Day 19 -- Padre Pio

Wow! Two great saints to choose from today! Who do I choose? Who do I choose....Padre Pio or St. Clare of Assisi? Hard choice....and anyone who knows me knows I have a hard time making choices so why not write about them both!! (Well technically the feast day of St. Clare is not today--it is August 11--the day she died, but today was the day we celebrate the finding of her body.) So I will focus write about Padre Pio.

I first remember hearing about Padre Pio from my mom when I was kid. She was explaining to me about the stigmata and how Padre Pio was someone who had that. I thought it was neat, to actually bear the wounds of Christ. Padre Pio first received the stigmata on September 20, 1918 while praying before a cross. He was the first priest to ever be blessed to receive the stigmata. 90% of people who receive it are women.

At 16 years old he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars in Italy and joined the order at age 19. He was ordained at age 22 on August 10, 1910. He would hear confessions for hours on end, and supposedly would be able to read the consciences of those who held back. It was said he was able to bilocate, levitate, and heal by touch. He founded a House for the Relief of Suffering which is a hospital that serves 60,000 people a year. In the 1920s he started prayer groups which continue today and have 400,000 members worldwide.

His canonization miracle was from the cure of a little boy named Matteo, the 7 year old son of a doctor who works at the House for Relief of Suffering. In 2000 Matteo was admitted with meningitis and the doctors had lost hope for him because nine of his organs didn't have signs of life. That night, during a prayer vigil with his mother and some Capuchin friars, Matteo's condition suddenly improved. He woke up from the coma and said he had seen an elderly man with a white beard and a long, brown habit say to him, "Don't worry, you will soon be cured." The miracle was approved by the Congregation and Pope John Paul II on December 20, 2001.

Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887 as Francesco Forgione. He died of natural causes on September 23, 1968. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002 in Rome. Here is information from the Vatican's website from his canonization.

There is a Padre Pio Shrine in New York City.

I have been hearing about saints my whole life and I do remembering asking my mom what a martyr was, so vividly that I remember where we even were in the house. I still am in awe of the heroic lives all the saints have lived. Reading about their lives, I hope has made me a better person these past couple weeks. I continue to look forward to what the Good Lord has in store for me and His plan for my life. I pray that I am open to receive His message.


QUOTES
"Pray, Hope, Don't Worry!"

"Always humble yourself lovingly before God and man, because God speaks to those who are truly humble of heart and enriches them this His gifts."

"Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers."


A Prayer by Padre Pio
May your heart always be the temple of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus always be the helmsman of your little spiritual ship. May Mary be the star which shines on your path and may she show you the safe way to reach the Heavenly Father. Amen.

A Prayer for Trust and Confidence in God's Mercy by St. Pio of Pietrelcina

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. 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.