Saint Padre Pio: Part Six

Hello again, dear friend. So far I've shared with you about Saint Padre Pio's gifts of Stigmata, Perfume, Conversion, Bilocation, Miracles, and Discernment of Spirit. As you know, I've been using, as my fact and quote source, the pamphlet written by my dear friend Dorothy M. Gaudiose who worked for Padre Pio for three years at his monastery home in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. (She gave me written permission to freely quote her material.) Today I'd like to share with you what Dorothy said about Padre Pio's gift of Prophecy. And of course, as with all of Padre Pio’s many spiritual gifts, the Source of them is God, and it is God who does all the wonderful work through St. Padre Pio.

"Padre Pio, during World War Two," said Dorothy, "predicted that not a bomb would fall on the city of San Giovanni Rotondo, and not a bomb fell, even with tan air base only fifteen miles from the city occupied first by the German army and then by the American army. He predicted a monastery would be built in his hometown of Pietrelcina," continued Dorothy, "and it was [despite the poverty and near-inaccessibility of the town at the time].

"Saint Padre Pio foretold, during the reign of Pope Pius XII," said Dorothy, "that the Blessed Mother would save Italy from falling into the hands of the Communists, and she did. During World War Two Padre Pio predicted the defeat of Germany, and the rise of Communism. He foretold the building of his hospital, the Home for the Relief of Suffering, and that it would triple in size. [People scoffed at him and said it could never be built, first of all, in the remote and rocky area near his monastery. He proved them all wrong!] The hospital--originally dedicated in 1956 as a three-hundred-bed hospital--became a nearly one-thousand-bed hospital in 1968, the year he died. Padre Pio," said Dorothy, "lived long enough to see this prediction come true.

"Now Padre Pio had this gift of foretelling the future events in an individual's life, too," continued Dorothy. "For example, Corrado Cardinal Ursi of Naples, Italy, told of an experience he had with Padre Pio. The Cardinal said that when he was Bishop of Potenza, a city near Rome, he went to visit Padre Pio, who asked him where he was from. Three times the then-Bishop answered, 'Potenza,' and three times Padre Pio contradicted him, 'No, you're from Naples.'

"Finally," said Dorothy, "the Bishop gave up in exasperation. When he returned home from his visit with Padre Pio, he found an official letter from the Vatican on his desk. The letter said he had been appointed Cardinal of Naples. That's when the new Cardinal Ursi recalled Padre Pio's prophecy."

Yes, Saint Padre Pio could prophecy about the future, and God was able to help people through Padre Pio when he used that spiritual gift--and any of his other spiritual gifts too. Are you worried about your own future, dear friend? Our Lord Jesus knows exactly what your future holds, and He is not going to allow anything to come your way that you--with His mighty help--cannot handle, so don't worry. Ask Saint Padre Pio and your faithful Holy Guardian Angel to help you too. They will. And remember to try to do as Padre Pio always recommended: "Pray, hope, and don't worry."

Next week I'll share with you about Saint Padre Pio's gifts as a Confessor. Okay? In the meantime, if you have something weighing on your conscience, go right now to Padre Pio and share your heart and soul with him. He'll bless you for doing that, and you'll have sweet dreams tonight.

See you next week!

Saint Padre Pio: Part Five

Well, dear friend, here I am again, sharing with you more of Saint Padre Pio's fascinating and holy life. I have been using Dorothy M. Gaudiose's little pamphlet for the facts about his life, because while she was on earth she was a close friend of mine, and because she worked for him at his monastery in Italy for three years and knew him well. In fact, her two books about him were published by Alba House. I have her written permission to quote her pamphlet, so here is my Part Five for you:

So far I've shared Dorothy's personal observations and collected facts about Saint Padre Pio's spiritual gifts of perfume, conversion, bilocation, and miracles. Today I'll share with you about his gift of discernment of spirit.

"DISCERNMENT OF SPIRIT: Padre Pio knew the condition of your soul," said Dorothy Gaudiose. "He knew how you stood before God. To a young woman, Padre Pio said, 'Since you had the courage to imitate Mary Magdalen in her sins, now have the courage to imitate her penances!' [The woman had not told Padre Pio that she had been having an affair with a man who was not her husband, but Padre Pio had read her soul and knew of her sin.]

"A woman driver," continued Dorothy, "who had blasphemed but had not confessed this sin to Padre Pio, was reminded by him of the circumstances of her transgression.

"On another occasion," said Dorothy, "Padre Pio merely looked at a certain man and said, without knowing his sinful history, 'Oh man of Genoa, you live by the sea, but you have a dirty face!' by which he was referring to the condition of the man's soul.'"

Now, who gave Saint Padre Pio all these gifts to which Dorothy refers and which she witnessed while living near him in Italy? God, of course, is the Giver of those gifts, and God worked through Padre Pio to help and heal and comfort all who came to him, especially repentant sinners. God can "read" your soul, too. In fact, God knows all about you. But don't let that frighten you. Oh no. Jesus said He didn't come for those who were righteous, but rather He came for those--like you and like me--who need a Savior. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Next week I'll share with you about Saint Padre Pio's gift of prophecy. In the meantime, my dear friend, "Pray, hope, and don't worry," as Padre Pio always said.

Saint Padre Pio: Part Four

Well, dear friend, today, for this week, I thought I'd continue to share with you what Dorothy M. Gaudiose wrote about Padre Pio, since she worked for him for three years at his monastery in Italy. I had already told you what Dorothy said about Padre Pio's gifts of "perfume" and "conversion" and "bilocation," so now I'll go on to share with you about his gift of "miracles."

Here is what Dorothy says about St. Padre Pio's gift of miracles:

"Padre Pio [by Christ's grace] cured the blind, the crippled, the deaf and dumb, and people with all sorts of diseases. In 1923 he cured a child, Maria Pianisi of tuberculosis of the lungs. Today she is a retired school teacher. He caused a doctor to be cured of leukemia, and in gratitude the doctor became a member of Padre Pio's hospital staff. [Padre Pio had a huge, modern hospital built near his monastery.] Padre Pio cured a child, Gemma DiGiorgio from Sicily, of blindness. A young woman now, she can see without having pupils in her eyes. [Dorothy gave me two photos of Gemma which I still have. One is of Gemma as a child and one as an adult.]

"Whenever Padre Pio accomplished one of those astonishing cures," continued Dorothy, "he said, 'God has granted you this grace. Address your thanks to Him and not to me.' Although Padre Pio was well aware of his power, he never allowed it to impair his humility."

So, my dear friend, do you need a miracle today? Look up and say to Saint Padre Pio, "Would you please do your best to obtain this miracle for me from Jesus?" Or send your request to Padre Pio via your holy Guardian Angel who has never left you since you were born and who will never leave you until you reach Heaven. Have a great day, my friend!

St. Padre Pio's Gifts: Part Three

Hi, dear friend. Today I'll continue sharing with you what my friend Dorothy M. Gaudiose wrote about St. Padre Pio in her little pamphlet, "Padre Pio." (I obtained written permission from her to quote it.) Dorothy worked for St. Padre Pio for three years at his monastery in Italy, and she was my dear friend too. Here is my Part Three of what she wrote:

"In addition to the Stigmata [the five ever-bleeding wounds of Christ Crucified which Padre Pio bore in his hands, feet, and side for fifty years], Padre Pio possessed other supernatural gifts, namely:

"(1. PERFUME [which I spoke to you about last week].

"(2. CONVERSION: Padre Pio converted thousands of persons, some well-known personalities. When atheists, bitter enemies of the Church, and habitual sinners change their conduct at a word or a look from Padre Pio--or sometimes the mere mention of his name or virtue--we have something as extraordinary as a miracle, a moral miracle of grace that everyone can see and understand. Padre Pio made Christianity real. Almost all who professed a change through Padre Pio's ministry persisted and, despite inevitable highs and lows in their spiritual life, grew as practicing Christians.

"(3. BILOCATION: After several years, Padre Pio never left the monastery where he was stationed, but he was seen by persons around the world. For example, a saintly priest, Don Luigi Orione, met Padre Pio praying at the tomb of Pope St. Pius X in Rome. And many people saw Padre Pio at the canonization of St. Theresa of the Little Flower at the Vatican in 1925, but Padre Pio had never physically left the monastery. A famous case is that of General Luigi Cadorno, the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian armies of World War I, who--discouraged by a terrible battle defeat-- decided to commit suicide. Padre Pio appeared to him in bilocation and told him such an act was foolish, thereby saving the General's life. Once, when questioned by a doctor about bilocation, Padre Pio replied, 'It is a prolongation of the personality.'"

Next week, my dear friend, I will share with you more of St. Padre Pio's supernatural gifts given to him by God. In the meantime, if you have a need, tell your Guardian Angel (yes, you have one who never leaves you, no matter what!) about your need and ask him to take your message to St. Padre Pio in Heaven. Padre Pio has promised he will do for you whatever he can. "Pray, hope, and don't worry," as he always said.