I had the utter joy of venerating the relics of Padre Pio on Thursday and Friday evening (and the added joy of getting to confessions and Mass) in Downpatrick where the priest revealed at least 5000 people passed through the Church to venerate his relics. What is the message of Padre Pio to the Church? Holiness attracts Padre Pio has sound words of advice about our relationship with God - Leave the past to His Mercy Leave the present to his Love Leave the future to His providence I came away determined to imitate this great man as best I can -- Someone close to Padre Pio asked him what he wanted out of life -- he replied - I just want to sit on a chair in the corner and pray. Pray, pray, pray. I am going to pray more rosaries to imitate my hero, Padre Pio. May God one day allow me into heaven to meet this great saint (although I have already met him once in the only mystical experience that I have had in my life).
The words of Padre Pio have been a comfort to me -- 'Leave the past to the mercy of God'. Reflecting back on my life I have serious, serious regrets about how I let sin into my life (thankfully sins that God has given me the grace to overcome). But I look back in shock at how I was so conformed to the world and the sins were like a poison in my soul so now having been purified by the grace of God I feel like a new creation, a different person - yet for the past few years as I have grown in Christ, I have looked back with utter horror - I have cried many days in the recent past when I pray the rosary at the thought of those sins and truly I am repentant -- I say Lord how could I have done that, I was an utter fool!! But now I am going to leave my past to the mercy of God - it is is as if I once was a caterpillar but now I am free like a butterfly. Truly free to love God now in the present.
Thanks for sharing your history with us. It’s always helpful to see and read witness of people who have and continue to “convert “. Mine is similar…. Won’t bore you with details but God provided the grace and exactly what I needed and I’m slowly letting this “old man” die and the new creation born in my baptism is alive. Not easy .. but I see the crosses in a different light now… they are means to salvation. You probably already have it, but one of my favorite prayers after communion is this one from Padre Pio Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You. Stay with me Lord, because I am weak, and I need Your strength, so that I may not fall so often. Stay with me Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor. Stay with me Lord, for You are my light, and without you, I am in darkness. Stay with me Lord, to show me Your will. Stay with me Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. Stay with me Lord, for I desire to love you very much, and always be in Your Company. Stay with me Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. Stay with me Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love. Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late, and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgment, eternity approach. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile. Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You. Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart. Stay with me Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to you, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love. Stay with me Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation because I do not merit it, but the gift of Your presence, oh yes, I ask this of You. Stay with me Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more. With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.
I've always had a soft spot for St Padre Pio specially after reading his book on guardian angels. I find him stern but I need some stern Love this - Leave the past to His Mercy Leave the present to his Love Leave the future to His providence I think we all have heavy past regrets, You're blessed if you don't! I also love that prayer after Communion! Thanks for posting garabandal & miker!
The only real mystical experience of my life was to see a statue of our Lady transform into a full image of Padre Pio for ten minutes at Mount Mellaray Grotto during an all-night prayer vigil. https://www.melleray.com/apparitions/
Thank you for telling us! That was a great blessing. Thank you also for the link to Melleray. How far down into evils our world has descended since 1985. The Church, too.
