May the Most Sweet Child Jesus

I want to wish you a most blessed Christmas by sharing with you a holy blessing from Saint Padre Pio. He wrote the following on December 30, 1915, from his monastery home in Italy. ( Saint Padre Pio is the famous stigmatist-priest who bore the five bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified for fifty years.)

"May the most sweet Child Jesus bring you every grace and blessing, all the favors that are pleasing to His infinite goodness." (Saint Padre Pio's Letters, Volume Two)

During this holy Christmas season, if you have a need, ask Padre Pio to take it to Jesus for you. Jesus will never forsake you.

With love, Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

No One Can Take Your Joy From You

Hold onto joy, my dear friend whom I love. Hold onto joy, for God is the God of joy. Saint Padre Pio—the famous stigmatist-priest who bore the five bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty years—exuded joy to all he met. According to Malachy Gerard Carroll, in his book Padre Pio, written while the Saint was still here on earth, “Christianity means joy, joy even in the midst of pain. It means the gift of eyes that see the rim of eternal hope on the edge of the world, the eternal hills beckoning across the valley of tears. Holiness is a cleansing of spiritual vision, and with that cleansing comes joy. The greatest, the deepest joy of all, therefore, is in the heart of the Saint.”

And Saint Padre Pio knew that joy. He held that joy in his heart and he shared it with all he met. Please allow now his words to place some of that joy in your own heart today: “Joy, then,” says St. Padre Pio, “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 you’ [John 16:22]. What testimony could be more certain than this?” continues St. Padre Pio. “Pondering on all this you cannot fail to experience great gladness. This is what leads us to face the most painful trials with a cheerful heart.” (St. Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume Two)

May the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus fill you to overflowing with His love, peace, and joy! Amen.

Don't Feel Guilty

Do you ever feel guilty because your ailing and/or aging body won’t allow you to do all of the good things you used to do for love of God and His people? “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” said Jesus.

As vehement as he was about Christians regularly attending worship services, Saint Padre Pio—the famous stigmatist-priest who bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty long years—often ordered ailing and/or aged spiritual children to be easy on their bodies. For example, he forbade one of his dearest friends and “servants”—Mary Pyle, a once-Protestant American who went to live near Padre Pio’s monastery in Italy after she met him—to go to church services because “Brother Body was too heavy and her energy was no longer that of a young girl.” (see p. 118 in Mary Pyle, by Bonaventura Massa)

Of course, like Mary Pyle, you want to keep going, keep doing everything you’ve been doing, since you were young and strong and healthy, but “Brother Body”—or Sister Body—won’t allow it. Saint Padre Pio said to Mary Pyle in her suffering, “Fasten yourself to the Cross until He who was crucified comes to take out the nails.” In support of Padre Pio’s words, here is what Saint Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and this life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

In conclusion, here is a blessing for you from Saint Padre Pio: “May Jesus be always with you; may He sustain you in all the trials which He sends you out of sheer goodness; and may He fulfill in you His holy will for your salvation and for the salvation of all the other souls He wants to save. Amen.” (Saint Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume II, p. 557)

May Jesus always smile on you, my dear friend whom I love.
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

The Heavenly Homeland and You

So, the winter is dark. So, your life sometimes seem dark too. Never fear. The Divine Helmsman—as Saint Padre Pio called Jesus Christ Our Lord—is in charge of your life. Jesus will never fail you. Here is what Saint Padre Pio says to you today: “Live tranquilly and trust in the Divine Helmsman, if you want to come into Port [Heaven] soon, safely and rich in merit. … …continually praise God for the steadfastness He gives you in submitting yourself to His loving trials. … You must eliminate even that little residue of restlessness and worry in desiring to be freed soon, because it impedes the last effects of your patience, which is more perfect when it is least mixed up with disturbances and worries. Do not be frightened if the hour of trial is lengthy. … Do not strive to know why Jesus wants this, but remember that the sons [and daughters] of Israel were in the desert for forty years before reaching the Promised Land…. Courage, I beg you! Pay no attention to the path of trial, but I invite you to keep your eyes constantly fixed on He who guides you to the Heavenly Homeland.” (Saint Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume Three)

I love you, my friend!
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

God's Blessing for You

“May Jesus totally possess your heart and render you worthy of His singular purpose for your life!” This is what Saint Padre Pio’s blessing is for you today, my friend whom I love. St. Padre Pio—the famous stigmatist-priest who bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty years—wrote these words to a spiritual child, and if you have asked Padre Pio to be your spiritual guide, then you, too, are his spiritual child, and his blessings are for you too: “May Jesus totally possess your heart and render you worthy of His singular purpose for your life!” Amen.

What about God’s blessing for you today? Here it is from God’s Holy Word: “’He that would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile; let him turn away from evil and do right; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those that do evil.’ Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is right? But even if you do suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord.” (1 Peter 3:10-15) Amen.

May God richly bless you, my friend whom I love.
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

God Will Bless Your Work and Give You Strength

Have you been putting a lot of time and effort into some sort of good work, merely because you love the Lord and His people? Have you been waiting to see the fruits of your labor and are still waiting to see them? Don’t give up.
Saint Padre Pio—the famous stigmatist-priest who bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified for fifty years—offers you today this encouragement: "God has warmed with His rays of love the seed that has been sown." So if God has indeed warmed with His love your efforts, don’t give up. God is not going to give up on you!
And for further encouragement, from God Himself, here is what the Holy Spirit says to you today, “As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Did you catch that one phrase: “as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies”? Yes, all you have to do is ask God for the strength to continue doing good works for Him. He will not fail you. You are His hands, feet, and voice. Don’t give up.
Love, Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

Your Shepherd Forever

So, my dear and precious friend in Christ, how are you feeling today? What problems are weighing you down? I thought I’d share with you some thoughts from the Psalmist and Saint James and Saint Padre Pio to lift up your spirits. All three of them were plagued by troubles and so they understood exactly how you feel when you are plagued with them too.

First, what if I share what Saint James says in James 1:2-4? “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Now, for a few words from our Psalmist, but first, let me suggest that you use the following as your own prayer, your own cry to God, Who is your Helper, your Savior, your Friend: “O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their Shepherd, and carry them forever.” (from Psalm 28)

And what kind and wise words does Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist-priest who bore the five ever- bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty long years, have to encourage you today? “I feel very weak, but I am not afraid,” says Saint Padre Pio, “for Jesus will see my anguish and the weight that oppresses me. He has told us…that, ‘As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear Him.’” (from Saint Padre Pio’s Letters)

I love you, my dear and precious friend. Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

God's Love Will Guard You

What difficulties are you facing today? If you want to do so, you can right now—and every day—entrust yourself and your loved ones to the Lord, and He will surely take care of you. He loves you with an unconditional Love that we can’t even imagine; it is a Love that guards and guides us, if we entrust ourselves to Him. Here is His promise of exactly that, from Scripture, which my brother shared with me the other day. It is one of the scripture verses he memorized and took comfort from while in military combat for many years. We, too, are in combat of one sort or another every day of our lives, don’t you think? No matter what you are combatting, though, God is guarding you with His unfathomable Love. Here is one of my brother’s favorite verses, and it is God’s promise to you too:

“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace, which transcends all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Now, I always like to leave you each week with a word from Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist-priest who bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty years:

“Let us humble ourselves deeply and confess that if God were not our breastplate and our shield, we should at once be pierced by every kind of sin. This is why we must invariably keep ourselves in God by persevering in our [prayers], so let this be our constant concern. We must continually keep alight in our hearts the fire of love and never lose courage. If some languor or spiritual weakness overtakes us, we must hasten to the foot of the Cross, immerse ourselves in the heavenly perfumes, and we shall undoubtedly be invigorated.” (Saint Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume One, page 1023)

I love you, my dear friend, and pray for the very best for you that God has! Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

I Need to Forgive Someone

Today I thought I'd share an experience with you which I had this week. Someone in our family, whom I thought for sure I had forgiven, came to my mind. Suddenly I recalled so many of the rotten things she had done and said to me over a period of about thirty years. So I'm telling you this now as sort of a personal confession and also to share with you what Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist-priest, said about forgiveness. One day a young woman came to him and told him how badly she'd been treated by her husband's relatives. "So, you hate them?" asked the Padre, peering at her with his dark penetrating Italian eyes. "Yes, Padre Pio." He didn't try to tell her that she had no reason to hate them. He told her this, instead, "You have good reason to be so angry with them because you are in the right. But for the love of God, you must forgive."
Now why did he say that? Because when I don't forgive--when I don't forgive the relative who hurt me for so many years--I'm really hurting myself. Do I want to do that? No. Neither do I want to hurt the other person, even though she hurt me so many times. For all I know, she was abused as a child or has a brain tumor or is a terribly unhappy person and simply can't treat me any better than she does. God knows her heart and He loves her just the same and wants me to forgive. Here is the remedy St. Padre Pio gave to the young woman, and I think I'll use that remedy too. What about you? Here it is:
"Think often of Jesus nailed to the Cross for our faults and sins when you find it difficult to forgive someone," advised St. Padre Pio.
Jesus on the Cross. For my sins. For yours. He has forgiven us everything. So I forgive that woman in my life too. Amen. "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me," says Saint Paul in Scripture, and that's the truth. You and I can forgive those who hurt us if we only ask Jesus to give us the strength and the love and the compassion to do so. Amen. So be it!
Before I forget, my brother shared with me last week the scripture verses that meant so much to him when he was in military combat, so I thought I'd share a couple of them with you too. Aren't we all in combat every day with the world and the devil and the flesh? But God will prevail in our lives. Amen.
Here are a couple of the verses my brother shared with me:
(1. "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice!"
(2. "Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness. The Lord is near.”
(3. "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God."

I love you, my friend.
Talk to you next week. Don't worry; Jesus will never desert you.
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

What Do You Do?

October 21, 2011

So, today I thought I’d share my thoughts with you about finding out your loved one has cancer, or some other life-threatening illness. What do you do? Well, that’s what happened to me today. So perhaps it has happened to you, too, and perhaps my thoughts would help you? I hope so. What is my source of hope and strength? First, God’s Word, so let me share with you one of my favorite verses from the Bible: "No temptation [or testing] has taken you but such as is common to humankind. But God is faithful and will not allow you to suffer beyond that which you are able to bear, but will, with the temptation [or test] make a way for you to escape so that you may be able to bear it." I love that verse which Saint Paul gave to us. Of course he God’s Holy Spirit was speaking the truth through Saint Paul, so we can completely trust that what God has said in that verse, God will do for us. Therefore, whatever you are facing today—or tomorrow or whenever—God will give you the grace and strength and love to bear it. Never fear. Never. And here is a second favorite Scripture verse of mine for you: "All things work together for the good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes." But perhaps I’ve already shared that one with you? Nevertheless, it is God’s promise to you that ALL things will work together for good in your life. So simply trust Him.
Now, for Saint Padre Pio’s encouragement for you, please read the following which I took from his Letters, Volume Two: “Do not give way to sadness, for the Lord is with you always. Aren’t you in the Hands of Divine Providence, a fonder Mother than we can ask for or imagine? Take heart, then,” says Saint Padre Pio to you, my dear friend, “for Jesus will not leave you for a single instant.” Amen!
I will return next week, God willing, with some more encouraging words for you from God’s Word and from Saint Padre Pio’s letters. In the meantime, as Padre Pio always said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Amen.

My Experience This Week

October 12, 2011

Why not, each week, share with you my experiences as a sinner, relate those experiences to the Word of God, and also relate them to Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatic priest? (By the way, we are all sinners; those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior are sinners who are saved by the Blood of Christ; those who have not accepted Christ as their personal Savior are just plain sinners. I am a sinner saved by the Blood of Christ.)

This week’s experience to share with you would be my inner moanings about having to clean up a loved one’s vomit and blood and having to wait on that person “hand and foot” after that person’s return from the hospital and major surgery. Please picture this: here is this very sick man, pathetic really, and here I am, inwardly complaining—silently, of course—that I have to clean up oceans of vomit, toss out a perfectly good Penn State rug because of the vomit stains, and clean up blood, empty regularly the person’s bottle that hangs from his body that drains the blood and fluids from the internal wound, etc., etc., etc. Then, to my surprise—but it shouldn’t have been a surprise at all because it’s happened to me over and over again that when I need a shove in the right direction, there is the Lord Jesus, smiling and nudging me ever-so-gently in the right direction, sometimes using the soft wings of my Holy Guardian Angel—anyhow, to my surprise, one day this week when I opened my Bible for my daily reading, here was the Scripture and Jesus’ own words: “For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Jesus serves; Jesus is the Servant. Then what am I supposed to be? A complaining brat or a smiling, cheerful, giving servant? You guessed it; I chose to be a smiling servant, but I first asked Jesus for His grace to achieve that goal because I knew I’d fail if I continued to try to do it on my own. (“God loves a cheerful giver.”) And I continue to ask for that grace each day, each hour, each moment.

Oh yes, without Christ’s grace and love, I am doomed to fail because of all my weaknesses. But God’s Word says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That means all good things He calls me to do. Therefore, for my encouragement—and yours, in case you are also, like me, being asked to do servant tasks, perhaps day after day after day—here are Saint Padre Pio’s own words: “The grace that is meted out to you from above is sufficient for you, because God’s power achieves its purpose by means of our weakness.” (Saint Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume One, page 1263)

May God richly bless you and yours, my dear friend!

Love,
Eileen
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti


(If you wish, you can see more about my St. Padre Pio books on Facebook, at my blog, and at my publishers’ Websites: Our Sunday Visitor, Pauline Books & Media, The Word Among Us Press, Chelsea House Publishers)

In Spite of Your Troubles, Rejoice

Since God's Word is infinitely more powerful than anyone else's, I'll just share that with you today and then follow it up with some wisdom from my favorite Saint, Saint Padre Pio.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let all people know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)

"Pray, hope, and don't worry," says Saint Padre Pio, echoing God's Holy Word for you today.

Your Holy Guardian Angel Wants to Help You

Last week I wrote to you on Saint Padre Pio’s Feast Day, so I thought that this week I would continue to quote his letters, since they would be of greatest help to you, my dear friend whom I love. Because Padre Pio taught me so much about my Holy Guardian Angel and how my Angel wants me to speak to him and ask him to help me, I thought you might benefit from St. Padre Pio’s own words about his own Guardian Angel. His experiences can inspire you to turn to your own Guardian Angel—everyone has one, you know—and rely on your Angel to help you in all of life’s circumstances. God has given each of us a Holy Guardian Angel.
“On Saturday,” wrote St. Padre Pio in his Letters, Volume 1, “I turned to my Angel and after he had kept me waiting a while, there he was, hovering close to me, singing hymns to the Divine Majesty in his angelic voice. There followed one of the usual scenes; I rebuked him bitterly for having kept me waiting so long when I had not failed to call him to my assistance. To punish him, I did not want to look him in the face, I wanted to get away, to escape from him. But he, poor creature, caught up with me almost in tears and held me until I raised my eyes to his face and found him all upset. Then he said, ‘I am always close to you, my beloved young man. I am always hovering around you with the affection aroused by your gratitude to the Beloved of your heart. This affection of mine will never end, not even when you die. I know that your generous heart beats all the time for the One we both love; you would cross every mountain and every desert in search of Him, to see Him again, to embrace Him again in these extreme moments.…’”
You, my friend whom I love, have a Holy Guardian Angel, just like Saint Padre Pio has. Turn to that Angel; ask him to make known to you his presence in some special way. I know he will help you and be your best friend. Jesus has sent him to you.
And please know that I love you.

Happy Saint Padre Pio Feast Day!

Happy Feast Day to you, my friend!

Yes, today is Saint Padre Pio’s Feast Day. Hooray for you, St. Pio! Since it is his day, I am going to let him speak for himself, rather than my sharing with you any anecdotes from his life or from the lives of those who knew and loved him.
So now, from Saint Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume Two, I offer you these words of hope and encouragement:

“Do not lose faith in God’s Providence,” said Padre Pio. “Put your trust in God; abandon yourself to Him; and let Him take care of you. Then rest assured that you will not be confounded. I understand and am deeply aware that the trial is hard and the battle fierce. But I also understand that the fruit you will gather, in due course, will be very abundant. The crown that is being woven for you up above is far greater than can be humanly conceived. You will perhaps laugh at me for saying such things…but I know quite well what I am saying. Judge me as you think fit, but what I want from you is that, as the trial increases, your abandonment and trust in God may also increase. Immerse yourself ever more deeply in humility and in blessing the Lord, who in His goodness deigns to visit you in this way, so as to prepare you to share in building up the Heavenly Kingdom. I therefore exhort you, again, to be trustful. A soul who trusts in her Lord and places all her hope in Him has nothing to fear. The enemy of our salvation is always around us to snatch from our hearts the anchor that is to lead us to salvation, by which I mean trust in God our Father. Let us keep a very firm hold on this anchor and not relinquish it for a single moment.” (Saint Padre Pio's Letters, Volume )

Do you need faith, my dear friend? The Word of God says that “faith is a gift,” so now all you have to do is ask for that faith, and God will grant it to you. And while you are at it, why not ask Saint Padre Pio to always help you to hold onto that “anchor,” that “trust in God our Father,” about which he just spoke to you? Then “pray, hope, and don’t worry,” as Saint Padre Pio always advised.

Talk to you again next week, my dear friend whom I love.

Do You Wish You Had More Time to Spend with God?

Here is a little tidbit from Dorothy Gaudiose’s book, Prophet of the People. She worked for St. Padre Pio at his monastery in Italy for three years, so she knew him well. This is a true story she related in her book:
At Our Lady of Grace in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, high on the mountain in his monastery home, St. Padre Pio would take a break from his hard work helping the thousands of poor souls who came to him, to go outside for some fresh air and sunshine. One day while enjoying the mountain air and the songs of the birds, he noticed that visitors from all over the world began to gather around him, the famous stigmatized priest who bore—for fifty years—the five bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side.
Padre Pio hated people making a fuss over him, but God did use him to save souls, so this day Padre Pio sighed and smiled gently as a young married woman from the village at the base of the mountain approached him. “Padre,” she said to him, her face blushing from her shyness and humility, “I live next door to the church and every morning after my husband goes to work and the baby is sleeping, I go into the church and hear Mass and receive Holy Communion.” The young woman, fearing St. Padre Pio would yell at her for leaving her little one, quickly added, “Worrying that my baby might wake up while I’m gone, I leave the church right after receiving the Host. Am I making God angry?”
Smiling at the young mother, Padre Pio said, “No, you’re not displeasing God at all.” St. Pio explained later to a crowd of people: “That young mother pleases God more with her little time in church than you or I do when we spend all day in church.” He continued, “She is taking time out of her duties in order to serve Him.”
So, my dear friend, do you want to spend more time with God in church but can’t afford the time from your daily duties. Do not worry one second. Take to heart these words from St. Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume 3, which I’ve chosen for you today: “During the course of the day, when you are unable to do anything else, call on Jesus even in the midst of all your occupations, with resigned groanings of the soul. He will come to stay untied to your soul always, through his grace and holy love.”
May Jesus always smile on you, my dear friend!

Never Fear: God Truly Is Within You

Probably, my wonderful friend, whom I dearly love, it would be better if I made my weekly messages to you much shorter. You are most likely very busy. And since you are so busy, perhaps a few words from three of the Saints—including, of course, Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist-priest—about taking time to rest and refresh yourself would be helpful to you?

First, these words of Saint Anselmo will help you to take a deep breath and let go of your troubles, at least for a few moments: “Come on…escape for a short time from your chores, leave your tumultuous thoughts. Put your busy activities and grave worries to one side for a moment.”

Nice words, right? But now what do you do during that brief time, after you’ve set aside your chores and worries? Saint Anselmo answers that question for you: “Wait a while for God and rest in Him. Go deep inside your soul and exclude everything except God and that which helps you search for Him, then close the door and look for God.”

Why go inside yourself to find God? Saint John of the Cross answers your question with this: “It is to be noted that Jesus, the Word of God, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, essentially and presently are hidden in the inner part of the soul. Therefore the soul which wishes to find them must retreat into itself as if all the rest didn’t exist.”

But you know how weak and sinful you can be, so you wonder how God could ever be within your soul. I totally understand; I too feel that way about myself, but in God’s great Mercy and Love for us, He chooses to dwell within us, so now take a third Saint’s word for it, Saint Padre Pio’s word: “The knowledge of your interior unworthiness and sinfulness is an extremely pure divine light by which your very being and your ability to commit any sin, without the help of grace, is placed before your consideration. That light is due to the great mercy of God and was granted to the greatest saints because it positions their souls in a place sheltered from all feelings of vanity or pride, thus strengthening humility, which is the foundation of true virtue and Christian perfection. Saint Teresa also had this knowledge….”

Please let Saint Padre Pio leave you with these consoling thoughts, my dear friend whom I love: “In conclusion, rest assured, and be happy, because God is pleased with you and finds His peaceful dwelling place within you. Temptations, discomfort, restlessness, etc., are the merchandise offered by the enemy, but you reject them, so they do no harm. Remember this: if the devil makes a din, he is still outside and not inside at all.” (St. Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume Three, pages548–550)

Never fear, my precious friend; Jesus is with you!

An Eternity of Joy and Peace Awaits You and Your Loved Ones

Today, my dear friend, whom I love and whom God loves, I offer you Saint Paul’s words of comfort: “For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, with the Archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Why do I speak of the dead today? It is because I feel that you might be fearful of death, fearful of the fate of someone you love who is dying, fearful of the outcome of a serious health problem you or a loved one is experiencing, fearful of what is to become of you and your family in this violent world in which we live. If so, take heart; there truly is a Heaven where you and your loved ones will spend eternity with God in joy and peace and love. Never fear. Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist who bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ for fifty long years in his hands, feet, and side, was visited countless times by souls who had gone to Heaven or Purgatory—the “waiting room of Heaven,” the place where we get gently “showered” by God’s grace so that any sins left on our souls are lovingly and tenderly washed away before we are whisked into Heaven to forever be in God’s glorious Presence and the presence of all those we love who have gone before us. Saint Padre Pio’s experiences with those who had died are to be found in the hundreds of books written about him. (Many of those books were written by me, by the way, by God’s grace and the intercession of St. Padre Pio and Our Lady and my Holy Guardian Angel.) Madame Katharina Tangari, in her book Stories of Padre Pio, (TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.), says that Saint Padre Pio’s life and mystical experiences with the “dead-in-Christ” should encourage us to “walk simply and naturally in the domain of the supernatural.” Madame Katharina, who visited Padre Pio more than seventy times, said that whatever St. Padre Pio does, “is rooted in Jesus Christ, which is why it becomes so efficacious [effective]. Even from afar, he can become for us God’s supernatural instrument, and as such he guides us, so that from time to time, we too may become little instruments of God’s providence and mercy.”
Even though he is now in Heaven, in that “afar” Madame Katharina just mentioned, Saint Padre Pio can do more for you today than he could while on Earth. What are your fears and concerns? What illnesses do you carry? What troubles are bombarding you and your loved ones? Look up. Padre Pio is smiling at you, waiting for you to ask him to intercede with Jesus Christ for you. Tell Padre Pio your troubles and ask him to help you. He will certainly do whatever he can for you. If you happen to smell a sweet aroma anytime soon, and the aroma seems to have no natural origin, know that it is a sign from Padre Pio that he has heard your prayer and is doing what he can for you. He is now closer than ever to the Source of Life, the Ruler of All Nature, Jesus Christ Himself.
I love you, dear friend. “Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” as St. Padre Pio always said.
Please let me end with a blessing just for you from Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume 2: “May Jesus be in your heart; may He bless you, console you, and smile upon you! Amen.”

Your Prayers are Perfume for God

Hello, my dear friend. Perhaps you’ve been feeling burdened? You can give those burdens to Jesus, you know, but don’t take my word for it. Let me share Saint Padre Pio’s words with you, his encouragement, because the words of Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist-priest, never go out of date; they can always lift up your spirit and speak to your heart and soul. Like the precious eternal all-powerful words of Holy Scripture, the words of all of God’s holy Saints echo His truths to us. But before I share with you some of Saint Pio’s words let me begin with The Truth, the Word of God:
“…in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of
facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all
things in Him who strengthens me. …my God will supply every
need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(Philippians 4:12-19)
Now, for Saint Padre Pio’s words for you today: “I tell you,” says Padre Pio, “Let not your heart be troubled, as Jesus Himself said. Yes, do not let your heart be troubled in the hour of trial, because Jesus has promised His real assistance to those who follow Him. Therefore, remember Jesus when you are in the hour of trial. Turn to Him and you will always obtain relief, gaining and singing external victory.” (Saint Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume 3)
Let me end with one more bit of encouragement for you, which I just found in my friend Dorothy Gaudiose’s book, Prophet of the People, on page 165. Dorothy was my close friend and worked for Padre Pio for three years at his monastery in Italy. Here are a few of his words that Dorothy recorded in her book: “Prayer must be insistent inasmuch as insistence denotes faith. The prayers of the Saints in Heaven and of just souls on earth are perfume that will never fade.”

There—your prayers, my dear friend in Christ, are perfume for our dear Lord Jesus. I can smell the sweet aroma rising as you lift your heart to Him. He loves you, and so do I. Amen!

Peace and Joy in This Life and the Next

Today you might be interested in hearing about Saint Padre Pio’s gift of prophecy. God gave him the ability to sometimes foresee future events. For example, Padre Pio would often tell a couple what the sex of their unborn child would be or when a certain individual was going to be healed of a specific affliction. Sometimes, if a person really wanted to know when he was going to die, Saint Padre Pio—with his usual calm and faith and clarity—would share the day or week of death with that individual. One day after Mass at his mountain monastery in Southern Italy, Padre Pio turned to one of the policeman who had been assigned as a bodyguard for him and said, smiling as usual, “I’d like to see you in my cell after I finish here and after I make my thanksgiving.”
Happy that the famous stigmatist-priest wanted to see him personally, the policeman smiled and waited with joyful expectation outside St. Padre Pio’s cell.
Soon Padre Pio arrived and invited the policeman into his cell where he gently informed him, “Within a week you will go home to visit your parents and there you shall die.”
Imagine the policeman’s shock at Padre Pio’s words. “But I’m well and never felt better,” said the policeman.
“My son,” said Padre Pio to him, “don’t worry. What is this life? A pilgrimage. We’re all on a pilgrimage, my son. Ask for a leave of absence and go home to take care of your affairs. Tomorrow you’re going to die. Your parents love you and need to know.”
After Padre Pio spoke to the policeman’s superiors for him, the young policeman received a leave of absence. When the policeman arrived home, he told his parents, “Padre Pio told me I’m going to die, so I came to say goodbye to you and tell you how much I love you.” A week later he died.
Why did I share such a sad event with you today? I wanted you to know that if you have recently experienced the loss of a close friend or relative, do not fear. That person is with the Lord. And to prove to you that what I say is true, let me please quote Saint Padre Pio’s Letters, Volume 3, pages 729-30:
“Live tranquilly, always…. This present life is given to us in order to acquire the eternal, and due to a lack of reflection, we base our affections on that which pertains to this world through which we are passing, so that when we have to leave it we are frightened and agitated. Believe me, in order to live happily while on pilgrimage, we must keep before our eyes the hope of arriving at our Homeland where we will stay for eternity. And in the meantime we should believe this firmly, because given that it is God who calls us to Himself, He watches how we make our way to Him, and He will never permit anything to happen to us that is not for our greater good. He knows what we are, and He will extend His paternal hand to us while we are going through rough stretches, so that nothing will prevent us from running quickly to Him. … He has defended you up to now. Simply hold on tightly to the hand of His divine Providence, and He will help you in all events….”
May Saint Padre Pio, the miracle worker and stigmatist, intercede with Jesus to obtain for you, my dear friend, the peace and healing and joy you need in this life. And may Padre Pio intercede with Jesus also to obtain for you joy and peace and health in the next life where you will be forever with those you love who have gone before you. Amen!

Saint Padre Pio Tells You: "Jesus Has EXcused You!"

Perhaps today you would enjoy hearing Saint Padre Pio’s own words in answer to specific questions people posed to him?
For example, one day a friend asked Padre Pio, “The strong woman God talks about in the Bible, what is that woman like?” Saint Padre Pio answered, “She is a woman who fears God, who even at the cost of sacrifice does God’s will.”

Another time a person asked Padre Pio, “Father Pio, is it okay to criticize a man who blasphemes?” Saint Pio answered, “It is very holy and very right.”

Someone wanted to know why Jesus said to His disciples that He would go and prepare a place for them in Heaven. Saint Pio answered, “Because this is what He did after the Resurrection.” The person then asked, “Did He do this for us too?” And Padre Pio answered, “For everybody!”

One friend asked Padre Pio, “I’m worried that Jesus, because of my sins, has accused me before His Father. Has He accused me, Padre Pio?” And what did Padre Pio reply? He said, with a tender smile, “No, He has EXcused you, instead!”

And may I end today, my dear friend in Christ, with a verse from the Bible that backs up totally what Saint Padre Pio just said? Here it is: “If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Amen, and thank You, Jesus, my Lord and my God.

Little-Known Facts about St. Padre Pio and You

Today, let me please share with you a little about Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist, priest, healer, prophet, lover of God. In addition to the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified (the stigmata) which Padre Pio bore in his hands, feet, and side for fifty long years, he also was given, by God, other spiritual gifts such as bilocation (the ability to be in more than one place at one time) and the gift of healing. Through the latter gift, Christ healed those who sought Padre Pio’s help, whether the healing was physical or, most importantly, spiritual. Today I’ll share with you some little-known facts about Padre Pio.
You may already know that Padre Pio was born in a little town in southern Italy called Pietrelcina, but did you know that the name was originally “Pretapucina,” which meant “stone hen”? The name came from the stone found in the foundation of the baronial chapel at Pietrelcina on which was chiseled a hen and her chicks.
Beginning at age five, Padre Pio began to have visions of the Mother of God, and you may already know that fact, but do you know that, at that young age, Padre Pio, little Francesco Forgione, as he was then known, also had visions of Jesus and the Devil? It seems, even at that tender age, God was drawing Francesco to Himself in many special ways.
Yes, Jesus, Our Lady, and even the Devil began to appear to St. Padre Pio at age five, and continued to appear to him throughout his eighty-some years, and perhaps you even knew all of that, but did you know that the Sacred Heart of Jesus appeared to Padre Pio when he was only five? Yes, in the church now called St. Anne in Pietrelcina, the Sacred Heart of Jesus appeared to Padre Pio at the main altar of the church and beckoned to him, begging him to come to the altar. There, Jesus put His Hand on little Francesco Forgione’s head, showing His approval of the fact that Francesco had recently consecrated himself to Jesus.
Now, do not fear, dear friend in Christ! If you consecrate yourself to Jesus, chances are slim-to-none that the Devil will appear to you. But Jesus Himself will “appear” to you in your heart. He will draw you close to His own Heart where you will find love, healing, and rest. Please go to Him now and abandon yourself totally in Him. He will never fail you. That is a promise. In fact, here are St. Padre Pio’s own words to you from his Letters, Volume Two, pages 69–70: “Oh! Trust in Him and do not be afraid, for you have no reason whatever to fear. Our most tender Savior has not forsaken you….”
And our most tender Savior will never forsake you!

Padre Pio: A City On a Mountain, written by Pascal P. Parente, STD, PhD, JCB, relates true events in the life of Saint Padre Pio, the stigmatist who bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty years. (Padre Pio also had many other spiritual gifts from God, including bilocation—the ability to be in more than one place at a time.) Pascal Parente, Professor of Ascetical and Mystical Theology at the Catholic University of America, wrote his book circa 1958, when Padre Pio had already suffered through forty of the fifty years of his stigmatization. Pascal observed first-hand the life of Padre Pio, so we can trust what he wrote in Padre Pio: A City On a Mountain. Now out of print, the book came to me via my dear friend Dorothy Gaudiose who worked for Padre Pio at his Italian monastery for three years. Please allow me to now share some of the true details about Padre Pio’s life as recounted in Pascal’s book:

During the fifty years of his stigmatization, Padre Pio led an austere, holy life, witnessed by millions of people who traveled from all over the world to see and hear him; to ask for his prayers; to be healed by God through Padre Pio’s intercession; to receive the Body and Blood of Christ during Mass from St. Padre Pio’s stigmatized hand. God was able to use Padre Pio in mighty ways because Padre Pio gave up everything to follow Christ, and also because Padre Pio daily “emptied” himself of himself through sacrifices and through his austere lifestyle. Pascal Parente, in his book, says that Padre Pio ate very little each day. “According to Dr. Festa,” wrote Pascal, “who personally observed Padre Pio at table many times in his repeated visits to the monastery, the nourishment he takes was extremely meager.” Pascal went on to say that Padre Pio ate no breakfast, drank no milk at any time, had one noonday meal at which he ate mostly vegetables. He ate meat and eggs “only rarely. Certain meats he avoided entirely.” But did Padre Pio’s meager eating cause him sickness? According to Pascal, “His health is perfect, and he continues his heavy schedule without the least indication of a breakdown.”

In addition to his meager diet, Padre Pio, according to Pascal, did “not sleep more than three or four hours, and generally rose at 3:30 a.m.” At that time Padre Pio said “the Little Hours” and prepared for Mass in his monastery cell.

St. Padre Pio voluntarily-made sacrifices, such as those I mentioned above, helped Padre Pio to empty himself of himself, as I said earlier, so that God could better use him to help all those in need who came to the Padre for help. But I haven’t mentioned those sacrifices, those austerities of Padre Pio in order to make you think you, dear friend in Christ, should also practice those austerities. No! Living well your daily life as best you can, carrying your cross daily as Christ asks you to do, and following in Christ’s footsteps—these will help you to lead a holy life and to grow closer to Jesus. You don’t need to add any austerities to those. But for you and for all, St. Padre Pio—and the other Saints of God—offered up extra austerities and prayers to God so that He could better use them to help others, to help you! So, do you have a great need today? Is a loved one or friend, too, in need of a miracle? What if you take your needs—and theirs—to St. Padre Pio? He’ll hear your plea; trust me. And he’ll do whatever he can for you. Remember this truth: he is now in Heaven and so he is now closer than ever to the Source of Life, the Ruler of All Nature, Jesus Christ, God. As Padre Pio always said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”

I love you, my friend.

Saint Padre Pio Tells Us How to Pray

According to Dorothy Gaudiose, a close friend of mine who worked three years for Saint Padre Pio at his monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy: one day an elderly woman in a long black dress grabbed Padre Pio’s sleeve while he stood in the monastery hallway after saying Mass. “Please tell me how to pray,” she pleaded with him. “I’m always distracted by something.”

“Don’t be voluntarily distracted,” Padre Pio told her kindly, “but if you are distracted unintentionally, continue to pray, and you will have great merit, for Our Savior knows that you are not an angel praying to Him, but a poor woman. Go on praying without ceasing. And when you find it difficult to concentrate, don’t waste more time stopping to consider the why and the wherefore. It’s like a traveler who loses his way. As soon as he realizes he is on the wrong road, he immediately sets himself on the right road again. So you must continue to meditate without stopping to reflect on your lack of concentration.”

According to Dorothy, Padre Pio advises that we place ourselves in God’s Presence whenever we pray. “The first reason for that,” he said, is to render to God the honor we owe Him. This can be done without Him speaking to us or us to Him. Our obligation of honoring God is fulfilled in recognizing that He is our God and we His humble servants, prostrate in spirit, awaiting His commands. … The second reason is that we may speak to Him and hear His voice through His inspiration and illumination. … When God answers us, He spreads over us a thousand precious soothing and fragrant oils which bring great joy to the soul.” (Dorothy Gaudiose, Prophet of the People)

May you, my sweet friend in Christ Jesus, enjoy the beautiful fruits of prayer, all the days of your life. And remember what Saint Padre Pio always said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Amen.

A True Story of Healing through St. Padre Pio's Intercession

Are you suffering because of something someone said or did to you? Saint Padre Pio said, “Suffer with patience all the iniquities you receive from your fellow people, because God will reward you with His Love in Heaven—tenfold.” (page 49 in PADRE PIO AS I KNEW HIM, by Lina Pancaro) That is so hard to do, though, isn’t it? To love those who are less-than-nice to us. Nevertheless, we can do it, if we ask for divine help, and we can get that help through the intercession of St. Padre Pio, so why don’t we simply ask for it? If you do that, if you ask for the help you need—for anything at all—Jesus is sure to help you through His servant St. Padre Pio. Padre Pio bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified for fifty years—in his hands, feet, and side—which can be for us a sign of God’s Presence and Love in our world. If you go to Padre Pio and ask for his intercession, don’t be surprised if you smell soon a sweet odor that doesn’t seem to have a natural origin. That odor is a sign that Padre Pio has heard your prayers and will see what he can do for you.

Here is a true story Lina Pancaro tells in her book which I mentioned above. This story backs up the truth about the sweet odors people often smell after asking for St. Padre Pio’s help. “Believe me,” wrote Lina, “such messages from Padre Pio [the sweet odors] my family has experienced.

“Our fifth daughter Fernanda had been admitted to the hospital for the birth of her first child. …” Fernanda soon delivered a “darling little girl.” But suddenly Lina received the startling phone call, “the ugliest shock in my life,” said Lina. Fernanda was calling her mother Lina from her hospital bed to tell her she was “going through hell.” Fernanda was going through what the doctors called a “postpartum psychosis” She was on the verb of losing her mind.

When Lina and her husband arrived at the hospital, she suddenly noticed that her husband was a nervous wreck over Fernanda’s dire condition. “He knew better than I did what could happen,” said Lina. “God forbid—a daughter in a mental institution, a small baby to be taken care of! It was indeed a very difficult situation.”

Then, Lina’s husband looked at her “with a perplexed expression and said, ‘Do you note a beautiful aroma of flowers?’” Lina did not smell anything, but she looked around to see if there was a bouquet of flowers anywhere that someone may have brought to the hospital for a sick person. No. No flowers in sight.

“You must be imagining things,” Lina told him.

“Oh, no,” he said, “I am sure it is a SIGN. I was just making a supplication to Padre Pio, thinking how you once told me in San Giovanni Rotondo [where St. Padre Pio lived in his monastery]—during a time when I was discouraged—not to fear, and that our children would be St. Padre Pio’s children, too, if I entrusted them into his care. So a few moments ago, here at the hospital, I said to him, ‘Please now help us, Padre Pio.’”

Moments later, when Lina and her husband entered their daughter’s hospital room, they were appalled to find her delirious and hallucinating. “She was so confused,” said Lina, “she kept saying that the nurses were ‘out to get her.’ I recall one particular nurse who said to us, ‘She is so angry with all of us, she tells us all to get the hell out of the room!’ We are afraid to go near her. She is so strong, she tore the drapes around her bed yesterday, and she even scratched the doctor! But we understand that she is going through a very, very bad state of psychosis.’ The doctors wanted Fernanda to have shock treatment, but her husband would not allow it.

Lina felt sorry for the doctor and nurses. Her husband had brought a book with Padre Pio’s picture on it to the hospital, and before he and Lina left, he put the book in Fernanda’s hands. She burst into tears. That night a “very strong fragrance of flowers enveloped the room, in spite of the fact that no flowers were present, none even in the hallway. Lina and her husband believed the fragrance was another sign that Padre Pio was answering her husband’s plea.

“To shorten the story,” said Lina, “I can assure you our daughter left the hospital with a darling little angel. Today the child is six and my daughter is well and her usual self. She had NO shock treatment, no tranquilizers, no medicine of any kind. … We firmly believe that Padre Pio helped us through this storm.” (pages 49-52, in PADRE PIO AS I KNEW HIM, by Lina Pancaro)

Do you have a great need today? Just ask St. Padre Pio to help you, and he will. After all, he is now closer than ever to the Source of Life, the Ruler of All Nature, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Our God. And if, as you await an answer, you smell the sweet aroma of flowers that seems to have no natural origin, it is indeed a sign from St. Padre Pio that he is interceding for you with our Divine Lord.

Love,
Eileen
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

Saint Padre Pio's Love for the Mother of God

Please let me share with you today the truth about Saint Padre Pio’s love for the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God.

Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatist who bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified for fifty years, intensely loved Jesus' mother. Padre Pio began having visions of her when he was only five years old in his home in Pietrelcina, Italy. In later years, when he shared about his visions with a fellow friar, the friar said, "But why didn't you tell us sooner about seeing Our Lady?" St. Padre Pio replied, "I thought everyone saw her!"

Padre Pio liked to call Our Lady "My little Mother," or "La mia Madonnina" in his native Italian. Often when he spoke to others about her, tears would flow from his eyes, his love was so intense. But did he love her more than he loved Jesus, her divine Son? He said to Our Lady, "You are so beautiful and sweet, if we humans did not know better, we would make you into a goddess." But Padre Pio never placed her above Jesus, above God. He knew she was a creature, just as he was a creature.

One day he said, "She treats me as if I were her only child on earth!" As Padre Pio always did, if you, my dear friend in Christ, turn to Our Lady right now and ask for her intercession, for her help, she will never fail you. How can she? She is always in the Presence of the Source of Life, the Ruler of All Nature, her Son, the One she bore in her womb. She is the Ark of the New Covenant (see Revelations). She is the New Eve. (See Genesis.)

Please take encouragement from St. Padre Pio. Even though he led a virtuous life, constantly in touch with God and Our Lady and his Holy Guardian Angel, he still needed to pray—all the time. He carried his rosary beads with him everywhere. He called them "our weapon." Even if you never pray the rosary, please seriously consider carrying rosary beads with you. They have the Cross of Christ Crucified on them, the sign of faith that the devil and all evil spirits hate. St. Padre Pio said, "Hold on tightly to your rosary. Be very grateful to the Madonna because it was she who gave us Jesus."

And if we have Jesus, we have Everything! Amen.

A True Bilocation Story About Saint Padre Pio

In 1958, in his book Padre Pio: A City On a Mountain, Pascal P. Parente (STD, PhD, JCB, Professor of Ascetical and Mystical Theology at the Catholic University of America) told a true story about Padre Pio and his gift of bilocation, the ability to be in more than one place at one time. Today I’d like to share that true story with you.

“The late Monsignor D’Indico of Florence,” wrote Pascal Parente, “reported that his sister was dying of typhus, despite the best of medical care. On July 20, 1921, she was in a coma. The Monsignor was alone in his office when suddenly he felt that someone was standing behind him. He looked around and saw a friar who suddenly disappeared.”

According to Pascal Parente, the Monsignor left his office, and when he spotted one of his chaplains, he told him immediately about his strange experience of feeling as if someone—and invisible someone—were standing behind him in his office. The chaplain told the Monsignor that he had hallucinated all of it because of his great concern about his dying sister. But later the two men went together to visit the Monsignor’s sister and, to their surprise, found the woman no longer in a coma! In fact, she was totally out of any danger of dying.

“Even more surprising,” wrote Pascal Parente, “the Monsignor’s sister, from her hospital bed, told them that a friar, Saint Padre Pio, had come into her room and spoken to her [before she started to suddenly get well].”

Padre Pio, transported in spirit by God’s Holy Spirit, had entered the woman’s hospital room and told her not to be afraid. “Your fever will disappear tomorrow,” he said, “and in a few days no trace of your sickness will be left.”

According to Pascal Parente, the woman said to Padre Pio, “But Father, you must be a saint!”

“No,” he replied, “I am a creature whom the Lord uses for His mercies.”

The woman asked Padre Pio if she could kiss his brown Capuchin habit. But he told her to, instead, kiss the bleeding wounds on his hands, because they were the “marks of the Passion” of Christ Crucified. (Padre Pio bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty long years!) After the woman kissed his hands, he blessed her.

The next day the woman felt completely well, and a week later she was “completely cured,” according to Pascal Parente.

Do you or someone you love need a healing today, my dear friend in Christ? Please turn to Saint Padre Pio and tell him of your needs. Pour out your heart to him. He will indeed hear you and do whatever he can for you. Now, in Heaven, he is closer than ever to the Source of Life, the Ruler of All Nature, Christ Our Lord and Savior. If, after you ask for St. Padre Pio’s intercession, you smell a sweet odor that seems to have no natural source, know that it is a sign from Padre Pio that he will answer your prayers in one way or another. “All things work together for the good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.” Everything, my friend. Everything.

I love you,
Eileen
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

Saint Padre Pio's Mysterious Handprint on the Window

Today I'd like to share a true story with you from Father Alessio Parente's book titled Padre Pio: Our Good Samaritan. Father Alessio was one of Saint Padre Pio's fellow monks at the monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, and was also a dear friend and "bodyguard" of Padre Pio during the Padre's last years. I corresponded with Father Alessio and have enjoyed his many books about Padre Pio. Now, from his Padre Pio: Our Good Samaritan, I bring you the following true story:

“In July, 1957, Father Placido of San Marco in Lamis, Italy, a friend of Padre Pio’s from his novitiate and student days, was urgently hospitalized, in Foggia, near the monastery. Father Placido had an acute form of cirrhosis of the liver. His condition deteriorated, despite medical treatment. One night, Father Placido saw Padre Pio [in spirit, because Padre Pio never physically left the monastery, so Jesus had to very often transport him in spirit to get to people God wanted Padre Pio to help—that gift is called ‘bilocation’]. That night Padre Pio appeared beside Father Placido’s hospital bed, speaking to him, urging him to have patience; comforting him and assuring him of his recovery. Then Placido saw Padre Pio go towards the window of the hospital room, place his hand on the glass, and disappear.

“In the morning when Fr. Placido woke up,” continued Fr. Alessio Parente, “he felt better; he remembered the welcome visit of the night before and now looked toward the window. He was surprised to see the mark of a hand on the glass. He got out of bed and approached the window to examine the mark carefully, close up. He recognized Padre Pio’s handprint [because Padre Pio bore the ever-bleeding wounds of Christ for fifty years in his hands, feet, and side]. Fr. Placido was then convinced that Padre Pio’s visit had not been a dream, but reality. He told the whole story to the nuns, the nurses, and the hospital staff.

“The news spread throughout the city, and immediately there was a rush of friends and people to the hospital to see the mark of Padre Pio’s hands.” (A true story from Fr. Alessio Parente, OFM Capuchin’s Padre Pio: Our Good Samaritan.)

The above story is only one example of the many wonderful things God did through St. Padre Pio—and continues to do through St. Padre Pio. Do you need a healing or a blessing of any kind today? Do your loved ones have an urgent need? Please look up at St. Padre Pio, because he’s there, waiting to intercede for you with Jesus. Our Saint is so close now to the Source of Life, the Great Physician, the Ruler of All Nature, now that Padre Pio is in Heaven. Turn to him. He’ll do what he can for you, my friend.

With love and prayer for you,
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

Those Who Knew St. Padre Pio

From my dear friend Dorothy Gaudiose who worked for St. Padre Pio for three years in Italy, I "inherited" hundreds of books, now out of print, about Padre Pio. (From those books I’ve been able to write many of my own books about Padre Pio—by God’s grace working through Padre Pio’s intercession—and get them published by Our Sunday Visitor, The Word Among Us Press, and Pauline Books & Media. Of course I’ve had the faithful help of my Holy Guardian Angel and Our Lady, too. You can find more about my books and publishers online at my Facebook page, blog, and website.) I'm always thrilled to find personal accounts of people who actually knew St. Padre Pio. Right now I have with me a little book by Lina Pancaro, titled "Padre Pio As I Knew Him." Let me share a few tidbits from her book with you today.

One day Lina and her friend were on their way up the mountain in Southern Italy toward Padre Pio's church, Santa Maria delle Grazie. "We passed the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for the Relief of Suffering)," wrote Lina, "a grandioso edifice erected stone upon stone. [The hospital was a result totally of St. Padre Pio's brave idea and promotional work on its behalf.] I should stress," continued Lina, "that all building material was brought to the abandoned mountain by mules on the then-dirt road, miles and miles from Foggia [the nearest town]. The sight of this beautiful hospital was truly like a mirage in the desert: the miracle of a poor, humble monk, the Stigmatist, Padre Pio. One really wonders how so much material could have been brought up, tons and tons of it, all by man and beast. This, too, I thought to myself, was a miracle.

"The tiny Church was already half filled with people, the early comers, and Padre Pio was hearing confessions. The altar of Saint Francis of Assisi had been tastefully decorated with flowers, beautiful ones sent from faraway places by the many devotees of Padre Pio. The church was ablaze with candles—and made all present so happy. The noon hour soon approached and we were told to quickly get into the little corridor, where Padre Pio would come to the door and recite with us the Angelus. The door opened. I was so confused to see him standing there with the brown wool mittens over his hands [the gloves were fingertipless], to cover the Stigmata he bore. [He bore the Stigmata, the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified, for fifty years!] We pushed toward him," said Lina, "so that we could be nearer to him and ask for his prayers and blessings. He smiled and blessed us all. The few who were in the front row reached for his hand to kiss it. Others were invoking him for prayers in their illness. Many were visibly moved and weeping. He was so happy today. Here, truly, was a man of God. A man God had sent to us bearing the wounds of Christ Jesus."

Today, my dear friend in Christ, you, too, can ask St. Padre Pio for his prayers and blessing. He is now in heaven, but ever-closer to Jesus, the Great Physician. Now St. Padre Pio can ask Our Lord for what it is that you need. Simply take your requests to Padre Pio. He'll do what he can for you. Be sure to wait with great expectation for something good to happen. And if you should happen to smell a sweet aroma that seems to have no natural source, you can be sure that it is a sign that St. Padre Pio has heard your prayer.

Have a great day! I love you.

Pope Benedict XV was in favor of St. Padre Pio. He believed in the genuineness of Padre Pio's spiritual gifts, which included the stigmata (the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified which Padre Pio bore for fifty long years); bilocation (the ability to be in more than one place at a time); prophecy; and even levitation, which was witnessed by fellow priests and monks. According to Dorothy M. Gaudiose, in her book PROPHET OF THE PEOPLE, "In 1921 Pope Benedict said to a group of lawyers, 'Padre Pio is indeed an extraordinary man. He is one of those whom God sends from time to time to convert mankind. Take on the task of making him better known. He is not appreciated as he deserves.'"

My friend Dorothy and I have worked to do exactly that by writing books about Saint Padre Pio--all by God's grace through the intercession of Padre Pio and our holy Angels and Our Lady. Dorothy worked for Padre Pio for three years at his monastery in Italy, and now here is more of what she says in her book about Pope Benedict XV and Padre Pio: "Many of the faithful shared the Pope's good sentiments about Padre Pio, but not all. One skeptic was a bishop who was a member of the pope's advisory staff. 'You've been badly informaed about Padre Pio,' he told the pope. But the pope wasn't convinced and asked him to go to San Giovanni Rotondo [the location of Padre Pio's monastery in Italy] and see the stigmatist for himself.

"The bishop arrived at the railway station," continued Dorothy, "and was greeted by two young Capuchin monks, brother monks of Padre Pio. 'Who told you that I was coming?' the bishop asked them. He was utterly amazed.

"'Padre Pio told us,' they answered.

"'This is incredible!' the bishop exclaimed. 'No one except His Holiness knew I was coming.'

"'I only know,' said one of the friars, 'that Padre Pio told us to go to the railway station and greet the bishiop who was coming to San Giovanni Rotondo, sent by the Holy Father.'

"The bishop was dumbfounded. He threw up his hands and said, 'Please tell Padre Pio that I'm not coming to see him, that I'm going to take the next train back to Rome, because if he knew of this, then he knows how bitterly I've felt about him and all the damaging things I have done against him with my tongue.'

"The Capuchins went back and told Padre Pio. He nodded, not the least surprised." (PROPHET OF THE PEOPLE, by Dorothy M. Gaudiose)

Even now, Saint Padre Pio can know exactly what you, my dear friend in Christ, are doing and what you need. He wants to help you. He can do more for you now than when he was here on earth, because now he is so much closer to the Source of Life, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Ruler of All Nature. All you have to do is speak to St. Padre Pio and tell him your needs. He really cares about you. He will do for you what he can. Just wait and see.

In the meantime, as Padre Pio always said, "Pray, hope, and don't worry."

I love you. Have a great day!

Reach Out and Touch Jesus' Cloak

A most-beautiful June to you!

Remember when Jesus was passing by a woman who had suffered from a bleeding problem for twelve years? She had heard about Jesus and how He was able to heal people. Her hope was that He would heal her too. She had spent a lot of money on doctors for a cure, which never came—at least not through any of them. But this day, as Jesus passed by, according to the Gospel, she reached out and touched the edge of His cloak, and at once her bleeding stopped. She was healed.

"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. Peter asked Jesus how He knew someone touched Him when there were crowds of people around Him, pressing in on Him. But Jesus knew, and now the woman knew that He had discovered what she had dared to do. When she confessed to Him what she had done, He lovingly said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (See Luke 8: 43-48.)

Do you need a healing? Does someone you know and love need a healing? Do you dare to reach out and touch Jesus' cloak? Let me say to you, "Cristo Gesu e Vivo! Jesus is alive!" He is waiting for you to simply call on Him and reach out and touch Him. He will reward your act of faith. You will experience His love and compassion and Presence.

According to Saint Padre Pio's dear friend and "bodyguard" in his last years, Father Alessio Parente, OFM Capuchin: "Rather than touch Jesus' cloak, Padre Pio held onto it tightly throughout his life, never letting go, because for him, it was the reason for all his hope.

"Let each one of us follow Padre Pio's example," continues Father Alessio, "and hold tightly onto Jesus' cloak and we can be sure that we will receive many, many graces and blessings from Him." (from Padre Pio Our Good Samaritan, by Fr. Alessio Parente, OFM Capuchin)

May I end with words of encouragement from Saint Padre Pio's Letters, Volume One: “May the Most Holy Virgin, who was the first to practice the Gospel teaching in all its perfection, give us the impetus herself to go [to Jesus]. . . Let us make an effort. . . to always follow behind the Blessed Mother; to always walk close to her" because she will always lead us to her divine Son, Jesus Christ, and there we can hold onto His cloak and find healing, comfort, peace, and love.

May I once again say to you, "Cristo Gesu e Vivo! Jesus is alive!" He is waiting for you to call on Him and reach out and touch Him. He will reward your act of faith. You will experience His love and compassion and Presence.

Love to you,
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

The Life of Padre Pio: A Mystery of Love

Hi! I thought today I would share with you Dorothy M. Gaudiose's words about Saint Padre Pio and his life as a "mystery of love." She worked for him in his monastery town in Italy for three years and wrote two books about him, which are still published by Alba House. Dorothy will always be a close friend of mine and was the one who encouraged me to write my first book about Padre Pio. So far I have published, through Our Sunday Visitor, The Word Among Us Press, and Pauline Books & Media, six books about Saint Padre Pio. LISTENING TO GOD WITH PADRE PIO has just been released by OSV. But may I please say this: Any good I have done, am doing, or will do is done by God's grace working through me; but first that grace of God flows through Our Lady, St. Padre Pio, my Holy Guardian Angel, and dear friends like you. Infinite thanks!

Now, here are Dorothy's words—and they are true because she was an eyewitness of St. Padre Pio’s life—about Padre Pio as a mystery of love:

“Padre Pio did not make speeches and did not make a show of himself,” said Dorothy. “Humble and poor, he suffered, prayed, heard confessions, and said Mass with an angelical fervor conscious of the living presence of Christ. His works, the facts, his suffering of blood [he bore the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side for fifty years], and his humble and poor life silently speak for him. This took place for fifty years with an amazing crescendo of devotion and love of faith and hope from believers and atheists. Padre Pio lived for others, taking on himself the sins and pains of others. He offered his daily sufferings to save, pacify, encourage souls, and to obtain from God pardon for sinners and the health of soul and body for all those who believe in the efficacy of his prayers and sufferings with God. [If you would like to see the Scriptural proof that our sufferings—yours too—can be used by God to save souls, read Colossians 1:24.] The life of Padre Pio,” continued Dorothy, “is a mystery of love, expiation, and salvation. He never promised anything; only his prayers. He never asked for anything; only love and penance and faith in God.”

Next week I will continue about the life of St. Padre Pio as a mystery of love. In the meantime, please know that if God can do good through me, a sinner, He can do good through you too! Just ask Him. And don’t forget to do as St. Padre Pio always advised, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Amen.

Have a great week!

P.S. If I make any spelling or typographical errors in what I write, I hope you will forgive me. Thanks.

Miracle Through St. Padre Pio's Intercession

Hi! I look forward to sharing with you each week about Saint Padre Pio.

Today I want to encourage you to ask him to intercede for you and your loved ones, for anything you need. He is always ready to help us, and he is so powerful because his power comes from the Ruler of All Nature: Jesus Christ. Amen. To give you further encouragement, to go to Saint Padre Pio for his intercession, I have selected a true story—absolutely true—about a real miracle obtained from God through the intercession of Saint Padre Pio. As you read this true account, keep in mind that often, after someone asks for Padre Pio’s intercession, they will smell the most beautiful and sweet aroma that seems to have no natural source. It is a sign that he has heard their prayer and will answer.

“Miss Giuseppina Marchetti of Bologna, Italy, age 24,” wrote Francesco Napolitano in his book Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, “had fractured her right arm, the very arm that had been injured in a serious accident three years previous. She had had to undergo surgery. After a second operation, which was followed by long, painful therapy, the surgeon told the young lady’s father that she would never regain the use of her arm....

“Despondent, both father and daughter left for San Giovanni Rotondo, [where Padre Pio’s monastery home is located],” continued Francesco. “Padre Pio received them, blessed them, and declared: ‘Above all, no despondency! Have faith in the Lord! The arm will heal.’ That was the end of July, 1930. The sick girl returned to Bologna without even the slightest sign of improvement. ‘No doubt,’ thought the girl, ‘Padre Pio was mistaken!’”

Months passed, and on September 17 of that same year, suddenly Giuseppina Marchetti’s apartment was flooded with a sweet and delightful aroma that seemed to have no natural source. “The phenomenon,” said Francesco Napolitano, “lasted about a quarter of an hour, while the surprised tenants searched in vain for its source.

“On that day, the girl regained the use of her arm,” declared Francesco. “An X-ray, which she carefully treasures, shows the restoration of the bone and cartilage [which the doctors had said would never heal].”

Do you have a condition, a need, a problem, a misery that seems incurable, that seems beyond hope? Take your problems to Saint Padre Pio. He will intercede for you with Jesus. Have faith in the Ruler of All Nature. He still works miracles—and very often through His Saints, like St. Padre Pio.

Amen!


Now, I wanted to share with you the good news: the publication of my latest book about Saint Padre Pio. It’s in a series called the “Listening to God” series published by Our Sunday Visitor. God in his great mercy uses me, and if He can use me, He can use anyone, including you, my dear friend! And may I also add that God uses me, through the intercession of St. Padre Pio, my Holy Guardian Angel, and the Mother of God. May He continue to always use me, for His glory and for His good pleasure. In Jesus’ Most Precious Name I pray, amen.

You can order my new book from OSV:

LISTENING TO GOD WITH PADRE PIO

Compiled by Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti
In his great love for everyone, St. Padre Pio felt
everyone's pain, whether moral, physical, or mental.
He wanted to share their pain and help to
alleviate it through his intercessory prayers,
through his gifts of healing and
reading of souls, and through his own
endless suffering from the ever-bleeding stigmata.

Also in the “Listening to God” series:

Listening to God With Blessed John Paul II
Compiled by Amy Welborn
Blessed John Paul II tells us it is in listening to God that we live most fully -- that God doesn't just speak to us during quiet, reflective moments, but also over the course of everyday life, in all of its noise, confusion, and complexity.
Experience this unique connection to God every day with passages from Blessed John Paul II's homilies, General Audience talks, addresses, and other writings, and see God's constant presence in our lives -- His continual whisper in our hearts.

Listening to God With Mother Teresa
Compiled by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker
Imagine how your daily outlook would be enhanced by your spending time with one of the spiritual giants of modern Church history.
These selections of her quotes, comments, and writings, matched with short Scripture passages, are sure to center your heart and mind on Christ as only Mother Teresa could do. Her words will encourage and challenge you to listen to God in all the circumstances of your life.

YOU CAN ORDER Eileen’s new book TODAY:
800-348-2440 Ext. 2172
or visit www.osv.com

And for more about Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti’s other book titles, you can visit www.kcnet.org/~edbertan; or http://eileendunnbertanzetti.blogspot.com; or visit her Facebook page; or visit her publishers at:
(1. Our Sunday Visitor—(www.osv.com ; 1-800-348-2440)
(2. Pauline Books and Media— (www.pauline.org ; 1-800-876-4463)
(3. The Word Among Us Press—(www.wordamongus.org ; 1-800-842-0646)
(4. Chelsea House Publishers—(www.chelseahouse.com)

Dear friend,

Each week I share with you Saint Padre Pio's words, and today I hope the following message of his will bless you, as it does me. Here is Padre Pio’s encouragement for you from his Letters, Volume Three:

"How fortunate we are to be held so tightly to our Heavenly Teacher [Jesus Christ]. We need do no more than we are doing at present; that is to love Divine Providence and abandon ourselves in His arms and Heart." Amen! Jesus Christ will never let you down, my dear friend. Trust Him.

Now, I wanted to share with you the good news: the publication of my latest book about Saint Padre Pio. It is a small hardback in a series of hardbacks called the “Listening to God” series published by Our Sunday Visitor. May I add that God in his great mercy uses me, and if He can use me, He can use anyone, including you, my dear friend! And may I also add that God uses me, through the intercession of St. Padre Pio, my Holy Guardian Angel, and the Mother of God. May He continue to always use me, for His glory and for His good pleasure. In Jesus’ Most Precious Name I pray, amen.


You can order the new 'Listening to God' series from OSV:

LISTENING TO GOD WITH PADRE PIO

Compiled by Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti
In his great love for everyone, St. Padre Pio felt
everyone's pain, whether moral, physical, or mental.
He wanted to share their pain and help to
alleviate it through his intercessory prayers,
through his gifts of healing and
reading of souls, and through his own
endless suffering from the ever-bleeding stigmata.

List Price: $12.95
112 pages, hardcover


Listening to God With Blessed John Paul II
Compiled by Amy Welborn
Blessed John Paul II tells us it is in listening to God that we live most fully -- that God doesn't just speak to us during quiet, reflective moments, but also over the course of everyday life, in all of its noise, confusion, and complexity.
Experience this unique connection to God every day with passages from Blessed John Paul II's homilies, General Audience talks, addresses, and other writings, and see God's constant presence in our lives -- His continual whisper in our hearts.
List Price: $12.95
128 pages, hardcover


Listening to God With Mother Teresa
Compiled by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker
Imagine how your daily outlook would be enhanced by your spending time with one of the spiriutal giants of modern Church history.
These selections of her quotes, comments, and writings, matched with short Scripture passages, are sure to center your heart and mind on Christ as only Mother Teresa could do. Her words will encourage and challenge you to listen to God in all the circumstances of your life.
List Price: $12.95
112 pages, hardcover


YOU CAN ORDER THESE THREE TITLES TODAY:
800-348-2440 Ext. 2172
or visit www.osv.com

And for more about Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti’s other book titles, you can visit www.kcnet.org/~edbertan; or http://eileendunnbertanzetti.blogspot.com; or visit her Facebook page; or visit her publishers at:
(1. Our Sunday Visitor—(www.osv.com ; 1-800-348-2440)
(2. Pauline Books and Media— (www.pauline.org ; 1-800-876-4463)
(3. The Word Among Us Press—(www.wordamongus.org ; 1-800-842-0646)
(4. Chelsea House Publishers—(www.chelseahouse.com)

Words of Saint Padre Pio

Hi there. Today I thought I'd simply share with you some of Saint Padre Pio's profound words, hoping they would bring to you the same comfort and strength that they bring to me. Why do I put so much emphasis on Padre Pio? (I’ve written many books about him, which are published by Our Sunday Visitor, Pauline Books & Media, and The Word Among Us Press.) Don't I know that Jesus is God, not Padre Pio? Mais oui, but of course! But God chose to come to us through another human being, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and God also comes to us through each other; He speaks to us through each other, including through the Saints, so why not allow God to speak to you and to me through Saint Padre Pio? Mais oui! Therefore, let me share with you, if you please, a few of Padre Pio’s words and how you can apply them to your problems, to your life, today.

For example, here is part of a letter Padre Pio wrote to one of his Superiors, Padre Agostino: “My very dear Father, May Jesus be always with you and with all the souls who love Him sincerely and with a pure heart. Amen. With a trembling hand I am writing these few lines. Jesus is inebriating me more and more with His sufferings. May He be blessed for ever for it!”

Now, why would a Saint be happy that God is “inebriating” him with sufferings? Like Saint Paul (Colossians 1:24), St. Padre Pio believed that God allows us to share in Christ’s sufferings here on earth in order to save souls. What? Didn’t Christ, once and for all, suffer and die and in doing so provide salvation for anyone who comes to Him and accepts it, His free gift of Self to us? Of course, but God’s ways are far beyond our comprehension, and if St. Paul says that we can help save others by offering up our sufferings to God, then why not offer up your sufferings for the salvation of the souls of all those you love? Why not offer your pains and trials and worries and miseries to God as prayer for others? If you don’t believe the efficacy, the benefit, of offering up your sufferings to God, then read Saint Paul’s own words about it in Colossians 1:24:

"I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I
am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of
His body, that is, the church."

Wow, I know, if it wasn’t in Scripture, who would believe it? But it is there, and it is God’s Word, and Christ is The Word, so we can believe it. Therefore, dear friend in Christ, today—and every day—offer up your sufferings to God; offer up your miseries in union with Christ on the Cross. God will greatly bless you—and your loved ones—for your sacrifice.

Until next week, may God richly bless you, and may you receive the benefits of practicing what Padre Pio always said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Amen.

Love,
Eileen
Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

Saint Padre Pio on the Holy Trinity

Hi again. I hope your Easter was fabulous. This week I thought I'd share with you Saint Padre Pio's explanation of the Holy Trinity. Of course no one can totally understand the Trinity, but the Saints, such as Padre Pio, try to help us as much as they can by sharing, as best they can, what God has revealed to their hearts and souls during contemplation, which of course cannot be totally explained or expressed using human language. Nevertheless, here is what St. Padre Pio said, and I am using Dorothy Gaudiose's words, since she worked for three years in Italy for him and was my dear friend:

“In 1922,” said Dorothy, “a young girl by the name of Giovannina Rizziani, had her faith tested by her teachers, some of whom did not believe in God. Troubled in mind, the girl went to Confession to Padre Pio and asked him a question about the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

"Using language that was simple enough to be readily understood by a young girl," continued Dorothy, "he proceeded to give the following explanation: 'My daughter, when a housewife makes bread, what does she use? Three different ingredient; flour, yeast, and water. She kneads the dough, which has been mixed and formed into one single substance. She uses this dough to make three loaves of bread. Each loaf is of the same substance, yet separate from the other two. From this example, we can proceed to God, who is one Being, and at the same time, He is Three Persons, each one equal yet distinct from the other two. God the Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit. The Son is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit. God the Father begets the Son; the Son proceeds from the Father; and the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son. They are three individual beings, equal and at the same time distinct. Nevertheless, they are one God only, because the Divine Nature is unique and identical.'

"Elaborating upon this mystery of faith,” concluded Dorothy, “Padre Pio, who had been inspired by God, was easily able to dissipate the doubts that had troubled the girl."

If you ever have doubts about God, my dear friend, simply ask St. Padre Pio to help you to let go of those doubts and to let God fill you with faith in Himself, since "faith is a gift," according to the New Testament, “lest any should boast.” Simply ask God, through St. Padre Pio’s intercession, to give you that gift. God will do it.

May the Resurrected Christ hold you always in the palm of His loving hand! Amen.

I love you, dear friend, and will talk to you again next week. In the meantime, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” as St. Padre Pio always said.

Saint Padre Pio's Mass

Today I’d like to share with you about St. Padre Pio’s Mass. Dorothy Gaudiose, my dear friend, assisted at many of Padre Pio’s Masses in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, at his monastery, because she worked for him for three years. Therefore, I would like to use her own words, since I know they are the truth.

“What moved people the most was the manner in which Padre Pio celebrated Holy Mass,” said Dorothy. “It is difficult, and indeed nearly impossible, to describe the Mass of Padre Pio. Many have tried without too much success, because he was not an ordinary priest, but a creature in pain, who renewed the Passion of Christ with the devotion and radiance of one who is inspired by God.

“Padre Pio celebrated a daily Mass at 5 a.m.,” continued Dorothy. “And nearly a thousand persons from all over the world came every morning, in all kinds of weather, to be present for it. When the hour of Mass approached, Padre Pio could be seen coming, hobbling painfully on his pierced feet. In one of his writings, he related how the Madonna [the Mother of Christ] had accompanied him to the altar that very morning: ‘You’d think,’ he wrote, ‘She had nothing else to do.’ Padre Pio was very humble.

“When he reached the altar,” said Dorothy, “and made the Sign of the Cross, he seemed to pass into ecstasy. This ecstasy spread throughout the crowd and held it spellbound.

“During the Mass, suffering shone through his features, and all could see the painful contractions of his body, especially when he leaned on the altar and genuflected, as though he bore the weight of the Cross. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and from his mouth came words of prayer, of supplication for pardon, of love for his Lord Jesus of Whom he seemed to be a perfect replica [because Padre Pio suffered the pain and constant bleeding of the Stigmata—the five wounds of Christ Crucified in his hands, feet, and side—for fifty years.]”

About the Mass, St. Padre Pio once said, “I should like to shed, not a few tears, but torrents of tears when faced with the mystery of a God-Victim. During the Mass, I suffer unworthily all that was suffered by Jesus, Who deigned to allow me to share in His great enterprise of human redemption.” (St. Padre Pio’s Letters.)

Let me continue with Dorothy’s own account now: “The only time Padre Pio removed the fingerless gloves that covered the wounds in his hands was to celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass. At the Consecration, the wounds in his hands bled, and all those present witnessed this spectacle.

“Also, none of those present,” said Dorothy, “noticed the passage of time. It took Padre Pio about one and one-half hours to say Mass, but the attention of all was riveted on every gesture, movement, and expression of St. Padre Pio., the celebrant.”

Next week, my dear friend, I will share with how Padre Pio explained the Holy Trinity, and how St. Pio guided souls. You know, don’t you, that Padre Pio will guide you too? Oh course he will! Just ask him. Let him put peace in your heart, which he can obtain for you from Our Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t forget Padre Pio’s words: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”

Until next week—and forever—you’ll be in my prayers. Love, Eileen

St. Padre Pio's Stigmata: Part 3

Hi! The past two weeks I have shared with you about St. Padre Pio's stigmata, the five bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified, which Padre Pio bore in his hands, feet, and side for fifty (yes, 50) years, until only days before his death. I've told you about the wounds in his feet and hands; today I'll share with you about the wound in his side. Since my dear and close friend, Dorothy Gaudiose, worked for Padre Pio for three years at his monastery in Italy, and since she gave me written permission to quote her little booklet she wrote about him, let me share her own words with you, since she is an eyewitness:

"The chest wound," says Dorothy, "was two and three-quarter inches in length with a tapering line, not appreciably deep, but it was bloody and had the shape of an inverted cross. It was located about one inch below the left nipple, close to the border of the heart, and offered the same characteristics as the other wounds, with a flow of arterial blood. The edge of the lesion showed it was not superficial. The tissue that surrounded the lesion was not inflamed, but it was painful at the slightest touch. Although this chest wound was superficial in appearance, Dr. Giorgio Festa said that he witnessed drops of blood trickling in greater quantity from the side wound than from the other four wounds. [See my last two weeks of notes which contain information about Dr. Festa.] According to the records at the monastery," says Dorothy, "Padre Pio lost about a teacupful of blood a day. [For fifty years!]

"Whenever people suggested that the stigmata were caused by too great a concentration on Christ's passion," continues Dorothy, "Padre Pio told them, 'Go out to the fields and look very closely at a bull. Concentrate with all your might. Do this and see if horns grow on your head.'

"It is interesting to know," says Dorothy, "that three months before Padre Pio's death, the wounds began to gradually emit less and less blood, and on the day he died, September 23, 1968, the wounds had completely closed.

[Let me add here, to Dorothy's account, that after his death, no scars were ever seen on Padre Pio's hands, feet, and side, where the stigmata had been for fifty years. Therefore, it is obvious that his wounds were not self-inflicted, which is what some misinformed individuals declared. There is also proof abounding that Padre Pio did not psychologically induce the wounds into his own flesh, but I don't have time today to go into details. I might do that, though, in another posting, if you would like me to so.]

Now I continue with Dorothy's eyewitness account: "The first day that the body of Padre Pio was viewed in the church [after his September 23rd death], his hands could be seen, and the wounds were closed, but after the first day, the friars put on his hands the brown fingerless mittens that people were used to seeing on his hands, and he was buried with them."

Next week, I will share with you how St. Padre Pio celebrated Mass, and how he regularly went into ecstasy during Mass and how people could see blood dripping at times from his wounded hands. (He only appeared in public without the fingerless gloves while saying Mass.) By the way, sometimes before Mass he would levitate. This was witnessed by his fellow priests. Over the next weeks and years, God willing, I will continue to share with you many wondrous things God has done and does and will do, through Saint Padre Pio's intercession.

Until next week, "Pray, hope, and don't worry," as Padre Pio always said.

My love to you, dear friend!

The Stigmata of St. Padre Pio

According to my dear friend Dorothy Gaudiose who worked for St. Padre Pio, "The first person to be sent to make a medical report on Padre Pio's stigmata [the five bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified which he bore for fifty years] was Dr. Luigi Romanelli. After fifteen visits, the doctor felt obliged to state that he had been unable to discover a scientific explanation that would authorize him to classify such wounds.

"Among other doctors sent from the Vatican who examined Padre Pio's wounds were: Dr. Amico Bignami, an atheist, and Dr. Giorgio Festa, a good Christian.

"Dr. Bignami was left puzzled by the wounds, but Dr. Festa concluded that the five bleeding wounds on the body of Padre Pio corresponded to: 'The five parts of Our Lord's body that He offered up in His supreme sacrifice to faith. They can only constitute a mystery for those unable to see a connection between natural truth and the truths of faith and religion.'

"But the honor of bearing these bleeding wounds brought much sorrow to Padre Pio. Above the door of his room were written these words: 'The Glory of the World has Sorrow for its companion.'

"The wounds, or the stigmata, as described by Dr. Luigi Romanelli, the first medical doctor to examine him, is as follows: 'The wounds in his hands were almost circular in shape with clean-cut borders, having a diameter of little more than two centimeters or three-quarters of an inch. These lesions were covered by red-brown scabs, and there was no bleeding point, no edema, and no inflammatory reaction in the surrounding tissue. The wounds in his feet present identical characteristics as those in his hands, but are wider at the tip.'

"The red-brown scabs were produced by the progressive drying of blood that flowed from them continuously for fifty years, and these scabs, from time to time, fell off and revealed the wounds in all their details. Their contours were so clean that even under a magnifying glass they produced no edema or reddening. When soft, the scabs detached themselves first from the edges, then from the center, until they fell off completely and gave way to the formation of new scabs."

Next week, I will continue about St. Padre Pio's stigmata by sharing with you details about the wound in his side, which was also part of the Stigmata.

Until then, "Pray, hope, and don’t' worry," as St. Padre Pio always said. Jesus is with you and for you, so what do you need to fear? Nothing.

The Stigmata of St. Padre Pio

Since so many people are intrigued by St. Padre Pio's stigmata, I think that is what I'll talk with you about today. Actually, the best way to explain to you about Padre Pio's stigmata—the five bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified, which God placed in Padre Pio's hands, feet, and side, and which bled for fifty long years—would be to let St. Pio do the explaining. Here are the words he used in his Letter to his Superior:

"On the morning of September 20, 1918," wrote Padre Pio, in obedience to his Superior, "in the choir [of the church in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, at his monastery], 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 celestial person [whom Padre Pio later admitted was Christ Crucified Himself], similar to the one I had seen on the evening of the 5th of august. The only difference was that his hands and feet and side were dripping blood.

"This 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 and pained me a great deal. I lacked the strength to rise. So I managed to crawl from the choir to my cell, down the whole length of the long corridor. The Fathers were all of them out of the monastery at the time. I lay on my bed and prayed that I might see Our Lord again, but then I pulled myself together and examined my wounds. Weeping with joy and thanksgiving, I prayed." [St. Padre Pio's Letters.]

Next week, my dear friend, I will continue with true events that followed St. Padre Pio's reception from God of the stigmata. Just know, in the meantime, that any problems you have can be taken to St. Padre Pio and he will do what he can for you. He is a powerful intercessor in Heaven now with Jesus, Our Lord and God. Go ahead now and ask your Holy Guardian Angel to take your prayer requests to Padre Pio.

"All things work together for the good for those who love God." Amen.