Today is the Feast Day of Padre Pio...a Capuchin priest who had the stigmata (bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus), could read souls in the confessional and also was known to have the gifts of bilocation, levitation, prophecy, miracles, extraordinary abstinence from both sleep and nourishment ( People would come from all around to have him hear their confessions...he would spend hours and hours in the confessional and was know for telling people sins they left out while confessing!
All his life he was also said to have seen his guardian angel. There is a great book about this relationship called "Send Me Your Guardian Angel" http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/title/Send-Me-Your-Guardian-Angel/FuseAction/store.ItemDetails/SKU/18300/ A definite must read!
In 1918 Padre Pio received the visible stigmata, which would stay with him for the next 50 years.
Like St Terese and St Faustina, and many saints, he also said that after his death he would do more. His body is said to be incorrupt.
When I first came back to the church and learned about Padre Pio he terrified me. I felt he could see all my sins and was sure to , like my aborted son, to convict me before God. As time went by and I learned my faith and Gods deep love and mercy and His desire for me to be in heaven, I developed a close relationship with Padre Pio. His Novena to the Sacred Heart is a prayer I have said daily for years and I consider him one of the saints I feel closest to and know he is continually helping me in this life.
May Padre Pio intercede for each of us. May we send him our guardian angels and together may they lead us to heaven to eternal life with Jesus, Mary and our unborn children who love us with the love of Christ!
Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)
Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
