feast day: September 23
patron of:
- civil defense volunteers
- adolescents
about:
- born Francesco Forgione
- commonly known as Padre Pio
- 25 May 25 1887 – 23 September 1968
- he became famous for bearing the stigmata for most of his life
- a Franciscan priest, stigmatist, and a mystic of the Roman Catholic Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin
- had a gift of healing, bilocation, levitation and supernatural knowledge
- Those close to him attest that he began to manifest several spiritual gifts including the gifts of healing, bilocation, levitation, prophecy, miracles, extraordinary abstinence from both sleep and nourishment (one account states that Padre Agostino recorded one instance in which Padre Pio was able to subsist for at least 20 days at Verafeno on only the Eucharist without any other nourishment), the ability to read hearts, the gift of tongues, the gift of conversions, and the fragrance from his wounds.
- At the time of Padre Pio's death, his body appeared unwounded, with no sign of scarring. There was a report that doctors who examined his body found it empty of all blood.
- He was often heard to say, "After my death I will do more. My real mission will begin after my death."
quotes:
- "The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain."
- "Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds Him."
- "The person who meditates and turns his mind to God, who is the mirror of his soul, seeks to know his faults, tries to correct them, moderates his impulses, and puts his conscience in order."
- "I want to be only a poor friar who prays - if God sees blemishes even in the angels, can you imagine what He sees in me!"
- "Don't let temptations frighten you. They are the trials of those souls whom God wants to put to the test when he sees them strong enough to sustain the battle, weaving with their own hands the crown of glory. Up to now your life has been that of an infant, now the Lord wants to treat you as an adult. And as the trials of adult life are much greater than those of an infant, this is why you find yourself rather disorganized in the beginning. But the soul will acquire its calm and the calm will not delay in coming. Be patient a while longer and everything will work out well!"
- "After my death I will do more. My real mission will begin after my death."
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PRAYER FOR THE INTERCESSION OF ST. PADRE PIO OF PIETRELCINA
Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant,
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.
You marked his body with the five wounds
of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness
to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son.
Endowed with the gift of discernment,
St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional
for the salvation of souls.
With reverence and intense devotion
in the celebration of Mass,
he invited countless men and women
to a greater union with Jesus Christ
in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
I confidently beseech You to grant me
the grace of (here state your petition). Amen.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.
You marked his body with the five wounds
of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness
to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son.
Endowed with the gift of discernment,
St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional
for the salvation of souls.
With reverence and intense devotion
in the celebration of Mass,
he invited countless men and women
to a greater union with Jesus Christ
in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
I confidently beseech You to grant me
the grace of (here state your petition). Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen (Say three times)
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A PRAYER FOR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S MERCY
O Lord,
we ask for a boundless confidence
and trust in Your divine mercy,
and the courage to accept
the crosses and sufferings
which bring immense goodness
to our souls and that of Your Church.
we ask for a boundless confidence
and trust in Your divine mercy,
and the courage to accept
the crosses and sufferings
which bring immense goodness
to our souls and that of Your Church.
Help us to love You
with a pure and contrite heart,
and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross,
as we climb the mountain of holiness,
carrying our cross that leads to heavenly glory.
May we receive You
with great faith and love in Holy Communion,
and allow You to act in us as You desire
for your greater glory.
O Jesus, most adorable Heart
and eternal fountain of Divine Love,
may our prayer find favor before
the Divine Majesty of Your heavenly Father.
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links/ sources:
- "Padre Pio Da Pietrelcina" (source: Vatican):
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20020616_padre-pio_en.html
- "Pio of Pietrelcina" (source:Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pio_of_Pietrelcina
- "Padre Pio Biography" (source: EWTN):
https://www.ewtn.com/padrepio/man/biography.htm
- "Saint Pio of Pietrelcina" (source: Padre Pio website):
http://www.padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/ENGLISH_index.htm
- "Novena to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina" (source: Padre Pio website):
http://www.padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/Novena.htm
- "Prayers of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina" (source: Christian Miracles):
http://www.christian-miracles.com/prayersofpadrepio.htm
- "St. Pio of Pietrelcina" (source:American Catholic):
http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1147
- "St. Padre Pio" (source: Catholic Online):
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=311
- "Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: A Short Biography of the Padre" (source: Catholicism):
http://catholicism.org/saint-pio-of-pietrelcina.html
- "Serving the Holy Mass of Padre Pio" (posted 1 May 2014) (source: The Shield of Faith):
http://divinefiat.blogspot.com/2014/05/serving-holy-mass-of-padre-pio.html
- "Padre Pio on the Holy Mass" (posted 7 May 2012) (source: Infallible Catholic):
http://infallible-catholic.blogspot.com/2012/05/padre-pio-on-holy-mass.html
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12 Sept. (Fri)- as i typed the words on one of Padre Pio's quotes as above ("Don't let temptations frighten you. They are the trials of those souls whom God wants to put to the test when he sees them strong enough to sustain the battle, weaving with their own hands..."), i heard a noise outside the main door of our house. it's like as if something like a foot (the size of a big dog) with a thick cloth covering kicked it softly twice (a loud one and then a not so loud one). it sent shivers down my spine/being and felt like my head grew bigger... i prayed and put on the rosary. i just realized that this battle isn't over yet... my opponent seems to feed on fear...hmmm... it knows that i'm a coward... =(
23 Sept. (Tue 9am)- i attended a healing mass today, feast of Padre Pio. my mother told me that she had a couple of dreams the night before we attended this healing mass. she dreamt of a priest healing her. she knows Padre Pio but is not familiar with how he looks like. when she saw Padre Pio's statue in front of the altar, she told me that the priest that she dreamt about looked like Padre Pio's statue. during communion, one of the elders in our community asked me to assist in praying over those who will get slain and help them stand up after they have rested in the spirit. i did as i was told. for some strange reason, my hand moved as if it had a mind of its own on some people when i prayed over those who got slain during the healing process. at times i felt my palms releasing some sort of a mild energy and at the same time i felt a bit heavy as if i was absorbing some negative energies from those people whom i was praying for. when the entire healing process was nearly finished, i stood in front of the altar near the statue of Padre Pio as i too seek to be healed. there were a couple of persons who wanted to stand closer to the healing priest so they can get healed. i thought maybe their need is more urgent than mine so i moved a few steps farther away to give them some space. when i looked up, i saw Padre Pio's statue. his eyes were looking straight at mine. i thought i won't be able to be healed as the healing priest was already letting other people touch/kiss Padre Pio's relic (a small piece of cloth which used to cover Padre Pio's hand when he was still alive). when the priest annointed me with Padre Pio's relic, i felt so light like paper and immediately got slain. i didn't even feel the hands of those catchers who assisted me when i fell flat on the floor. while i rested in the spirit, i felt a very warm energy around my head and shoulder areas. my eyes got filled with tears. i didn't want to open them as the tears will fall. after resting in the spirit, i got up and prayed a while inside the church and my tears rolled down. when we got home at exactly 12 noon, my family prayed the Angelus. while eating lunch, the middle part of my palms felt weird as if something unseen is pressing on it. the feeling continued so i prayed the prayer to Padre Pio and then prayed the Holy Rosary at 3pm. i thought maybe i'm just tired so i slept. when i woke up in the afternoon, the same feeling was still there. it's now 10pm and this weird feeling remains on both my palms. i don't know/understand what it is...it's been 3 days now, my palms still feel a bit prickly at certain parts of the day as if it has an invisible blister on it. i do hope this will go away...
