Blessed Feast of Holy Archangels ( September 29 )

The Church venerates today the Holy Archangels: Michael , Gabriel and Raphael . They stand out for their honest love for God’s most Holy Will. With such fidelity, St. Gabriel faithfully delivered the most important messages of human history to Zacharias and further to Holy and ever Immaculate Mary . St. Michael wrestled with lucifer and cast him out of Heaven. St. Raphael came to the aid of Tobias in the Old Testament and through him Lord is sending us health and protection . In these angels there isn’t any duplicity of heart. God is giving them a task and they truly fulfill it , with no proudness or duplicity of will .

In Sacred Scripture we find that the nine choirs of angels spoken of in Catholic theology can be found. These are the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones, the Dominations, Virtues and Powers, the Principalities, Archangels and Angels - three hierarchical groups, reflecting the triune nature of the Holy Trinity. We also learn about the Guardian Angels, the Angel of the Lord, the Living Beings and other names under which angels and their angelic responsibilities are known.

The Magisterium (or Teaching Office) of the Catholic Church has over the centuries added the weight of its apostolic authority, confirming and illuminating the doctrine on the Holy Angels.

Today we pray through the intercession of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael for protection, the ability to receive God's announcements properly, and for proper guidance. Praise the Lord all ye holy angels of God.

Lord, thank you for the example of these three Holy Archangels , of the Holy Apostles and Saints. The Holy Apostles and Saints ended up shedding their blood for You and the Holy Archangels aid us on our journey towards You. Lord, seeing so many lacking the faith, I resolve to be Your tireless instrument, like them, so that many may come to praise You for all eternity.

Lord, we give you thanks and praise today for all of Your Holy Archangels and Angels, especially Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. We thank You for loving us in good times and bad. Help us to be open to Your Word and the messages of Your angels when You speak to us through them. And may we one day, with all of the Angels and Saints in Heaven, give You due Praise, Honor and Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Respighi - St Michael the Archangel - Church Windows (2/4) Four Symphoni...

On Saint Padre Pio's Feast

Thanks be to God for our beloved and great Saint whose feast we're celebrating today!
Padre Pio, a humble Capuchin priest from San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, was blessed by God in many wonderful and mysterious ways.
Padre Pio became a spiritual director, guiding many spiritually, considering them his spiritual daughters and sons. He had five rules for spiritual growth, namely, weekly confession, daily Communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and examination of conscience.
Padre Pio bore the wounds of Jesus on his hands, feet, and side for 50 years.
On October 22, 1918, Padre Pio wrote to his spiritual advisor, Padre Benedetto, describing how he received the stigmata. "On the morning of the 20th of last month, in the choir, after I had celebrated Mass, I yielded to a drowsiness similar to a sweet sleep. All the internal and external senses and even the very faculties of my soul were immersed in indescribable stillness. Absolute silence surrounded and invaded me. I was suddenly filled with great peace and abandonment which effaced everything else and caused a lull in the turmoil. All this happened in a flash.

"While this was taking place, I saw before me a mysterious person similar to the one I had seen on the evening of 5 August. The only difference was that his hands and feet and side were dripping blood. The sight terrified me and what I felt at that moment is indescribable. I thought I should die and really should have died if the Lord had not intervened and strengthened my heart which was about to burst out of my chest.

"The vision disappeared and I became aware that my hands, feet and side were dripping blood. Imagine the agony I experienced and continue to experience almost every day. The heart wound bleeds continually, especially from Thursday evening until Saturday. Dear Father, I am dying of pain because of the wounds and the resulting embarrassment I feel in my soul. I am afraid I shall bleed to death if the Lord does not hear my heartfelt supplication to relieve me of this condition. Will Jesus, who is so good, grant me this grace? Will he at least free me from the embarrassment caused by these outward signs? I will raise my voice and will not stop imploring him until in his mercy he takes away, not the wound or the pain, which is impossible since I wish to be inebriated with pain, but these outward signs which cause me such embarrassment and unbearable humiliation"

On September 21, 1968, the day after the 50th anniversary of his receiving the Stigmata, Padre Pio experienced great tiredness. The next day, on September 22, 1968, Padre Pio was supposed to offer a Solemn High Mass, but feeling weak and fearing that he might be too ill to complete the Mass, he asked his superior if he might say a Low Mass instead, just as he had done daily for years. Due to the large number of pilgrims present for the Mass, Padre Pio's superior decided the Solemn High Mass must proceed, and so Padre Pio, in the spirit of obedience to his superior, went on to celebrate the Solemn High Mass. While celebrating the Solemn High Mass, Padre Pio appeared extremely weak and in a fragile state. His voice was weak when he said the Mass, and after the Mass had concluded, he was so weakened that he almost collapsed as he was descending the altar steps and needed help from a great many of his Capuchin confreres. This would be Padre Pio's last celebration of the Mass.

Early in the morning of September 23, 1968, Padre Pio made his last confession and renewed his Franciscan vows. As was customary, he had his rosary in his hands, though he did not have the strength to say the Hail Marys aloud. Till the end, he repeated the words "Gesù, Maria" (Jesus, Mary). At around 2:30am, he said, "I see two mothers" (taken to mean his mother and Mary). At 2:30 a.m. he breathed his last in his cell in San Giovanni Rotondo with his last breath whispering, "Maria!".

Therefore let us faithfully pray :

Dear Lord,
Please help us to bear our crosses as Padre Pio did. Help us to love one another and to never be afraid to bear the crosses of another. As Your Cross is the perfection of Love, let us unite our crosses to Yours in a perfection of our own love. Please strike us with Your chisel to make us perfect blocks. Please let us be clean of sin and have an insatiable desire for Your Kingdom.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ( Day 9 )

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

O holy Padre Pio, crucified without the cross, our existence, marked by the longing for eternity , is humanly inexplicable. Your whole life was one of total dedication to God and your fellow man and, like Christ, always doing good. The crowds rushed to you, to your Mass, to your Confessional, for your blessing, to your devotional practices... and returned home comforted and content.
Today you continue to be our defender before the throne of God and, every year, millions of people visit your tomb seeking grace or giving thanks for miracles obtained through your intercession.
Dear Padre Pio, with great trust we turn to you to beg your intercession and to seek refuge. Pray for us; obtain from God the graces we need. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
- That we be good witnesses of the faith for the world.
- That we pass on to future generations our way of life loving God and the Church.
- That, in this proud age so preoccupied in possessing more and more, we serve as witnesses to a higher value, as was our beloved Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.

Blessed Feast of Saint Matthew for everyone !

( Being in short of time I'm reposting my last year commentary for the Feast of Saint and Holy Apostle Matthew )

God of mercy, You chose a tax collector, St. Matthew, to share the dignity of the Apostles. By his example and prayers, help us to follow Christ and remain faithful in Your service. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Dear Levi, now known as Matthew, you were first a publican, a tax collector, and then a gatherer of souls for Christ after immediately following His call. Later you wrote wonderful accounts of your Jewish brethren of what Jesus, descendant of David, said and did as Teacher and Savior.
Make all accountants imitate your example in giving careful and honest accounts. Amen.

On this Feast of St. Matthew let us give honor to our Savior by confessing our sins to Him and rejoicing in His forgiveness. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, the heavenly Physician and Savior of sinners.

In the man Matthew we see who Jesus wants, who He came for.
He came for sinners.

He came for those who are so weighed down with their sins that they see no way out, no way to change, no hope for their lives.

The day that Matthew was called was probably not the first time Matthew had seen Jesus . But then, Jesus called to him: “Follow Me.” And, to those who were shocked at this, He said: “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” It is precisely such unworthy sinners as Matthew, and only such unworthy sinners as Matthew, that Jesus calls as His followers.

Jesus is most close to us when we are the most sinful – not when we go out and sin without thought or care, for this is being hard-headed and rebellious, and is offensive to God; but when we know we are unworthy of God and confess that there is nothing good in us. Jesus is the Savior of sinners, and this is why we humbly confess our sins. He is closest to us when we so confess. Jesus is also most honored by our simple confession of sins and trust in His death for our forgiveness.
Our Savior attests to this: Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
On hearing Christ’s voice, we open the door to receive him, as it were, when we freely assent to his promptings and when we give ourselves over to doing what must be done. Christ, since he dwells in the hearts of his chosen ones through the grace of his love, enters so that he might eat with us and we with him. He ever refreshes us by the light of his presence insofar as we progress in our devotion to and longing for the things of heaven .

Blessed Feast of Saint Matthew for everyone !

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ~~ Day 8 ~~

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

O holy Padre Pio, for Christians suffering is a necessary test of faith. God chose you to be a victim and you became a sacificial lamb as an offering for love. You offered yourself to God so that others may have life everlasting. Concern for the well being of others is a hallmark of Christian life. You bear your love to bring among men the presence of God, and thus profess your devotion to Him: "We must love others because they are visible images of God and to love them as God loves them... if God has willingly overwhelmed us with gifts, we cannot lock them up in a trunk without forsaking the good fruits that they must produce". Your love of God and humanity moved you to suffer with those who are suffering. It was impossible to eliminate suffering but you saw that you could bring relief and felt obligated to do something. Thus the great work to alleviate suffering was brought into being - The Home for the Relief of Suffering - your hospital!
We want to learn from you this sensibility. Never must we pass indifferently by our suffering brothers. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
- That the elderly and the sick receive from us the affection that they deserve.
- That we manifest our love of God with works of charity towards our fellow man.
- That we know how to awaken hope in the sick and that our hearts are always full of good will towards those who are suffering .Amen

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ~~ Day 7 ~~

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

O holy Padre Pio, man of faith and prayer, the multitudes of yesterday and today have come and continue to come to you: Why? They see a man of God, a man of great faith, a man become prayer, a man of suffering, one crucified without a cross... and they remain mute, contemplating your passing hours and hours on end in the choir loft, before the crucified Lord and at the feet of Our Lady of Grace. Who are you to those who come to you, you were asked one day, and you replied: "Among you I am a human being, on the Altar a victim, and in the Confessional a judge".
Your Mass was something magnificent! The people crowded close around the Altar, saw you transfigured by love and suffering, and believed!
The intensity of the ardour, with all proclaiming that you lived the Passion of Christ and that you were immolated with Him, was marvelous. Pope Paul VI recognized you with these words: "Look at the renown and the world wide following he has brought together around himself! Why? Because he celebrated Mass with humility heard confessions from morning to evening, and was a man of God".
Most dear Padre Pio, intercede for us before God, that we may live our faith as you lived yours, that Mass may become the source and the summit of our ardour and that our life passes into a constant, living communion with Him. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
-That the Holy Mass and the Eucharist may be the source and the summit of our faith.
-That, following your example, we live in constant communion with God.
-That we accept unsparingly the adversities that are placed before us as a test of our faith. Amen

Introduction for the Feast of Archangels ~~ September 29 ~~

I'm inviting you to join in praying   the Novena  dedicated to another important Feast of Liturgical Year : Feast of the Holy Archangels .
The Sacred Scriptures have revealed the proper names of only three Angels, all of whom belong to the Choir of the Archangels. The names are well known to all, namely: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael.Ancient apocryphal literature of the Old Testament contains several other names of Archangels in addition to the three just mentioned , but the Church does not permit proper names of Angels that are not found in the canonical books of the Bible ( all such names that were taken from apocryphal writings were rejected starting with Pope Zachary, in 745 ) .
Scripture gives no indication of the precise time of the creation of angels; it is assumed that they were created very early. Like us, angels were created in and receive God's grace and love. But because, unlike us, they are non-bodily creatures, their response to God's love did not require time and reflection to grow and mature. As soon as they were created and received grace, they had the opportunity to respond to God's love and be welcomed into bliss. For them, this choice was once and for all time.
This feast celebrates the three Archangels who were sent to man to proclaim wondrous messages, to defend mankind against the wickedness of the devil , to rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death .

Saint Archangel Michael's name is coming from the Hebrew , meaning: ? His name is a battle cry; both shield and weapon in the struggle, and an eternal trophy of victory.

In the Apocalypse (chapter XII) we find the most dramatic reference to St. Michael. Here John recounts the great battle in Heaven, when the wicked angels under Lucifer revolt against God, and how Michael, leading the faithful angels, defeats the hosts of evil and drives them out
As long as God's children are exposed to the attacks of evil in this world, Saint Michael's battle cry: "Who is like God?" will continue to scare and shatter all the forces of evil, and his powerful intervention in the struggle in behalf of the children of God will never cease.

Saint Archangel Gabriel's name comes from the Hebrew meaning "Man of God."

The name has alternately been translated "God is mighty" or "the strength/power of God." He was the blessed Archangel of Annunciation who revealed to humanity the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Beside the great role of God's messenger of Annunciation Saint Archangel Gabriel is met often in the Holy Bible , starting in Luke 1, when He was announcing other great news to Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zachariah initially refuses to believe that his barren wife, Elizabeth, and he will have a child in their old age. This is the moment in which Gabriel says, "I am Gabriel. I stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this this good news" (Luke 1:19)1. Finally, Gabriel was present during the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord , when he announced Christ's Resurrection to the Myrrh-bearing Women outside the tomb.

Saint Raphael's name means "God has healed."

Saint Raphael Archangel is one of seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord. The history of Tobias, father and son, contains the grandest angelophany of the whole Bible, and it all revolves around the manifestation of the Archangel Raphael under the assumed name and form of a beautiful young man named Azarias. At the very end of his long mission the Archangel revealed his own identity and his real name, together with the actual purpose of his mission: "And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara thy son's wife from the devil. For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord." The health-giving ministry of Saint Raphael may still be seen in the miraculous cures that have taken place up to our own times in many of the sacred Shrines throughout the Christian world.

Therefore let us faithfully pray : Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ~~ Day 6 ~~

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

O holy Padre Pio, from childhood you offered yourself as a victim for others. God accepted your aspiration, and at San Giovanni Rotondo, you became "another Christ" suffering. Of your interior struggles you said: "Who will be able to discover the interior martydom that I suffer? A single memory of those inner battles makes my blood run cold in my veins. I heard the voice that called me to obey you, O God, but your enemies tyranise me, wrench my bones and contort my entrails...". One day, on your body, appeared the stigmata. You desired to be a victim for all, for those that you knew and for those that you didn't know, for the just and the unjust. From the time of your discharge from military service you had become aware of much evil in the world, and you offered yourself for the Church and you asked God that He discharge on you His punishments for these evils as necessary propitiation: you wanted to bear the punishment for the sins of others.
Blesses Saint Padre Pio grant to us from God the ability to accept sufferings and to make them an offering of love. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
-That our sufferings become the portal to a union with Christ.
-That God will help us comprehend the efficacious power of accepting our crosses.
-That God will teach us how to accept and offer our sufferings to Him.Amen

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ~~Day 5~~

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

O holy Padre Pio, your life was simple and far from easy. You were tried by suffering and temptations and the pain rendered your heart like a pruned grapevine. Never did you desire that your suffering become visible exteriorly and you preferred to suffer in silence. To be seen wounded was not important because you knew that it was God who wounded you; you have learned well that to accept suffering does not mean neither to be sorry, neither to love suffering but rather to accept that it therefore humbles one, as the earth accepts rain from the heavens that penetrates to its depths. In this way you coped, Padre Pio, and were able to hide your suffering with the roses of serene acceptance.
Teach us to have an authentic christian attitude toward suffering so that its purifying and evangelistic action can be completed in us. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
-That we understand suffering in a christian context.
-That we accept in the spirit of faith our illnesses and those of our brothers.
God have Mercy , blessed Saint Padre Pio pray for us !

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ~~ Day 4 ~~

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

O holy Padre Pio, in the friary you began a new life, the results of which you already knew, as you yourself said: "I was only 16 years old but I knew that I had to dedicate myself in order to even better the call of my voluntary commitment and to become competent in philosophy and theology. It was a communal life that demanded a strong spiritual enrichment...": No one mislead you. Your mother, when you left for the friary, said: "Knowingly you have come along to the door of your new house... Now, with your Brothers, return to the work as always. Remember me in your prayers and never forget that, above all you are a son of God and St. Francis. How much is asked, but you do not merit grief from your own loved ones, if that does not give you joy to have found the true way of life... ". Thus began your life as a Religious. Instil in the Church a generous spirit capable of leaving all to follow Christ. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
That God will help us comprehend the efficacious power of accepting our crosses.
That all priests will be witnesses of the faith as a resource to the people.
That all priests remain in communion with the Pope and the Bishops.
Amen

Feast of the Stigmata of Saint Francis ~~ September 17 ~~

( Saint Francis painted by Federico Barocci , an Italian Renaissance painter )
Just a few days ago we celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Today, the Holy Church celebrate the mystery of the Cross made visible in the flesh of the Poor and Holy Man Francis of Assisi . St. Francis bore on his hands, feet, and side the signs of the Passion of Christ.
St. Francis of Assisi, after spending many nights in prayer on the mountain, offered one final prayer. “My Lord Jesus Christ, I pray You to grant me two graces before I die: the first is that during my life I may feel in my soul and in my body, as much as possible, that pain which You, dear Jesus, sustained in the hour of Your most bitter Passion. The second is that I may feel in my heart, as much as possible, that excessive love with which You, O Son of God, were inflamed in willingly enduring such suffering for us sinners.”
Praying for many hours afterwards, he suddenly saw a Seraph coming down from Heaven with six flaming and glorious wings. It came close to St. Francis so he could see him up close. When the Seraph did this, St. Francis noticed the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. In those moments, he experienced what Christ thought, felt and experienced during the crucifixion and he felt profound grief for His suffering.
And in an instant, the Seraph struck St. Francis and he was immediately imprinted with the stigmata, the wounds of Christ. The light from the vision was said to be so bright that many people saw Mount Alverna aglow most of the night.
Therefore let us glorify the Feast of Saint Francis receiving the Stigmats of our Crucified Lord Jesus Christ and let us faithfully pray :

Almighty God, You renewed the marks of the sufferings of Your Son in the body of our holy Father Francis in order to inflame our hearts with the fire of Your Love. Through his prayers may we be conformable to the death of Your Son and thus share also in His Resurrection.
Lord, may the humble and devout prayer of Saint Francis sustain us.
Through this offering may we always experience within us the saving benefit of the sufferings of Your only begotten Son , our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . Amen

St. Francis, the little poor man of Assisi, we invoke you as the admirable mirror you were of our Divine Master. You imitated Christ the Lord in your humility and obedience. You faithfully followed Him in poverty and weakness. With joy you accepted suffering, contempt, and trials for the sake of His Name. In your goodness, help us, then, to imitate your example. By your power with God, obtain for us the special favor we now seek through your intercession
(here our prayer intention )
Please pray for us, gentle and Holy Saint of the poor, that we may always be loyal followers of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and filled always with divine riches. Amen.

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ~~ Day 3 ~~

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

Beloved Padre Pio, today I come to add my prayer to the thousands of prayers offered to you every day by those who love and venerate you in Jesus name. They ask for cures and healings , earthly and spiritual blessings, and peace for body and mind. And because of your friendship with the Lord, he heals those you ask to be healed, and forgives those you ask be forgiven in Jesus’ name.

Through your visible wounds of the Crucified Jesus, which you bore for 50 years, you were chosen in our time to glorify the crucified Jesus. Because the Cross has been replaced by other symbols, please help us bring back the veneration of the wounds of Jesus Christ, for we acknowledge His Precious Blood as true a sign of salvation, cleansing and purification.

As we lovingly recall the wounds that pierced your hands, feet and side, like beloved Jesus Christ, we not only remember the blood He shed as you also shed in pain, along with your smile, and the invisible halo of sweet smelling flowers that surrounded your presence, certainly the Scent of The Lord, symbolic as the perfume of sanctity.

Padre Pio, may the healings of the sick become the testimony that the Lord has invited you to join the holy company of Saints. In your kindness, please help me with my own special request: (mention here your petition, and make the sign of the Cross).

Bless me and my loved ones. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Intentions:
- So that all the services that we lend are expressions of faith in the Gospel.
- So that we know to remain near our poor and needy brothers.
- So that our lives are an expression of Evangelical service in words and deeds.

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ~~ Day 2 ~~

The Second Day
Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

O glorious Padre Pio, from infancy you offered yourself to God as an instrument of reparation. With your impoverished family you began to grow in age, wisdom and goodness. Your father, dreaming of a better tomorrow, left for Argentina and you, who said, "My father went far away from his wife and children in order to provide all of us with something to eat", recognized the courage of this gesture. Your mother undertook the task of providing for the family by working in the fields so that nothing would be lacking.
We have your testimony that you left us to serve as a lesson: "From early childhood we worked with commitment. We worked for our daily bead. Our affection devolved on our parents. With them we struggled in the great battle of life.. " May the Lord grant to us dedication to good works, devoutness, and a close relationship with our families. This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
- that the family loves and honours God, for that the family that prays together remains united.

Novena to Saint Padre Pio's Feast ( September 23 )

Padre Pio used to say
"Unite yourself to my prayers."
"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."
Let us always remember to :
"Pray, hope and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer... Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions you should speak to Him only with your heart..."
Therefore join in prayers Novena for the Feast of Saint Padre Pio , a great saint of modern times , a holy man and intercessor for each one of us .

Introductory Prayer ( for each day )

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!

I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your Light and Your Grace.
Lord, abide with me!

In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!

Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!

Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!

Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The First Day

O glorious and Holy Padre Pio, we are at your feet, turn your gaze to us. We are devoted to you; we admire your life and follow your teachings, and have experienced the power of your intercession. While you lived in this world, multitudes of people arrived every day in San Giovanni Rotondo to recognize and behold your credence, to receive pardon through your word, to hear your teachings and to invoke your intercession. With this same love and conscious of the glorious power of your prayers before God, we are prostrate at your feet.
Pray for us. We entrust ourselves to you, certain that you will obtain for us from God the graces of which we are in need. We ask this in the Name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Intentions:
- That the Lord grants to the world and to the Church responsible, faithful leadership.
Let us pray.
- That every family be healthy in body and spirit. Amen