Thanks a great thing Terry. So often ,especially the cleaning staff can feel invisible because they are ignored....and that’s so sad.
And it was a wonderful work through St. Vincent DePaul he did, escorting the elderly to and from Holy Mass. In the above interview with the judge's daughter we hear that that was his undoing. Before he began that little ministry, he would alternate the churches and Holy Mass times each week to avoid the possiblility of assassins. But escorting the lady weekly to the same Holy Mass enabled him to become an easy target! Lord have mercy on the souls of those two who shot him! Safe in the Refuge of the Sacred Heart!
It seems to me in death, as in life, that not one of us die a second before or after the time led down by God. I read a rather scary story concerning Padre Pio recently. An Italian Government functionary had asked a spiritual son of Padre Pio to see the old saint as he was concerned about the state of his soul. He revealed to this gentleman that he had taken a vow to God on three occasions and had not kept it. So he had broken this vow three times. Padre Pio had no way of knowing this as this gentleman was a complete stranger. However when he tried to talk to Padre Pio the saint refused to have anything to do with him and said that having broken his vows three times God had run out of patience and there was nothing he (Padre Pio) could do for him. This is in line I think with what St Alphonsus Ligouri and other saints have said, that there is a limits on the amount of sins people are allowed to commit before God's Justice falls. That we must not think we can go and on and on committing grave sins without the hammer falling. That, to speak in human terms, God will loose patience. “Because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evil without fear.” cf Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Bear, I beseech thee, my sin and return with me that I may adore the Lord” (cf 1 Samuel 15:25), Samuel answered, “I will not return with thee, because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee” (cf 1 Samuel 15:26) https://spiritualdirection.com/2015/03/10/on-the-number-of-sins
Recently on praying the, 'Hail Mary', I focus more and more on the words, 'Pray for us now and at the hour of our death'. The fact that we are asked to pray so much for help at the hour of our death from our blessed Mother teaches us how important it is for us to meditate on the future sister death, which is certain for us all. We are all going to die. After death we are, all of us going to either heaven or hell. No one ever talks about this anymore, but it is the simple truth. The, 'Hail Mary', reminds us that it is very, very important to think and prepare for it. Proverbs 9:10 The Way of Wisdom …9Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. 10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.…
“Suffering has to come because if you look at the cross, He has got His head bending down – He wants to kiss you – and He has both hands open wide – He wants to embrace you. He has His heart opened wide to receive you. Then when you feel miserable inside, look at the cross and you will know what is happening. Suffering, pain, sorrow, humiliations, feelings of loneliness, are nothing but the kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close that He can kiss you. Do you understand brother and sister, or whoever you may be? Suffering, pain, humiliation – this is the kiss of Jesus. At times you come so close to Jesus on the cross that He can kiss you. I once told this to a lady who was suffering very much. She answered, ‘Tell Jesus not to kiss me- to stop kissing me.’ That suffering has to come that came in the life of Our Lady, that came in the life of Jesus – it has to come in our life also. Only never put on a long face. Suffering is a gift from God. It is between you and Jesus alone inside.” Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Thank you for bringing forward this thread. An encounter with the site was not accidental, with God there are no accidents. "O pure and holiest Virgin, accept my gratitude for thy many graces. Hear us, thy children, who cry to thee". Amen “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; ……... I love those who love me, those who seek me diligently will find me. Proverb 8: 12 -17
Philippians 3:8 Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ...10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death...
Thank you Padraig for bringing this thread forward. I might have been kicked off Rons forum, I can't remember if it was his . . .but it was someone's. And then I found yours, I don't remember how long ago. But I do remember a while back there was some internet trouble and I couldn't log in and I was so afraid I had been kicked off! And I was worried about what I could have said to have that happen, you know the Irish are not afraid to speak their minds, so I was so relieved to find out it was an Internet glitch! Anyhow, I didn't know you wrote a book. So with some sleuthing I have found it. Barnes and Noble sells it in e reader form. I was able to download an app for my Windows based computer and purchase it, so will be reading it this evening. I am looking forward to it! And I must tell you, I was a member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and we prayed for you. We always started our meetings with a rosary and prayed for the persecuted Catholics in Ireland and Northern Ireland and especially those who were incarcerated. I'm sure our prayers helped. Now I am in the south of the U.S. and there are no LAOH groups down here, but the Order of Discalced Carmelites Secular keeps me busy praying. Thank you for this special place, we are blessed to have it. Keep the Faith. Kathleene
This post speaks to me of a curious thing that happened over thirty years ago, and it haunts me to this day. We were going through a very difficult time in our family with various concerns, and I was praying to Saint Padre Pio to send help in resolving the situation. At that time I used to get the Padre Pio magazine and had learned some very helpful things about life and Faith and ordinary daily things from that magazine. Anyway on one particular magazine, when things were at the height of personal crisis, I came across a letter the good Padre had sent to one of his spiritual daughters and was blown away at how much what he said reflected my own situation, and internal thoughts and questions I had, even things that had happened to me and no one knew about them. I had never spoked about. Yet a synopsis of personal internal secrets and experiences were in that letter. Amazing. I do wish I had kept the magazine, lost it when we relocated some years later. To make a long story short, in that letter Padre Pio had said to that particular spiritual daughter, he was unable to help her or advise her because the Lord had told him. "Leave this one to Me." I felt that described my own situation, but still don't know why. Am I deluded thinking I am on the right track. The Lord has never made me believe otherwise, and could there be something that I have never properly repented of. Still don't know. I took that to heart and would say to Padre Pio, I know you would help if you were allowed, and I hope you can help others as long as it is not me, for whatever reason the Lord requires. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Beatification of Saint Padre Pio in Rome, where I told Saint Padre Pio, I know you were not able to help me; but you have helped so many people around the world, I am delighted for your being raised to the Altar of the Saints, because you do deserve this honour, and I am so happy for you. Congratulation dear Saint Padre Pio. As we left Saint Peters square there was a crowd so dense, I was suffocating and desperate to escape; but there were barriers and armed police forcing the crowd to stay on the path away from the Square and down a side street. I spotted a gap in the barrier and decided to escape the crushing throng, so just walked through the gap and ignored the armed police and made my way to a Church which was the other side of the street. No one interfered with me, no one stopped me and I took refuge in the porch of that Church until the throng had gone and the street was safe to walk along back to my hotel. As I was standing in the Church porch, another four or five people were also standing there and there was a Priest with a mitten or glove from Padre Pio. The Priest offered to bless each one with the mitten, so I stepped over beside them and got blessed with the mitten. The strange thing was, when the Priest blessed the other four people standing there I watched as he held the mitten against their forehead, but when he came to me he held the mitten against my face, the left cheek to be exact. I wondered at the time why he didn't give me the same blessing as the others, then I wondered was that a kiss from Saint Padre Pio to say thank you for rejoicing in my (Padre Pio's) big day. To this day I wonder if the others got a blessing and I just got a holy kiss. But I still don't know why Padre Pio allowed me to believe he was not permitted to send me the help I so desperately need all those years ago. I still love him and thank God for this wonderful Saint. Sorry, another waffle from Julia, and may have shared part of it in the past here on the Forum.
Wow Julia! I have had many of the same questions in regards to my own spiritual life! I think the Lord allows these feelings/events to draw us deeper into His Mystery. Lets Hope God sees all the underlying motives of all people! And of course He does! So really in light of this, we should not be afraid of where we are at any given moment, because He is the equaliser! And all will be revealed at the last Day!! However, we are prone to doubt, so prayer and patience are the answer to understanding our feelings and or events of our life! Inspirations of the Holy Spirit are also a source of solace. Therefore discernment and understanding are two great graces we should ask for. Lord Have Mercy on us all. Amen
Did you know Padre Pio had a sister who lived a very bad life? Padre Pio prayed for her conversion her whole life and she never changed. I never even heard a report that she converted on her death bed (though it is very possible of course that she converted at the point of death with no outward sign). It just goes to show. I find this the most interesting thing of all about Padre Pio how he does and says the most unexpected things at times, especially around the Confessional Box. He is never,ever boring in the least. He is always up and at them. It reminds me of the Scripture: Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Padre Pio reminds me of my dogs in a way. He can be quite fearsome and shows his teeth at times. I quite like that, I was never one for pampered poodles.
Oh holy glockamoley Padraig, if I have managed to damn my soul, it is a poor how do you do to succeed with a boring limited sad little life. Can't remember achieving any notorious sin distinctions. And have no interest pursuing any nowadays. just the boring old typical sins sadly, and hopefully confessed. But you never know. Maybe it is time to hit the town and paint it red. A body needs to do the crime if they are destined to do the time; but if only the medics could hurry up and fix my kidney plumbing otherwise the high life would be stinted with inflammation and there aint too many years left to learn how to play the game in the glitter and glam, then there is the gammy leg. Sigh couldn't even sin in style these days. maybe volume hmmmm. No thanks. Only joking, never did like or try that sort of lifestyle. Still wonder what Padre Pio was trying to say in that letter "Leave this one to Me." God has kept me waiting for tens of years; waiting to let me know what these sort of mysteries mean. I promise to share it, if He ever lets me know before I have gone doolally or disabled beyond using the internet, before I pop my clogs.
Amazing story. Had you not broken away from the crowd you never would have been standing on the church porch to receive the blessing. It was meant to be, Julia.
Julia you do make me laugh! Thank you. I am laughing especially because I know exactly what you mean. I have a gimpy foot these days--thete goes my walking exercise. So far the kidneys are working. I saw a picture of Joni Mitchell today--at 78. She was a guest on the virtual Emmy show. At 19 I wanted to be her. I thought I had all the requirements. A quiver full of original songs and a mean guitar and long long hair and a soulful voice. Ah well. God in His Mercy protected me. My mother's prayers!!! But in this picture she looks so awful. A hard life.. There but for the grace of God go I. She was raised a Catholic but she said in a recent interview that it is Christians who make the world rotten. All that fame all that talent and she is so bitter. How grateful to Our Blessed Mother I am I got off that path and by her help and protection got back to Jesus and His one true Church. We are blessed Julia aren't we? Unsolved prayers and mysteries not withstanding. I edited original post--i was needlessly unkind about poor Miss Mitchell.
I have only recently started to thank God when I get these kisses because even though I really would rather not have them, I know that God will use them for Good. “ Penance, Penance, Penance” (Fatima). I also asked God to not give me anymore than I can handle....I’m quite the poor sufferer....and God always stops short of pushing me off the cliff. Thank you Jesus....I know I’ll thank you in eternity for all of eternity!
