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.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
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
“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
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
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 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!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
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.
"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.
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