who dwells within him. Such a soul has nothing to fear and will shine in the world as the sun in the heavens.




Let us now consider what we must do to ensure that the Holy Spirit may dwell in our souls. It can all be summed up in mortification of the flesh with its vices and concupiscences, and in guarding against a selfish spirit.




As regards mortification of the flesh St. Paul warns us that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. From this holy apostles teaching it is apparent that anyone who wants to be a true Christian, that is to say, who lives according to the true spirit of Jesus Christ must mortify his flesh for no other reason than devotion to Jesus, who for love of us mortified his entire body on the cross. The mortification must be constant and steady, not intermittent, and it must last for ones whole life. Moreover, the perfect Christian must not be satisfied with a kind of mortification which merely appears to be severe. He must make sure that it hurts.




This is how mortification of the body is to be practiced, for not without reason does the apostle tall it crucifixion. However, someone may take a stand against this and ask why the flesh is to be treated so severely. Foolish, one, for if you considered your words attentively, you would realize that all the evils which hurt your soul can be traced to failure to practice due mortification of the flesh, either through ignorance or lack of the will to do so. If you want to be cured, if you want to remedy your trouble at the very roots, you must master your flesh and crucify it, for it is the source of all evil.




The apostle adds that crucifixion of the flesh is to be combined with crucifixion of the vices and concupiscences. Now our vices are all our sinful habits, while the concupiscences are our passions. We must mortify and crucify them continually if they are not to lead to sins of the flesh. A man who limits himself to bodily mortification is like the fool who builds without laying any foundation.




I also said that if we are to allow the Holy Spirit freedom to act in our souls, we must mount guard over the spirit of self which, if we are not careful, seeps in even when we have mortified the flesh.




I began with the apostle and I intend to continue with him to the end. Whenever I read his Letters, which I prefer to all other holy writings, words cannot express how much I relish them. Well, then, he tells us in this respect: If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit,as if he wished to say for our edification: Do we want to live a spiritual life, moved and guided by the Spirit of the Lord? Let us take care, then, to mortify our selfish spirit which puffs us up, makes us impulsive and leads to aridity of soul. In a word, we must be careful to subdue vainglory, irascibility and envy, three evil spirits to which most men are slaves. These three spirits are extremely opposed to the Spirit of the Lord.




I hope with Gods help to show you in a further letter the vileness of these three spirits: vainglory, irascibility and envy. For the moment this will suffice, for I have no more strength. For the past few days I have been more ill than usual. May Gods will be done. Meanwhile, let us end with the words of the holy apostle: Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.




I send greetings to all in the Lords embrace, wishing you His choicest blessings.




Believe me, as ever,




Your poor servant,




Fra Pio, Capuchin.







P.S. Whenever you find anything in my letters which you do not sufficiently understand, please ask me for an explanation. I am saying this once and for all. I don;t want to work in vain and fail to obtain the result intended by Jesus.




Why did you not answer the letter I sent you on the 10th of this month? I believe Padre Agostino gave you to understand my intentions in asking you to reply on a picture postcard. I hope you won;t refuse me the charity for which I begged in my last letter.




I have now been assured, and you can guess by whom, that a letter addressed to me has just left your hands. I have been told that this letter will cause me great pain. Dear God! What can have happened? It seems to me that I have been waiting a thousand years for this letter




Be consoled in the meantime and consider that although I am in ignorance of the misfortune that has befallen you, I want to tell you that it is Jesus who has been pleased to bestow this gift on you.

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St. Padre Pio - Celebrates the Eucharist

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The Extraordinary Perfume of Padre Pio

Padre Clemente da Postiglione, Capuchin, lived in the same friary with Padre Pio for many years. The following is his story. He wrote:







On October 3, 1923, the vigil of the feast of St.Francis and the day I was to leave San Giovanni Rotondo for Montefusco, I went to see Padre Pio, to take leave of him after my short stay at the friary.  I found him in the sacristy of the old church, where he received me with a smile and full of kindness. When I went towards him to embrace him and to say goodbye to him, I was surrounded by an intense odor of violets, so intense that I was almost overcome. At the same time this perfume bound me so tightly to the Padre that I could not succeed in moving away from him.







When, after many efforts, I sought to take leave, this perfume became so strong and drew me nearer to the beloved Padre, who did not tire of smiling at me and embracing me. So it was for about ten minutes. For me it was an experience as welcome, pleasant and unforgettable as could be.







As to the question of perfume, this is what happened to me on another day. I was in  residence at San Giovanni Rotondo and I was bringing Holy Communion to the sick. One winter morning it was snowing. As God willed, I arrived at the home of Dr. Sanguinetti, the doctor who was instrumental in building Padre Pio’s hospital, “The Home for the Relief of Suffering.”







When I rang the bell I found myself surrounded by a strong perfume. To tell you the truth I thought it came from the ladies of the house, and I said to myself, “Those blessed ladies! They are always thinking of putting perfume on themselves!”







Returning to the friary [and realizing the fragrance  was not from the ladies], I told the story to Padre Pio and asked him, “Padre, why did you make me smell your perfume?” Padre Pio replied, “Because I love you.”







“Thanks be to God, who...through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing Him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God.”

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

8St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Empty Re: St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:15 pm

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Links to Other Padre Pio Sites

http://www.padrepiodevotions.org/links.asp

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http://www.padrepiodevotions.org/2010january.asp

Father Peter Rookey, OSM recently spoke with us about his trip to visit Padre Pio in the early 1950's.
This is his story:


I joined the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites) and was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1941. In 1954, I was appointed as Assistant General of the Servite order. I was sent to Rome and spent six years at this assignment. Two times I traveled from Rome to San Giovanni Rotondo to visit Padre Pio and make my confession to him. I spoke Italian and I was glad that there would be no language barrier. I also wanted to talk to Padre Pio about the many problems I encountered as Assistant General for the Servites. It was a difficult job in many ways. I felt that Padre Pio could help me with his advice.


Padre Pio did indeed help me. He gave me advice which I have never forgotten, even after these many years. He said to me, "Always, and in all circumstances, be obedient to your superiors." It was his habit to say a few simple words but his words were filled with wisdom.


At the time I visited San Giovanni Rotondo, Padre Pio said Mass at the side altar of St. Francis at the monastery of Our Lady of Grace. When it was time for the Mass to begin, Padre Pio came out of the sacristy with two Capuchins, one on either side. It was apparent to me that they were there to protect him. They reminded me of bodyguards. Padre Pio said the Mass very slowly with many long periods of silence. He went into ecstasy several times during the Mass and became completely still.


I had made arrangements with the Capuchins to say my Mass after Padre Pio was finished with his. At the conclusion of his Mass, the same two Capuchins stood one on either side of him and escorted him back into the sacristy. The simple side altar of St. Francis had just the bare essentials - an altar cloth, two candles, water and wine, and a crucifix. As Padre Pio walked toward the sacristy, I approached the simple altar where he had just said Mass. As I did, I perceived the beautiful fragrance of roses filling the church. It was a heavenly fragrance, not of this earth. I knew that it was a special blessing imparted by Padre Pio for all who were in the church that day. – Father Peter Rookey, OSM



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10St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Empty Fr. Bing video Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:48 pm

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Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8
 

The three divine person imbue this sublime creature with all her privileges, her favor, and her grace, and with all of her holiness. the eternal father created her pure and immaculate and is well pleased in her for she is the worthy dwelling of his only son.through the generating of his son in his bosom from all eternity, he forecasts the generation of his Son as Man in the pure womb of this Mother, and he clothed her from her conception in the radiant snowy garment of grace and of most perfect sanctity.

she participates in his perfection. the Son who chose her for his Mother poured his wisdom into her that from the very beginning, by infused knowledge, she knew her God. she loved and served him in the most perfect manner as he never until then had been loved and served on this earth. the holy spirit poured his love into her ; she was the only creature worthy or capable of receiving this love in unlimited measure because no other had sufficient purity to come so near to God; and being near to him could know and love him ever more. she was the only creature capable of containing the stream of love which poured into her from on high. she alone was worthy to return to him from whom came that love. this very love prepared her for that "Fiat" which delivered the world from the tyranny of the infernal enemy and overshadowed her, the purest of doves, making her pregnant with the Son of God.

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

12St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Empty L 'last Mass of Padre Pio Mon Feb 15, 2010 5:24 pm

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April 19, 2010 - San Giovanni Rotondo was the day of the transfer of the relics of Padre Pio from the old sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie to the new vault gold produced under the new church.



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14St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Empty Novena to St. Padre Pio Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:19 am

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Novena to St. Padre Pio
September 14 –  September 22
Feast Day – Thursday, September 23


First Day

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you had the signs of the Passion of Christ on your body. You carried the stigmata for everyone, enduring both the physical and mental sufferings in a continual sacrifice. We ask you to pray for us, so that we may be able to accept the crosses we too must bear during our life here and offer our sufferings to God.


“It is to your advantage to commit yourself to the sufferings that Jesus will send to you. Jesus cannot tolerate seeing you afflicted and he will come to you and comfort you, blessing you with many graces for your soul”. Padre Pio

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

I. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you". Behold I knock , I seek and ask for the grace of ...

... Our Father - Hail Mary - Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.



II. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you." In Your Name I ask the Father for the grace of ...


... Our Father - Hail Mary - Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.



III. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away." Encouraged by Your promise, I now ask for the grace of ...


... Our Father - Hail Mary - Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.


O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your Mother and ours.


... the Hail Holy Queen ... St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus, pray for us.



Second Day

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, together with Our Lord, you were able to withstand the temptations of the Evil One. You suffered beatings and oppression from the demon of hell, who wanted to have you abandon your journey of holiness. We ask you to pray for us so that, with your help and the help of all of the Heavenly Kingdom, we will find the strength to renounce sin and persevere in faith until the moment of our death.

“Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil. Remember this forever; it is a healthy sign if the devil shouts and roars around your conscience, since this shows that he is not inside your will”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART (above)



Third Day


St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you love Our Lady and you received graces and consolations daily through her intercession. We ask you to pray to Mary for us. Place our petitions in her hands, so that, as at Cana, her Son may say ‘yes’ to her and grant our prayers.


“Mary has to be the star that illuminates your path and she will show you the secure way to go to the Celestial Father. She will be an anchor to which you must cling in the hour of temptation”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART



Fourth Day

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you loved your guardian angel, who served you well as your guide, defender and messenger. Angels would often bring to you the prayers and petitions of your spiritual children. Pray for us, that we may learn to call on our own guardian angel, who is always ready to inspire us to what is truly good and holy.


“Invoke your Guardian Angel, who will enlighten you and guide you. God has given him to you for your protection, therefore, you should use him accordingly”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART



Fifth Day


St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you had a great devotion to the souls in purgatory, for whom you offered yourself in order to cancel their debt. Pray for us, and ask God to send us the same interest, compassion and love that you have for these souls. In this way, we will also contribute to reducing their suffering and, with our sacrifices and prayers, win for them their necessary Indulgences.


“My God, I beg you; let me bear the punishments that have been prepared for sinners and the souls in Purgatory. Multiply these punishments for me, so that you may forgive and save the sinners and free their souls from purgatory”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART



Sixth Day


Obedient St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you loved the sick more than yourself, because you saw Jesus in them. You performed miracles by healing patients in the name of Jesus, thereby giving them peace of mind. We beg you to pray for us, so that sick patients, through the intercession of Mary, can be healed and their bodies restored so that they may thank and praise God forever.


“If I knew that a person was afflicted in his mind, body or soul, I would beg God to set him free of his affliction. I would gladly accept the transfer of his affliction to myself, so that he may be saved, and I would ask that he benefit from the fruits of these sufferings... if the Lord would allow me to do it”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART



Seventh Day


Blessed St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you have worked in “God’s Plan for Salvation”, by offering your sufferings to free sinners from the chains of the Devil. We beg you to pray for us, so that unbelievers will be converted to the faith, that all sinners will repent in their hearts and that those with lukewarm hearts will find renewed enthusiasm for a Christian life. Finally, pray for all those who are faithful, so that they will persevere on their way to salvation.


“If the people of the World could only see the beauty of ones soul when it is in the grace of God, all sinners and unbelievers of this world would be instantly converted”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART



Eighth Day


Pure St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you experienced great love for your spiritual children and have helped them by purchasing them for Christ with the giving of your blood. Please grant us, who have not met you personally, the opportunity to be considered your spiritual children. In this way, with your protection, guidance and strength, you will obtain for us a special blessing from God, so that we may meet Him on the day of our death at the gates of Heaven.


“It would be most fulfilling, if God would grant me just one wish (if it were possible); that He would say, “Enter Heaven!” This is my one true wish; “That God would take me to Heaven at the same time that the last of my children and the last of the people who submitted to my priestly care have entered”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART



Ninth Day


Humble St. Pio of Pietrelcina, you who loved the Roman Catholic Church, pray for us. May the Master send workers to the harvest and give them the strength and knowledge needed to be children of God. Pray that Our Holy Lady will unite Christian people everywhere, comforting all of them in one great house of the Lord, the lighthouse of our salvation in the storm of life, as a lighthouse is a beacon for safe return when there is a storm at sea.


“You must always keep yourself on the straight and narrow path in the Holy Catholic Church because She is the only Bride of Christ and can bring you peace. She alone possesses Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, who is the true Prince of Peace”. Padre Pio


PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART


I. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you". Behold I knock , I seek and ask for the grace of ...

... Our Father - Hail Mary - Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.



II. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you." In Your Name I ask the Father for the grace of ...


... Our Father - Hail Mary - Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.



III. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away." Encouraged by Your promise, I now ask for the grace of ...


... Our Father - Hail Mary - Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.


O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your Mother and ours.


... the Hail Holy Queen ... St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus, pray for us.

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Our Lady For Life » Saints Of Blessed Mother » Saints » St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

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