gates of what?
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Apex
Radical Centrist & Ethicist
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I agree with almost everything you said except I believe the righteous are still in Paradise. Jesus was the only one who resurrected. It takes bodily resurrection to escape Sheol. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. The dead in Christ are rising to meet Jesus who just came from Heaven. These people were obviously not in Heaven.
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Thank you. So when Jesus says that the gates of hades will not prevail against the Church, He is actually saying that greek mythology wont prevail?
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I came across this Holy extract of our Lord Jesus Holy Spirits through one of God our Heavenly Father Divine Majesty's Saints - Holy Saint Faustina a Sister whom had Jesus appear to Her delivering Jesus Divine Mercy Chaplet and Holy Novena for all hearts souls and groups of Souls to bring to Him immersing their hearts and souls in Jesus Gods Ocean of Mercy now and eternally with 600 Holy messages attached during the 1930s with our Lord Jesus Holy Divine Mercy Image painted. Pope John Paul II after becoming Pope through Jesus Holy Spirit God approved years later Jesus Divine Mercy Himself and His Holy Divine Mercy Novena of which includes prayers for all of the Holy Souls in Purgatory and souls on their way to eternal damnation of which I too pray for daily to Jesus God Holy Spirit and our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary in Jesus Gods Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena.
Now Jesus also requested that we ask through Him prayers from all of Gods Holy Saints in Jesus Holy Spirit and Holy Mother Mary to pray for us and to pray for the groups of souls we bring to Jesus immersing them in His Ocean of Mercy. The point I am making is that those souls on their way to eternal damnation are on their way to hell/hades and require prayers to be saved, they require prayers to receive Jesus Mercy where Jesus says "I stand between that dying soul/person and the Just Hand of My Father with My Mercy".
I have not over the course of the years read Holy Saint Faustinas Holy Messages of our Lord Jesus save a few and today after praying Jesus Divine Mercy bringing to Jesus the souls our Lord Jesus Holy Spirit God requested after having asked Jesus, I asked too for Holy Saint Faustina to pray for all mankinds hearts souls for their conversions and salvation and then I had to pop on to the computer afterwards and found these Holy Messages of our Lord Jesus without seeking them in relation to Holy Purgatory and more - of which I know in my heart had always felt that God our Heavenly Father expects more from certain people and their hearts here for the salvation of mankinds hearts souls and in particular passing over for their salvation, Christians most greatly of all, because God has called our hearts back to Him giving us the Holy opportunity to fulfil His Holy Will in His Holy Callings of us, to go more deeply into our Love of Jesus receiving Him into our hearts and doing His Holy Will and Jesus explains that His Holy Rewards are waiting for our souls after having done His Holy Will in His Holy Ways of which we should be praying a Holy Invocation daily or Consecrating our hearts to Jesus Sacred Heart daily making The Sign of The Cross and Consecrating as Jesus has requested to His thousands of Saints, the Consecrating of our hearts at the same to our Blessed Virgin Mother Marys Holy Immaculate Heart asking Jesus Holy Spirit God and Holy Mother Mary for Jesus Love, Strength and Holy Graces bestowed upon us to fulfil His Holy Will in His Righteousness and Holy Ways.
Passages on Purgatory in Diary of St. Faustina
Shortly after this, I fell ill [general exhaustion]. The dear Mother Superior sent me with two other sisters for a rest to Skolimow, not far from Warsaw. It was at that time that I asked the Lord for whom else should I pray for. Jesus said that on the following night He would let me know for whom I should pray.
[The next night] I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in PURGATORY. The souls call her “The Star of the Sea.” She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls. (Diary, 20)
Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as we know Him during His Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except for five, those in His hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before the Thrice-Holy God! Jesus asked me, Who are you? I answered, “I am Your servant, Lord.” You are guilty of one day of fire in PURGATORY. I wanted to throw myself immediately into the flames of PURGATORY, but Jesus stopped me and said, Which do you prefer, suffer now for one day in PURGATORY or for a short while on earth? I replied, “Jesus, I want to suffer in PURGATORY, and I want to suffer also the greatest pains on earth, even if it were until the end of the world.” Jesus said, One [of the two] is enough; you will go back to earth, and there you will suffer much, but not for long; you will accomplish My will and My desires, and a faithful servant of Mine will help you to do this. Now, rest your head on My bosom, on My heart, and draw from it strength and power for these sufferings because you will find neither relief nor help nor comfort anywhere else. Know that you will have much, much to suffer, but don’t let this frighten you; I am with you. (Diary, 36)
One night, a sister who had died two months previously came to me. She was a sister of the first choir. I saw her in a terrible condition, all in flames with her face painfully distorted. This lasted only a short time, and then she disappeared. A shudder went through my soul because I did not know whether she was suffering in PURGATORY or in hell. Nevertheless, I redoubled my prayers for her. The next night she came again, but I saw her in an even more horrible state, in the midst of flames which were even more intense, and despair was written all over her face. I was astonished to see her in a worse condition after the prayers I had offered for her, and I asked, “Haven’t my prayers helped you?” She answered that my prayers had not helped her and that nothing would help her. I said to her, “And the prayers which the whole community has offered for you, have they not been any help to you?” She said no, that these prayers had helped some other souls. I replied, “If my prayers are not helping you, Sister, please stop coming to me.” She disappeared at once. Despite this, I kept on praying.
After some time she came back again to me during the night, but already her appearance had changed. There were no longer any flames, as there had been before, and her face was radiant, her eyes beaming with joy. She told me that I had a true love for my neighbor and that many other souls had profited from my prayers. She urged me not to cease praying for the souls in PURGATORY, and she added that she herself would not remain there much longer. How astounding are the decrees of God! (Diary, 58)
Three requests on the day of my perpetual vows. Jesus, I know that today You will refuse me nothing.
First request: Jesus, my most beloved Spouse, I beg You for the triumph of the Church, particularly in Russia and in Spain; for blessings on the Holy Father, Pius XI, and on all the clergy; for the grace of conversion for impenitent sinners. And I ask You for a special blessing and for light, O Jesus, for the priests before whom I will make my confessions throughout my lifetime.
Second request: I beg Your blessings on our Congregation, and may it be filled with great zeal. Bless, O Jesus, our Mother General and our Mother Directress, all the novices and all the superiors. Bless my dearest parents. Bestow Your grace, O Jesus, on our wards; strengthen them so powerfully by Your grace so that those who leave our houses will no longer offend You by any sin. Jesus, I beg You for my homeland; protect it against the assaults of its enemies.
Third request: Jesus, I plead with You for the souls that are most in need of prayer. I plead for the dying; be merciful to them. I also beg You, Jesus, to free all souls from PURGATORY.
Jesus, I commend to You these particular persons: My confessors, persons recommended to my prayers, a certain person..., Father Andrasz, Father Czaputa, and the priest I met in Vilnius [Father Sopocko], who is to be my confessor, a certain soul... (111) a certain priest, a certain religious to whom You know how much I owe, Jesus, and all the people who have been recommended to my prayer. Jesus, on this day You can do everything for those for whom I am pleading. For myself I ask, Lord, transform me completely into Yourself, maintain in me a holy zeal for Your glory, give me the grace and spiritual strength to do Your holy will in all things.
Thank You, O my dearest Bridegroom, for the dignity You have conferred on me, and in particular for the royal coat-of-arms which will adorn me from this day on and which even the Angels do not possess; namely, the cross, the sword, and the crown of thorns. But above all, O my Jesus, I thank You for Your Heart — it is all I need.
Mother of God, Most Holy Mary, my Mother, You are my Mother in a special way now because Your beloved Son is my Bridegroom, and thus we are both Your children. For Your Son’s sake, You have to love me. O Mary, my dearest Mother, guide my spiritual life in such a way that it will please Your Son.
+ Holy and Omnipotent God, at this moment of immense grace by which You are uniting me with Yourself forever, I, mere nothingness, with the utmost gratitude, cast myself at Your feet like a tiny, unknown flower and, each day, the fragrance of that flower of love will ascend to Your throne.
In times of struggle and suffering, of darkness and storm, of yearning and sorrow, in times of difficult trials, in times when nobody will understand me, when I will even be condemned and scorned by everyone, I will remember the day of my perpetual vows, the day of God’s incomprehensible grace. (Diary, 240)
Jesus gave me the grace of knowing myself. In this divine light I see my principal fault; it is pride which takes the form of my closing up within myself and of a lack of simplicity in my relations with Mother Superior [Irene].
The second light concerns speaking. I sometimes talk too much. A thing could be settled in one or two words, and as for me, I take too much time about it. But Jesus wants me to use that time to say some short indulgenced prayers for the souls in PURGATORY. And the Lord says that every word will be weighed on the day of judgment.
(123) The third light concerns our rules. I have not sufficiently avoided the occasions that lead to breaking the rules, especially that of silence. I will act as if the rule were written just for me; it should not affect me at all how anyone else might act, as long as I myself act as God wishes.
Resolution. Whatever Jesus demands of me regarding external things, I will immediately go and tell my superiors. I shall strive for childlike openness and frankness in my relations with the superior. (Diary, 274)
December 24, 1934. The Vigil of Christmas. During the morning Mass, I felt the closeness of God. Though I was hardly aware of it, my spirit was drowned in God. Suddenly, I heard these words: You are My delightful dwelling place; My Spirit rests in you. After these words, I felt the Lord looking into the depths of my heart; and seeing my misery, I humbled myself in spirit and admired the immense mercy of God, that the Most High Lord would approach such misery.
During Holy Communion, joy filled my soul. I felt that I am closely united to the Godhead. His omnipotence enveloped my whole being. Throughout the whole day I felt the closeness of God in a special manner; and although my duties prevented me throughout the whole day from going to chapel even for a moment, there was not a moment when I was not united with God. I felt Him within (145) me more distinctly than ever. Unceasingly greeting the Mother of God and entering into Her spirit, I begged Her to teach me true love of God. And then I heard these words: I will share with you the secret of My happiness this night during Holy Mass.
We had supper before six o’clock. Despite all the joy and the external noise accompanying the sharing of the wafer and the mutual exchange of good wishes, I did not for a moment lose the awareness of God’s presence. After supper, we hurried away to finish our work, and at nine I was able to go to the chapel for adoration. I was allowed to stay up and wait for the Midnight Mass. I was delighted to have free time from nine until midnight. From nine to ten o’clock I offered my adoration for my parents and my whole family. From ten to eleven, I offered it for the intention of my spiritual director, in the first place thanking God for granting me this great visible help here on earth, just as He had promised me, and I also asked God to grant him the necessary light so that he could get to know my soul and guide me according to God’s good pleasure. And from eleven to twelve I prayed for the Holy Church and the clergy, for sinners, for the missions, and for our houses. I offered the indulgences for the souls in PURGATORY. (Diary, 346)
There was no one in the chapel, so I got up, picked up the pieces of the flowerpot, repotted the flower and tried to do all this before anyone came in. But I did not manage to do so, as Mother Superior [Borgia] came in at that moment together with the sister sacristan and several other sisters. Mother Superior was surprised that I had been touching something on the altar and (172) thus caused the flowerpot to fall. Sister sacristan showed her displeasure, and I did my best not to explain or excuse myself. But towards evening I felt very exhausted and could not make my Holy Hour, so I asked Mother Superior to allow me to go to bed early. I fell asleep as soon as I lay down, but at about eleven o’clock Satan shook my bed. I awoke instantly, and I started to pray peacefully to my Guardian Angel. Then I saw the souls who were doing penance in PURGATORY. They appeared like shadows, and among them I saw many demons. One of these tried to vex me; taking the form of a cat, he kept throwing himself onto my bed and on my feet, and he was quite heavy, as if [weighing] a ton.
I kept praying the rosary all the while, and toward dawn these beings vanished, and I was able to get some sleep. When I entered the chapel in the morning I heard a voice in my soul, You are united to Me; fear nothing. But know, my child, that Satan hates you; he hates every soul, but he burns with a particular hatred for you, because you have snatched so many souls from his dominion. (Diary, 412)
One evening, one of the deceased sisters, who had already visited me a few times, appeared to me. The first time I had seen her, she had been in great suffering, and then gradually these sufferings had diminished; this time she was radiant with happiness, and she told me she was already in heaven. She told me that God had tried (58) our house with tribulation because Mother General [Michael] had given in to doubts, not believing what I had said about this soul. And further, as a sign that she only now was in heaven, God would bless our house. Then she came closer to me, embraced me sincerely and said, "I must go now." I understood how closely the three stages of a soul’s life are bound together; that is to say, life on earth, in PURGATORY and in heaven [the Communion of Saints]. (Diary, 594)
O Jesus, I understand that Your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask You to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth. O Jesus, my love extends beyond the world, to the souls suffering in PURGATORY, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God’s mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God Himself is unfathomable. Even if I were to use the strongest words there are to express this mercy of God, all this would be nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor, whether of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You act toward us as we act toward our neighbor.
My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone. (Diary, 692)
From early morning on the following day, I offered everything for her intention. During Holy Mass, I had a brief experience of her torment. I experienced such intense hunger for God that I seemed to be dying of the desire to become united with Him. This lasted only a short time, but I understood what the longing of the souls in PURGATORY was like. (Diary, 1186)
Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury (64) of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice. (Diary, 1226)
Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in PURGATORY, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of the purifying fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may be praised.
From that terrible heat of the cleansing fire
Rises a plaint to Your mercy,
And they receive comfort, refreshment, relief
In the stream of mingled Blood and Water.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in PURGATORY, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded, manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way than through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. (Diary, 1227)
August 15, 1937. During meditation, God’s presence pervaded me keenly, and I was aware of the Virgin Mary’s joy at the moment of Her Assumption. Towards the end of the ceremony (10) carried out in honor of the Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and She said to me, Oh, how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She covered all the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand She did so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her mantle. Then the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of PURGATORY, and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy. After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight, and I remained alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will of God and how to (11) apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy decrees. It is impossible for one to please God without obeying His holy will. My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God’s wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God’s will. Put the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts. While the heavenly Mother was talking to me, a deep understanding of this will of God was entering my soul. (Diary, 1244)
When Sister Dominic died at about one o’clock in the night, she came to me and gave me to know that she was dead. I prayed fervently for her. In the morning, the sisters told me that she was no longer alive, and I replied that I knew, because she had visited me. The sister infirmarian [Sister Chrysostom] asked me to help dress her. And then when I was alone with her, the Lord gave me to know that she was still suffering in PURGATORY. I redoubled my prayers for her. However, despite the zeal with which I always pray for our deceased sisters, I got mixed up as regards the days, and instead of offering three days of prayer, as the rule directs us to do, by mistake I offered only two days. On the fourth day, she gave me to know that I still owed her prayers, and that she was in need of them. I immediately (28) formed the intention of offering the whole day for her, and not just that day but much more, as love of neighbor dictated to me. (Diary, 1382)
When I had gone to the chapel for a moment, the Lord gave me to know that, among His chosen ones, there are some who are especially chosen, and whom He calls to a higher form of holiness, to exceptional union with Him. These are seraphic souls, from whom God demands greater love than He does from others. Although all live in the same convent, yet He sometimes demands of a particular soul a greater degree of love. Such a soul understands this call, because God makes this known to it interiorly, but the soul may either follow this call or not. It depends on the soul itself whether it is faithful to these touches of the Holy Spirit, or whether it resists them. I have learned that there is a place in PURGATORY where souls will pay their debt to God for such transgressions; this kind of torment is the most difficult of all. The soul which is specially marked by God (134) will be distinguished everywhere, whether in heaven or in PURGATORY or in hell. In heaven, it will be distinguished from other souls by greater glory and radiance and deeper knowledge of God. In PURGATORY, by greater pain, because it knows God more profoundly and desires Him more vehemently. In hell, it will suffer more profoundly than other souls, because it knows more fully whom it has lost. This indelible mark of God’s exclusive love, in the [soul], will not be obliterated. (Diary, 1556)
When the soul of a certain young lady came to me one night, she made me aware of her presence, and made known to me that she needed my prayer. I prayed for a while, but her spirit did not leave me. Then I thought to myself, “If you are a good spirit, leave me in peace, and the indulgences I will gain tomorrow will be for you.” At that moment, the spirit left my room, and I recognized that she was in PURGATORY. (Diary, 1723)
The Lord said to me, Enter into PURGATORY often, because they need you there. O my Jesus, I understand the meaning of these words which You are speaking to me, but first let me enter the treasury (98) of Your mercy. (Diary, 1738)
TheDivineMercy.org | Marian.org
Now Jesus also requested that we ask through Him prayers from all of Gods Holy Saints in Jesus Holy Spirit and Holy Mother Mary to pray for us and to pray for the groups of souls we bring to Jesus immersing them in His Ocean of Mercy. The point I am making is that those souls on their way to eternal damnation are on their way to hell/hades and require prayers to be saved, they require prayers to receive Jesus Mercy where Jesus says "I stand between that dying soul/person and the Just Hand of My Father with My Mercy".
I have not over the course of the years read Holy Saint Faustinas Holy Messages of our Lord Jesus save a few and today after praying Jesus Divine Mercy bringing to Jesus the souls our Lord Jesus Holy Spirit God requested after having asked Jesus, I asked too for Holy Saint Faustina to pray for all mankinds hearts souls for their conversions and salvation and then I had to pop on to the computer afterwards and found these Holy Messages of our Lord Jesus without seeking them in relation to Holy Purgatory and more - of which I know in my heart had always felt that God our Heavenly Father expects more from certain people and their hearts here for the salvation of mankinds hearts souls and in particular passing over for their salvation, Christians most greatly of all, because God has called our hearts back to Him giving us the Holy opportunity to fulfil His Holy Will in His Holy Callings of us, to go more deeply into our Love of Jesus receiving Him into our hearts and doing His Holy Will and Jesus explains that His Holy Rewards are waiting for our souls after having done His Holy Will in His Holy Ways of which we should be praying a Holy Invocation daily or Consecrating our hearts to Jesus Sacred Heart daily making The Sign of The Cross and Consecrating as Jesus has requested to His thousands of Saints, the Consecrating of our hearts at the same to our Blessed Virgin Mother Marys Holy Immaculate Heart asking Jesus Holy Spirit God and Holy Mother Mary for Jesus Love, Strength and Holy Graces bestowed upon us to fulfil His Holy Will in His Righteousness and Holy Ways.
Passages on Purgatory in Diary of St. Faustina
Shortly after this, I fell ill [general exhaustion]. The dear Mother Superior sent me with two other sisters for a rest to Skolimow, not far from Warsaw. It was at that time that I asked the Lord for whom else should I pray for. Jesus said that on the following night He would let me know for whom I should pray.
[The next night] I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in PURGATORY. The souls call her “The Star of the Sea.” She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls. (Diary, 20)
Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as we know Him during His Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except for five, those in His hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before the Thrice-Holy God! Jesus asked me, Who are you? I answered, “I am Your servant, Lord.” You are guilty of one day of fire in PURGATORY. I wanted to throw myself immediately into the flames of PURGATORY, but Jesus stopped me and said, Which do you prefer, suffer now for one day in PURGATORY or for a short while on earth? I replied, “Jesus, I want to suffer in PURGATORY, and I want to suffer also the greatest pains on earth, even if it were until the end of the world.” Jesus said, One [of the two] is enough; you will go back to earth, and there you will suffer much, but not for long; you will accomplish My will and My desires, and a faithful servant of Mine will help you to do this. Now, rest your head on My bosom, on My heart, and draw from it strength and power for these sufferings because you will find neither relief nor help nor comfort anywhere else. Know that you will have much, much to suffer, but don’t let this frighten you; I am with you. (Diary, 36)
One night, a sister who had died two months previously came to me. She was a sister of the first choir. I saw her in a terrible condition, all in flames with her face painfully distorted. This lasted only a short time, and then she disappeared. A shudder went through my soul because I did not know whether she was suffering in PURGATORY or in hell. Nevertheless, I redoubled my prayers for her. The next night she came again, but I saw her in an even more horrible state, in the midst of flames which were even more intense, and despair was written all over her face. I was astonished to see her in a worse condition after the prayers I had offered for her, and I asked, “Haven’t my prayers helped you?” She answered that my prayers had not helped her and that nothing would help her. I said to her, “And the prayers which the whole community has offered for you, have they not been any help to you?” She said no, that these prayers had helped some other souls. I replied, “If my prayers are not helping you, Sister, please stop coming to me.” She disappeared at once. Despite this, I kept on praying.
After some time she came back again to me during the night, but already her appearance had changed. There were no longer any flames, as there had been before, and her face was radiant, her eyes beaming with joy. She told me that I had a true love for my neighbor and that many other souls had profited from my prayers. She urged me not to cease praying for the souls in PURGATORY, and she added that she herself would not remain there much longer. How astounding are the decrees of God! (Diary, 58)
Three requests on the day of my perpetual vows. Jesus, I know that today You will refuse me nothing.
First request: Jesus, my most beloved Spouse, I beg You for the triumph of the Church, particularly in Russia and in Spain; for blessings on the Holy Father, Pius XI, and on all the clergy; for the grace of conversion for impenitent sinners. And I ask You for a special blessing and for light, O Jesus, for the priests before whom I will make my confessions throughout my lifetime.
Second request: I beg Your blessings on our Congregation, and may it be filled with great zeal. Bless, O Jesus, our Mother General and our Mother Directress, all the novices and all the superiors. Bless my dearest parents. Bestow Your grace, O Jesus, on our wards; strengthen them so powerfully by Your grace so that those who leave our houses will no longer offend You by any sin. Jesus, I beg You for my homeland; protect it against the assaults of its enemies.
Third request: Jesus, I plead with You for the souls that are most in need of prayer. I plead for the dying; be merciful to them. I also beg You, Jesus, to free all souls from PURGATORY.
Jesus, I commend to You these particular persons: My confessors, persons recommended to my prayers, a certain person..., Father Andrasz, Father Czaputa, and the priest I met in Vilnius [Father Sopocko], who is to be my confessor, a certain soul... (111) a certain priest, a certain religious to whom You know how much I owe, Jesus, and all the people who have been recommended to my prayer. Jesus, on this day You can do everything for those for whom I am pleading. For myself I ask, Lord, transform me completely into Yourself, maintain in me a holy zeal for Your glory, give me the grace and spiritual strength to do Your holy will in all things.
Thank You, O my dearest Bridegroom, for the dignity You have conferred on me, and in particular for the royal coat-of-arms which will adorn me from this day on and which even the Angels do not possess; namely, the cross, the sword, and the crown of thorns. But above all, O my Jesus, I thank You for Your Heart — it is all I need.
Mother of God, Most Holy Mary, my Mother, You are my Mother in a special way now because Your beloved Son is my Bridegroom, and thus we are both Your children. For Your Son’s sake, You have to love me. O Mary, my dearest Mother, guide my spiritual life in such a way that it will please Your Son.
+ Holy and Omnipotent God, at this moment of immense grace by which You are uniting me with Yourself forever, I, mere nothingness, with the utmost gratitude, cast myself at Your feet like a tiny, unknown flower and, each day, the fragrance of that flower of love will ascend to Your throne.
In times of struggle and suffering, of darkness and storm, of yearning and sorrow, in times of difficult trials, in times when nobody will understand me, when I will even be condemned and scorned by everyone, I will remember the day of my perpetual vows, the day of God’s incomprehensible grace. (Diary, 240)
Jesus gave me the grace of knowing myself. In this divine light I see my principal fault; it is pride which takes the form of my closing up within myself and of a lack of simplicity in my relations with Mother Superior [Irene].
The second light concerns speaking. I sometimes talk too much. A thing could be settled in one or two words, and as for me, I take too much time about it. But Jesus wants me to use that time to say some short indulgenced prayers for the souls in PURGATORY. And the Lord says that every word will be weighed on the day of judgment.
(123) The third light concerns our rules. I have not sufficiently avoided the occasions that lead to breaking the rules, especially that of silence. I will act as if the rule were written just for me; it should not affect me at all how anyone else might act, as long as I myself act as God wishes.
Resolution. Whatever Jesus demands of me regarding external things, I will immediately go and tell my superiors. I shall strive for childlike openness and frankness in my relations with the superior. (Diary, 274)
December 24, 1934. The Vigil of Christmas. During the morning Mass, I felt the closeness of God. Though I was hardly aware of it, my spirit was drowned in God. Suddenly, I heard these words: You are My delightful dwelling place; My Spirit rests in you. After these words, I felt the Lord looking into the depths of my heart; and seeing my misery, I humbled myself in spirit and admired the immense mercy of God, that the Most High Lord would approach such misery.
During Holy Communion, joy filled my soul. I felt that I am closely united to the Godhead. His omnipotence enveloped my whole being. Throughout the whole day I felt the closeness of God in a special manner; and although my duties prevented me throughout the whole day from going to chapel even for a moment, there was not a moment when I was not united with God. I felt Him within (145) me more distinctly than ever. Unceasingly greeting the Mother of God and entering into Her spirit, I begged Her to teach me true love of God. And then I heard these words: I will share with you the secret of My happiness this night during Holy Mass.
We had supper before six o’clock. Despite all the joy and the external noise accompanying the sharing of the wafer and the mutual exchange of good wishes, I did not for a moment lose the awareness of God’s presence. After supper, we hurried away to finish our work, and at nine I was able to go to the chapel for adoration. I was allowed to stay up and wait for the Midnight Mass. I was delighted to have free time from nine until midnight. From nine to ten o’clock I offered my adoration for my parents and my whole family. From ten to eleven, I offered it for the intention of my spiritual director, in the first place thanking God for granting me this great visible help here on earth, just as He had promised me, and I also asked God to grant him the necessary light so that he could get to know my soul and guide me according to God’s good pleasure. And from eleven to twelve I prayed for the Holy Church and the clergy, for sinners, for the missions, and for our houses. I offered the indulgences for the souls in PURGATORY. (Diary, 346)
There was no one in the chapel, so I got up, picked up the pieces of the flowerpot, repotted the flower and tried to do all this before anyone came in. But I did not manage to do so, as Mother Superior [Borgia] came in at that moment together with the sister sacristan and several other sisters. Mother Superior was surprised that I had been touching something on the altar and (172) thus caused the flowerpot to fall. Sister sacristan showed her displeasure, and I did my best not to explain or excuse myself. But towards evening I felt very exhausted and could not make my Holy Hour, so I asked Mother Superior to allow me to go to bed early. I fell asleep as soon as I lay down, but at about eleven o’clock Satan shook my bed. I awoke instantly, and I started to pray peacefully to my Guardian Angel. Then I saw the souls who were doing penance in PURGATORY. They appeared like shadows, and among them I saw many demons. One of these tried to vex me; taking the form of a cat, he kept throwing himself onto my bed and on my feet, and he was quite heavy, as if [weighing] a ton.
I kept praying the rosary all the while, and toward dawn these beings vanished, and I was able to get some sleep. When I entered the chapel in the morning I heard a voice in my soul, You are united to Me; fear nothing. But know, my child, that Satan hates you; he hates every soul, but he burns with a particular hatred for you, because you have snatched so many souls from his dominion. (Diary, 412)
One evening, one of the deceased sisters, who had already visited me a few times, appeared to me. The first time I had seen her, she had been in great suffering, and then gradually these sufferings had diminished; this time she was radiant with happiness, and she told me she was already in heaven. She told me that God had tried (58) our house with tribulation because Mother General [Michael] had given in to doubts, not believing what I had said about this soul. And further, as a sign that she only now was in heaven, God would bless our house. Then she came closer to me, embraced me sincerely and said, "I must go now." I understood how closely the three stages of a soul’s life are bound together; that is to say, life on earth, in PURGATORY and in heaven [the Communion of Saints]. (Diary, 594)
O Jesus, I understand that Your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask You to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth. O Jesus, my love extends beyond the world, to the souls suffering in PURGATORY, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God’s mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God Himself is unfathomable. Even if I were to use the strongest words there are to express this mercy of God, all this would be nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor, whether of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You act toward us as we act toward our neighbor.
My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone. (Diary, 692)
From early morning on the following day, I offered everything for her intention. During Holy Mass, I had a brief experience of her torment. I experienced such intense hunger for God that I seemed to be dying of the desire to become united with Him. This lasted only a short time, but I understood what the longing of the souls in PURGATORY was like. (Diary, 1186)
Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury (64) of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice. (Diary, 1226)
Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in PURGATORY, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of the purifying fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may be praised.
From that terrible heat of the cleansing fire
Rises a plaint to Your mercy,
And they receive comfort, refreshment, relief
In the stream of mingled Blood and Water.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in PURGATORY, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded, manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way than through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. (Diary, 1227)
August 15, 1937. During meditation, God’s presence pervaded me keenly, and I was aware of the Virgin Mary’s joy at the moment of Her Assumption. Towards the end of the ceremony (10) carried out in honor of the Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and She said to me, Oh, how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She covered all the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand She did so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her mantle. Then the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of PURGATORY, and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy. After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight, and I remained alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will of God and how to (11) apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy decrees. It is impossible for one to please God without obeying His holy will. My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God’s wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God’s will. Put the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts. While the heavenly Mother was talking to me, a deep understanding of this will of God was entering my soul. (Diary, 1244)
When Sister Dominic died at about one o’clock in the night, she came to me and gave me to know that she was dead. I prayed fervently for her. In the morning, the sisters told me that she was no longer alive, and I replied that I knew, because she had visited me. The sister infirmarian [Sister Chrysostom] asked me to help dress her. And then when I was alone with her, the Lord gave me to know that she was still suffering in PURGATORY. I redoubled my prayers for her. However, despite the zeal with which I always pray for our deceased sisters, I got mixed up as regards the days, and instead of offering three days of prayer, as the rule directs us to do, by mistake I offered only two days. On the fourth day, she gave me to know that I still owed her prayers, and that she was in need of them. I immediately (28) formed the intention of offering the whole day for her, and not just that day but much more, as love of neighbor dictated to me. (Diary, 1382)
When I had gone to the chapel for a moment, the Lord gave me to know that, among His chosen ones, there are some who are especially chosen, and whom He calls to a higher form of holiness, to exceptional union with Him. These are seraphic souls, from whom God demands greater love than He does from others. Although all live in the same convent, yet He sometimes demands of a particular soul a greater degree of love. Such a soul understands this call, because God makes this known to it interiorly, but the soul may either follow this call or not. It depends on the soul itself whether it is faithful to these touches of the Holy Spirit, or whether it resists them. I have learned that there is a place in PURGATORY where souls will pay their debt to God for such transgressions; this kind of torment is the most difficult of all. The soul which is specially marked by God (134) will be distinguished everywhere, whether in heaven or in PURGATORY or in hell. In heaven, it will be distinguished from other souls by greater glory and radiance and deeper knowledge of God. In PURGATORY, by greater pain, because it knows God more profoundly and desires Him more vehemently. In hell, it will suffer more profoundly than other souls, because it knows more fully whom it has lost. This indelible mark of God’s exclusive love, in the [soul], will not be obliterated. (Diary, 1556)
When the soul of a certain young lady came to me one night, she made me aware of her presence, and made known to me that she needed my prayer. I prayed for a while, but her spirit did not leave me. Then I thought to myself, “If you are a good spirit, leave me in peace, and the indulgences I will gain tomorrow will be for you.” At that moment, the spirit left my room, and I recognized that she was in PURGATORY. (Diary, 1723)
The Lord said to me, Enter into PURGATORY often, because they need you there. O my Jesus, I understand the meaning of these words which You are speaking to me, but first let me enter the treasury (98) of Your mercy. (Diary, 1738)
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Sister Faustina's Vision of Hell
"I, Sister Faustina Kowalska, by the order of God, have visited the Abysses of Hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence...the devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God, What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: That most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell." (Diary 741)
The Apostle of Divine Mercy
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
of the
Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
"Today, I was led by an angel to the Chasms of Hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw:
The First Torture that constitutes hell is:
The loss of God.
The Second is:
Perpetual remorse of conscience.
The Third is
That one's condition will never change.
The Fourth is:
The fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it. A terrible suffering since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger.
The Fifth Torture is:
Continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own.
The Sixth Torture is:
The constant company of Satan.
The Seventh Torture is:
Horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies.
These are the Tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings.
Indescribable Sufferings
There are special Tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings related to the manner in which it has sinned.
I would have died
There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me.
No One Can Say There is No Hell
Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like...how terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O My Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend you by the least sin." (Diary 741)
"I, Sister Faustina Kowalska, by the order of God, have visited the Abysses of Hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence...the devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God, What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: That most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell." (Diary 741)
The Apostle of Divine Mercy
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
of the
Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
"Today, I was led by an angel to the Chasms of Hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw:
The First Torture that constitutes hell is:
The loss of God.
The Second is:
Perpetual remorse of conscience.
The Third is
That one's condition will never change.
The Fourth is:
The fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it. A terrible suffering since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger.
The Fifth Torture is:
Continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own.
The Sixth Torture is:
The constant company of Satan.
The Seventh Torture is:
Horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies.
These are the Tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings.
Indescribable Sufferings
There are special Tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings related to the manner in which it has sinned.
I would have died
There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me.
No One Can Say There is No Hell
Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like...how terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O My Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend you by the least sin." (Diary 741)
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via veneremurcernui.wordpress.com
Many saints have claimed to have had supernatural visions of hell. Of course, all private revelations of the saints are non-authoritative, so you shouldn’t look to these for your theology.
Rather, the saints’ visions of hell should remind us of what our faith already teaches: that hell is a real and terrible place, and people can really go there.
[See also: Burned by the Hands of Souls in Purgatory: A Museum’s Rare Collection]
The great 19th century mystic St. Faustina said her vision of hell had this effect on her:
“Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God’s mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend You by the least sin.”
So don’t just be afraid: turn away from your sins, and work to lead others to Christ!
1) Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich: “No one could behold without trembling”
Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the Holy Roman Empire. She was a mystic who claimed to have had visions of all sorts of spiritual things. Here is an excerpt of one of her visions of hell:
“The exterior of Hell was appalling and frightful; it was an immense, heavy-looking building, and the granite of which it was formed, although black, was of metallic brightness; and the dark and ponderous doors were secured with such terrible bolts that no one could behold them without trembling.
“Deep groans and cries of despair might be plainly distinguished even while the doors were tightly closed; but, O, who can describe the dreadful yells and shrieks which burst upon the ear when the bolts were unfastened and the doors flung open; and, O, who can depict the melancholy appearance of the inhabitants of this wretched place! […]
“[A]ll within it is, on the contrary, close, confused, and crowded; every object tends to fill the mind with sensations of pain and grief; the marks of the wrath and vengeance of God are visible everywhere; despair, like a vulture, gnaws every heart, and discord and misery reign around. […] In the city of Hell nothing is to be seen but dismal dungeons, dark caverns, frightful deserts, fetid swamps filled with every imaginable species of poisonous and disgusting reptile. […]
“n Hell, perpetual scenes of wretched discord, and every species of sin and corruption, either under the most horrible forms imaginable, or represented by different kinds of dreadful torments. All in this dreary abode tends to fill the mind with horror; not a word of comfort is heard or a consoling idea admitted; the one tremendous thought, that the justice of an all-powerful God inflicts on the damned nothing but what they have fully deserved is the absorbing tremendous conviction which weighs down each heart.
“Vice appears in its own, grim disgusting colors, being stripped of the mask under which it is hidden in this world, and the infernal viper is seen devouring those who have cherished or fostered it here below. In a word, Hell is the temple of anguish and despair…”
2) St. Teresa of Avila: “On fire, and torn to pieces”
The great 16th century mystic and Doctor of the Church claims to have had this experience of hell:
“The entrance seemed to be by a long narrow pass, like a furnace, very low, dark, and close. The ground seemed to be saturated with water, mere mud, exceedingly foul, sending forth pestilential odors, and covered with loathsome vermin. At the end was a hollow place in the wall, like a closet, and in that I saw myself confined. […]
“I felt a fire in my soul. […] My bodily sufferings were unendurable. I have undergone most painful sufferings in this life… yet all these were as nothing in comparison with what I felt then, especially when I saw that there would be no intermission, nor any end to them. […]
“I did not see who it was that tormented me, but I felt myself on fire, and torn to pieces, as it seemed to me; and, I repeat it, this inward fire and despair are the greatest torments of all. […]
“I could neither sit nor lie down: there was no room. I was placed as it were in a hole in the wall; and those walls, terrible to look on of themselves, hemmed me in on every side. I could not breathe. There was no light, but all was thick darkness. […]
“I was so terrified by that vision – and that terror is on me even now while I am writing – that though it took place nearly six years ago, the natural warmth of my body is chilled by fear even now when I think of it. […]
“It was that vision that filled me with the very great distress which I feel at the sight of so many lost souls, especially of the Lutherans – for they were once members of the Church by baptism – and also gave me the most vehement desires for the salvation of souls; for certainly I believe that, to save even one from those overwhelming torments, I would most willingly endure many deaths.”
3) St. John Bosco: “Indescribable terror”
In 1868, St. John Bosco claimed to have had a dream about hell. His full narration is fairly long, so here is just a short excerpt:
“As soon as I crossed its threshold, I felt an indescribable terror and dared not take another step. Ahead of me I could see something like an immense cave which gradually disappeared into recesses sunk far into the bowels of the mountains. They were all ablaze, but theirs was not an earthly fire with leaping tongues of flames. The entire cave – walls, ceiling, floor, iron, stones, wood, and coal – everything was a glowing white at temperatures of thousands of degrees. Yet the fire did not incinerate, did not consume. I simply can’t find words to describe the cavern’s horror. […]
“[My guide] seized my hand, forced it open, and pressed it against the first of the thousand walls. The sensation was so utterly excruciating that I leaped back with a scream and found myself sitting up in bed.
“My hand was stinging and I kept rubbing it to ease the pain. When I got up this morning I noticed that it was swollen. Having my hand pressed against the wall, though only in a dream, felt so real that, later, the skin of my palm peeled off.
“Bear in mind that I have tried not to frighten you very much, and so I have not described these things in all their horror as I saw them and as they impressed me. We know that Our Lord always portrayed Hell in symbols because, had He described it as it really is, we would not have understood Him. No mortal can comprehend these things.”
4) Sr. Lucy of Fatima: “Shrieks and groans of pain and despair”
Sr. Lucy of Fatima isn’t a saint (she died recently, in 2005), but she was one of the visionaries of Fatima in the early 20th century, an approved apparition in the Church. As a part of that vision, she claims she saw hell:
“We saw, as it were, a vast sea of fire. Plunged in this fire, we saw the demons and the souls [of the damned].
“The latter were like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, having human forms. They were floating about in that conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames which issued from within themselves, together with great clouds of smoke. Now they fell back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fright (it must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me).
“The demons were distinguished [from the souls of the damned] by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals.”
5) St. Maria Faustyna Kowalska: “A place of great torture”
St. Maria Faustyna Kowalska, often known simply as St. Faustina, was a Polish nun who claimed to have a large number of mystical experiences in the 1930s. Here’s an excerpt from her diary about one of her visions:
“Today I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is!
“The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one’s condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it – a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God’s anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. […]
“Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. […]
“But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there!” (Diary of St. Faustina, 741)
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Mystics of the Church
"Keep close to the Catholic Church at all times, for the Church alone can give you true peace, since she alone possesses Jesus, the true Prince of Peace, in the Blessed Sacrament." - Padre Pio of Peitrelcina
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Anyone who met Padre Pio believed that he had a direct connection with the afterlife. When asked about a dead relative or friend, it was fascinating the good Padre always had an answer.
Padre Pio said of Heaven: "Heaven is total joy, continuous joy. We will be constantly thanking God. It is useless to try to figure out exactly what heaven is like, because we can’t understand it. But when the veil of this life is taken off, we will understand things in a different way."
" . . . at night when I close my eyes the veil is lifted and I see paradise open up before me: and gladdened by this vision I sleep with a smile of sweet beatitude on my lips and a perfectly tranquil countenance . . . "
"More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers."
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us, and their prayers are even more effective than ours, because they are accompanied by their suffering. So, let's pray for them, and let's pray them to pray for us."
"You will be surprised to find in Paradise souls you never expected to be there."
"Most of the saved pass through Purgatory before arriving at the fullness of beatitude."
Gerardo De Caro had long conversations with Padre Pio in 1943. In his written notes, he testifies: "Padre Pio had an exact knowledge of the state of a soul after death, including the duration of the pain until it reached total purification."
The Venerable Pope Pius XII
(March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958)
Pope Pius XII died in Castelgandolfo on October 9, 1958. On that day, Padre Pio told a friar: "Pius XII is in heaven. I saw him during Mass."
One night Padre Pio was sitting alone absorbed in prayer in a room at the convent when an old man entered and sat next to him: "I looked at him but never thought of how he managed to get in the friary at that hour. I asked him, 'Who are you? What do you want?' The man answered, 'Padre Pio, I am Pietro di Mauro, nicknamed Precoco. I died in this friary [in a fire] on September 18, 1908, in room number 4. I am still in Purgatory, and I need a Mass to free my soul from it. God has given me permission to come to you and ask for your prayers.' After I had listened to his story, I said, 'You can rest assured that I will celebrate Mass tomorrow for your liberation.' " Padre Pio reported: "I was agitated. I told the superior Father Paolino da Casacalenda what had happened and asked to celebrate the Mass for Pietro." Father Paolino gave the permission and later went to consult the registry at City Hall. In that date, a fire had killed a man with that name.
Padre Paolino da Casacalenda
In 1918, Padre Paolino da Casacalenda was the Superior of the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo, when Padre Pio received the Wounds. From 1944 to 1950 he was Superior Provincial in Foggia. He had the idea of organizing a system of reservations for the confessions to Padre Pio that started on January 7,1950. He wrote his memories in a manuscript.
Cleonice Morcaldi with Padre Pio
Padre Pio to Cleonice Morcaldi, a month after the death of her mother: "This morning your mom flew to Paradise. I saw her during Mass."
Padre Pio reported to Padre Anastasio di Roio: "One night I was alone in the choir and I saw a friar cleaning the altar late at night. I asked him to go to bed since it was so late. He said, 'I'm a friar like you. I did here my novitiate and when assigned to take care of the Altar, and I passed many times in front of the Tabernacle without making the proper reverence. For this sin I am in Purgatory, and the Lord sent me to you. You decide how much longer I have to suffer in those flames.' I told him, until the Mass in the morning. He said "Cruel" and disappeared. I still have a wound in my heart. I could have sent him immediately to Paradise, instead he had to stay one more night in the flames of Purgatory."
Padre Onorato Marcucci at the back of Padre Pio
Padre Pio told Padre Onorato Marcucci who was helping him. "Last night I was not well and didn't make you sleep. I have been thinking how to compensate you, so I took a plenary indulgence for your mother to send her to Paradise."
Padre Pio: "I believe that not a great number of souls go to hell. God loves us so much. He formed us at his image. God loves us beyond understanding. And it is my belief that when we have passed from the consciousness of the world, when we appear to be dead, God, before He judges us, will give us a chance to see and understand what sin really is. And if we understand it properly, how could we fail to repent?"
Florence Fine Ehrman'd father contracted in 1965 a severe form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He asked for Padre Pio's prayers. Her father died in January 1966. She went to Padre Pio in October 1967 asking if her father, a devout Jew, was saved. "Julius Fine is saved, but we need to pray a lot for him."
Padre Raffaele da Sant'Elia a Pianisi
One night in 1944, the friars heard loud voices coming from downstairs saying "Viva Padre Pio". The superior Padre Raffaele da Sant'Elia a Pianisi told the doorkeeper Fra Gerardo da Deliceto to let those people out and lock the door properly. Fra Gerardo went downstairs, didn't find anybody, and the door was double locked as it was supposed to. He went back to report. Padre Raffaele was puzzled and went straight to Padre Pio asking if he knew something. "Oh! Those were soldiers who had died on the battleground, and came to thank me for their salvation."
Fra Modestino da Pietrelcina
In 1945, Fra Modestino asked Padre Pio a comparison between a fire on hearth and the flames of Purgatory. "They compare like fresh water and boiling water." Fra Modestino was from the same town of Padre Pio. His family was a neighbor and his mother grazed the sheep at Piana Romana, like Francesco. He was the doorkeeper of the convent and he did the inventory of the cell after Padre Pio's death. He enjoyed a special spiritual relationship with Padre Pio.
One day Padre Pio told his doctor: "I'm praying for the good death of my great great grandfather." "But he died more than one hundred years ago!" "Remember that for God there is no past and no future, and everything is present. So God made use at that time of the prayers I'm saying now."
In 1922, Bishop Alberto Costa asked Padre Pio if he had ever seen a soul in Purgatory. "I have seen so many of them that they don't scare me anymore."
A friar testified: "We were all in the dining room when Padre Pio got suddenly up and walked at steady pace to the door of the convent. He opened it and started having a conversation. The two friars that went with him didn't see anybody and started thinking that something might be wrong with Padre Pio. On the way back to the dining area Padre Pio explained. 'Don't worry. I was talking to some souls on their way from Purgatory to Paradise. They came to thank me that I remembered them today in the Mass.' "
Padre Pio said: "More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers."
One time someone asked Padre Pio how Purgatory could be avoided. He replied, "By accepting everything from God's hand. Offering everything up to Him with love and thanksgiving will enable us to pass from our deathbed to paradise."
Nina Campanile's brother Pasqualino died in combat on September 26, 1916. Her mom sent Nina with her teacher Vittorina Ventrella to ask Padre Pio if Pasqualino was saved. "Yes he is saved, but he needs your prayers." She asked again on Christmas 1918. "He is up there!"
Carmela Marocchino's brother Padre Vittore da Canosa died suddenly on January 29, 1958. Carmela asked Padre Pio why the sudden death. "Do you know what Jesus did of your brother? Jesus went into the garden, and there were many flowers, and one was more beautiful than the others. He leaned on the most beautiful and picked it. "Is he saved?" "Yes, but we need to pray." On July 29, she asked again if he was saved. "My daughter, we priests are more responsible in front of God. Let's continue praying." On December 29, 1958, she asked again were her brother was. "He is in Paradise."
Carmela Marocchino asked Padre Pio if her parents were safe. "Even if your parents are in Paradise we need to continue to pray. If they don't need prayers the suffrage are applied to other souls."
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported what he had heard from Orazio, Padre Pio's father. Orazio went to spend some few days with hi son in 1926. He was assigned cell #10. When he tried to enter the cell, two friars stood in front of the door, not letting him in. He explained who he was, to no avail. When he made a step to force himself in, they disappeared. He was terrorized, and went to Padre Pio. "Dad, don't get agitated, those are two poor friars in Purgatory. They have to serve their Purgatory in the spot were they disobeyed the rule of St. Francis."
Padre Pietro Tartaglia
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported that in 1945 Fra Pietro, entering his cell at night, saw a young friar sitting on his desk, with the head down like he was meditating. He asked who he was, but he disappeared. Terrorized, he run to Padre Pio. Padre Pio accompanied him back to his cell and said: "That young friar is a poor novice who is serving his purgatory in this cell. But don't worry he will not bother you again, and you will never see him again."
"The souls in Purgatory repay the prayers that we say for them."
"When we pray for the souls in Purgatory we will always get something back."
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us."
Padre Giuseppe Antonio da San Marco in Lamis was ill in the Foggia convent. On December 30, 1936, Padre Pio was asked to pray for him because his heath was deteriorating. That night somebody knocked at Padre Pio's door. Padre Giuseppe entered in the room. "How are you doing? They told me that you were gravely ill and now i see you here." "I'm well," Padre Giuseppe replied. "All my suffering has ended, and I came to thank you for your prayers." Then he disappeared. Padre Pio told to the other friars what had happened. Nobody knew yet that Padre Giuseppe had died. Later they found out that he had died at the same time that he had visited Padre Pio.
Maria Pompilio receiving Communion from Padre Pio
Maria Pompilio, when her brother died, asked Padre Pio to intercede so that he could come in her dreams. Her brother came in a dream and said: "Padre Pio assisted me in my agony. He stayed until the Judge judged me. I was given eleven years of Purgatory, but for intercession of Padre Pio the pain was reduced to one year. Many mysteries in the life of Padre Pio will be known only in the other world." The morning after Maria went to see Padre Pio. from afar he said: "Are you glad now?" "Yes, it seems that you are everywhere." "What sense has for me being on Earth if i can't go up and down. I know. Your brother told you that the mystery of my life will be known only in Paradise."
You might also like:
Padre Pio on the Gift of Healing
Life and Miracles of Padre Pio
Padre Pio on His Gift of Reading Souls
Padre Pio on Bilocation
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Linkwithin
This website is devoted to the extraordinary mystics and visionaries of the Church, especially those who are lesser known, such as St Gemma Galgani, Blessed Alexandrina da Costa, Sr Consolata Betrone, Therese Neumann, Rev. Pere Lamy, Gabrielle Bossis, Josefa Menendez, Marthe Robin, Servant of God Louise Lateau, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity, Sister Maria Antonia and others.
Stories of Hell in the lives of the Saints
Stories of Hell- How the holy fear of hell has made countless Saints
St Padre Pio (1887-1968) was once asked what he thought of people who did not believe in hell. He wisely replied: “They will very well believe in hell when they get there.”
God wills that we all be united with Him in heaven for all eternity. Yet, in the Gospels, Jesus often spoke of hell and eternal punishment, speaking of a place of “…external darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 8:11-12) and of eternal punishment of those uncompassionate and uncharitable persons placed on His left at the Judgement, stating to them: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt 25:41) or again “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.” (Matt 18:7-9)---and this is to name just a few of the many occasions Jesus spoke of hell.
Additionally, the teaching of hell is an infallible Dogma of the Catholic church. It is one of the “four last things” —heaven, hell, death and punishment-- which the Church presents to each of us to contemplate upon. In short, both Jesus and His Church have always encouraged a salutary fear of hell. And those who have studied the lives of the Saints and other devout persons have found that the majority of them had a very healthy and beneficial fear of hell that inspired and encouraged them to fight the evil temptations that came their way. Next, we will present a few stories to illustrate this important point, that we too may imitate and emulate them.
Stories of hell and its punishments –The Blessed Virgin Mary saves a soul from going to hell
We will begin with the testimony of Blessed Richard of St Ann- A Franciscan priest who was martyred by being burned at the stake in Nagasaki, Japan in 1622. This celebrated apparition of a damned soul which we are about to relate was attested by Blessed Richard as the primary reason which prompted him to enter the Franciscans. The testimony is related in three works: Adrian Lyroeus documented it in his “Trisagium Marianum, Book III"; Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who also cites the same facts in his “Glories of Mary”, and lastly the same occurrence is related in the authentic documents known as “The Annals of Franciscan Missions, for the years 1866-67.”
While Blessed Richard was living in Brussels in 1604 there were two young students who instead of applying themselves to study, thought only of how to live in pleasure and sin. One night, among others, when they had gone to indulge in sin in a house of prostitution, one of the two left the place after some time, leaving his companion in sin behind him.
Having reached home, he was about to lie down in bed, when he remembered that he had not recited that day the few “Hail Mary’s” which he had the habit of saying every day since childhood in honor of the Holy Virgin. As he was overpowered by sleep, it was very difficult for him to recite the short prayers; however, he made an effort and said them, although without devotion; then he fell fast asleep. Not long afterwards he heard a sudden, a rude knocking at the door; and immediately afterwards he saw before him his companion, disfigured and hideous. "Who are you?" he said to him. "What? Don't you recognise me?" replied the unhappy youth. "But how are you so changed? You look like a devil?" "Oh, take pity upon me, for I am damned!" "How is that?" "Well, know that upon leaving that accursed house a evil person sprang upon me and strangled me. My body has remained in the middle of the street, and my soul is in Hell. Know, moreover, that the same chastisement awaited you, but the Virgin preserved you from it, thanks to your practice of reciting every day the three Hail Mary’s in her honor. And blessed are you if you know how to profit by this information, which the Mother of God gives you through me."
While finishing these words, the damned soul partly opened his garment, allowed the flames and evil spirits that were tormenting him to be seen, and he vanished. Then the young man, sobbing uncontrollably, threw himself on his face on the floor and prayed for a long time, thanking the Holy Virgin Mary, his deliverer. Now, while he was praying in this manner he began reflecting upon what he ought to do next to change his life, and at that moment he heard the Matins bell ring at the Franciscan Monastery.
That very moment he cried out, "So there is where God is calling me to do penance."
Very early the next morning he went to the convent and begged the Father Guardian to receive him. The Father Guardian, who was well aware of his bad life, was not at all interested in accepting him. The young student, shedding a torrent of tears, related to him all that had taken place. The good priest immediately sent two religious to the street indicated, and there they found the corpse of the wretched youth. The young man was soon admitted as a postulant among the Brothers, whom he soon edified by a life completely devoted to penance and reparation.
It was these terrible facts that struck a deep chord of both the holy fear of hell, and the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary into Blessed Richard himself, so he too immediately consecrated himself entirely to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the same Order into which the young student, so wonderfully protected by Mary, had just been received.
A burning handprint from hell -A lifelong reminder
The next incident is from an honorable priest and superior of a religious community. This priest had the particulars of the story from a close relation of the lady to whom it had happened. At the time of the writing, Christmas Day, 1859, this person was still living and was roughly forty years old, therefore no name is mentioned in the recording of this event to protect the persons identity.
The woman concerned in this story was living in London in the winter of 1847-1848. She was a widow, about twenty nine years old, quite rich and worldly. Among the young men who visited her there was young lord of bad conduct who courted her and of whom she eventually committed a variety of sins with.
Late one night she was in bed reading a novel when one o'clock struck on the clock; she blew out her taper and was about to fall asleep when, to her great astonishment, she noticed strange glimmer of light coming from the door of the drawing-room, which spread by degrees into her chamber. Stupefied at first and not knowing what this meant, she began to get alarmed, when she saw the drawing-room door slowly open and the young lord, the partner of her disorders, enter the room. Before she had time to say a single word, he seized her by the left wrist, and with a hissing voice, said to her in English: "There is a Hell!” The pain she suddenly felt in her arm was so great that she immediately passed out.
When she came to again about a half an hour after she immediately rang for her chambermaid. The latter, on entering, noticed a strong smell of burning. Approaching her mistress who was frantic and could hardly speak she immediately noticed on her wrist a burn so deep that the bone was laid bare, and the flesh almost consumed. Moreover, she remarked that, from the door of the salon to the bed, and returning from the bed to that same door, the carpet bore the imprint of a man's steps, which had burned through the fibers. By the directions of her mistress, she opened the drawing-room door and there she found more tracks on the carpet.
The following day, the unhappy lady learned, with a terror easily imagined, that on that very night, about one o'clock in the morning, her friend the lord had been found dead-drunk under the table, and that his servants had carried him to his room, and that he had died of alcohol poisoning in their arms.
I do not know for certain, added the Priest-Superior, whether that terrible lesson converted the heart of that unfortunate lady, but what I do know is that she is still alive and that, to conceal from sight the traces of her ominous burn, she wears on the left wrist, like a bracelet, a wide gold band, which she does not take off day or night. I repeat it: I have all these details from her near relation, a serious Christian, in whose word I give the fullest belief. She states that this story is never spoken of, even in the family; and that she only confided it to me, suppressing every proper name.
Notwithstanding the anonymity beneath which this apparition has been revealed and must be enveloped, it seems impossible, states a writer, to call into doubt the dreadful authenticity of the details.
'I am damned! And if you do not wish to be like me, leave this place of infamy and return to God.'
Here is a third fact related by the writer Monsignor de Segur in his book “Opuscule on Hell”:
"In the year 1873," he writes, "a few days before the Assumption (August 15), there occurred again one of those apparitions from beyond the grave, which so efficaciously confirms the reality of Hell. It was in Rome. A brothel, opened in that city after the Piedmontese invasion, stood near a police station. One of the unfortunate girls who lived there had been wounded in the hand, and it was found necessary to take her to the hospital of Consolation. Whether her blood, vitiated by bad living, or brought on an infection of the wound, or from an unexpected complication, she nonetheless died suddenly during the night. At the same instant, one of her companions, who was completely ignorant of what had happened at the hospital, began to utter shrieks of despair to the point of awaking the inhabitants of the locality, creating a frenzy among the wretched creatures of the house, and provoking the intervention of the police. The dead girl of the hospital, surrounded by flames, had appeared to her and said: 'I am damned! And if you do not wish to be like me, leave this place of infamy and return to God.'
"Nothing could quell the despair of this girl, who, at daybreak, departed, leaving the whole house plunged in confusion, even more so when the news of the death of her companion at the hospital was made known.
"Just at this period, the mistress of the place, an exalted Garribaldian and known as such by her family and friends, fell sick. She soon sent for a priest to receive the Sacraments. The ecclesiastical authority deputed for this task a worthy prelate, Mgr. Sirolli, the pastor of the parish of Saint-Saviour in Laura. He presented himself and exacted of the sick woman, before all, in presence of many witnesses, the full and entire retraction of her blasphemies against the Sovereign Pontiff and the discontinuance of the sinful trade that she was managing. The unhappy creature did so without hesitating and consented to purge her house, then made her confession and received the Holy Viaticum with great sentiments of repentance and humility.
"Feeling that she was dying, she besought the good pastor with tears not to leave her, frightened as she always was by the apparition of that damned girl. Mgr. Sirolli of course was unable to satisfy her request on account of the public scandal spending the night in such a place would certainly cause, he therefore requested from the police two men who remained until the dying woman had breathed her last.
"Very soon, all Rome became acquainted with the details of these tragic occurrences. As usual in such circumstances, the ungodly and lewd ridiculed them, taking good care not to seek for any additional information about them; however the good profited by them and became more devout and more faithful to their duties.”
To doubt the existence of hell is foolish bravery
In his book on Hell, Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J. relates the following:
“Natural reason confirms the dogma of hell. An atheist was once boasting that he did not believe in hell. Among his hearers, there was a sensible young man, modest, but who thought that he ought to shut the silly speaker's mouth. He put to him a single question: "Sir," he said, "the kings of the earth have prisons to punish their wicked subjects; how can God, the King of the Universe, be without a prison for those who outrage His majesty?" The atheist of course had not a word to answer. The appeal was presented to the light of his own reason, which proclaims that, if kings have prisons, God must likewise have a hell.”
Pascals wager and fire insurance
Additionally there is the well known story of “Pascal’s wager”. Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth-century French philosopher, mathematician and physicist. Unlike many men of science and knowledge these days, he used his gift of reason to support his faith and belief in God, heaven and hell, and he developed a logical presupposition commonly known as “Pascal’s wager” which states thus:
If one believes in God, yet upon death one discovers that God does not exist, ones loses absolutely nothing in life or in death, whereas if God exists, and one believes in God, one gains everything upon death (eternal reward in heaven).
However, if one disbelieves in God, and finds upon death that God does not exist, one gains nothing in life or in death, whereas if one erroneously disbelieves and shuns God, and upon death finds that God exists, one loses everything (eternal damnation in hell).
In short, Pascals Wager operates under the very logical presupposition that it does not harm one to believe in God and to fear hell. But to not do so, one takes a very grave risk; a risk of potentially devastating consequences for all eternity. We take out fire insurance on our property—would it not be wise to do at least the same for our persons, especially when in this case the insurance costs absolutely nothing, and while in reality such faith in God normally makes one a more caring and compassionate person?
More on Saints and the beneficial fear of Hell
Some Saints and devout souls, like St Teresa of Avila and Sr. Josefa Menendez where taken in spirit to hell. Others like St Gemma Galgani were shown horrible vision of the devil and the demons: Writing to her spiritual director Gemma says: "...Come quickly, Father, or at least make the exorcism from a distance. The devil has pursued me in every possible way. Oh, if you only knew how I have suffered. How pleased he was this night. He seized me by the hair and dragged me about exclaiming, 'Disobedience, disobedience, now there is no more time to begin again. Come, come with me,' and he tried to carry me off to Hell. He tormented me like this for more than four hours, and thus I passed the night." (More on St Gemma's heroic battles with the demons here)
The three children of Fatima, Blessed Jacinta Marto, Blessed Francisco Marto and Sr. Lucia Dos Santos where shown by the Blessed Virgin Mary a terrifying vision of hell when they were only ages 9 and 10 years old- and this frightening vision completely changed them to their deepest inner spirit. Even though they were but young children, after the vision given them by the Blesssed Virgin, they would not hesitate in the least bit to make great sacrifices to prevent souls from going to hell. Among other things that the Blessed Virgin Mary and the angel of God taught them was this important prayer:
“Oh my Jesus; forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy”.
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“When I see Jesus weep, my own heart is pierced with sorrow; I think of how by my sins I have added to the oppression in which Jesus suffered in the Garden. At that time Jesus saw all my sins, all my omissions, and He saw the place I should have occupied in Hell, if Thy Heart, oh Jesus, had not granted me forgiveness” –St Gemma Galgani
"Keep close to the Catholic Church at all times, for the Church alone can give you true peace, since she alone possesses Jesus, the true Prince of Peace, in the Blessed Sacrament." - Padre Pio of Peitrelcina
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Anyone who met Padre Pio believed that he had a direct connection with the afterlife. When asked about a dead relative or friend, it was fascinating the good Padre always had an answer.
Padre Pio said of Heaven: "Heaven is total joy, continuous joy. We will be constantly thanking God. It is useless to try to figure out exactly what heaven is like, because we can’t understand it. But when the veil of this life is taken off, we will understand things in a different way."
" . . . at night when I close my eyes the veil is lifted and I see paradise open up before me: and gladdened by this vision I sleep with a smile of sweet beatitude on my lips and a perfectly tranquil countenance . . . "
"More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers."
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us, and their prayers are even more effective than ours, because they are accompanied by their suffering. So, let's pray for them, and let's pray them to pray for us."
"You will be surprised to find in Paradise souls you never expected to be there."
"Most of the saved pass through Purgatory before arriving at the fullness of beatitude."
Gerardo De Caro had long conversations with Padre Pio in 1943. In his written notes, he testifies: "Padre Pio had an exact knowledge of the state of a soul after death, including the duration of the pain until it reached total purification."
The Venerable Pope Pius XII
(March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958)
Pope Pius XII died in Castelgandolfo on October 9, 1958. On that day, Padre Pio told a friar: "Pius XII is in heaven. I saw him during Mass."
One night Padre Pio was sitting alone absorbed in prayer in a room at the convent when an old man entered and sat next to him: "I looked at him but never thought of how he managed to get in the friary at that hour. I asked him, 'Who are you? What do you want?' The man answered, 'Padre Pio, I am Pietro di Mauro, nicknamed Precoco. I died in this friary [in a fire] on September 18, 1908, in room number 4. I am still in Purgatory, and I need a Mass to free my soul from it. God has given me permission to come to you and ask for your prayers.' After I had listened to his story, I said, 'You can rest assured that I will celebrate Mass tomorrow for your liberation.' " Padre Pio reported: "I was agitated. I told the superior Father Paolino da Casacalenda what had happened and asked to celebrate the Mass for Pietro." Father Paolino gave the permission and later went to consult the registry at City Hall. In that date, a fire had killed a man with that name.
Padre Paolino da Casacalenda
In 1918, Padre Paolino da Casacalenda was the Superior of the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo, when Padre Pio received the Wounds. From 1944 to 1950 he was Superior Provincial in Foggia. He had the idea of organizing a system of reservations for the confessions to Padre Pio that started on January 7,1950. He wrote his memories in a manuscript.
Cleonice Morcaldi with Padre Pio
Padre Pio to Cleonice Morcaldi, a month after the death of her mother: "This morning your mom flew to Paradise. I saw her during Mass."
Padre Pio reported to Padre Anastasio di Roio: "One night I was alone in the choir and I saw a friar cleaning the altar late at night. I asked him to go to bed since it was so late. He said, 'I'm a friar like you. I did here my novitiate and when assigned to take care of the Altar, and I passed many times in front of the Tabernacle without making the proper reverence. For this sin I am in Purgatory, and the Lord sent me to you. You decide how much longer I have to suffer in those flames.' I told him, until the Mass in the morning. He said "Cruel" and disappeared. I still have a wound in my heart. I could have sent him immediately to Paradise, instead he had to stay one more night in the flames of Purgatory."
Padre Onorato Marcucci at the back of Padre Pio
Padre Pio told Padre Onorato Marcucci who was helping him. "Last night I was not well and didn't make you sleep. I have been thinking how to compensate you, so I took a plenary indulgence for your mother to send her to Paradise."
Padre Pio: "I believe that not a great number of souls go to hell. God loves us so much. He formed us at his image. God loves us beyond understanding. And it is my belief that when we have passed from the consciousness of the world, when we appear to be dead, God, before He judges us, will give us a chance to see and understand what sin really is. And if we understand it properly, how could we fail to repent?"
Florence Fine Ehrman'd father contracted in 1965 a severe form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He asked for Padre Pio's prayers. Her father died in January 1966. She went to Padre Pio in October 1967 asking if her father, a devout Jew, was saved. "Julius Fine is saved, but we need to pray a lot for him."
Padre Raffaele da Sant'Elia a Pianisi
One night in 1944, the friars heard loud voices coming from downstairs saying "Viva Padre Pio". The superior Padre Raffaele da Sant'Elia a Pianisi told the doorkeeper Fra Gerardo da Deliceto to let those people out and lock the door properly. Fra Gerardo went downstairs, didn't find anybody, and the door was double locked as it was supposed to. He went back to report. Padre Raffaele was puzzled and went straight to Padre Pio asking if he knew something. "Oh! Those were soldiers who had died on the battleground, and came to thank me for their salvation."
Fra Modestino da Pietrelcina
In 1945, Fra Modestino asked Padre Pio a comparison between a fire on hearth and the flames of Purgatory. "They compare like fresh water and boiling water." Fra Modestino was from the same town of Padre Pio. His family was a neighbor and his mother grazed the sheep at Piana Romana, like Francesco. He was the doorkeeper of the convent and he did the inventory of the cell after Padre Pio's death. He enjoyed a special spiritual relationship with Padre Pio.
One day Padre Pio told his doctor: "I'm praying for the good death of my great great grandfather." "But he died more than one hundred years ago!" "Remember that for God there is no past and no future, and everything is present. So God made use at that time of the prayers I'm saying now."
In 1922, Bishop Alberto Costa asked Padre Pio if he had ever seen a soul in Purgatory. "I have seen so many of them that they don't scare me anymore."
A friar testified: "We were all in the dining room when Padre Pio got suddenly up and walked at steady pace to the door of the convent. He opened it and started having a conversation. The two friars that went with him didn't see anybody and started thinking that something might be wrong with Padre Pio. On the way back to the dining area Padre Pio explained. 'Don't worry. I was talking to some souls on their way from Purgatory to Paradise. They came to thank me that I remembered them today in the Mass.' "
Padre Pio said: "More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers."
One time someone asked Padre Pio how Purgatory could be avoided. He replied, "By accepting everything from God's hand. Offering everything up to Him with love and thanksgiving will enable us to pass from our deathbed to paradise."
Nina Campanile's brother Pasqualino died in combat on September 26, 1916. Her mom sent Nina with her teacher Vittorina Ventrella to ask Padre Pio if Pasqualino was saved. "Yes he is saved, but he needs your prayers." She asked again on Christmas 1918. "He is up there!"
Carmela Marocchino's brother Padre Vittore da Canosa died suddenly on January 29, 1958. Carmela asked Padre Pio why the sudden death. "Do you know what Jesus did of your brother? Jesus went into the garden, and there were many flowers, and one was more beautiful than the others. He leaned on the most beautiful and picked it. "Is he saved?" "Yes, but we need to pray." On July 29, she asked again if he was saved. "My daughter, we priests are more responsible in front of God. Let's continue praying." On December 29, 1958, she asked again were her brother was. "He is in Paradise."
Carmela Marocchino asked Padre Pio if her parents were safe. "Even if your parents are in Paradise we need to continue to pray. If they don't need prayers the suffrage are applied to other souls."
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported what he had heard from Orazio, Padre Pio's father. Orazio went to spend some few days with hi son in 1926. He was assigned cell #10. When he tried to enter the cell, two friars stood in front of the door, not letting him in. He explained who he was, to no avail. When he made a step to force himself in, they disappeared. He was terrorized, and went to Padre Pio. "Dad, don't get agitated, those are two poor friars in Purgatory. They have to serve their Purgatory in the spot were they disobeyed the rule of St. Francis."
Padre Pietro Tartaglia
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported that in 1945 Fra Pietro, entering his cell at night, saw a young friar sitting on his desk, with the head down like he was meditating. He asked who he was, but he disappeared. Terrorized, he run to Padre Pio. Padre Pio accompanied him back to his cell and said: "That young friar is a poor novice who is serving his purgatory in this cell. But don't worry he will not bother you again, and you will never see him again."
"The souls in Purgatory repay the prayers that we say for them."
"When we pray for the souls in Purgatory we will always get something back."
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us."
Padre Giuseppe Antonio da San Marco in Lamis was ill in the Foggia convent. On December 30, 1936, Padre Pio was asked to pray for him because his heath was deteriorating. That night somebody knocked at Padre Pio's door. Padre Giuseppe entered in the room. "How are you doing? They told me that you were gravely ill and now i see you here." "I'm well," Padre Giuseppe replied. "All my suffering has ended, and I came to thank you for your prayers." Then he disappeared. Padre Pio told to the other friars what had happened. Nobody knew yet that Padre Giuseppe had died. Later they found out that he had died at the same time that he had visited Padre Pio.
Maria Pompilio receiving Communion from Padre Pio
Maria Pompilio, when her brother died, asked Padre Pio to intercede so that he could come in her dreams. Her brother came in a dream and said: "Padre Pio assisted me in my agony. He stayed until the Judge judged me. I was given eleven years of Purgatory, but for intercession of Padre Pio the pain was reduced to one year. Many mysteries in the life of Padre Pio will be known only in the other world." The morning after Maria went to see Padre Pio. from afar he said: "Are you glad now?" "Yes, it seems that you are everywhere." "What sense has for me being on Earth if i can't go up and down. I know. Your brother told you that the mystery of my life will be known only in Paradise."
You might also like:
Padre Pio on the Gift of Healing
Life and Miracles of Padre Pio
Padre Pio on His Gift of Reading Souls
Padre Pio on Bilocation
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Linkwithin
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Stories of Hell in the lives of the Saints
Stories of Hell- How the holy fear of hell has made countless Saints
St Padre Pio (1887-1968) was once asked what he thought of people who did not believe in hell. He wisely replied: “They will very well believe in hell when they get there.”
God wills that we all be united with Him in heaven for all eternity. Yet, in the Gospels, Jesus often spoke of hell and eternal punishment, speaking of a place of “…external darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 8:11-12) and of eternal punishment of those uncompassionate and uncharitable persons placed on His left at the Judgement, stating to them: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt 25:41) or again “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.” (Matt 18:7-9)---and this is to name just a few of the many occasions Jesus spoke of hell.
Additionally, the teaching of hell is an infallible Dogma of the Catholic church. It is one of the “four last things” —heaven, hell, death and punishment-- which the Church presents to each of us to contemplate upon. In short, both Jesus and His Church have always encouraged a salutary fear of hell. And those who have studied the lives of the Saints and other devout persons have found that the majority of them had a very healthy and beneficial fear of hell that inspired and encouraged them to fight the evil temptations that came their way. Next, we will present a few stories to illustrate this important point, that we too may imitate and emulate them.
Stories of hell and its punishments –The Blessed Virgin Mary saves a soul from going to hell
We will begin with the testimony of Blessed Richard of St Ann- A Franciscan priest who was martyred by being burned at the stake in Nagasaki, Japan in 1622. This celebrated apparition of a damned soul which we are about to relate was attested by Blessed Richard as the primary reason which prompted him to enter the Franciscans. The testimony is related in three works: Adrian Lyroeus documented it in his “Trisagium Marianum, Book III"; Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who also cites the same facts in his “Glories of Mary”, and lastly the same occurrence is related in the authentic documents known as “The Annals of Franciscan Missions, for the years 1866-67.”
While Blessed Richard was living in Brussels in 1604 there were two young students who instead of applying themselves to study, thought only of how to live in pleasure and sin. One night, among others, when they had gone to indulge in sin in a house of prostitution, one of the two left the place after some time, leaving his companion in sin behind him.
Having reached home, he was about to lie down in bed, when he remembered that he had not recited that day the few “Hail Mary’s” which he had the habit of saying every day since childhood in honor of the Holy Virgin. As he was overpowered by sleep, it was very difficult for him to recite the short prayers; however, he made an effort and said them, although without devotion; then he fell fast asleep. Not long afterwards he heard a sudden, a rude knocking at the door; and immediately afterwards he saw before him his companion, disfigured and hideous. "Who are you?" he said to him. "What? Don't you recognise me?" replied the unhappy youth. "But how are you so changed? You look like a devil?" "Oh, take pity upon me, for I am damned!" "How is that?" "Well, know that upon leaving that accursed house a evil person sprang upon me and strangled me. My body has remained in the middle of the street, and my soul is in Hell. Know, moreover, that the same chastisement awaited you, but the Virgin preserved you from it, thanks to your practice of reciting every day the three Hail Mary’s in her honor. And blessed are you if you know how to profit by this information, which the Mother of God gives you through me."
While finishing these words, the damned soul partly opened his garment, allowed the flames and evil spirits that were tormenting him to be seen, and he vanished. Then the young man, sobbing uncontrollably, threw himself on his face on the floor and prayed for a long time, thanking the Holy Virgin Mary, his deliverer. Now, while he was praying in this manner he began reflecting upon what he ought to do next to change his life, and at that moment he heard the Matins bell ring at the Franciscan Monastery.
That very moment he cried out, "So there is where God is calling me to do penance."
Very early the next morning he went to the convent and begged the Father Guardian to receive him. The Father Guardian, who was well aware of his bad life, was not at all interested in accepting him. The young student, shedding a torrent of tears, related to him all that had taken place. The good priest immediately sent two religious to the street indicated, and there they found the corpse of the wretched youth. The young man was soon admitted as a postulant among the Brothers, whom he soon edified by a life completely devoted to penance and reparation.
It was these terrible facts that struck a deep chord of both the holy fear of hell, and the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary into Blessed Richard himself, so he too immediately consecrated himself entirely to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the same Order into which the young student, so wonderfully protected by Mary, had just been received.
A burning handprint from hell -A lifelong reminder
The next incident is from an honorable priest and superior of a religious community. This priest had the particulars of the story from a close relation of the lady to whom it had happened. At the time of the writing, Christmas Day, 1859, this person was still living and was roughly forty years old, therefore no name is mentioned in the recording of this event to protect the persons identity.
The woman concerned in this story was living in London in the winter of 1847-1848. She was a widow, about twenty nine years old, quite rich and worldly. Among the young men who visited her there was young lord of bad conduct who courted her and of whom she eventually committed a variety of sins with.
Late one night she was in bed reading a novel when one o'clock struck on the clock; she blew out her taper and was about to fall asleep when, to her great astonishment, she noticed strange glimmer of light coming from the door of the drawing-room, which spread by degrees into her chamber. Stupefied at first and not knowing what this meant, she began to get alarmed, when she saw the drawing-room door slowly open and the young lord, the partner of her disorders, enter the room. Before she had time to say a single word, he seized her by the left wrist, and with a hissing voice, said to her in English: "There is a Hell!” The pain she suddenly felt in her arm was so great that she immediately passed out.
When she came to again about a half an hour after she immediately rang for her chambermaid. The latter, on entering, noticed a strong smell of burning. Approaching her mistress who was frantic and could hardly speak she immediately noticed on her wrist a burn so deep that the bone was laid bare, and the flesh almost consumed. Moreover, she remarked that, from the door of the salon to the bed, and returning from the bed to that same door, the carpet bore the imprint of a man's steps, which had burned through the fibers. By the directions of her mistress, she opened the drawing-room door and there she found more tracks on the carpet.
The following day, the unhappy lady learned, with a terror easily imagined, that on that very night, about one o'clock in the morning, her friend the lord had been found dead-drunk under the table, and that his servants had carried him to his room, and that he had died of alcohol poisoning in their arms.
I do not know for certain, added the Priest-Superior, whether that terrible lesson converted the heart of that unfortunate lady, but what I do know is that she is still alive and that, to conceal from sight the traces of her ominous burn, she wears on the left wrist, like a bracelet, a wide gold band, which she does not take off day or night. I repeat it: I have all these details from her near relation, a serious Christian, in whose word I give the fullest belief. She states that this story is never spoken of, even in the family; and that she only confided it to me, suppressing every proper name.
Notwithstanding the anonymity beneath which this apparition has been revealed and must be enveloped, it seems impossible, states a writer, to call into doubt the dreadful authenticity of the details.
'I am damned! And if you do not wish to be like me, leave this place of infamy and return to God.'
Here is a third fact related by the writer Monsignor de Segur in his book “Opuscule on Hell”:
"In the year 1873," he writes, "a few days before the Assumption (August 15), there occurred again one of those apparitions from beyond the grave, which so efficaciously confirms the reality of Hell. It was in Rome. A brothel, opened in that city after the Piedmontese invasion, stood near a police station. One of the unfortunate girls who lived there had been wounded in the hand, and it was found necessary to take her to the hospital of Consolation. Whether her blood, vitiated by bad living, or brought on an infection of the wound, or from an unexpected complication, she nonetheless died suddenly during the night. At the same instant, one of her companions, who was completely ignorant of what had happened at the hospital, began to utter shrieks of despair to the point of awaking the inhabitants of the locality, creating a frenzy among the wretched creatures of the house, and provoking the intervention of the police. The dead girl of the hospital, surrounded by flames, had appeared to her and said: 'I am damned! And if you do not wish to be like me, leave this place of infamy and return to God.'
"Nothing could quell the despair of this girl, who, at daybreak, departed, leaving the whole house plunged in confusion, even more so when the news of the death of her companion at the hospital was made known.
"Just at this period, the mistress of the place, an exalted Garribaldian and known as such by her family and friends, fell sick. She soon sent for a priest to receive the Sacraments. The ecclesiastical authority deputed for this task a worthy prelate, Mgr. Sirolli, the pastor of the parish of Saint-Saviour in Laura. He presented himself and exacted of the sick woman, before all, in presence of many witnesses, the full and entire retraction of her blasphemies against the Sovereign Pontiff and the discontinuance of the sinful trade that she was managing. The unhappy creature did so without hesitating and consented to purge her house, then made her confession and received the Holy Viaticum with great sentiments of repentance and humility.
"Feeling that she was dying, she besought the good pastor with tears not to leave her, frightened as she always was by the apparition of that damned girl. Mgr. Sirolli of course was unable to satisfy her request on account of the public scandal spending the night in such a place would certainly cause, he therefore requested from the police two men who remained until the dying woman had breathed her last.
"Very soon, all Rome became acquainted with the details of these tragic occurrences. As usual in such circumstances, the ungodly and lewd ridiculed them, taking good care not to seek for any additional information about them; however the good profited by them and became more devout and more faithful to their duties.”
To doubt the existence of hell is foolish bravery
In his book on Hell, Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J. relates the following:
“Natural reason confirms the dogma of hell. An atheist was once boasting that he did not believe in hell. Among his hearers, there was a sensible young man, modest, but who thought that he ought to shut the silly speaker's mouth. He put to him a single question: "Sir," he said, "the kings of the earth have prisons to punish their wicked subjects; how can God, the King of the Universe, be without a prison for those who outrage His majesty?" The atheist of course had not a word to answer. The appeal was presented to the light of his own reason, which proclaims that, if kings have prisons, God must likewise have a hell.”
Pascals wager and fire insurance
Additionally there is the well known story of “Pascal’s wager”. Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth-century French philosopher, mathematician and physicist. Unlike many men of science and knowledge these days, he used his gift of reason to support his faith and belief in God, heaven and hell, and he developed a logical presupposition commonly known as “Pascal’s wager” which states thus:
If one believes in God, yet upon death one discovers that God does not exist, ones loses absolutely nothing in life or in death, whereas if God exists, and one believes in God, one gains everything upon death (eternal reward in heaven).
However, if one disbelieves in God, and finds upon death that God does not exist, one gains nothing in life or in death, whereas if one erroneously disbelieves and shuns God, and upon death finds that God exists, one loses everything (eternal damnation in hell).
In short, Pascals Wager operates under the very logical presupposition that it does not harm one to believe in God and to fear hell. But to not do so, one takes a very grave risk; a risk of potentially devastating consequences for all eternity. We take out fire insurance on our property—would it not be wise to do at least the same for our persons, especially when in this case the insurance costs absolutely nothing, and while in reality such faith in God normally makes one a more caring and compassionate person?
More on Saints and the beneficial fear of Hell
Some Saints and devout souls, like St Teresa of Avila and Sr. Josefa Menendez where taken in spirit to hell. Others like St Gemma Galgani were shown horrible vision of the devil and the demons: Writing to her spiritual director Gemma says: "...Come quickly, Father, or at least make the exorcism from a distance. The devil has pursued me in every possible way. Oh, if you only knew how I have suffered. How pleased he was this night. He seized me by the hair and dragged me about exclaiming, 'Disobedience, disobedience, now there is no more time to begin again. Come, come with me,' and he tried to carry me off to Hell. He tormented me like this for more than four hours, and thus I passed the night." (More on St Gemma's heroic battles with the demons here)
The three children of Fatima, Blessed Jacinta Marto, Blessed Francisco Marto and Sr. Lucia Dos Santos where shown by the Blessed Virgin Mary a terrifying vision of hell when they were only ages 9 and 10 years old- and this frightening vision completely changed them to their deepest inner spirit. Even though they were but young children, after the vision given them by the Blesssed Virgin, they would not hesitate in the least bit to make great sacrifices to prevent souls from going to hell. Among other things that the Blessed Virgin Mary and the angel of God taught them was this important prayer:
“Oh my Jesus; forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy”.
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“When I see Jesus weep, my own heart is pierced with sorrow; I think of how by my sins I have added to the oppression in which Jesus suffered in the Garden. At that time Jesus saw all my sins, all my omissions, and He saw the place I should have occupied in Hell, if Thy Heart, oh Jesus, had not granted me forgiveness” –St Gemma Galgani
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Confession
It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God
grants the penitent "pardon and peace".
Confession was the principal daily activity of Padre Pio. He had the ability to look within the souls of his penitents. It was not possible to lie to Padre Pio during a confession. He saw inside people’s hearts. Often, when the sinners were timid, Padre Pio listed their sins during the confession.
Padre Pio invited all believers to confess at least once a week. He said: "Even if a room is closed, it is necessary to dust it after a week."
In the sacrament of confession Padre Pio was very demanding. He couldn't bear people that went to him only out of curiosity.
A monk once told the following story: "One day Padre Pio didn't give absolution to a penitent and he told him: "If you go to confess to another priest to have gain absolution you will go to hell together with him". He meant that the sacrament of confession is profaned by people that don't want to change their lives. They are guilty in front of God.
A man once went to St. Giovanni Rotondo to confess to Padre Pio. It was between 1954 and 1955. When he finished the accusation of his sins Padre Pio said: "Do you have anything else to confess?" and he said, "No Father!" He repeated the question: "Do you have anything else to confess?" "No Father!" For a third time Padre Pio asked him: "Do you have anything else to confess? At this third negative answer the hurricane exploded. With the voice of the Holy Spirit Padre Pio howled: "Go away! Go away! Because you are not reformed of your sins!"
The man was also petrified because of the shame that he felt in front of so many people. Then he tried to say something but Padre Pio said: "Keep silent, gossiper, you have spoken enough; I now want to speak. Is it true that you go to discos?” "Yes, Father." "Do you know that dancing is an invitation to the sin?"
The man was surprised and he didn't know what to say: he had the membership card of a disco in his wallet. The man promised not to commit any other sins and after a lot of effort he received absolution.
Lies
One day, a man told Padre Pio: "Father, I tell lies when I am with some friends of mine. I do it in order to make everybody happy". And Padre Pio said: "Oh, do you want to go to hell by joking?!"
Gossip
When a person speaks badly of a friend, he destroys the reputation and the honour of a brother who has the right to enjoy respect.
One day Padre Pio said to a penitent: "When you gossip about a person it means that you have removed the person from your heart. But be aware, when you remove a man from your heart, Jesus also goes away from your heart with that man."
Once, Padre Pio was invited to bless a house. But when he reached the entrance of the kitchen he said: "There are snakes here. I do not want to go in". And then he said to a priest that often went to that house to eat: “Don't go to that house because they say unpleasant things about their brothers and sisters.”
Swearing
A man was born in the region of Italy called Marche. He and a friend left their town in a truck, with some furniture they had to transport nearby to St. Giovanni Rotondo. While they were taking the last slope, before reaching their destination, the truck broke-down and it stopped. They tried to start the engine again but without success.
At that point the driver lost his calm and full of anger he cursed. The day after the two men went to St. Giovanni Rotondo where one of the men had a sister. With the help of his sister they succeeded in going to Padre Pio to confession.
The first man entered the confessional but Padre Pio sent him away. Then it was the turn of the driver. He started saying something to Padre Pio: "I have been angry". But Padre Pio shouted: "Wretch! You have cursed our Mother! What did she do to you, Our Lady?" Then he sent him away as well.
The devil is near to people who curse.
In a hotel in St. Giovanni Rotondo it was not possible to rest neither during the day nor at night because there was a girl who was possessed and shouted for hours. Everybody was frightened of her. The child’s mother brought her every day to the church. She hoped that Padre Pio would free the child from the evil spirit. The child also shouted a lot in the church. One day, when Padre Pio had finished hearing the women’s confessions, he met the child that howled fearfully in front of him. The child was being held back with difficulty by two or three men. The Saint was annoyed by the whole uproar and kicked the child with his foot and then he struck the child’s head and he said: "Stop! Enough!"
The child fell to the ground as if she was sleeping. Padre Pio told a doctor who was standing there, to bring the child to St. Michael, in the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo. When the group reached the destination, they entered the cave where Saint Michael had appeared. The child revived but nobody succeeded in bringing her near to the altar of the Angel. In the midst of the confusion, a monk took the hand of the child and touched the altar. She fell down as if she had been struck by lightening. A few minutes later she woke up and as if nothing had happened she asked her mother: "Could you buy me an ice-cream?"
At that point the group of people returned to St. Giovanni Rotondo in order to inform and to thank Padre Pio. But Padre Pio told her mother: "Say to your husband not to curse anymore, otherwise the demon will return."
Missing Holy Mass
In about 1950, a young doctor went to confess to Padre Pio. He confessed his sins and then he remained silent. Padre Pio asked the young doctor if he had other things to add but the doctor answered he had nothing else. Then Padre Pio told the doctor: "Keep in mind that on holy days you cannot miss Mass, because this is a mortal sin". Suddenly the doctor remembered he had "jumped" Mass with a Sunday appointment, a few months before.
Magic
Padre Pio prohibited all magic, spiritism and practices of bad magic. A lady said: "I confessed to Padre Pio in November, 1948. Among the things I told him was that we were worried about our aunt who read Tarot cards in our family”. Padre Pio in a peremptory tone said: "Throw that stuff away, as soon as you can."
Divorce
In the united and holy family, Padre Pio saw the place where the faith can grow and develop. He said: “Divorce is the passport to hell".
A young lady finished the confession of her sins. She received her penance from Padre Pio who said: "You have to immerse yourself in the silence of prayer and you will save your marriage."
The lady was amazed since her marriage didn't have any problems. After a long time, her marriage began to experience trouble. However she was ready to face the problems and overcame them and so avoided the destruction of the family because she had been following the suggestion that Padre Pio gave her.
Abortion
One day, Padre Pellegrino asked Padre Pio: "Father, this morning you denied absolution to a lady who confessed to an abortion. Why have you been so rigorous with this poor unfortunate? ".
Padre Pio said: "The day, in which people, frightened by the economic boom, from physical damages or from economic sacrifices, will lose the horror of the abortion, it will be the most terrible day for humanity. Abortion is not only homicide but also suicide. And with these people we see on the point of committing two crimes…do we want to show our faith? Do we want to save them? "
"Why suicide?” Padre Pellegrino asked.
"You would understand this suicide of the human race, if with the eye of reason, you could see the Heart populated by old men and depopulated by children: burnt as a desert.”
It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God
Confession was the principal daily activity of Padre Pio. He had the ability to look within the souls of his penitents. It was not possible to lie to Padre Pio during a confession. He saw inside people’s hearts. Often, when the sinners were timid, Padre Pio listed their sins during the confession.
Padre Pio invited all believers to confess at least once a week. He said: "Even if a room is closed, it is necessary to dust it after a week."
In the sacrament of confession Padre Pio was very demanding. He couldn't bear people that went to him only out of curiosity.
A monk once told the following story: "One day Padre Pio didn't give absolution to a penitent and he told him: "If you go to confess to another priest to have gain absolution you will go to hell together with him". He meant that the sacrament of confession is profaned by people that don't want to change their lives. They are guilty in front of God.
A man once went to St. Giovanni Rotondo to confess to Padre Pio. It was between 1954 and 1955. When he finished the accusation of his sins Padre Pio said: "Do you have anything else to confess?" and he said, "No Father!" He repeated the question: "Do you have anything else to confess?" "No Father!" For a third time Padre Pio asked him: "Do you have anything else to confess? At this third negative answer the hurricane exploded. With the voice of the Holy Spirit Padre Pio howled: "Go away! Go away! Because you are not reformed of your sins!"
The man was also petrified because of the shame that he felt in front of so many people. Then he tried to say something but Padre Pio said: "Keep silent, gossiper, you have spoken enough; I now want to speak. Is it true that you go to discos?” "Yes, Father." "Do you know that dancing is an invitation to the sin?"
The man was surprised and he didn't know what to say: he had the membership card of a disco in his wallet. The man promised not to commit any other sins and after a lot of effort he received absolution.
Lies
One day, a man told Padre Pio: "Father, I tell lies when I am with some friends of mine. I do it in order to make everybody happy". And Padre Pio said: "Oh, do you want to go to hell by joking?!"
Gossip
When a person speaks badly of a friend, he destroys the reputation and the honour of a brother who has the right to enjoy respect.
One day Padre Pio said to a penitent: "When you gossip about a person it means that you have removed the person from your heart. But be aware, when you remove a man from your heart, Jesus also goes away from your heart with that man."
Once, Padre Pio was invited to bless a house. But when he reached the entrance of the kitchen he said: "There are snakes here. I do not want to go in". And then he said to a priest that often went to that house to eat: “Don't go to that house because they say unpleasant things about their brothers and sisters.”
Swearing
A man was born in the region of Italy called Marche. He and a friend left their town in a truck, with some furniture they had to transport nearby to St. Giovanni Rotondo. While they were taking the last slope, before reaching their destination, the truck broke-down and it stopped. They tried to start the engine again but without success.
At that point the driver lost his calm and full of anger he cursed. The day after the two men went to St. Giovanni Rotondo where one of the men had a sister. With the help of his sister they succeeded in going to Padre Pio to confession.
The first man entered the confessional but Padre Pio sent him away. Then it was the turn of the driver. He started saying something to Padre Pio: "I have been angry". But Padre Pio shouted: "Wretch! You have cursed our Mother! What did she do to you, Our Lady?" Then he sent him away as well.
The devil is near to people who curse.
In a hotel in St. Giovanni Rotondo it was not possible to rest neither during the day nor at night because there was a girl who was possessed and shouted for hours. Everybody was frightened of her. The child’s mother brought her every day to the church. She hoped that Padre Pio would free the child from the evil spirit. The child also shouted a lot in the church. One day, when Padre Pio had finished hearing the women’s confessions, he met the child that howled fearfully in front of him. The child was being held back with difficulty by two or three men. The Saint was annoyed by the whole uproar and kicked the child with his foot and then he struck the child’s head and he said: "Stop! Enough!"
The child fell to the ground as if she was sleeping. Padre Pio told a doctor who was standing there, to bring the child to St. Michael, in the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo. When the group reached the destination, they entered the cave where Saint Michael had appeared. The child revived but nobody succeeded in bringing her near to the altar of the Angel. In the midst of the confusion, a monk took the hand of the child and touched the altar. She fell down as if she had been struck by lightening. A few minutes later she woke up and as if nothing had happened she asked her mother: "Could you buy me an ice-cream?"
At that point the group of people returned to St. Giovanni Rotondo in order to inform and to thank Padre Pio. But Padre Pio told her mother: "Say to your husband not to curse anymore, otherwise the demon will return."
Missing Holy Mass
In about 1950, a young doctor went to confess to Padre Pio. He confessed his sins and then he remained silent. Padre Pio asked the young doctor if he had other things to add but the doctor answered he had nothing else. Then Padre Pio told the doctor: "Keep in mind that on holy days you cannot miss Mass, because this is a mortal sin". Suddenly the doctor remembered he had "jumped" Mass with a Sunday appointment, a few months before.
Magic
Padre Pio prohibited all magic, spiritism and practices of bad magic. A lady said: "I confessed to Padre Pio in November, 1948. Among the things I told him was that we were worried about our aunt who read Tarot cards in our family”. Padre Pio in a peremptory tone said: "Throw that stuff away, as soon as you can."
Divorce
In the united and holy family, Padre Pio saw the place where the faith can grow and develop. He said: “Divorce is the passport to hell".
A young lady finished the confession of her sins. She received her penance from Padre Pio who said: "You have to immerse yourself in the silence of prayer and you will save your marriage."
The lady was amazed since her marriage didn't have any problems. After a long time, her marriage began to experience trouble. However she was ready to face the problems and overcame them and so avoided the destruction of the family because she had been following the suggestion that Padre Pio gave her.
Abortion
One day, Padre Pellegrino asked Padre Pio: "Father, this morning you denied absolution to a lady who confessed to an abortion. Why have you been so rigorous with this poor unfortunate? ".
"Why suicide?” Padre Pellegrino asked.
"You would understand this suicide of the human race, if with the eye of reason, you could see the Heart populated by old men and depopulated by children: burnt as a desert.”
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Dear DWL2. Gates of hell is what I see, and hell is without Love and God. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells us: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: love thy neighbour as thyself." Verse 40 tells us: On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters. Love is very catching, and if we truly Love God and our neighbour, (neighbour is all we know and all we meet) if we love and care, God will notice and Bless us greatly.
The Bible tells us: Give up all selfish and unloving thoughts and words, ask God for Love and Joy, and Compassion, then thank God and share all with all around us. Remember that God wants loving men and women, and we keep asking in Matthew 7: 7-10: we keep asking for Love and Joy and Compassion, then thank God and share all with our neighbour. Love will grow and we will have "life abundant," God will Love us and God will keep Blessing us. Remember: Love is very catching, just try and find out for ourselves. I say this with love, DWL, and send greetings, from Emmy to all Christian brothers and sisters.
The Bible tells us: Give up all selfish and unloving thoughts and words, ask God for Love and Joy, and Compassion, then thank God and share all with all around us. Remember that God wants loving men and women, and we keep asking in Matthew 7: 7-10: we keep asking for Love and Joy and Compassion, then thank God and share all with our neighbour. Love will grow and we will have "life abundant," God will Love us and God will keep Blessing us. Remember: Love is very catching, just try and find out for ourselves. I say this with love, DWL, and send greetings, from Emmy to all Christian brothers and sisters.
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I will finish up on posting about a little of Saint Padre Pios writings on hell and Holy Purgatory with a little background on Saint Padre Pio for those of whom may wish to know a little more about him.
Saint Padre Pio, the priest with the stigmata
on Wednesday, 01 May 2002.
Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, one of the greatest saints of all times
On June 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II canonized in Rome Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, one of the greatest saints of all times. There are saints who have been known for healing; there are saints who could "read" souls; there are saints who were known for levitation; there were saints who bore the stigmata, or were seen in apparition, or who had the “odor of sanctity.” There are saints who could understand languages they didn't know. But Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who died on September 23, 1968, had all these charisms, and more. In fact, not since St. Francis of Assisi has there been such a miracle-worker.
And as a matter of fact, Padre Pio was the first priest to bear the stigmata — the holy wounds of Christ — just like St. Francis of Assisi. Saint Pio is a man who healed literally thousands — while he was still alive; who could read souls — knowing in case after case exactly what a person in Confession had done; who was seen in dozens of cases in bilocation (appearing far from where he actually was). There were accounts that defy the belief of even the most ardent believer: a sighting of him at the Vatican, even though he never left the San Giovanni monastery; the transfiguration of his face into that of Jesus' during the Consecration; a worker named Giovanni Savino who lost an eye that later materialized under the bandages after Pio visited him in bilocation.
Like the Apostle Paul, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina placed at the centre of his life and apostolic work the Cross of his Lord as his strength, his wisdom and his glory. Inflamed by love of Jesus Christ, he became like Him in the sacrifice of himself for the salvation of the world.
This worthy follower of Saint Francis of Assisi was born on May 25, 1887, at Pietrelcina, in the Archdiocese of Benevento, Italy, the son of Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa De Nunzio. He was baptized the next day and given the name Francesco. At the age of twelve, he received the Sacrament of Confirmation and made his First Holy Communion.
On January 6, 1903, at the age of sixteen, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone, where on January 22 he took the Franciscan habit and the name Brother Pio. At the end of his novitiate year, he took simple vows, and on January 27, 1907 made his solemn profession. After he was ordained a priest on August 10, 1910 at Benevento, he stayed at home with his family until 1916 for health reasons. In September of that year, he was sent to the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo, and remained there until his death, in 1968.
The demons, furious at seeing him so devoted to the Lord, left him no respite, and disturbed him continuously as their worst enemy. Unable of diverting him from his holy resolutions with their Satanic threats and trickery, they waged against him at night a fiery fight, of which the invincible soldier of Christ kept more than once the visible marks on his body. These diabolical scenes were often followed by ineffable celestial visions that put on his face the reflection of a high spirituality.
On the level of social charity, he committed himself to relieving the pain and suffering of many families, chiefly through the foundation of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (House for the Relief of Suffering), opened on May 5, 1956. For Padre Pio, Faith was life: he willed everything and did everything in the light of Faith. He was assiduously devoted to prayer. He passed the day and a large part of the night in conversation with God. He would say: “In books we seek God, in prayer we find Him. Prayer is the key which opens God's heart.” Faith led him always to accept God's mysterious will.
When he celebrated Holy Mass, one could see Padre Pio's stigmata.
The stigmata
It was in Pietrelcina on September 17, 1915 — the same date as St. Francis Assisi — that Padre Pio received the first invisible stigmata. These signs of the Passion of Our Lord gave him so cruel pains some days, and especially on Fridays, that his confessor, the only other person to know about his stigmata, thought it wise to excuse him from saying the Mass. However, Padre Pio did not use this dispensation, and continued to celebrate Holy Mass in an old chapel dedicated to Saint Pius, martyr.
Three years later, in 1918, after his transfer from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo, the wounds of Christ appeared visibly on the hands and feet of Padre Pio, who was from now on no longer able to hide them. He relates himself the event (as reported by Bernard Ruffin in his book “Padre Pio: The True Story.”):
“I was hearing the confession of our boys when suddenly I was filled with extreme terror at the sight of a heavenly Being who presented himself to the eye of my intellect. He held some kind of a weapon in His hand, something like a long, sharp-pointed steel blade, which seemed to spew out fire. At the very instant that I saw this, I saw that Personage hurl the weapon into my soul with all His might.”
That was on August 5, 1918, and it was the onset of Pio's side wound. His hands and feet were pierced later – on September 20: "Between nine and ten in the morning, while my students were taking their recreation in the garden, I was alone in the choir, sitting on the bench in the spot reserved for the vicar,” he wrote. “I was there making my thanksgiving after Holy Mass. All of a sudden, a great light shone round about my eyes. In the midst of this light, there appeared the wounded Christ. He said nothing to me before He disappeared.”
The crucifix in the choir, he said, had transformed itself into the Being. The hands, feet, and side of the Being were dripping blood. And the countenance terrified Pio. “From Him there came forth beams of light with shafts of flame that wounded me in the hands and feet. My side had already been wounded on the fifth of August of the same year.”
Padre Pio would bear the wounds for fifty years. A few minutes after his death, they mysteriously vanished.
The Mass of Padre Pio
Filled with love of God and love of neighbour, Padre Pio lived to the full his vocation to work for the redemption of man, in accordance with the special mission which marked his entire life and which he exercised through the spiritual direction of the faithful: the sacramental reconciliation of penitents and the celebration of the Eucharist. The pinnacle of his apostolic activity was the celebration of Holy Mass. The faithful who took part witnessed the summit and fullness of his spirituality.
Michael Brown, of Spirit Daily, wrote: “Pray to Pio for healing. Pray to him when seeking relief from the devil. And follow his standard of Mass. This was where his true colors became most pronounced. So intense was Padre Pio during Mass that many claimed his face transfigured into that of Christ's, especially during the Consecration. At times, St. Pio held the Host up for more than ten minutes, seeing a reality others could no see, feeling One with Jesus, realizing the Real Presence. So prolonged were such moments that his Mass typically lasted more than two hours (without a homily, which he rarely gave).”
“Whoever attended just one Mass of his, never forgot it,” noted a friend of his, Padre Alberto D'Apolito. “It produced such an impression that time and space between the altar and Calvary disappeared. The Mass of Padre Pio visibly reproduced the Passion of Christ, not only in a mystical form, but also physically, in his body. Waves of emotion made Padre Pio tremble at the altar as if the struggle with invisible persons filled him, time after time, with fear, joy, sadness, anguish, and pain. From the expression on his face, one could follow the mysterious dialogue.”
It is said he saw the entire Passion, and we know that he physically suffered the wounds of Jesus — so intense that often he wept during the readings. Notes another biographer, the saint was motionless for long moments at the offering of bread and wine, “as if nailed by a mysterious force,” eyes moist, staring at the Crucifix. During the Consecration, St. Pio's hands sometimes jerked back with pain (the Consecration lasting several times longer than normal) and after, he seemed exhausted from the suffering, leaning over the altar for minutes at a time to commune with the Lord.
He suffered during the Consecration. He glowed during Communion. He saw angels and saints. He saw the splendor of God and Paradise open. Throughout Mass, St. Pio seemed to be peering into another dimension. At the side, he said he could see the Blessed Mother. Was the Madonna present at every Mass, he was asked? “Yes.” Did angels always attend? “The whole celestial court is present.” Whoever doubted the Real Presence, says D'Apolito, had only to assist at St. Pio's Mass.
In his homily for the beatification of Padre Pio, on May 2, 1999, Pope John Paul II said: “I am going to prepare a place for you ... that where I am you may be also”.(Jn 14:2) What other purpose was there for the demanding ascetical practices which Padre Pio undertook from his early youth, if not gradually to identify himself with the Divine Master, so that he could be ‘where he was’? Those who went to San Giovanni Rotondo to attend his Mass, to seek his counsel, or to confess to him, saw in him a living image of Christ suffering and risen. The face of Padre Pio reflected the light of the Resurrection. His body, marked by the `stigmata', showed forth the intimate bond between death and resurrection which characterizes the paschal mystery. Blessed Pio of Pietrelcina shared in the Passion with a special intensity: the unique gifts which were given to him, and the interior and mystical sufferings which accompanied them, allowed him constantly to participate in the Lord's agonies, never wavering in his sense that ‘Calvary is the hill of the saints’.”
The “flying monk”
It is impossible to do justice to the entire array of miracles worked by Padre Pio. They are endless, and they have transcended his death. One day, recounts Ruffin, a priest named Padre Constantino "entered Pio's room and was struck by what he saw. 'His countenance was shining with a rosy flame of light such as I had never seen before and shall, I think, never see again. It was but for an instant, but I shall never forget it.' This phenomenon was observed in Moses when he came down from Sinai with the two tables of the Law in his hands."
As for the sky phenomenon: “There are many stories concerning allied pilots who attempted to bomb San Giovanni but were stopped by an apparition of a 'monk' standing in the air with his arms outstretched,” says Ruffin. “There are fliers who swore that they had sighted a figure in the sky, sometimes normal size, sometimes gigantic, usually in the form of a monk or priest. The sightings were too frequent and the reports came from too many sources to be totally discounted. Several people from Foggia, where thousands were killed in the air raids, said that a bomb, falling into a room where they had huddled, landed near a photograph of Padre Pio. They claimed that when it exploded, it 'burst like a soap bubble.' Others reported that while bombs were raining down upon the city, they cried, 'Padre Pio, you have to save us!' While they were speaking, a bomb fell into their midst, but did not explode.”
Bernardo Rosini, a general of the Italian Air Force, told a story: “At Bari was located the general command of the U.S. Air Force. I know several officers who told me of having been saved by Padre Pio during air missions.
“One day,” General Rosini continued, “an American commander wanted to lead a squadron of bombers himself to destroy the German arms depository of war material that was located at San Giovanni Rotondo. The commander related that as he approached the target, he and his pilots saw rising in the sky the figure of a friar with his hands held outward. The bombs released of their own accord, falling in the woods, and the planes completely reversed course without any intervention by the pilots.”
Someone told the commanding general that in a convent at this little town of San Giovanni Rotondo, there lived a saintly man, a friar in the odor of sanctity. At war's end, the general wanted to go meet this person. “He was accompanied by several pilots,” Rosini continued. “He went to the convent of the Capuchins. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the sacrisity, he found himself in front of several friars, among whom he immediately recognized the one who had 'stopped' his planes. Padre Pio went forward to meet him, and putting his hand on his shoulder, he said, `So, you're the one who wanted to get rid of us all!'”
Of all of Padre Pio's healings, one of the most remarkable may have been a blind girl from the Palermo area named Gemma DiGiorgio. (See pictures above, the day of her First Communion.) “I had no pupils in my eyes,” said Gemma in 1971, several years after Padre Pio's death. “I had no sight at all. When I was three months old, my mother took me to a very famous eye doctor in Palermo. He told her that, without pupils, I would never be able to see.”
In 1946, when the girl was seven, a nun took it upon herself to write Padre Pio on her behalf, and received a note saying that the girl should be brought to Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotundo. That's exactly what Gemma's grandmother did: brought the girl to see the famous monk, who heard the child's First Confession and gave her her First Communion — then made the Sign of the Cross on her eyes. After the blessing, Gemma was able to see.
The eye reappears
More astounding still may be the thoroughly-documented cure of a construction worker named Giovanni Savino, who was severely injured on February 15, 1949, in a dynamite mishap. When Dr. Guglielmo San- guinetti, a physican, and Padre Raffaele, another Capuchin, and Father Dominic Meyer rushed to the injured man's side, “all three men noted that among Savino's numerous injuries, his right eye was gone entirely. They agreed that 'the socket was empty',” reports biographer Bernard Ruffin. Other doctors confirmed that the eye was completely annihilated and the other one badly damaged.
I
t looked like Savino was also going to be totally blind. For three days, the worker lay on a hospital bed with his head and face bandaged. When a surgeon entered the room three days later, Savino reported that Padre Pio had visited him — something Savino recognized because he had detected the beautiful aroma so often reported around the priest. A week later, at about one a.m. on February 25, 1949, Savino felt a slap on the right side of his face — the side where the eye was completely gone. “I asked, 'Who touched me?'” testified Savino. “There was nobody. Again I smelled the aroma of Padre Pio. It was beautiful.”
When later the ophthalmologist — an atheist — came to examine the remaining eye, there was a shock. “To their amazement,” writes Ruffin, “the doctors found that his shattered face was fully healed and covered with new skin. Savino, however, was most delighted at the fact that he could see. 'I can see you!' he said excitedly to the eye specialist.”
And indeed, as is medically documented, the doctor saw, to his “utter astonishment”, that Savino had his right eye back. Somehow, the eye had materialized. (“Now I believe too,” exclaimed the doctor, “because of what my own hands have touched!”) As Ruffin notes, it's one thing when diseases disappear; this is exciting. It's tremendous to hear of diabetes or arthritis or even cancer leaving a person. “For a missing part of the body to be restored, however, is another matter,” noted the expert biographer.
Modesty in dress
Padre Pio requested people to be dressed modestly to enter the Church of St. Mary of All Graces in San Giovanni Rotondo. During the last years of his life, he became even more severe, as fashions became more immodest. He drove away from his confessional, without respite, all the ladies he deemed to be dressed improperly, even before they entered the confessional box. So they had to put up on the door of the church this notice:
“The church is God's house. It is forbidden for men to enter here with bare arms and wearing shorts. It is forbidden for women to enter wearing trousers, bare headed, with short, low-necked or sleeveless dresses. It is forbidden to borrow dresses in the church to be able to go to confession.”
The last line of the notice was not superfluous. In the church, a few minutes before entering the confessional box, many ladies made a rapid change of clothes — dresses, smocks, rain coats — to make up for what was lacking. As soon as Padre Pio saw them, he muttered: “Go and get dressed, jokers!”
Apostle of the confessional
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina will be remembered in history as “a great apostle of the confessional,” said Cardinal Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Like Saint John Mary Vianney, the holy Curé of Ars, Padre Pio spent over twelve hours per day in the confessional box, to hear confessions, and he often told the penitents in advance all the sins they had committed. Padre Pio could read into consciences. Here is one case:
The man who, one day, came to Padre Pio, was of that type of hard, cold criminals who will stop at nothing. This individual wanted to get rid of his wife but in such a way that his crime would be cloaked with a motive of piety. Under the pretext of going to see Padre Pio, he brought his wife with him to San Giovanni Rotondo where he planned to kill her in a most diabolical way. On arriving at the monastery, he went through the Capuchins' church to the sacristy. Padre Pio was there, talking to some people. When he saw the man, he left abruptly, went to the man, and began to push him violently towards the door, shouting at the top of his voice: “Get out! Get out! Don't you know it is forbidden to stain your hands with blood? Get out!”
The unfortunate man was dumbfounded and, livid with rage, bolted out of the church, to the astonishment of everyone there. However, the strong words and behaviour of Padre Pio made such an impression on him that he could not get a wink of sleep all night. He began to understand the horror of what he was planning and, touched by grace, was a different man in the morning.
He went to the monastery, and this time Padre Pio received him with great tenderness, heard his confession, and gave him absolution. To crown everything, Padre Pio asked him before he left: “You have always wanted children, haven't you? Do not offend God anymore, and you will have a son.” A year later, the man returned to Padre Pio to celebrate his son's baptism and the confirmation of his conversion.
Saint Padre Pio, protect us, protect our priests, protect the Church!
Saint Padre Pio, the priest with the stigmata
on Wednesday, 01 May 2002.
On June 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II canonized in Rome Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, one of the greatest saints of all times. There are saints who have been known for healing; there are saints who could "read" souls; there are saints who were known for levitation; there were saints who bore the stigmata, or were seen in apparition, or who had the “odor of sanctity.” There are saints who could understand languages they didn't know. But Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who died on September 23, 1968, had all these charisms, and more. In fact, not since St. Francis of Assisi has there been such a miracle-worker.
And as a matter of fact, Padre Pio was the first priest to bear the stigmata — the holy wounds of Christ — just like St. Francis of Assisi. Saint Pio is a man who healed literally thousands — while he was still alive; who could read souls — knowing in case after case exactly what a person in Confession had done; who was seen in dozens of cases in bilocation (appearing far from where he actually was). There were accounts that defy the belief of even the most ardent believer: a sighting of him at the Vatican, even though he never left the San Giovanni monastery; the transfiguration of his face into that of Jesus' during the Consecration; a worker named Giovanni Savino who lost an eye that later materialized under the bandages after Pio visited him in bilocation.
Like the Apostle Paul, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina placed at the centre of his life and apostolic work the Cross of his Lord as his strength, his wisdom and his glory. Inflamed by love of Jesus Christ, he became like Him in the sacrifice of himself for the salvation of the world.
This worthy follower of Saint Francis of Assisi was born on May 25, 1887, at Pietrelcina, in the Archdiocese of Benevento, Italy, the son of Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa De Nunzio. He was baptized the next day and given the name Francesco. At the age of twelve, he received the Sacrament of Confirmation and made his First Holy Communion.
On January 6, 1903, at the age of sixteen, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone, where on January 22 he took the Franciscan habit and the name Brother Pio. At the end of his novitiate year, he took simple vows, and on January 27, 1907 made his solemn profession. After he was ordained a priest on August 10, 1910 at Benevento, he stayed at home with his family until 1916 for health reasons. In September of that year, he was sent to the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo, and remained there until his death, in 1968.
The demons, furious at seeing him so devoted to the Lord, left him no respite, and disturbed him continuously as their worst enemy. Unable of diverting him from his holy resolutions with their Satanic threats and trickery, they waged against him at night a fiery fight, of which the invincible soldier of Christ kept more than once the visible marks on his body. These diabolical scenes were often followed by ineffable celestial visions that put on his face the reflection of a high spirituality.
On the level of social charity, he committed himself to relieving the pain and suffering of many families, chiefly through the foundation of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (House for the Relief of Suffering), opened on May 5, 1956. For Padre Pio, Faith was life: he willed everything and did everything in the light of Faith. He was assiduously devoted to prayer. He passed the day and a large part of the night in conversation with God. He would say: “In books we seek God, in prayer we find Him. Prayer is the key which opens God's heart.” Faith led him always to accept God's mysterious will.
The stigmata
It was in Pietrelcina on September 17, 1915 — the same date as St. Francis Assisi — that Padre Pio received the first invisible stigmata. These signs of the Passion of Our Lord gave him so cruel pains some days, and especially on Fridays, that his confessor, the only other person to know about his stigmata, thought it wise to excuse him from saying the Mass. However, Padre Pio did not use this dispensation, and continued to celebrate Holy Mass in an old chapel dedicated to Saint Pius, martyr.
Three years later, in 1918, after his transfer from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo, the wounds of Christ appeared visibly on the hands and feet of Padre Pio, who was from now on no longer able to hide them. He relates himself the event (as reported by Bernard Ruffin in his book “Padre Pio: The True Story.”):
“I was hearing the confession of our boys when suddenly I was filled with extreme terror at the sight of a heavenly Being who presented himself to the eye of my intellect. He held some kind of a weapon in His hand, something like a long, sharp-pointed steel blade, which seemed to spew out fire. At the very instant that I saw this, I saw that Personage hurl the weapon into my soul with all His might.”
That was on August 5, 1918, and it was the onset of Pio's side wound. His hands and feet were pierced later – on September 20: "Between nine and ten in the morning, while my students were taking their recreation in the garden, I was alone in the choir, sitting on the bench in the spot reserved for the vicar,” he wrote. “I was there making my thanksgiving after Holy Mass. All of a sudden, a great light shone round about my eyes. In the midst of this light, there appeared the wounded Christ. He said nothing to me before He disappeared.”
The crucifix in the choir, he said, had transformed itself into the Being. The hands, feet, and side of the Being were dripping blood. And the countenance terrified Pio. “From Him there came forth beams of light with shafts of flame that wounded me in the hands and feet. My side had already been wounded on the fifth of August of the same year.”
Padre Pio would bear the wounds for fifty years. A few minutes after his death, they mysteriously vanished.
The Mass of Padre Pio
Michael Brown, of Spirit Daily, wrote: “Pray to Pio for healing. Pray to him when seeking relief from the devil. And follow his standard of Mass. This was where his true colors became most pronounced. So intense was Padre Pio during Mass that many claimed his face transfigured into that of Christ's, especially during the Consecration. At times, St. Pio held the Host up for more than ten minutes, seeing a reality others could no see, feeling One with Jesus, realizing the Real Presence. So prolonged were such moments that his Mass typically lasted more than two hours (without a homily, which he rarely gave).”
“Whoever attended just one Mass of his, never forgot it,” noted a friend of his, Padre Alberto D'Apolito. “It produced such an impression that time and space between the altar and Calvary disappeared. The Mass of Padre Pio visibly reproduced the Passion of Christ, not only in a mystical form, but also physically, in his body. Waves of emotion made Padre Pio tremble at the altar as if the struggle with invisible persons filled him, time after time, with fear, joy, sadness, anguish, and pain. From the expression on his face, one could follow the mysterious dialogue.”
It is said he saw the entire Passion, and we know that he physically suffered the wounds of Jesus — so intense that often he wept during the readings. Notes another biographer, the saint was motionless for long moments at the offering of bread and wine, “as if nailed by a mysterious force,” eyes moist, staring at the Crucifix. During the Consecration, St. Pio's hands sometimes jerked back with pain (the Consecration lasting several times longer than normal) and after, he seemed exhausted from the suffering, leaning over the altar for minutes at a time to commune with the Lord.
He suffered during the Consecration. He glowed during Communion. He saw angels and saints. He saw the splendor of God and Paradise open. Throughout Mass, St. Pio seemed to be peering into another dimension. At the side, he said he could see the Blessed Mother. Was the Madonna present at every Mass, he was asked? “Yes.” Did angels always attend? “The whole celestial court is present.” Whoever doubted the Real Presence, says D'Apolito, had only to assist at St. Pio's Mass.
In his homily for the beatification of Padre Pio, on May 2, 1999, Pope John Paul II said: “I am going to prepare a place for you ... that where I am you may be also”.(Jn 14:2) What other purpose was there for the demanding ascetical practices which Padre Pio undertook from his early youth, if not gradually to identify himself with the Divine Master, so that he could be ‘where he was’? Those who went to San Giovanni Rotondo to attend his Mass, to seek his counsel, or to confess to him, saw in him a living image of Christ suffering and risen. The face of Padre Pio reflected the light of the Resurrection. His body, marked by the `stigmata', showed forth the intimate bond between death and resurrection which characterizes the paschal mystery. Blessed Pio of Pietrelcina shared in the Passion with a special intensity: the unique gifts which were given to him, and the interior and mystical sufferings which accompanied them, allowed him constantly to participate in the Lord's agonies, never wavering in his sense that ‘Calvary is the hill of the saints’.”
The “flying monk”
As for the sky phenomenon: “There are many stories concerning allied pilots who attempted to bomb San Giovanni but were stopped by an apparition of a 'monk' standing in the air with his arms outstretched,” says Ruffin. “There are fliers who swore that they had sighted a figure in the sky, sometimes normal size, sometimes gigantic, usually in the form of a monk or priest. The sightings were too frequent and the reports came from too many sources to be totally discounted. Several people from Foggia, where thousands were killed in the air raids, said that a bomb, falling into a room where they had huddled, landed near a photograph of Padre Pio. They claimed that when it exploded, it 'burst like a soap bubble.' Others reported that while bombs were raining down upon the city, they cried, 'Padre Pio, you have to save us!' While they were speaking, a bomb fell into their midst, but did not explode.”
Bernardo Rosini, a general of the Italian Air Force, told a story: “At Bari was located the general command of the U.S. Air Force. I know several officers who told me of having been saved by Padre Pio during air missions.
“One day,” General Rosini continued, “an American commander wanted to lead a squadron of bombers himself to destroy the German arms depository of war material that was located at San Giovanni Rotondo. The commander related that as he approached the target, he and his pilots saw rising in the sky the figure of a friar with his hands held outward. The bombs released of their own accord, falling in the woods, and the planes completely reversed course without any intervention by the pilots.”
Someone told the commanding general that in a convent at this little town of San Giovanni Rotondo, there lived a saintly man, a friar in the odor of sanctity. At war's end, the general wanted to go meet this person. “He was accompanied by several pilots,” Rosini continued. “He went to the convent of the Capuchins. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the sacrisity, he found himself in front of several friars, among whom he immediately recognized the one who had 'stopped' his planes. Padre Pio went forward to meet him, and putting his hand on his shoulder, he said, `So, you're the one who wanted to get rid of us all!'”
Of all of Padre Pio's healings, one of the most remarkable may have been a blind girl from the Palermo area named Gemma DiGiorgio. (See pictures above, the day of her First Communion.) “I had no pupils in my eyes,” said Gemma in 1971, several years after Padre Pio's death. “I had no sight at all. When I was three months old, my mother took me to a very famous eye doctor in Palermo. He told her that, without pupils, I would never be able to see.”
In 1946, when the girl was seven, a nun took it upon herself to write Padre Pio on her behalf, and received a note saying that the girl should be brought to Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotundo. That's exactly what Gemma's grandmother did: brought the girl to see the famous monk, who heard the child's First Confession and gave her her First Communion — then made the Sign of the Cross on her eyes. After the blessing, Gemma was able to see.
The eye reappears
More astounding still may be the thoroughly-documented cure of a construction worker named Giovanni Savino, who was severely injured on February 15, 1949, in a dynamite mishap. When Dr. Guglielmo San- guinetti, a physican, and Padre Raffaele, another Capuchin, and Father Dominic Meyer rushed to the injured man's side, “all three men noted that among Savino's numerous injuries, his right eye was gone entirely. They agreed that 'the socket was empty',” reports biographer Bernard Ruffin. Other doctors confirmed that the eye was completely annihilated and the other one badly damaged.
I
When later the ophthalmologist — an atheist — came to examine the remaining eye, there was a shock. “To their amazement,” writes Ruffin, “the doctors found that his shattered face was fully healed and covered with new skin. Savino, however, was most delighted at the fact that he could see. 'I can see you!' he said excitedly to the eye specialist.”
And indeed, as is medically documented, the doctor saw, to his “utter astonishment”, that Savino had his right eye back. Somehow, the eye had materialized. (“Now I believe too,” exclaimed the doctor, “because of what my own hands have touched!”) As Ruffin notes, it's one thing when diseases disappear; this is exciting. It's tremendous to hear of diabetes or arthritis or even cancer leaving a person. “For a missing part of the body to be restored, however, is another matter,” noted the expert biographer.
Modesty in dress
Padre Pio requested people to be dressed modestly to enter the Church of St. Mary of All Graces in San Giovanni Rotondo. During the last years of his life, he became even more severe, as fashions became more immodest. He drove away from his confessional, without respite, all the ladies he deemed to be dressed improperly, even before they entered the confessional box. So they had to put up on the door of the church this notice:
“The church is God's house. It is forbidden for men to enter here with bare arms and wearing shorts. It is forbidden for women to enter wearing trousers, bare headed, with short, low-necked or sleeveless dresses. It is forbidden to borrow dresses in the church to be able to go to confession.”
The last line of the notice was not superfluous. In the church, a few minutes before entering the confessional box, many ladies made a rapid change of clothes — dresses, smocks, rain coats — to make up for what was lacking. As soon as Padre Pio saw them, he muttered: “Go and get dressed, jokers!”
Apostle of the confessional
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina will be remembered in history as “a great apostle of the confessional,” said Cardinal Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Like Saint John Mary Vianney, the holy Curé of Ars, Padre Pio spent over twelve hours per day in the confessional box, to hear confessions, and he often told the penitents in advance all the sins they had committed. Padre Pio could read into consciences. Here is one case:
The man who, one day, came to Padre Pio, was of that type of hard, cold criminals who will stop at nothing. This individual wanted to get rid of his wife but in such a way that his crime would be cloaked with a motive of piety. Under the pretext of going to see Padre Pio, he brought his wife with him to San Giovanni Rotondo where he planned to kill her in a most diabolical way. On arriving at the monastery, he went through the Capuchins' church to the sacristy. Padre Pio was there, talking to some people. When he saw the man, he left abruptly, went to the man, and began to push him violently towards the door, shouting at the top of his voice: “Get out! Get out! Don't you know it is forbidden to stain your hands with blood? Get out!”
The unfortunate man was dumbfounded and, livid with rage, bolted out of the church, to the astonishment of everyone there. However, the strong words and behaviour of Padre Pio made such an impression on him that he could not get a wink of sleep all night. He began to understand the horror of what he was planning and, touched by grace, was a different man in the morning.
He went to the monastery, and this time Padre Pio received him with great tenderness, heard his confession, and gave him absolution. To crown everything, Padre Pio asked him before he left: “You have always wanted children, haven't you? Do not offend God anymore, and you will have a son.” A year later, the man returned to Padre Pio to celebrate his son's baptism and the confirmation of his conversion.
Saint Padre Pio, protect us, protect our priests, protect the Church!
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Padre Pio was once asked what he thought about people who do not believe in Hell.
His answer: "They’ll believe in Hell when they get there."
Hell exists. The Devil is an active force, a living, spiritual being. Those who ignore Hell's reality do so at their own peril. Ultimately, it is our decision to sin or to love that determines where we spend eternity. God respects our free will, even if we chose damnation over Him.
one website
www.bigccatholics.com/2016/03/padre-pios-answer-to-those-who-deny.html
"Keep close to the Catholic Church at all times, for the Church alone can give you true peace, since she alone possesses Jesus, the true Prince of Peace, in the Blessed Sacrament." - Padre Pio of Peitrelcina
With this in heart and mind for those of whom through Jesus God Holy Spirit and our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary of God believe that satan exists, believes there is hell and Holy Purgatory and wishes to pray for all souls on their way to eternal damnation, for The Holy Souls in Purgatory and for all of the sick and dying, there are many many Holy Prayers of Jesus God and Holy Spirits and God our Heavenly Fathers to our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary Gifted that do not all contain the Catholic Creed in them yet all directly reflect Gods Holy Word and I am happy to post them because Jesus God Holy Spirit rewards us for praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory from hearts open to Him in trust and sacrificing our time for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and for those souls on their way to eternal damnation in His Holy Will and Holy Ways now and eternally and Jesus has explained this in detail to all of His thousands of Saints - the Holy Saints God our Heavenly Father mentioned in His Holy Word in both His Old Testament and New Testament and also in Revelations that His Saints are close to Him - with Him in Heaven and many more things written by God our Heavenly Father of His Saints through and with Jesus Holy Spirit and our Holy Queen of Heaven, Holy Mother Mary.
"Keep close to the Catholic Church at all times, for the Church alone can give you true peace, since she alone possesses Jesus, the true Prince of Peace, in the Blessed Sacrament." - Padre Pio of Peitrelcina
Friday, April 27, 2012
One of the many wonderful attributes of Padre Pio is his amazing gift of healing, and below are just some of them:
The first ever newspaper article about Padre Pio was published on IL MATTINO of Naples on June 20, 1919: "Padre Pio, il ‘santo’ di San Giovanni Rotondo, opera un miracolo sulla persona del Cancelliere del paese. Presente un nostro inviato." Translated, "Padre Pio, 'the saint' of San Giovanni Rotondo, performs a miracle on the local courthouse's chancellor. Our envoy was present."
The journalist, Renato Trevisani, reported that Padre Pio saw the 35 year old Pasquale Di Chiara walking painfully with two canes. Padre Pio: "Throw away those canes." 'How could I? I will fall to the ground.' "Throw away those canes," Padre Pio insisted. Pasquale let the canes go while trying to reach for a support. But there was no need. He was standing normally. "Man of little faith. Go and walk." Renato Trevisani and several people were present, and all of them clapped their hands in admiration.
Alberto Del Fante was a journalist who despised Padre Pio. He denounced him in magazines as a charlatan who preyed upon gullible people. A few years later, Del Fante’s grandson, Enrico, was struck with kidney disease and tuberculosis. The doctors gave little hope that Enrico would recover. Relatives of Enrico traveled to see Padre Pio and ask him to pray for him. Padre Pio assured them the boy would recover. Desperate and distraught, Del Fante himself even said: "If Enrico gets well, I will make a pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo myself." He was convinced that nothing would happen, but the boy was healed. Del Fante was deeply moved by this miracle, and went to see Padre Pio who helped him turn to God. After Del Fante’s conversion, he became a dedicated promoter of Padre Pio.
Pasquale Di Chiara's daughter had braces on her legs due to infantile paralysis. When she met Padre Pio, he asked her to take them off. She was able to walk and never use them again.
Francesco Visco, age 43, had walked on crutches because of a deformity contracted since birth. He lived near the convent and children used to make fun of him all the time. He asked Padre Pio, "Heal me." Padre Pio said, "Throw away those crutches." Francesco walked normally for the first time, and for several years until his death.
Pasquale Urbano of Foggia had been walking with two canes after falling from a carriage. After confession in 1919, Padre Pio said, "Get up and go. Throw away those canes." He walked away to every one's amazement.
In 1919, a 14 year old boy who had severe deformations on the back due to typhoid fever at age 4 went to Padre Pio for confession. After confession, Padre Pio touched him with the wounded hand. The back returned instantly normal.
On July 1930, 24 years old Giuseppina Marchetti had her right arm and shoulder badly crashed in an accident. Several doctors could not help. She went to Padre Pio with her father. Padre Pio told her, "You will recover." Back home, on September 17, father and daughter smelled an intense perfume of daffodils and roses lasting 15 minutes. She felt healed. An x-ray showed she was perfectly normal.
A woman involved in an accident broke her arm and shoulder, and after 3 years of surgeries, the doctors declared that she would never be able to use her arm. She went to Padre Pio. "Don't despair. The arm will recover." She went back home. No improvement. Three months later, on September 17, 1930, feast day of the wounds of St. Francis, she and all in the family and the neighbors smelled a strong perfume of daffodils and roses. It lasted about 15 minutes. The arm returned normal. The radiographs showed no abnormality in the bones and cartilages.
A woman from Pesaro, the wife of a workman, brought her deaf and dumb daughter to Padre Pio. He cured her instantly. In an outburst of gratitude, the woman took a gold chain from the child's neck, the only object of value that she owned, and gave it to Padre Pio for the Virgin Mary. When she returned home, she told everything to her husband. He flew into a rage at the offering she had made to the Padre. He said that she should have chosen some other article rather than the gift that he himself had made to his daughter. The next morning they found the chain on the bed table.
On May 21, 1945, Giuseppe Canaponi of Firenze was hit by a truck while driving his motorcycle. He sustained multiple fractures from skull to feet, including 5 fractures of the left femur and had undergone multiple surgeries. Walking on crutches since, in 1948, he confessed to Padre Pio. After confession, he walked away normally without realizing it. He went back to thank Padre Pio. "I didn't do the miracle. I only prayed for you. The Lord healed you."
On October 1949, Maria Galiano was about to die from uterine adenocarcinoma. The daughter sent a telegram and two letters to Padre Pio. On April 29 1950, Maria smelled an intense perfume. It lasted for 2 days. The third day she felt healed. The doctors ran some tests and found that 'the tumor has completely disappeared.'
A woman testified: "My husband was taken to the hospital in Taranto with life threatening injuries after a car accident. After several days of no improvement, I prayed to Padre Pio. I smelled a marvelous perfume of lily. From then on my husband made a fast recovery."
In 1952, a woman was about to die during delivery because of an erroneous blood transfusion. She received the Last Rites. When the priest left, she saw a monk: "I am Padre Pio and you will not die. Say an 'Our Father' and one day you will come to see me." About a year later, she went to see Padre Pio. He told her: "You got the miracle because the Sacred Heart sent me to save you, since you are devouted to him and did the First Fridays of each month."
Padre Carmelo showing Padre Pio a framed Crucifix
In 1953, Padre Pio was sitting with other monks for a presentation. Padre Carmelo, the Superior, was sitting by him. He reported that Padre Pio "placed his arms on the back of the chair in front of him and rested his head on them, remaining silent and motionless for few minutes". The next day, Padre Carmelo went to visit a sick man and was amazed when the man expressed his appreciation for permitting Padre Pio to go visit him the previous evening. Padre Carmelo then understood what had happened.
Ettore Masone, Padre Pio's only nephew, was not yet thirty when he became gravely ill, fell into a coma, and the family made arrangements for the funeral next day. But all of a sudden, he woke up and shouted: "I'm not dying anymore." He recovered completely and was instantly healed. He recalled: "I was at the gates of heaven and saw my sister Giuseppina who died many years ago standing there at the door. Then I also saw Padre Pio. Both wouldn't let me in." That's when he woke up.
Padre Michelangelo Bellini reported that his grandma was over eighty years old and in a coma when he prayed to Padre Pio that she could live long enough to see him celebrate his first Mass. By the morning, she had made an extraordinary recovery and told him that she had seen in a dream a monk who had brought her ten more years of life. She lived exactly for ten more years on the day.
On January 29, 1957 in Alençon, France, Daniel Batonnier was about to die of cerebrospinal meningitis. The mother, at 1:30 PM, sent a telegram to Padre Pio. At 4 PM, the child was fully recovered. The doctors were puzzled. The child, seeing a picture of Padre Pio, exclaimed, "Mom, I know that friar. He came to see me twice today. He was humming so as not to scare me, and then he left. Mom when I grow up I want to be a friar like him."
Frank Tenaglia with his parents
Frank Tenaglia of Philadelphia was born in 1965 with severe neurological brain malformations. His parent went to Padre Pio: "Don't worry about little Francis. He will be fine and I will always look after him". Frank became a opera tenor, performing with major orchestras.
Padre Pio restores sight to the blind
A blind man begged Padre Pio to restore his sight "even if only in one eye," so that he might again see the faces of his dear ones. Padre Pio questioned him repeatedly, "Only in one eye?" Padre Pio told the man to be of good heart and that he would pray for him. Some weeks later, the man returned in tears to thank Padre Pio because his sight was restored! Padre Pio said, "So, you are seeing normally again?" The man replied, "Yes, from this eye here, not from the other." Padre Pio said: "Ah! Only from one eye? Let that be a lesson to you. Never put limitations on God. Always ask for the big grace!"
One young man asked Padre Pio to cure him of his blindness. Padre Pio asked him: "Do you want to have your sight restored, or to save your soul?" The man responded, "If it is a strict choice, I should rather save my soul." "It is a strict choice," said Padre Pio, and it was a very bitter and hard thing for the young man to accept.
In 1919, a priest named Padre Carlo Naldi came with his Jewish friend, Lello Pegna. The priest explained that Pegna had recently become totally blind. They had come to Padre Pio to see if he could be healed. Padre Pio told Pegna, "The Lord will not grant you the grace of physical sight unless you first receive sight for your soul. After you are baptized, then the Lord will give you your sight."
Months later, Pegna came back without the dark glasses that he normally wore. Pegna explained to Padre Pio that, despite opposition from his family, he had become a Christian and was baptized. At the beginning, he was discouraged when his blindness continued, but after a number of months his sight returned. The physician who had earlier told Pegna that he was hopelessly blind now had to admit that his eyesight was in perfect condition. Father Paolino kept in contact with Lello Pegna for nearly thirty years, and reported that his vision was still perfect.
Amelia, 27 years old, born blind, after the confession asks Padre Pio to be able to see. He says, "Have faith and pray a lot." At that point, she saw the face of Padre Pio, and the arms with the half gloves. For the first time she was able to see. She thanked Padre Pio. He said: "Let's thank the Lord."
A Girl Without Pupils Sees!
Gemma di Giorgi was a child born without pupils in her eyes. Gemma was declared to be incurable by a number of specialists. At the age of seven (1947), Gemma’s grandmother brought her to meet Padre Pio. About half way there Gemma began to see. Gemma’s grandmother and other friends marveled at this miraculous occurrence; they called it a miracle! When Gemma arrived, Padre Pio, although never having seen Gemma before, called Gemma by name in front of the congregation at church, and heard her confession. During the confession, despite the fact that Gemma mentioned nothing of her blindness, Padre Pio made the sign of the cross over each eye. At the end of the confession, he blessed her, and said, "Be good and saintly."
Decades after this event, Gemma sees perfectly and still undergoes eye examinations by specialists who agree that there is no explanation for her ability to see. Gemma has no pupils, and it is a scientific fact that without pupils a person cannot see. Gemma’s grandmother also said: "Many eye doctors have arrived here in our home and all have declared the same thing: that without pupils in one’s eyes one should not be able to see and that, therefore, this is a miracle."
Sometime in May 1925, a mom gave birth to a child with severe malformations. The doctors declared there was nothing that medicine can do. The mother decided to see Padre Pio and hurriedly boarded a train to San Giovanni Rotondo. However, her newly born baby died while en route, but she went to see Padre Pio anyway. At San Giovanni Rotondo, she implored Padre Pio for help. Deeply moved, Padre Pio put his hand on the head of the child. The mother cried loudly. Padre Pio said, "Why are you crying . . . Don't you see that the child was just asleep?" The child started moving like he had just been awakened from a long, deep sleep.
Paolina was a mother of five from San Giovanni Rotondo, and was known to Padre Pio as a special soul. She fell gravely ill before Easter and the doctors said there was nothing that they could do to save her. The husband and children went to Padre Pio to implore his help. He said: "She will resurrect on Easter Sunday." On Good Friday, she lost consciousness and on the morning of Holy Saturday, she went into a coma. The relatives went again to Padre Pio. He said: "She will resurrect." She died late Saturday evening. The family made the preparations for her body to be dressed in her wedding gown as it was customary in the area. Padre Pio started the Easter Vigil Mass and at the moment of the Glory, when the bells rang and the organ resounded, he started crying. At the same time, Paolina got up unassisted, knelt beside the bed and started reciting aloud the "Credo". Everybody was astonished. They asked her what had happened. She said: "I was climbing and climbing happily. When I was about to enter in a great light I started coming back and went back." Padre Pio had not said "She will recover" but that "She will resurrect."
In 1926, Concetta Bellarmini, while in critical condition, was told to pray to Padre Pio. She did. Later, a capuchin friar standing and smiling at her bedside said: "Sunday morning you will be healed." She did recover. Weeks later, she went to thank Padre Pio. From afar she exclaimed, "That's him. That's exactly him."
A woman went to stay with her daughter and son in law in Bologna while waiting to have surgery for a malignant tumor in her arm. She was sitting alone in the living room when a capuchin friar came through the door. "I am Padre Pio da Pietralcina." He exhorted her to have faith in the Madonna and blessed her arm. Then he said good bye and left. The day after, she met the doctor to go over the details of the surgical intervention. The surgeon examined the arm. There was no trace of the tumor.
Father Joseph reported that Dr. Millilo, a plastic surgeon at the Casa Sollievo, had a brain hemorrhage while in Milan, and the doctors wanted to operate. He asked to talk to Padre Pio first. Padre Pio: "Tell them to operate on their own brain. Get out at once." His wife picked him up by car, while his colleagues were nervously observing. A week later he was back on duty in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Mario Avignone of Chicago
"I was stationed in Italy at Cerignola with the 304th Bomb Wing of the 15th Air Force under commanding general Nathan F. Twining. We were told about Padre Pio. We had never heard about him. Four of us went to see him. My buddy Joe served at the Mass. They say that when he said Mass he was with Christ being crucified. You could see the tears going down his face.
Padre Pio beside Leo Fanning with Joe Asterita and Mario Avignone
After padre Pio' birthday party, just before we left in ’45, Leo, Joe and I were at the monastery, and we asked Father Ignatius if we could have a piece of one of his bandages that he’d worn over his stigmata. "Oh, no!" he said. What you’re asking me to do is forbidden, and I could get into a lot of trouble. We finally convinced him to get one of those bandages if we promised not to tell anybody -including Padre Pio.
He got us one small bandage and divided it in three. We came back to the monastery not so long after, and Padre Pio stopped us in the hallway. "You naughty boys," he said, really stern. "You caused one of my brothers to commit sin!" "Come on, Padre Pio," says Joe, "what did we do?" "You know what you did," he said. "You had Father Ignatius sneak into my room and take one of the bandages and give it to you." Nobody told him, but you couldn’t fool Padre Pio. He just knew things, which is why he was such a popular confessor. He was serious. But then he shook his head and his face sort of softened. He said to Father Ignatius, "I forgive you, Father. And I forgive you boys, too, but don’t go telling anybody. I wore those bandages over my heart. Go in peace." And we did.
"I told Padre Pio that it’d be great to come back and bring along my wife and kid. "Don’t waste your money," he said. "Every time you receive Communion at church, I’ll be at your side." But a year or so after he died, in 1968, my wife and I went to pay our respects. When we went to visit his tomb at the church, my wife said I was in ecstasy, tears streaming down my face while I was there at his tomb, kneeling down and praying. She said I was talking out loud, carrying on a conversation with Padre Pio, but she couldn’t hear his voice, just mine. But I could hear his voice. He said he was happy I came to see him. Heck, who’d have thought a kid from the South Side of Chicago would end up back in Italy — you know, where my family came from, in the Piedmont - get wounded when a German plane bombed our Liberty ship in the bay in Naples, and end up having a saint as my friend and spiritual father. No, nothing surprises me."
Back in Chicago he expresses his devotion to the saint by sharing his experiences with others, visiting the sick, and praying with the aid of relics.
"For example, well, there was the undertaker. I still see him around the neighborhood. His wife called me up one day, and she was crying. She said, "My husband’s been diagnosed with cancer, and we wonder if you could have him come over and say some prayers to Padre Pio and bless him with the things you’ve got." So he came over to my house. We went down to the basement with my little altar there. And we prayed together to Padre Pio to ask him to help cure my friend’s cancer. About 10 days or so later, his wife called me up. She was crying and laughing and told me, "My husband just got home from the doctor and told us the cancer is gone." And then she asked me, "How can I thank Padre Pio?" "Don’t thank him, thank God," I tell her. "He’s his boss."
Carol Wojtyla, future Pope John Paul II
The following notes were written in Latin, and were sent from Rome, where Bishop Wojtyla was visiting the Pontifical Polish College:
On November 17, 1962, Padre Pio received a handwritten letter from Monsignor Karol Woityla asking to pray for Wanda Poltawska from Cracow, having terminal throat cancer. Angelo Battisti, administrator of Casa Sollievo, reported that Padre Pio told him: "Angelino, conserva questa lettera, perche' un giorno diventera' importante." Translated, "Angelino, keep this letter, because one day it will become important."
Venerable Father,
I ask you to pray for a mother of four girls, forty years old, from Cracow in Poland, (during the last war she was in a concentration camp in Germany), now she is extremely in danger for her health and her life because of cancer: May God use his misericordy to herself and her family, with the intercession of the Very Blessed Virgin.
Very much obliged in Christ,
+ Carol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi, Capitular Vicar of Cracow
in Poland.
Roma, Pontifical Polish College
Piazza Remuria 2A
Roma
A few days later, in a letter to Padre Pio on November 28, 1962, Monsignor Karol Woityla wrote: "Wanda was completely healed from cancer on November 21, and surgical intervention was canceled. Deo gratias. Thank you Venerable Father."
Venerable Father,
The woman living in Cracow, Poland, mother of four girls, on November 21, regained her health immediately before surgery. Thanks to God. And also to you, Venerable Father, the biggest thank you from the woman, her husband, and the entire family.
In Christ,
+ Karol Wojtyla
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
Roma, November 28, 1962
Below is a follow up letter to Padre Pio from the future John Paul II, sent from Rome on December 14, 1963:
Venerable Father,
Your Paternity will certainly remember that already some few times in the past I took the permission to recommend to your prayers some particularly dramatic cases in need of attention.
I'd like therefore to thank you deeply on behalf of the people involved, particularly about a lady, catholic physician, ill with cancer, and of the son of an attorney, gravely ill since birth. Both the persons are doing well, thanks to God.
Allow me moreover, Very Reverend Father, to entrust to your prayers, a paralyzed lady, of this Archdioceses.
At the same time I let myself to recommend to you the vast pastoral difficulties that my poor work faces in the current situation.
I take the opportunity to renew to you the senses of my religious regards, with which I love to prove myself,
of your Paternity very devout in Jesus Christ
+ Karol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
Friday, April 27, 2012
One of the many wonderful attributes of Padre Pio is his amazing gift of healing, and below are just some of them:
The first ever newspaper article about Padre Pio was published on IL MATTINO of Naples on June 20, 1919: "Padre Pio, il ‘santo’ di San Giovanni Rotondo, opera un miracolo sulla persona del Cancelliere del paese. Presente un nostro inviato." Translated, "Padre Pio, 'the saint' of San Giovanni Rotondo, performs a miracle on the local courthouse's chancellor. Our envoy was present."
The journalist, Renato Trevisani, reported that Padre Pio saw the 35 year old Pasquale Di Chiara walking painfully with two canes. Padre Pio: "Throw away those canes." 'How could I? I will fall to the ground.' "Throw away those canes," Padre Pio insisted. Pasquale let the canes go while trying to reach for a support. But there was no need. He was standing normally. "Man of little faith. Go and walk." Renato Trevisani and several people were present, and all of them clapped their hands in admiration.
Alberto Del Fante was a journalist who despised Padre Pio. He denounced him in magazines as a charlatan who preyed upon gullible people. A few years later, Del Fante’s grandson, Enrico, was struck with kidney disease and tuberculosis. The doctors gave little hope that Enrico would recover. Relatives of Enrico traveled to see Padre Pio and ask him to pray for him. Padre Pio assured them the boy would recover. Desperate and distraught, Del Fante himself even said: "If Enrico gets well, I will make a pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo myself." He was convinced that nothing would happen, but the boy was healed. Del Fante was deeply moved by this miracle, and went to see Padre Pio who helped him turn to God. After Del Fante’s conversion, he became a dedicated promoter of Padre Pio.
Pasquale Di Chiara's daughter had braces on her legs due to infantile paralysis. When she met Padre Pio, he asked her to take them off. She was able to walk and never use them again.
Francesco Visco, age 43, had walked on crutches because of a deformity contracted since birth. He lived near the convent and children used to make fun of him all the time. He asked Padre Pio, "Heal me." Padre Pio said, "Throw away those crutches." Francesco walked normally for the first time, and for several years until his death.
Pasquale Urbano of Foggia had been walking with two canes after falling from a carriage. After confession in 1919, Padre Pio said, "Get up and go. Throw away those canes." He walked away to every one's amazement.
In 1919, a 14 year old boy who had severe deformations on the back due to typhoid fever at age 4 went to Padre Pio for confession. After confession, Padre Pio touched him with the wounded hand. The back returned instantly normal.
On July 1930, 24 years old Giuseppina Marchetti had her right arm and shoulder badly crashed in an accident. Several doctors could not help. She went to Padre Pio with her father. Padre Pio told her, "You will recover." Back home, on September 17, father and daughter smelled an intense perfume of daffodils and roses lasting 15 minutes. She felt healed. An x-ray showed she was perfectly normal.
A woman involved in an accident broke her arm and shoulder, and after 3 years of surgeries, the doctors declared that she would never be able to use her arm. She went to Padre Pio. "Don't despair. The arm will recover." She went back home. No improvement. Three months later, on September 17, 1930, feast day of the wounds of St. Francis, she and all in the family and the neighbors smelled a strong perfume of daffodils and roses. It lasted about 15 minutes. The arm returned normal. The radiographs showed no abnormality in the bones and cartilages.
A woman from Pesaro, the wife of a workman, brought her deaf and dumb daughter to Padre Pio. He cured her instantly. In an outburst of gratitude, the woman took a gold chain from the child's neck, the only object of value that she owned, and gave it to Padre Pio for the Virgin Mary. When she returned home, she told everything to her husband. He flew into a rage at the offering she had made to the Padre. He said that she should have chosen some other article rather than the gift that he himself had made to his daughter. The next morning they found the chain on the bed table.
On May 21, 1945, Giuseppe Canaponi of Firenze was hit by a truck while driving his motorcycle. He sustained multiple fractures from skull to feet, including 5 fractures of the left femur and had undergone multiple surgeries. Walking on crutches since, in 1948, he confessed to Padre Pio. After confession, he walked away normally without realizing it. He went back to thank Padre Pio. "I didn't do the miracle. I only prayed for you. The Lord healed you."
On October 1949, Maria Galiano was about to die from uterine adenocarcinoma. The daughter sent a telegram and two letters to Padre Pio. On April 29 1950, Maria smelled an intense perfume. It lasted for 2 days. The third day she felt healed. The doctors ran some tests and found that 'the tumor has completely disappeared.'
A woman testified: "My husband was taken to the hospital in Taranto with life threatening injuries after a car accident. After several days of no improvement, I prayed to Padre Pio. I smelled a marvelous perfume of lily. From then on my husband made a fast recovery."
In 1952, a woman was about to die during delivery because of an erroneous blood transfusion. She received the Last Rites. When the priest left, she saw a monk: "I am Padre Pio and you will not die. Say an 'Our Father' and one day you will come to see me." About a year later, she went to see Padre Pio. He told her: "You got the miracle because the Sacred Heart sent me to save you, since you are devouted to him and did the First Fridays of each month."
Padre Carmelo showing Padre Pio a framed Crucifix
In 1953, Padre Pio was sitting with other monks for a presentation. Padre Carmelo, the Superior, was sitting by him. He reported that Padre Pio "placed his arms on the back of the chair in front of him and rested his head on them, remaining silent and motionless for few minutes". The next day, Padre Carmelo went to visit a sick man and was amazed when the man expressed his appreciation for permitting Padre Pio to go visit him the previous evening. Padre Carmelo then understood what had happened.
Ettore Masone, Padre Pio's only nephew, was not yet thirty when he became gravely ill, fell into a coma, and the family made arrangements for the funeral next day. But all of a sudden, he woke up and shouted: "I'm not dying anymore." He recovered completely and was instantly healed. He recalled: "I was at the gates of heaven and saw my sister Giuseppina who died many years ago standing there at the door. Then I also saw Padre Pio. Both wouldn't let me in." That's when he woke up.
Padre Michelangelo Bellini reported that his grandma was over eighty years old and in a coma when he prayed to Padre Pio that she could live long enough to see him celebrate his first Mass. By the morning, she had made an extraordinary recovery and told him that she had seen in a dream a monk who had brought her ten more years of life. She lived exactly for ten more years on the day.
On January 29, 1957 in Alençon, France, Daniel Batonnier was about to die of cerebrospinal meningitis. The mother, at 1:30 PM, sent a telegram to Padre Pio. At 4 PM, the child was fully recovered. The doctors were puzzled. The child, seeing a picture of Padre Pio, exclaimed, "Mom, I know that friar. He came to see me twice today. He was humming so as not to scare me, and then he left. Mom when I grow up I want to be a friar like him."
Frank Tenaglia with his parents
Frank Tenaglia of Philadelphia was born in 1965 with severe neurological brain malformations. His parent went to Padre Pio: "Don't worry about little Francis. He will be fine and I will always look after him". Frank became a opera tenor, performing with major orchestras.
Padre Pio restores sight to the blind
A blind man begged Padre Pio to restore his sight "even if only in one eye," so that he might again see the faces of his dear ones. Padre Pio questioned him repeatedly, "Only in one eye?" Padre Pio told the man to be of good heart and that he would pray for him. Some weeks later, the man returned in tears to thank Padre Pio because his sight was restored! Padre Pio said, "So, you are seeing normally again?" The man replied, "Yes, from this eye here, not from the other." Padre Pio said: "Ah! Only from one eye? Let that be a lesson to you. Never put limitations on God. Always ask for the big grace!"
One young man asked Padre Pio to cure him of his blindness. Padre Pio asked him: "Do you want to have your sight restored, or to save your soul?" The man responded, "If it is a strict choice, I should rather save my soul." "It is a strict choice," said Padre Pio, and it was a very bitter and hard thing for the young man to accept.
In 1919, a priest named Padre Carlo Naldi came with his Jewish friend, Lello Pegna. The priest explained that Pegna had recently become totally blind. They had come to Padre Pio to see if he could be healed. Padre Pio told Pegna, "The Lord will not grant you the grace of physical sight unless you first receive sight for your soul. After you are baptized, then the Lord will give you your sight."
Months later, Pegna came back without the dark glasses that he normally wore. Pegna explained to Padre Pio that, despite opposition from his family, he had become a Christian and was baptized. At the beginning, he was discouraged when his blindness continued, but after a number of months his sight returned. The physician who had earlier told Pegna that he was hopelessly blind now had to admit that his eyesight was in perfect condition. Father Paolino kept in contact with Lello Pegna for nearly thirty years, and reported that his vision was still perfect.
Amelia, 27 years old, born blind, after the confession asks Padre Pio to be able to see. He says, "Have faith and pray a lot." At that point, she saw the face of Padre Pio, and the arms with the half gloves. For the first time she was able to see. She thanked Padre Pio. He said: "Let's thank the Lord."
A Girl Without Pupils Sees!
Gemma di Giorgi was a child born without pupils in her eyes. Gemma was declared to be incurable by a number of specialists. At the age of seven (1947), Gemma’s grandmother brought her to meet Padre Pio. About half way there Gemma began to see. Gemma’s grandmother and other friends marveled at this miraculous occurrence; they called it a miracle! When Gemma arrived, Padre Pio, although never having seen Gemma before, called Gemma by name in front of the congregation at church, and heard her confession. During the confession, despite the fact that Gemma mentioned nothing of her blindness, Padre Pio made the sign of the cross over each eye. At the end of the confession, he blessed her, and said, "Be good and saintly."
Decades after this event, Gemma sees perfectly and still undergoes eye examinations by specialists who agree that there is no explanation for her ability to see. Gemma has no pupils, and it is a scientific fact that without pupils a person cannot see. Gemma’s grandmother also said: "Many eye doctors have arrived here in our home and all have declared the same thing: that without pupils in one’s eyes one should not be able to see and that, therefore, this is a miracle."
Sometime in May 1925, a mom gave birth to a child with severe malformations. The doctors declared there was nothing that medicine can do. The mother decided to see Padre Pio and hurriedly boarded a train to San Giovanni Rotondo. However, her newly born baby died while en route, but she went to see Padre Pio anyway. At San Giovanni Rotondo, she implored Padre Pio for help. Deeply moved, Padre Pio put his hand on the head of the child. The mother cried loudly. Padre Pio said, "Why are you crying . . . Don't you see that the child was just asleep?" The child started moving like he had just been awakened from a long, deep sleep.
Paolina was a mother of five from San Giovanni Rotondo, and was known to Padre Pio as a special soul. She fell gravely ill before Easter and the doctors said there was nothing that they could do to save her. The husband and children went to Padre Pio to implore his help. He said: "She will resurrect on Easter Sunday." On Good Friday, she lost consciousness and on the morning of Holy Saturday, she went into a coma. The relatives went again to Padre Pio. He said: "She will resurrect." She died late Saturday evening. The family made the preparations for her body to be dressed in her wedding gown as it was customary in the area. Padre Pio started the Easter Vigil Mass and at the moment of the Glory, when the bells rang and the organ resounded, he started crying. At the same time, Paolina got up unassisted, knelt beside the bed and started reciting aloud the "Credo". Everybody was astonished. They asked her what had happened. She said: "I was climbing and climbing happily. When I was about to enter in a great light I started coming back and went back." Padre Pio had not said "She will recover" but that "She will resurrect."
In 1926, Concetta Bellarmini, while in critical condition, was told to pray to Padre Pio. She did. Later, a capuchin friar standing and smiling at her bedside said: "Sunday morning you will be healed." She did recover. Weeks later, she went to thank Padre Pio. From afar she exclaimed, "That's him. That's exactly him."
A woman went to stay with her daughter and son in law in Bologna while waiting to have surgery for a malignant tumor in her arm. She was sitting alone in the living room when a capuchin friar came through the door. "I am Padre Pio da Pietralcina." He exhorted her to have faith in the Madonna and blessed her arm. Then he said good bye and left. The day after, she met the doctor to go over the details of the surgical intervention. The surgeon examined the arm. There was no trace of the tumor.
Father Joseph reported that Dr. Millilo, a plastic surgeon at the Casa Sollievo, had a brain hemorrhage while in Milan, and the doctors wanted to operate. He asked to talk to Padre Pio first. Padre Pio: "Tell them to operate on their own brain. Get out at once." His wife picked him up by car, while his colleagues were nervously observing. A week later he was back on duty in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Mario Avignone of Chicago
"I was stationed in Italy at Cerignola with the 304th Bomb Wing of the 15th Air Force under commanding general Nathan F. Twining. We were told about Padre Pio. We had never heard about him. Four of us went to see him. My buddy Joe served at the Mass. They say that when he said Mass he was with Christ being crucified. You could see the tears going down his face.
Padre Pio beside Leo Fanning with Joe Asterita and Mario Avignone
After padre Pio' birthday party, just before we left in ’45, Leo, Joe and I were at the monastery, and we asked Father Ignatius if we could have a piece of one of his bandages that he’d worn over his stigmata. "Oh, no!" he said. What you’re asking me to do is forbidden, and I could get into a lot of trouble. We finally convinced him to get one of those bandages if we promised not to tell anybody -including Padre Pio.
He got us one small bandage and divided it in three. We came back to the monastery not so long after, and Padre Pio stopped us in the hallway. "You naughty boys," he said, really stern. "You caused one of my brothers to commit sin!" "Come on, Padre Pio," says Joe, "what did we do?" "You know what you did," he said. "You had Father Ignatius sneak into my room and take one of the bandages and give it to you." Nobody told him, but you couldn’t fool Padre Pio. He just knew things, which is why he was such a popular confessor. He was serious. But then he shook his head and his face sort of softened. He said to Father Ignatius, "I forgive you, Father. And I forgive you boys, too, but don’t go telling anybody. I wore those bandages over my heart. Go in peace." And we did.
"I told Padre Pio that it’d be great to come back and bring along my wife and kid. "Don’t waste your money," he said. "Every time you receive Communion at church, I’ll be at your side." But a year or so after he died, in 1968, my wife and I went to pay our respects. When we went to visit his tomb at the church, my wife said I was in ecstasy, tears streaming down my face while I was there at his tomb, kneeling down and praying. She said I was talking out loud, carrying on a conversation with Padre Pio, but she couldn’t hear his voice, just mine. But I could hear his voice. He said he was happy I came to see him. Heck, who’d have thought a kid from the South Side of Chicago would end up back in Italy — you know, where my family came from, in the Piedmont - get wounded when a German plane bombed our Liberty ship in the bay in Naples, and end up having a saint as my friend and spiritual father. No, nothing surprises me."
Back in Chicago he expresses his devotion to the saint by sharing his experiences with others, visiting the sick, and praying with the aid of relics.
"For example, well, there was the undertaker. I still see him around the neighborhood. His wife called me up one day, and she was crying. She said, "My husband’s been diagnosed with cancer, and we wonder if you could have him come over and say some prayers to Padre Pio and bless him with the things you’ve got." So he came over to my house. We went down to the basement with my little altar there. And we prayed together to Padre Pio to ask him to help cure my friend’s cancer. About 10 days or so later, his wife called me up. She was crying and laughing and told me, "My husband just got home from the doctor and told us the cancer is gone." And then she asked me, "How can I thank Padre Pio?" "Don’t thank him, thank God," I tell her. "He’s his boss."
Carol Wojtyla, future Pope John Paul II
The following notes were written in Latin, and were sent from Rome, where Bishop Wojtyla was visiting the Pontifical Polish College:
On November 17, 1962, Padre Pio received a handwritten letter from Monsignor Karol Woityla asking to pray for Wanda Poltawska from Cracow, having terminal throat cancer. Angelo Battisti, administrator of Casa Sollievo, reported that Padre Pio told him: "Angelino, conserva questa lettera, perche' un giorno diventera' importante." Translated, "Angelino, keep this letter, because one day it will become important."
Venerable Father,
I ask you to pray for a mother of four girls, forty years old, from Cracow in Poland, (during the last war she was in a concentration camp in Germany), now she is extremely in danger for her health and her life because of cancer: May God use his misericordy to herself and her family, with the intercession of the Very Blessed Virgin.
Very much obliged in Christ,
+ Carol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi, Capitular Vicar of Cracow
in Poland.
Roma, Pontifical Polish College
Piazza Remuria 2A
Roma
A few days later, in a letter to Padre Pio on November 28, 1962, Monsignor Karol Woityla wrote: "Wanda was completely healed from cancer on November 21, and surgical intervention was canceled. Deo gratias. Thank you Venerable Father."
Venerable Father,
The woman living in Cracow, Poland, mother of four girls, on November 21, regained her health immediately before surgery. Thanks to God. And also to you, Venerable Father, the biggest thank you from the woman, her husband, and the entire family.
In Christ,
+ Karol Wojtyla
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
Roma, November 28, 1962
Below is a follow up letter to Padre Pio from the future John Paul II, sent from Rome on December 14, 1963:
Venerable Father,
Your Paternity will certainly remember that already some few times in the past I took the permission to recommend to your prayers some particularly dramatic cases in need of attention.
I'd like therefore to thank you deeply on behalf of the people involved, particularly about a lady, catholic physician, ill with cancer, and of the son of an attorney, gravely ill since birth. Both the persons are doing well, thanks to God.
Allow me moreover, Very Reverend Father, to entrust to your prayers, a paralyzed lady, of this Archdioceses.
At the same time I let myself to recommend to you the vast pastoral difficulties that my poor work faces in the current situation.
I take the opportunity to renew to you the senses of my religious regards, with which I love to prove myself,
of your Paternity very devout in Jesus Christ
+ Karol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
His answer: "They’ll believe in Hell when they get there."
Hell exists. The Devil is an active force, a living, spiritual being. Those who ignore Hell's reality do so at their own peril. Ultimately, it is our decision to sin or to love that determines where we spend eternity. God respects our free will, even if we chose damnation over Him.
one website
www.bigccatholics.com/2016/03/padre-pios-answer-to-those-who-deny.html
"Keep close to the Catholic Church at all times, for the Church alone can give you true peace, since she alone possesses Jesus, the true Prince of Peace, in the Blessed Sacrament." - Padre Pio of Peitrelcina
With this in heart and mind for those of whom through Jesus God Holy Spirit and our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary of God believe that satan exists, believes there is hell and Holy Purgatory and wishes to pray for all souls on their way to eternal damnation, for The Holy Souls in Purgatory and for all of the sick and dying, there are many many Holy Prayers of Jesus God and Holy Spirits and God our Heavenly Fathers to our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary Gifted that do not all contain the Catholic Creed in them yet all directly reflect Gods Holy Word and I am happy to post them because Jesus God Holy Spirit rewards us for praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory from hearts open to Him in trust and sacrificing our time for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and for those souls on their way to eternal damnation in His Holy Will and Holy Ways now and eternally and Jesus has explained this in detail to all of His thousands of Saints - the Holy Saints God our Heavenly Father mentioned in His Holy Word in both His Old Testament and New Testament and also in Revelations that His Saints are close to Him - with Him in Heaven and many more things written by God our Heavenly Father of His Saints through and with Jesus Holy Spirit and our Holy Queen of Heaven, Holy Mother Mary.
"Keep close to the Catholic Church at all times, for the Church alone can give you true peace, since she alone possesses Jesus, the true Prince of Peace, in the Blessed Sacrament." - Padre Pio of Peitrelcina
Friday, April 27, 2012
One of the many wonderful attributes of Padre Pio is his amazing gift of healing, and below are just some of them:
The first ever newspaper article about Padre Pio was published on IL MATTINO of Naples on June 20, 1919: "Padre Pio, il ‘santo’ di San Giovanni Rotondo, opera un miracolo sulla persona del Cancelliere del paese. Presente un nostro inviato." Translated, "Padre Pio, 'the saint' of San Giovanni Rotondo, performs a miracle on the local courthouse's chancellor. Our envoy was present."
The journalist, Renato Trevisani, reported that Padre Pio saw the 35 year old Pasquale Di Chiara walking painfully with two canes. Padre Pio: "Throw away those canes." 'How could I? I will fall to the ground.' "Throw away those canes," Padre Pio insisted. Pasquale let the canes go while trying to reach for a support. But there was no need. He was standing normally. "Man of little faith. Go and walk." Renato Trevisani and several people were present, and all of them clapped their hands in admiration.
Alberto Del Fante was a journalist who despised Padre Pio. He denounced him in magazines as a charlatan who preyed upon gullible people. A few years later, Del Fante’s grandson, Enrico, was struck with kidney disease and tuberculosis. The doctors gave little hope that Enrico would recover. Relatives of Enrico traveled to see Padre Pio and ask him to pray for him. Padre Pio assured them the boy would recover. Desperate and distraught, Del Fante himself even said: "If Enrico gets well, I will make a pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo myself." He was convinced that nothing would happen, but the boy was healed. Del Fante was deeply moved by this miracle, and went to see Padre Pio who helped him turn to God. After Del Fante’s conversion, he became a dedicated promoter of Padre Pio.
Pasquale Di Chiara's daughter had braces on her legs due to infantile paralysis. When she met Padre Pio, he asked her to take them off. She was able to walk and never use them again.
Francesco Visco, age 43, had walked on crutches because of a deformity contracted since birth. He lived near the convent and children used to make fun of him all the time. He asked Padre Pio, "Heal me." Padre Pio said, "Throw away those crutches." Francesco walked normally for the first time, and for several years until his death.
Pasquale Urbano of Foggia had been walking with two canes after falling from a carriage. After confession in 1919, Padre Pio said, "Get up and go. Throw away those canes." He walked away to every one's amazement.
In 1919, a 14 year old boy who had severe deformations on the back due to typhoid fever at age 4 went to Padre Pio for confession. After confession, Padre Pio touched him with the wounded hand. The back returned instantly normal.
On July 1930, 24 years old Giuseppina Marchetti had her right arm and shoulder badly crashed in an accident. Several doctors could not help. She went to Padre Pio with her father. Padre Pio told her, "You will recover." Back home, on September 17, father and daughter smelled an intense perfume of daffodils and roses lasting 15 minutes. She felt healed. An x-ray showed she was perfectly normal.
A woman involved in an accident broke her arm and shoulder, and after 3 years of surgeries, the doctors declared that she would never be able to use her arm. She went to Padre Pio. "Don't despair. The arm will recover." She went back home. No improvement. Three months later, on September 17, 1930, feast day of the wounds of St. Francis, she and all in the family and the neighbors smelled a strong perfume of daffodils and roses. It lasted about 15 minutes. The arm returned normal. The radiographs showed no abnormality in the bones and cartilages.
A woman from Pesaro, the wife of a workman, brought her deaf and dumb daughter to Padre Pio. He cured her instantly. In an outburst of gratitude, the woman took a gold chain from the child's neck, the only object of value that she owned, and gave it to Padre Pio for the Virgin Mary. When she returned home, she told everything to her husband. He flew into a rage at the offering she had made to the Padre. He said that she should have chosen some other article rather than the gift that he himself had made to his daughter. The next morning they found the chain on the bed table.
On May 21, 1945, Giuseppe Canaponi of Firenze was hit by a truck while driving his motorcycle. He sustained multiple fractures from skull to feet, including 5 fractures of the left femur and had undergone multiple surgeries. Walking on crutches since, in 1948, he confessed to Padre Pio. After confession, he walked away normally without realizing it. He went back to thank Padre Pio. "I didn't do the miracle. I only prayed for you. The Lord healed you."
On October 1949, Maria Galiano was about to die from uterine adenocarcinoma. The daughter sent a telegram and two letters to Padre Pio. On April 29 1950, Maria smelled an intense perfume. It lasted for 2 days. The third day she felt healed. The doctors ran some tests and found that 'the tumor has completely disappeared.'
A woman testified: "My husband was taken to the hospital in Taranto with life threatening injuries after a car accident. After several days of no improvement, I prayed to Padre Pio. I smelled a marvelous perfume of lily. From then on my husband made a fast recovery."
In 1952, a woman was about to die during delivery because of an erroneous blood transfusion. She received the Last Rites. When the priest left, she saw a monk: "I am Padre Pio and you will not die. Say an 'Our Father' and one day you will come to see me." About a year later, she went to see Padre Pio. He told her: "You got the miracle because the Sacred Heart sent me to save you, since you are devouted to him and did the First Fridays of each month."
Padre Carmelo showing Padre Pio a framed Crucifix
In 1953, Padre Pio was sitting with other monks for a presentation. Padre Carmelo, the Superior, was sitting by him. He reported that Padre Pio "placed his arms on the back of the chair in front of him and rested his head on them, remaining silent and motionless for few minutes". The next day, Padre Carmelo went to visit a sick man and was amazed when the man expressed his appreciation for permitting Padre Pio to go visit him the previous evening. Padre Carmelo then understood what had happened.
Ettore Masone, Padre Pio's only nephew, was not yet thirty when he became gravely ill, fell into a coma, and the family made arrangements for the funeral next day. But all of a sudden, he woke up and shouted: "I'm not dying anymore." He recovered completely and was instantly healed. He recalled: "I was at the gates of heaven and saw my sister Giuseppina who died many years ago standing there at the door. Then I also saw Padre Pio. Both wouldn't let me in." That's when he woke up.
Padre Michelangelo Bellini reported that his grandma was over eighty years old and in a coma when he prayed to Padre Pio that she could live long enough to see him celebrate his first Mass. By the morning, she had made an extraordinary recovery and told him that she had seen in a dream a monk who had brought her ten more years of life. She lived exactly for ten more years on the day.
On January 29, 1957 in Alençon, France, Daniel Batonnier was about to die of cerebrospinal meningitis. The mother, at 1:30 PM, sent a telegram to Padre Pio. At 4 PM, the child was fully recovered. The doctors were puzzled. The child, seeing a picture of Padre Pio, exclaimed, "Mom, I know that friar. He came to see me twice today. He was humming so as not to scare me, and then he left. Mom when I grow up I want to be a friar like him."
Frank Tenaglia with his parents
Frank Tenaglia of Philadelphia was born in 1965 with severe neurological brain malformations. His parent went to Padre Pio: "Don't worry about little Francis. He will be fine and I will always look after him". Frank became a opera tenor, performing with major orchestras.
Padre Pio restores sight to the blind
A blind man begged Padre Pio to restore his sight "even if only in one eye," so that he might again see the faces of his dear ones. Padre Pio questioned him repeatedly, "Only in one eye?" Padre Pio told the man to be of good heart and that he would pray for him. Some weeks later, the man returned in tears to thank Padre Pio because his sight was restored! Padre Pio said, "So, you are seeing normally again?" The man replied, "Yes, from this eye here, not from the other." Padre Pio said: "Ah! Only from one eye? Let that be a lesson to you. Never put limitations on God. Always ask for the big grace!"
One young man asked Padre Pio to cure him of his blindness. Padre Pio asked him: "Do you want to have your sight restored, or to save your soul?" The man responded, "If it is a strict choice, I should rather save my soul." "It is a strict choice," said Padre Pio, and it was a very bitter and hard thing for the young man to accept.
In 1919, a priest named Padre Carlo Naldi came with his Jewish friend, Lello Pegna. The priest explained that Pegna had recently become totally blind. They had come to Padre Pio to see if he could be healed. Padre Pio told Pegna, "The Lord will not grant you the grace of physical sight unless you first receive sight for your soul. After you are baptized, then the Lord will give you your sight."
Months later, Pegna came back without the dark glasses that he normally wore. Pegna explained to Padre Pio that, despite opposition from his family, he had become a Christian and was baptized. At the beginning, he was discouraged when his blindness continued, but after a number of months his sight returned. The physician who had earlier told Pegna that he was hopelessly blind now had to admit that his eyesight was in perfect condition. Father Paolino kept in contact with Lello Pegna for nearly thirty years, and reported that his vision was still perfect.
Amelia, 27 years old, born blind, after the confession asks Padre Pio to be able to see. He says, "Have faith and pray a lot." At that point, she saw the face of Padre Pio, and the arms with the half gloves. For the first time she was able to see. She thanked Padre Pio. He said: "Let's thank the Lord."
A Girl Without Pupils Sees!
Gemma di Giorgi was a child born without pupils in her eyes. Gemma was declared to be incurable by a number of specialists. At the age of seven (1947), Gemma’s grandmother brought her to meet Padre Pio. About half way there Gemma began to see. Gemma’s grandmother and other friends marveled at this miraculous occurrence; they called it a miracle! When Gemma arrived, Padre Pio, although never having seen Gemma before, called Gemma by name in front of the congregation at church, and heard her confession. During the confession, despite the fact that Gemma mentioned nothing of her blindness, Padre Pio made the sign of the cross over each eye. At the end of the confession, he blessed her, and said, "Be good and saintly."
Decades after this event, Gemma sees perfectly and still undergoes eye examinations by specialists who agree that there is no explanation for her ability to see. Gemma has no pupils, and it is a scientific fact that without pupils a person cannot see. Gemma’s grandmother also said: "Many eye doctors have arrived here in our home and all have declared the same thing: that without pupils in one’s eyes one should not be able to see and that, therefore, this is a miracle."
Sometime in May 1925, a mom gave birth to a child with severe malformations. The doctors declared there was nothing that medicine can do. The mother decided to see Padre Pio and hurriedly boarded a train to San Giovanni Rotondo. However, her newly born baby died while en route, but she went to see Padre Pio anyway. At San Giovanni Rotondo, she implored Padre Pio for help. Deeply moved, Padre Pio put his hand on the head of the child. The mother cried loudly. Padre Pio said, "Why are you crying . . . Don't you see that the child was just asleep?" The child started moving like he had just been awakened from a long, deep sleep.
Paolina was a mother of five from San Giovanni Rotondo, and was known to Padre Pio as a special soul. She fell gravely ill before Easter and the doctors said there was nothing that they could do to save her. The husband and children went to Padre Pio to implore his help. He said: "She will resurrect on Easter Sunday." On Good Friday, she lost consciousness and on the morning of Holy Saturday, she went into a coma. The relatives went again to Padre Pio. He said: "She will resurrect." She died late Saturday evening. The family made the preparations for her body to be dressed in her wedding gown as it was customary in the area. Padre Pio started the Easter Vigil Mass and at the moment of the Glory, when the bells rang and the organ resounded, he started crying. At the same time, Paolina got up unassisted, knelt beside the bed and started reciting aloud the "Credo". Everybody was astonished. They asked her what had happened. She said: "I was climbing and climbing happily. When I was about to enter in a great light I started coming back and went back." Padre Pio had not said "She will recover" but that "She will resurrect."
In 1926, Concetta Bellarmini, while in critical condition, was told to pray to Padre Pio. She did. Later, a capuchin friar standing and smiling at her bedside said: "Sunday morning you will be healed." She did recover. Weeks later, she went to thank Padre Pio. From afar she exclaimed, "That's him. That's exactly him."
A woman went to stay with her daughter and son in law in Bologna while waiting to have surgery for a malignant tumor in her arm. She was sitting alone in the living room when a capuchin friar came through the door. "I am Padre Pio da Pietralcina." He exhorted her to have faith in the Madonna and blessed her arm. Then he said good bye and left. The day after, she met the doctor to go over the details of the surgical intervention. The surgeon examined the arm. There was no trace of the tumor.
Father Joseph reported that Dr. Millilo, a plastic surgeon at the Casa Sollievo, had a brain hemorrhage while in Milan, and the doctors wanted to operate. He asked to talk to Padre Pio first. Padre Pio: "Tell them to operate on their own brain. Get out at once." His wife picked him up by car, while his colleagues were nervously observing. A week later he was back on duty in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Mario Avignone of Chicago
"I was stationed in Italy at Cerignola with the 304th Bomb Wing of the 15th Air Force under commanding general Nathan F. Twining. We were told about Padre Pio. We had never heard about him. Four of us went to see him. My buddy Joe served at the Mass. They say that when he said Mass he was with Christ being crucified. You could see the tears going down his face.
Padre Pio beside Leo Fanning with Joe Asterita and Mario Avignone
After padre Pio' birthday party, just before we left in ’45, Leo, Joe and I were at the monastery, and we asked Father Ignatius if we could have a piece of one of his bandages that he’d worn over his stigmata. "Oh, no!" he said. What you’re asking me to do is forbidden, and I could get into a lot of trouble. We finally convinced him to get one of those bandages if we promised not to tell anybody -including Padre Pio.
He got us one small bandage and divided it in three. We came back to the monastery not so long after, and Padre Pio stopped us in the hallway. "You naughty boys," he said, really stern. "You caused one of my brothers to commit sin!" "Come on, Padre Pio," says Joe, "what did we do?" "You know what you did," he said. "You had Father Ignatius sneak into my room and take one of the bandages and give it to you." Nobody told him, but you couldn’t fool Padre Pio. He just knew things, which is why he was such a popular confessor. He was serious. But then he shook his head and his face sort of softened. He said to Father Ignatius, "I forgive you, Father. And I forgive you boys, too, but don’t go telling anybody. I wore those bandages over my heart. Go in peace." And we did.
"I told Padre Pio that it’d be great to come back and bring along my wife and kid. "Don’t waste your money," he said. "Every time you receive Communion at church, I’ll be at your side." But a year or so after he died, in 1968, my wife and I went to pay our respects. When we went to visit his tomb at the church, my wife said I was in ecstasy, tears streaming down my face while I was there at his tomb, kneeling down and praying. She said I was talking out loud, carrying on a conversation with Padre Pio, but she couldn’t hear his voice, just mine. But I could hear his voice. He said he was happy I came to see him. Heck, who’d have thought a kid from the South Side of Chicago would end up back in Italy — you know, where my family came from, in the Piedmont - get wounded when a German plane bombed our Liberty ship in the bay in Naples, and end up having a saint as my friend and spiritual father. No, nothing surprises me."
Back in Chicago he expresses his devotion to the saint by sharing his experiences with others, visiting the sick, and praying with the aid of relics.
"For example, well, there was the undertaker. I still see him around the neighborhood. His wife called me up one day, and she was crying. She said, "My husband’s been diagnosed with cancer, and we wonder if you could have him come over and say some prayers to Padre Pio and bless him with the things you’ve got." So he came over to my house. We went down to the basement with my little altar there. And we prayed together to Padre Pio to ask him to help cure my friend’s cancer. About 10 days or so later, his wife called me up. She was crying and laughing and told me, "My husband just got home from the doctor and told us the cancer is gone." And then she asked me, "How can I thank Padre Pio?" "Don’t thank him, thank God," I tell her. "He’s his boss."
Carol Wojtyla, future Pope John Paul II
The following notes were written in Latin, and were sent from Rome, where Bishop Wojtyla was visiting the Pontifical Polish College:
On November 17, 1962, Padre Pio received a handwritten letter from Monsignor Karol Woityla asking to pray for Wanda Poltawska from Cracow, having terminal throat cancer. Angelo Battisti, administrator of Casa Sollievo, reported that Padre Pio told him: "Angelino, conserva questa lettera, perche' un giorno diventera' importante." Translated, "Angelino, keep this letter, because one day it will become important."
Venerable Father,
I ask you to pray for a mother of four girls, forty years old, from Cracow in Poland, (during the last war she was in a concentration camp in Germany), now she is extremely in danger for her health and her life because of cancer: May God use his misericordy to herself and her family, with the intercession of the Very Blessed Virgin.
Very much obliged in Christ,
+ Carol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi, Capitular Vicar of Cracow
in Poland.
Roma, Pontifical Polish College
Piazza Remuria 2A
Roma
A few days later, in a letter to Padre Pio on November 28, 1962, Monsignor Karol Woityla wrote: "Wanda was completely healed from cancer on November 21, and surgical intervention was canceled. Deo gratias. Thank you Venerable Father."
Venerable Father,
The woman living in Cracow, Poland, mother of four girls, on November 21, regained her health immediately before surgery. Thanks to God. And also to you, Venerable Father, the biggest thank you from the woman, her husband, and the entire family.
In Christ,
+ Karol Wojtyla
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
Roma, November 28, 1962
Below is a follow up letter to Padre Pio from the future John Paul II, sent from Rome on December 14, 1963:
Venerable Father,
Your Paternity will certainly remember that already some few times in the past I took the permission to recommend to your prayers some particularly dramatic cases in need of attention.
I'd like therefore to thank you deeply on behalf of the people involved, particularly about a lady, catholic physician, ill with cancer, and of the son of an attorney, gravely ill since birth. Both the persons are doing well, thanks to God.
Allow me moreover, Very Reverend Father, to entrust to your prayers, a paralyzed lady, of this Archdioceses.
At the same time I let myself to recommend to you the vast pastoral difficulties that my poor work faces in the current situation.
I take the opportunity to renew to you the senses of my religious regards, with which I love to prove myself,
of your Paternity very devout in Jesus Christ
+ Karol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
Friday, April 27, 2012
One of the many wonderful attributes of Padre Pio is his amazing gift of healing, and below are just some of them:
The first ever newspaper article about Padre Pio was published on IL MATTINO of Naples on June 20, 1919: "Padre Pio, il ‘santo’ di San Giovanni Rotondo, opera un miracolo sulla persona del Cancelliere del paese. Presente un nostro inviato." Translated, "Padre Pio, 'the saint' of San Giovanni Rotondo, performs a miracle on the local courthouse's chancellor. Our envoy was present."
The journalist, Renato Trevisani, reported that Padre Pio saw the 35 year old Pasquale Di Chiara walking painfully with two canes. Padre Pio: "Throw away those canes." 'How could I? I will fall to the ground.' "Throw away those canes," Padre Pio insisted. Pasquale let the canes go while trying to reach for a support. But there was no need. He was standing normally. "Man of little faith. Go and walk." Renato Trevisani and several people were present, and all of them clapped their hands in admiration.
Alberto Del Fante was a journalist who despised Padre Pio. He denounced him in magazines as a charlatan who preyed upon gullible people. A few years later, Del Fante’s grandson, Enrico, was struck with kidney disease and tuberculosis. The doctors gave little hope that Enrico would recover. Relatives of Enrico traveled to see Padre Pio and ask him to pray for him. Padre Pio assured them the boy would recover. Desperate and distraught, Del Fante himself even said: "If Enrico gets well, I will make a pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo myself." He was convinced that nothing would happen, but the boy was healed. Del Fante was deeply moved by this miracle, and went to see Padre Pio who helped him turn to God. After Del Fante’s conversion, he became a dedicated promoter of Padre Pio.
Pasquale Di Chiara's daughter had braces on her legs due to infantile paralysis. When she met Padre Pio, he asked her to take them off. She was able to walk and never use them again.
Francesco Visco, age 43, had walked on crutches because of a deformity contracted since birth. He lived near the convent and children used to make fun of him all the time. He asked Padre Pio, "Heal me." Padre Pio said, "Throw away those crutches." Francesco walked normally for the first time, and for several years until his death.
Pasquale Urbano of Foggia had been walking with two canes after falling from a carriage. After confession in 1919, Padre Pio said, "Get up and go. Throw away those canes." He walked away to every one's amazement.
In 1919, a 14 year old boy who had severe deformations on the back due to typhoid fever at age 4 went to Padre Pio for confession. After confession, Padre Pio touched him with the wounded hand. The back returned instantly normal.
On July 1930, 24 years old Giuseppina Marchetti had her right arm and shoulder badly crashed in an accident. Several doctors could not help. She went to Padre Pio with her father. Padre Pio told her, "You will recover." Back home, on September 17, father and daughter smelled an intense perfume of daffodils and roses lasting 15 minutes. She felt healed. An x-ray showed she was perfectly normal.
A woman involved in an accident broke her arm and shoulder, and after 3 years of surgeries, the doctors declared that she would never be able to use her arm. She went to Padre Pio. "Don't despair. The arm will recover." She went back home. No improvement. Three months later, on September 17, 1930, feast day of the wounds of St. Francis, she and all in the family and the neighbors smelled a strong perfume of daffodils and roses. It lasted about 15 minutes. The arm returned normal. The radiographs showed no abnormality in the bones and cartilages.
A woman from Pesaro, the wife of a workman, brought her deaf and dumb daughter to Padre Pio. He cured her instantly. In an outburst of gratitude, the woman took a gold chain from the child's neck, the only object of value that she owned, and gave it to Padre Pio for the Virgin Mary. When she returned home, she told everything to her husband. He flew into a rage at the offering she had made to the Padre. He said that she should have chosen some other article rather than the gift that he himself had made to his daughter. The next morning they found the chain on the bed table.
On May 21, 1945, Giuseppe Canaponi of Firenze was hit by a truck while driving his motorcycle. He sustained multiple fractures from skull to feet, including 5 fractures of the left femur and had undergone multiple surgeries. Walking on crutches since, in 1948, he confessed to Padre Pio. After confession, he walked away normally without realizing it. He went back to thank Padre Pio. "I didn't do the miracle. I only prayed for you. The Lord healed you."
On October 1949, Maria Galiano was about to die from uterine adenocarcinoma. The daughter sent a telegram and two letters to Padre Pio. On April 29 1950, Maria smelled an intense perfume. It lasted for 2 days. The third day she felt healed. The doctors ran some tests and found that 'the tumor has completely disappeared.'
A woman testified: "My husband was taken to the hospital in Taranto with life threatening injuries after a car accident. After several days of no improvement, I prayed to Padre Pio. I smelled a marvelous perfume of lily. From then on my husband made a fast recovery."
In 1952, a woman was about to die during delivery because of an erroneous blood transfusion. She received the Last Rites. When the priest left, she saw a monk: "I am Padre Pio and you will not die. Say an 'Our Father' and one day you will come to see me." About a year later, she went to see Padre Pio. He told her: "You got the miracle because the Sacred Heart sent me to save you, since you are devouted to him and did the First Fridays of each month."
Padre Carmelo showing Padre Pio a framed Crucifix
In 1953, Padre Pio was sitting with other monks for a presentation. Padre Carmelo, the Superior, was sitting by him. He reported that Padre Pio "placed his arms on the back of the chair in front of him and rested his head on them, remaining silent and motionless for few minutes". The next day, Padre Carmelo went to visit a sick man and was amazed when the man expressed his appreciation for permitting Padre Pio to go visit him the previous evening. Padre Carmelo then understood what had happened.
Ettore Masone, Padre Pio's only nephew, was not yet thirty when he became gravely ill, fell into a coma, and the family made arrangements for the funeral next day. But all of a sudden, he woke up and shouted: "I'm not dying anymore." He recovered completely and was instantly healed. He recalled: "I was at the gates of heaven and saw my sister Giuseppina who died many years ago standing there at the door. Then I also saw Padre Pio. Both wouldn't let me in." That's when he woke up.
Padre Michelangelo Bellini reported that his grandma was over eighty years old and in a coma when he prayed to Padre Pio that she could live long enough to see him celebrate his first Mass. By the morning, she had made an extraordinary recovery and told him that she had seen in a dream a monk who had brought her ten more years of life. She lived exactly for ten more years on the day.
On January 29, 1957 in Alençon, France, Daniel Batonnier was about to die of cerebrospinal meningitis. The mother, at 1:30 PM, sent a telegram to Padre Pio. At 4 PM, the child was fully recovered. The doctors were puzzled. The child, seeing a picture of Padre Pio, exclaimed, "Mom, I know that friar. He came to see me twice today. He was humming so as not to scare me, and then he left. Mom when I grow up I want to be a friar like him."
Frank Tenaglia with his parents
Frank Tenaglia of Philadelphia was born in 1965 with severe neurological brain malformations. His parent went to Padre Pio: "Don't worry about little Francis. He will be fine and I will always look after him". Frank became a opera tenor, performing with major orchestras.
Padre Pio restores sight to the blind
A blind man begged Padre Pio to restore his sight "even if only in one eye," so that he might again see the faces of his dear ones. Padre Pio questioned him repeatedly, "Only in one eye?" Padre Pio told the man to be of good heart and that he would pray for him. Some weeks later, the man returned in tears to thank Padre Pio because his sight was restored! Padre Pio said, "So, you are seeing normally again?" The man replied, "Yes, from this eye here, not from the other." Padre Pio said: "Ah! Only from one eye? Let that be a lesson to you. Never put limitations on God. Always ask for the big grace!"
One young man asked Padre Pio to cure him of his blindness. Padre Pio asked him: "Do you want to have your sight restored, or to save your soul?" The man responded, "If it is a strict choice, I should rather save my soul." "It is a strict choice," said Padre Pio, and it was a very bitter and hard thing for the young man to accept.
In 1919, a priest named Padre Carlo Naldi came with his Jewish friend, Lello Pegna. The priest explained that Pegna had recently become totally blind. They had come to Padre Pio to see if he could be healed. Padre Pio told Pegna, "The Lord will not grant you the grace of physical sight unless you first receive sight for your soul. After you are baptized, then the Lord will give you your sight."
Months later, Pegna came back without the dark glasses that he normally wore. Pegna explained to Padre Pio that, despite opposition from his family, he had become a Christian and was baptized. At the beginning, he was discouraged when his blindness continued, but after a number of months his sight returned. The physician who had earlier told Pegna that he was hopelessly blind now had to admit that his eyesight was in perfect condition. Father Paolino kept in contact with Lello Pegna for nearly thirty years, and reported that his vision was still perfect.
Amelia, 27 years old, born blind, after the confession asks Padre Pio to be able to see. He says, "Have faith and pray a lot." At that point, she saw the face of Padre Pio, and the arms with the half gloves. For the first time she was able to see. She thanked Padre Pio. He said: "Let's thank the Lord."
A Girl Without Pupils Sees!
Gemma di Giorgi was a child born without pupils in her eyes. Gemma was declared to be incurable by a number of specialists. At the age of seven (1947), Gemma’s grandmother brought her to meet Padre Pio. About half way there Gemma began to see. Gemma’s grandmother and other friends marveled at this miraculous occurrence; they called it a miracle! When Gemma arrived, Padre Pio, although never having seen Gemma before, called Gemma by name in front of the congregation at church, and heard her confession. During the confession, despite the fact that Gemma mentioned nothing of her blindness, Padre Pio made the sign of the cross over each eye. At the end of the confession, he blessed her, and said, "Be good and saintly."
Decades after this event, Gemma sees perfectly and still undergoes eye examinations by specialists who agree that there is no explanation for her ability to see. Gemma has no pupils, and it is a scientific fact that without pupils a person cannot see. Gemma’s grandmother also said: "Many eye doctors have arrived here in our home and all have declared the same thing: that without pupils in one’s eyes one should not be able to see and that, therefore, this is a miracle."
Sometime in May 1925, a mom gave birth to a child with severe malformations. The doctors declared there was nothing that medicine can do. The mother decided to see Padre Pio and hurriedly boarded a train to San Giovanni Rotondo. However, her newly born baby died while en route, but she went to see Padre Pio anyway. At San Giovanni Rotondo, she implored Padre Pio for help. Deeply moved, Padre Pio put his hand on the head of the child. The mother cried loudly. Padre Pio said, "Why are you crying . . . Don't you see that the child was just asleep?" The child started moving like he had just been awakened from a long, deep sleep.
Paolina was a mother of five from San Giovanni Rotondo, and was known to Padre Pio as a special soul. She fell gravely ill before Easter and the doctors said there was nothing that they could do to save her. The husband and children went to Padre Pio to implore his help. He said: "She will resurrect on Easter Sunday." On Good Friday, she lost consciousness and on the morning of Holy Saturday, she went into a coma. The relatives went again to Padre Pio. He said: "She will resurrect." She died late Saturday evening. The family made the preparations for her body to be dressed in her wedding gown as it was customary in the area. Padre Pio started the Easter Vigil Mass and at the moment of the Glory, when the bells rang and the organ resounded, he started crying. At the same time, Paolina got up unassisted, knelt beside the bed and started reciting aloud the "Credo". Everybody was astonished. They asked her what had happened. She said: "I was climbing and climbing happily. When I was about to enter in a great light I started coming back and went back." Padre Pio had not said "She will recover" but that "She will resurrect."
In 1926, Concetta Bellarmini, while in critical condition, was told to pray to Padre Pio. She did. Later, a capuchin friar standing and smiling at her bedside said: "Sunday morning you will be healed." She did recover. Weeks later, she went to thank Padre Pio. From afar she exclaimed, "That's him. That's exactly him."
A woman went to stay with her daughter and son in law in Bologna while waiting to have surgery for a malignant tumor in her arm. She was sitting alone in the living room when a capuchin friar came through the door. "I am Padre Pio da Pietralcina." He exhorted her to have faith in the Madonna and blessed her arm. Then he said good bye and left. The day after, she met the doctor to go over the details of the surgical intervention. The surgeon examined the arm. There was no trace of the tumor.
Father Joseph reported that Dr. Millilo, a plastic surgeon at the Casa Sollievo, had a brain hemorrhage while in Milan, and the doctors wanted to operate. He asked to talk to Padre Pio first. Padre Pio: "Tell them to operate on their own brain. Get out at once." His wife picked him up by car, while his colleagues were nervously observing. A week later he was back on duty in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Mario Avignone of Chicago
"I was stationed in Italy at Cerignola with the 304th Bomb Wing of the 15th Air Force under commanding general Nathan F. Twining. We were told about Padre Pio. We had never heard about him. Four of us went to see him. My buddy Joe served at the Mass. They say that when he said Mass he was with Christ being crucified. You could see the tears going down his face.
Padre Pio beside Leo Fanning with Joe Asterita and Mario Avignone
After padre Pio' birthday party, just before we left in ’45, Leo, Joe and I were at the monastery, and we asked Father Ignatius if we could have a piece of one of his bandages that he’d worn over his stigmata. "Oh, no!" he said. What you’re asking me to do is forbidden, and I could get into a lot of trouble. We finally convinced him to get one of those bandages if we promised not to tell anybody -including Padre Pio.
He got us one small bandage and divided it in three. We came back to the monastery not so long after, and Padre Pio stopped us in the hallway. "You naughty boys," he said, really stern. "You caused one of my brothers to commit sin!" "Come on, Padre Pio," says Joe, "what did we do?" "You know what you did," he said. "You had Father Ignatius sneak into my room and take one of the bandages and give it to you." Nobody told him, but you couldn’t fool Padre Pio. He just knew things, which is why he was such a popular confessor. He was serious. But then he shook his head and his face sort of softened. He said to Father Ignatius, "I forgive you, Father. And I forgive you boys, too, but don’t go telling anybody. I wore those bandages over my heart. Go in peace." And we did.
"I told Padre Pio that it’d be great to come back and bring along my wife and kid. "Don’t waste your money," he said. "Every time you receive Communion at church, I’ll be at your side." But a year or so after he died, in 1968, my wife and I went to pay our respects. When we went to visit his tomb at the church, my wife said I was in ecstasy, tears streaming down my face while I was there at his tomb, kneeling down and praying. She said I was talking out loud, carrying on a conversation with Padre Pio, but she couldn’t hear his voice, just mine. But I could hear his voice. He said he was happy I came to see him. Heck, who’d have thought a kid from the South Side of Chicago would end up back in Italy — you know, where my family came from, in the Piedmont - get wounded when a German plane bombed our Liberty ship in the bay in Naples, and end up having a saint as my friend and spiritual father. No, nothing surprises me."
Back in Chicago he expresses his devotion to the saint by sharing his experiences with others, visiting the sick, and praying with the aid of relics.
"For example, well, there was the undertaker. I still see him around the neighborhood. His wife called me up one day, and she was crying. She said, "My husband’s been diagnosed with cancer, and we wonder if you could have him come over and say some prayers to Padre Pio and bless him with the things you’ve got." So he came over to my house. We went down to the basement with my little altar there. And we prayed together to Padre Pio to ask him to help cure my friend’s cancer. About 10 days or so later, his wife called me up. She was crying and laughing and told me, "My husband just got home from the doctor and told us the cancer is gone." And then she asked me, "How can I thank Padre Pio?" "Don’t thank him, thank God," I tell her. "He’s his boss."
Carol Wojtyla, future Pope John Paul II
The following notes were written in Latin, and were sent from Rome, where Bishop Wojtyla was visiting the Pontifical Polish College:
On November 17, 1962, Padre Pio received a handwritten letter from Monsignor Karol Woityla asking to pray for Wanda Poltawska from Cracow, having terminal throat cancer. Angelo Battisti, administrator of Casa Sollievo, reported that Padre Pio told him: "Angelino, conserva questa lettera, perche' un giorno diventera' importante." Translated, "Angelino, keep this letter, because one day it will become important."
Venerable Father,
I ask you to pray for a mother of four girls, forty years old, from Cracow in Poland, (during the last war she was in a concentration camp in Germany), now she is extremely in danger for her health and her life because of cancer: May God use his misericordy to herself and her family, with the intercession of the Very Blessed Virgin.
Very much obliged in Christ,
+ Carol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi, Capitular Vicar of Cracow
in Poland.
Roma, Pontifical Polish College
Piazza Remuria 2A
Roma
A few days later, in a letter to Padre Pio on November 28, 1962, Monsignor Karol Woityla wrote: "Wanda was completely healed from cancer on November 21, and surgical intervention was canceled. Deo gratias. Thank you Venerable Father."
Venerable Father,
The woman living in Cracow, Poland, mother of four girls, on November 21, regained her health immediately before surgery. Thanks to God. And also to you, Venerable Father, the biggest thank you from the woman, her husband, and the entire family.
In Christ,
+ Karol Wojtyla
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
Roma, November 28, 1962
Below is a follow up letter to Padre Pio from the future John Paul II, sent from Rome on December 14, 1963:
Venerable Father,
Your Paternity will certainly remember that already some few times in the past I took the permission to recommend to your prayers some particularly dramatic cases in need of attention.
I'd like therefore to thank you deeply on behalf of the people involved, particularly about a lady, catholic physician, ill with cancer, and of the son of an attorney, gravely ill since birth. Both the persons are doing well, thanks to God.
Allow me moreover, Very Reverend Father, to entrust to your prayers, a paralyzed lady, of this Archdioceses.
At the same time I let myself to recommend to you the vast pastoral difficulties that my poor work faces in the current situation.
I take the opportunity to renew to you the senses of my religious regards, with which I love to prove myself,
of your Paternity very devout in Jesus Christ
+ Karol Wojtyla
Titular Bishop of Ombi
Capitular Vicar of Cracow
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God taught St. Catherine of Siena about heaven, purgatory and hell. One thing that struck me as great truth, was how she was told that the devil is so horrible to look at, that just one sight of him, would torment them for all eternity because he is so horrible to look at.
Preface:
When Our Lady of Fatima appeared to Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco in 1917, she brought heaven with her and allowed them to taste its sweetness. But she also deemed it to be of vital importance that the three children see hell too. And from this frightful vision all three seers were inspired to make reparation for sinners through acts of self-denial. Without the knowledge of heaven and hell, the Gospel is simply unintelligible. It just doesn't make sense. Both eternal destinies must be once again proclaimed and taught if we are to understand God's plan for us.
What is true in modern times was also true in the fourteenth century. It was then that St. Catherine of Sienna received private revelations from God the Father. And during these mystical experiences God had spoken to her at length about his providence, the spiritual life, the Church and eternity. For our benefit, this “dialogue” between God and St. Catherine was written down and made into a spiritual classic: a book known as The Dialogue. Although Catholics are in no way required to believe in this private revelation of St. Catherine’s, nevertheless, her writings has been held up by the Church as being worthy of belief and theologically sound.
Below are excerpts from The Dialogue on hell and then heaven (I wanted to save the good news for last). Each account provides compelling insights on what eternity is like with and without God. Perhaps you have never looked at heaven and hell in this way. But first we will present the the description of hell.
Eternity without God:
God the Father said to St. Catherine of Sienna, “I tell you, in hell there are four principal torments and all the others are offspring of these.
The first is that these souls are deprived of seeing me. This is so painful for them that if they could they would choose the sight of me along with the fire and excruciating torments, rather than the freedom from their pains without seeing me.
The first suffering revives the worm of conscience, and this is their second torment. For when they see that their sinfulness has deprived them of me and of the company of the angels and made them worthy instead of seeing the demons and sharing their fellowship, conscience gnaws away at them constantly.
The sight of the devil is their third suffering, and it doubles every other torment. At the sight of me the saints are in constant exaltation, joyfully refreshed in reward for the labors they bore for me with such overflowing love and to their own cost. But it is just the opposite for these wretched little souls. Their only refreshment is the torment of seeing the devil, for in seeing them they know themselves better: that is, they recognize that their sinfulness has made them worthy of him. And so the worm gnaws on and the fire of conscience never stops burning.
Their suffering is even worse because they see the devil as he really is- more horrible than the human heart can imagine. You will recall that when I once let you see him for a tiny while, hardly a moment, as he really is, you said (after coming to your senses again) that you would rather walk on a road of fire even till the final judgment day than see him again. But even with all you have seen you do not know how horrible he really is. For my divine justice makes him look more horrible than still to those who have lost me, and this is in proportion to the depth of their sinfulness.
The fourth torment is fire. This fire burns without consuming, for the soul cannot be consumed, since it is not material (such as fire could consume) but spiritual. But in my divine justice I allow my fire to burn these souls mightily, tormenting them without consuming them. And the tremendous pain of this tortuous burning has as many forms as the forms of their sins and is more or less severe in proportion to their sins.”
Eternity with God:
“[J]ust souls who end in loving charity and are bound by love can no longer grow in virtue once time has passed. But they can forever love with that same affection with which they came to me, and by that measure will it be measured out to them. They desire me forever, and forever they possess me, so their desire is not in vain. They are hungry and satisfied, satisfied yet hungry-but they are far from bored with satiety or pained in their hunger.
Forever they rejoice in love at the sight of me, sharing in that goodness which I have in myself and which I measure out to them according to the measure of love with which they have come to me. They are established in love for me and for their neighbors. And they are all united in general and special love, both of which come from one and the same charity. They rejoice and exult, sharing each other’s goodness with love and affection, besides that universal good which they all possess together. They rejoice and exalt with the angels, and they find their places among the saints according to the different virtues in which they excelled in the world.
And although they are all joined in the bond of charity, they know a special kind of sharing with those whom they loved most closely with a special love in the world, a love through which they grew in grace and virtue. They helped each other proclaim the glory and praise of my name in themselves and in their neighbors. So now in everlasting life they have not lost that love; no, they still love and share with each other even more closely and fully, adding their love to the good of all.
For I would not have you think this special good they have is only for themselves. No, it is shared by all of their just companions, my beloved children, and by all of the angels. For when a soul reaches eternal life, all share in her good and she in theirs. Not that anyone’s vessel can get any larger or have need of filling. They are full and can grow no larger. But they experience a new freshness in their exaltation- a mirthfulness, a jubilation, a gladness- in knowing this soul. They see that by mercy they have been lifted up from the earth in the fullness of grace, and so they are exultant in me over the good that soul has received from my goodness.
And that soul finds joy in me and in all these souls and blessed spirits, seeing and tasting in them the sweetness of my love. Their desires are a continual cry to me for the salvation of others, for they finished their lives loving their neighbors, and they did not leave that love behind but brought it with them when they passed through that gate which is my only-begotten Son. So you see that whatever bond of love they finish their lives, that bond is theirs forever and lasts eternally.
They are so conformed to my will that they can will only what I will. When time came to an end for them and they died in grace, their freedom was so bound with the chains of charity that they are no longer capable of sin. Their will is so one with mine that even if a father and mother saw their child in hell, or a child its parent, it would not trouble them: They would even be content to see them punished, since they are my enemies. Nothing puts them at variance with me. All of their desires are fulfilled…
The goodness of these souls is beyond what your mind’s eye can see or your ear hear or your tongue describe or your heart imagine. What joy they have in seeing me who am all good! What joy they will yet have when their bodies are glorified! But while they do not have this latter good until the general judgment, they do not suffer. They lack no happiness, for the soul is filled, and in this good fullness the body will share….”
Conclusion: Judgment Day
“These souls wait for divine judgment with gladness, not fear. And the face of my Son will appear to them neither terrifying nor hateful, because they have finished their lives in charity, delighting in me, and filled with good will toward their neighbors. The different appearances of his face when he comes in my majesty for judgment will not be in him but in those who are to be judged by him. To the damned he will appear with just hatred, but to the saved, with mercy and love.”
“I tell you, in hell there are four principal torments and all the others are offspring of these.
The first is that these souls are deprived of seeing me. This is so painful for them that if they could they would choose the sight of me along with the fire and excruciating torments, rather than the freedom from their pains without seeing me.
The first suffering revives the worm of conscience, and this is their second torment. For when they see that their sinfulness has deprived them of me and of the company of the angels and made them worthy instead of seeing the demons and sharing their fellowship, conscience gnaws away at them constantly.
The sight of the devil is their third suffering, and it doubles every other torment. At the sight of me the saints are in constant exaltation, joyfully refreshed in reward for the labors they bore for me with such overflowing love and to their own cost. But it is just the opposite for these wretched little souls. Their only refreshment is the torment of seeing the devil, for in seeing them they know themselves better: that is, they recognize that their sinfulness has made them worthy of him. And so the worm gnaws on and the fire of conscience never stops burning.
Their suffering is even worse because they see the devil as he really is- more horrible than the human heart can imagine. You will recall that when I once let you see him for a tiny while, hardly a moment, as he really is, you said (after coming to your senses again) that you would rather walk on a road of fire even till the final judgment day than see him again. But even with all you have seen you do not know how horrible he really is. For my divine justice makes him look more horrible than still to those who have lost me, and this is in proportion to the depth of their sinfulness.
The fourth torment is fire. This fire burns without consuming, for the soul cannot be consumed, since it is not material (such as fire could consume) but spiritual. But in my divine justice I allow my fire to burn these souls mightily, tormenting them without consuming them. And the tremendous pain of this tortuous burning has as many forms as the forms of their sins and is more or less severe in proportion to their sins.” God to St. Catherine
“Just souls who end in loving charity and are bound by love can no longer grow in virtue once time has passed. But they can forever love with that same affection with which they came to me, and by that measure will it be measured out to them. They desire me forever, and forever they possess me, so their desire is not in vain. They are hungry and satisfied, satisfied yet hungry-but they are far from bored with satiety or pained in their hunger.
Forever they rejoice in love at the sight of me, sharing in that goodness which I have in myself and which I measure out to them according to the measure of love with which they have come to me. They are established in love for me and for their neighbors. And they are all united in general and special love, both of which come from one and the same charity. They rejoice and exult, sharing each other’s goodness with love and affection, besides that universal good which they all possess together. They rejoice and exalt with the angels, and they find their places among the saints according to the different virtues in which they excelled in the world.
And although they are all joined in the bond of charity, they know a special kind of sharing with those whom they loved most closely with a special love in the world, a love through which they grew in grace and virtue. They helped each other proclaim the glory and praise of my name in themselves and in their neighbors. So now in everlasting life they have not lost that love; no, they still love and share with each other even more closely and fully, adding their love to the good of all.
For I would not have you think this special good they have is only for themselves. No, it is shared by all of their just companions, my beloved children, and by all of the angels. For when a soul reaches eternal life, all share in her good and she in theirs. Not that anyone’s vessel can get any larger or have need of filling. They are full and can grow no larger. But they experience a new freshness in their exaltation- a mirthfulness, a jubilation, a gladness- in knowing this soul. They see that by mercy they have been lifted up from the earth in the fullness of grace, and so they are exultant in me over the good that soul has received from my goodness.
And that soul finds joy in me and in all these souls and blessed spirits, seeing and tasting in them the sweetness of my love. Their desires are a continual cry to me for the salvation of others, for they finished their lives loving their neighbors, and they did not leave that love behind but brought it with them when they passed through that gate which is my only-begotten Son. So you see that whatever bond of love they finish their lives, that bond is theirs forever and lasts eternally.
They are so conformed to my will that they can will only what I will. When time came to an end for them and they died in grace, their freedom was so bound with the chains of charity that they are no longer capable of sin. Their will is so one with mine that even if a father and mother saw their child in hell, or a child its parent, it would not trouble them: They would even be content to see them punished, since they are my enemies. Nothing puts them at variance with me. All of their desires are fulfilled…
The goodness of these souls is beyond what your mind’s eye can see or your ear hear or your tongue describe or your heart imagine. What joy they have in seeing me who am all good! What joy they will yet have when their bodies are glorified! But while they do not have this latter good until the general judgment, they do not suffer. They lack no happiness, for the soul is filled, and in this good fullness the body will share…. These souls wait for divine judgment with gladness, not fear. And the face of my Son will appear to them neither terrifying nor hateful, because they have finished their lives in charity, delighting in me, and filled with good will toward their neighbors. The different appearances of his face when he comes in my majesty for judgment will not be in him but in those who are to be judged by him. To the damned he will appear with just hatred, but to the saved, with mercy and love.”
Oh how wonderful to have no fear of dying. We can have no fear of dying when we are:
1) Doing everything possible to do God’s will.
2) Humbling going to confession often.
3) Not in a state of mortal sin.
3) Daily praying with love.
4) Forgiving and praying those who have harmed us.
5) Doing some spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
6) Believing, obeying, and practicing the 2000 years of traditions of the Catholic Church.
7) Loving souls and doing everything possible to help them get to heaven.
8) Making sacrifices.
Preface:
When Our Lady of Fatima appeared to Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco in 1917, she brought heaven with her and allowed them to taste its sweetness. But she also deemed it to be of vital importance that the three children see hell too. And from this frightful vision all three seers were inspired to make reparation for sinners through acts of self-denial. Without the knowledge of heaven and hell, the Gospel is simply unintelligible. It just doesn't make sense. Both eternal destinies must be once again proclaimed and taught if we are to understand God's plan for us.
What is true in modern times was also true in the fourteenth century. It was then that St. Catherine of Sienna received private revelations from God the Father. And during these mystical experiences God had spoken to her at length about his providence, the spiritual life, the Church and eternity. For our benefit, this “dialogue” between God and St. Catherine was written down and made into a spiritual classic: a book known as The Dialogue. Although Catholics are in no way required to believe in this private revelation of St. Catherine’s, nevertheless, her writings has been held up by the Church as being worthy of belief and theologically sound.
Below are excerpts from The Dialogue on hell and then heaven (I wanted to save the good news for last). Each account provides compelling insights on what eternity is like with and without God. Perhaps you have never looked at heaven and hell in this way. But first we will present the the description of hell.
Eternity without God:
God the Father said to St. Catherine of Sienna, “I tell you, in hell there are four principal torments and all the others are offspring of these.
The first is that these souls are deprived of seeing me. This is so painful for them that if they could they would choose the sight of me along with the fire and excruciating torments, rather than the freedom from their pains without seeing me.
The first suffering revives the worm of conscience, and this is their second torment. For when they see that their sinfulness has deprived them of me and of the company of the angels and made them worthy instead of seeing the demons and sharing their fellowship, conscience gnaws away at them constantly.
The sight of the devil is their third suffering, and it doubles every other torment. At the sight of me the saints are in constant exaltation, joyfully refreshed in reward for the labors they bore for me with such overflowing love and to their own cost. But it is just the opposite for these wretched little souls. Their only refreshment is the torment of seeing the devil, for in seeing them they know themselves better: that is, they recognize that their sinfulness has made them worthy of him. And so the worm gnaws on and the fire of conscience never stops burning.
Their suffering is even worse because they see the devil as he really is- more horrible than the human heart can imagine. You will recall that when I once let you see him for a tiny while, hardly a moment, as he really is, you said (after coming to your senses again) that you would rather walk on a road of fire even till the final judgment day than see him again. But even with all you have seen you do not know how horrible he really is. For my divine justice makes him look more horrible than still to those who have lost me, and this is in proportion to the depth of their sinfulness.
The fourth torment is fire. This fire burns without consuming, for the soul cannot be consumed, since it is not material (such as fire could consume) but spiritual. But in my divine justice I allow my fire to burn these souls mightily, tormenting them without consuming them. And the tremendous pain of this tortuous burning has as many forms as the forms of their sins and is more or less severe in proportion to their sins.”
Eternity with God:
“[J]ust souls who end in loving charity and are bound by love can no longer grow in virtue once time has passed. But they can forever love with that same affection with which they came to me, and by that measure will it be measured out to them. They desire me forever, and forever they possess me, so their desire is not in vain. They are hungry and satisfied, satisfied yet hungry-but they are far from bored with satiety or pained in their hunger.
Forever they rejoice in love at the sight of me, sharing in that goodness which I have in myself and which I measure out to them according to the measure of love with which they have come to me. They are established in love for me and for their neighbors. And they are all united in general and special love, both of which come from one and the same charity. They rejoice and exult, sharing each other’s goodness with love and affection, besides that universal good which they all possess together. They rejoice and exalt with the angels, and they find their places among the saints according to the different virtues in which they excelled in the world.
And although they are all joined in the bond of charity, they know a special kind of sharing with those whom they loved most closely with a special love in the world, a love through which they grew in grace and virtue. They helped each other proclaim the glory and praise of my name in themselves and in their neighbors. So now in everlasting life they have not lost that love; no, they still love and share with each other even more closely and fully, adding their love to the good of all.
For I would not have you think this special good they have is only for themselves. No, it is shared by all of their just companions, my beloved children, and by all of the angels. For when a soul reaches eternal life, all share in her good and she in theirs. Not that anyone’s vessel can get any larger or have need of filling. They are full and can grow no larger. But they experience a new freshness in their exaltation- a mirthfulness, a jubilation, a gladness- in knowing this soul. They see that by mercy they have been lifted up from the earth in the fullness of grace, and so they are exultant in me over the good that soul has received from my goodness.
And that soul finds joy in me and in all these souls and blessed spirits, seeing and tasting in them the sweetness of my love. Their desires are a continual cry to me for the salvation of others, for they finished their lives loving their neighbors, and they did not leave that love behind but brought it with them when they passed through that gate which is my only-begotten Son. So you see that whatever bond of love they finish their lives, that bond is theirs forever and lasts eternally.
They are so conformed to my will that they can will only what I will. When time came to an end for them and they died in grace, their freedom was so bound with the chains of charity that they are no longer capable of sin. Their will is so one with mine that even if a father and mother saw their child in hell, or a child its parent, it would not trouble them: They would even be content to see them punished, since they are my enemies. Nothing puts them at variance with me. All of their desires are fulfilled…
The goodness of these souls is beyond what your mind’s eye can see or your ear hear or your tongue describe or your heart imagine. What joy they have in seeing me who am all good! What joy they will yet have when their bodies are glorified! But while they do not have this latter good until the general judgment, they do not suffer. They lack no happiness, for the soul is filled, and in this good fullness the body will share….”
Conclusion: Judgment Day
“These souls wait for divine judgment with gladness, not fear. And the face of my Son will appear to them neither terrifying nor hateful, because they have finished their lives in charity, delighting in me, and filled with good will toward their neighbors. The different appearances of his face when he comes in my majesty for judgment will not be in him but in those who are to be judged by him. To the damned he will appear with just hatred, but to the saved, with mercy and love.”
“I tell you, in hell there are four principal torments and all the others are offspring of these.
The first is that these souls are deprived of seeing me. This is so painful for them that if they could they would choose the sight of me along with the fire and excruciating torments, rather than the freedom from their pains without seeing me.
The first suffering revives the worm of conscience, and this is their second torment. For when they see that their sinfulness has deprived them of me and of the company of the angels and made them worthy instead of seeing the demons and sharing their fellowship, conscience gnaws away at them constantly.
The sight of the devil is their third suffering, and it doubles every other torment. At the sight of me the saints are in constant exaltation, joyfully refreshed in reward for the labors they bore for me with such overflowing love and to their own cost. But it is just the opposite for these wretched little souls. Their only refreshment is the torment of seeing the devil, for in seeing them they know themselves better: that is, they recognize that their sinfulness has made them worthy of him. And so the worm gnaws on and the fire of conscience never stops burning.
Their suffering is even worse because they see the devil as he really is- more horrible than the human heart can imagine. You will recall that when I once let you see him for a tiny while, hardly a moment, as he really is, you said (after coming to your senses again) that you would rather walk on a road of fire even till the final judgment day than see him again. But even with all you have seen you do not know how horrible he really is. For my divine justice makes him look more horrible than still to those who have lost me, and this is in proportion to the depth of their sinfulness.
The fourth torment is fire. This fire burns without consuming, for the soul cannot be consumed, since it is not material (such as fire could consume) but spiritual. But in my divine justice I allow my fire to burn these souls mightily, tormenting them without consuming them. And the tremendous pain of this tortuous burning has as many forms as the forms of their sins and is more or less severe in proportion to their sins.” God to St. Catherine
“Just souls who end in loving charity and are bound by love can no longer grow in virtue once time has passed. But they can forever love with that same affection with which they came to me, and by that measure will it be measured out to them. They desire me forever, and forever they possess me, so their desire is not in vain. They are hungry and satisfied, satisfied yet hungry-but they are far from bored with satiety or pained in their hunger.
Forever they rejoice in love at the sight of me, sharing in that goodness which I have in myself and which I measure out to them according to the measure of love with which they have come to me. They are established in love for me and for their neighbors. And they are all united in general and special love, both of which come from one and the same charity. They rejoice and exult, sharing each other’s goodness with love and affection, besides that universal good which they all possess together. They rejoice and exalt with the angels, and they find their places among the saints according to the different virtues in which they excelled in the world.
And although they are all joined in the bond of charity, they know a special kind of sharing with those whom they loved most closely with a special love in the world, a love through which they grew in grace and virtue. They helped each other proclaim the glory and praise of my name in themselves and in their neighbors. So now in everlasting life they have not lost that love; no, they still love and share with each other even more closely and fully, adding their love to the good of all.
For I would not have you think this special good they have is only for themselves. No, it is shared by all of their just companions, my beloved children, and by all of the angels. For when a soul reaches eternal life, all share in her good and she in theirs. Not that anyone’s vessel can get any larger or have need of filling. They are full and can grow no larger. But they experience a new freshness in their exaltation- a mirthfulness, a jubilation, a gladness- in knowing this soul. They see that by mercy they have been lifted up from the earth in the fullness of grace, and so they are exultant in me over the good that soul has received from my goodness.
And that soul finds joy in me and in all these souls and blessed spirits, seeing and tasting in them the sweetness of my love. Their desires are a continual cry to me for the salvation of others, for they finished their lives loving their neighbors, and they did not leave that love behind but brought it with them when they passed through that gate which is my only-begotten Son. So you see that whatever bond of love they finish their lives, that bond is theirs forever and lasts eternally. They are so conformed to my will that they can will only what I will. When time came to an end for them and they died in grace, their freedom was so bound with the chains of charity that they are no longer capable of sin. Their will is so one with mine that even if a father and mother saw their child in hell, or a child its parent, it would not trouble them: They would even be content to see them punished, since they are my enemies. Nothing puts them at variance with me. All of their desires are fulfilled…
The goodness of these souls is beyond what your mind’s eye can see or your ear hear or your tongue describe or your heart imagine. What joy they have in seeing me who am all good! What joy they will yet have when their bodies are glorified! But while they do not have this latter good until the general judgment, they do not suffer. They lack no happiness, for the soul is filled, and in this good fullness the body will share…. These souls wait for divine judgment with gladness, not fear. And the face of my Son will appear to them neither terrifying nor hateful, because they have finished their lives in charity, delighting in me, and filled with good will toward their neighbors. The different appearances of his face when he comes in my majesty for judgment will not be in him but in those who are to be judged by him. To the damned he will appear with just hatred, but to the saved, with mercy and love.”
Oh how wonderful to have no fear of dying. We can have no fear of dying when we are:
1) Doing everything possible to do God’s will.
2) Humbling going to confession often.
3) Not in a state of mortal sin.
3) Daily praying with love.
4) Forgiving and praying those who have harmed us.
5) Doing some spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
6) Believing, obeying, and practicing the 2000 years of traditions of the Catholic Church.
7) Loving souls and doing everything possible to help them get to heaven.
8) Making sacrifices.
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When Jesus delivered The Most Holy Rosary (Rose-ary) to Saint Dominic and Blessed Father Alan De La Roche in 1214 and 1216 consecutively, Jesus declared to Saint Dominic the following Jesus said from God Himself and Holy Spirit
"This is the greatest weapon against satan" and
"Man/s last mean/s of Salvation"
The Most Holy Rosary is in a nutshell - Gods Holy Word - Jesus Christ our Merciful Saviour's - Holy - Life while here on earth having descended from Heaven and a part of our Blessed Virgin Mother Marys Life here on earth that God our Heavenly Father delivered in Jesus with His Sorrowful Mysteries with the Holy Sacred Fruits of each Holy Decade prayed including 15 Holy Promises attached through Jesus Holy Spirit and our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary. Jesus loves hearts focussing on Him, loving Him, thanking Him while going deeper into His Sorrowful Mysteries, His Bitter Passion suffered - Jesus explains to His Saints part of His Bitter Passion - and being sorry to Jesus for our sins while praying to Him.
In my own relationship with Jesus, Holy Spirit God and with my Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, I can tell you that satan detests The Most Holy Rosary prayed and spread around the world because satan knows first hand how many hearts souls are converted through Jesus Holy Spirit God and our Blessed Virgin Mother receiving The Holy Roses going to God in every Holy Decade prayed through our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary the causes prayed for go directly to Jesus God Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Mother Mary with all sacrifices and pain and alms of the spirit offered up to Jesus indescribably rewarded by Jesus God Holy Spirit and my Blessed Heavenly Mother over 7 years.
I have said this on other parts of the Forum that if people could just pray it regardless of denominations for a week and or pray to Jesus His Holy Wound Chaplet without Catholic Creeds in it because I know in my heart that people if praying genuinely reverently from hearts will receive changes in lives, miracles occurring and most importantly receiving Jesus into hearts in Communion Holy Communion with Him and in Holy Spirit right there with you.
The Importance of the Rosary for Priests
Published on October 21, 2011 by St. Louis Marie de Montfort in Classic Mariological Excerpts
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Dear ministers of the Most High, you my fellow priests who preach the truth of God and who teach the gospel to all nations… I beg of you to beware of thinking of the Rosary as something of little importance—as do ignorant people and even several great but proud scholars. Far from being insignificant, the Rosary is a priceless treasure which is inspired by God.
[…]
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Prayer from the Heart: Praying the Rosary Well
Published on October 21, 2011 by St. Louis Marie de Montfort in Classic Mariological Excerpts
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It is not so much the length of a prayer, but the fervor with which it is said which pleases Almighty God and touches His Heart. One single Hail Mary that is said properly is worth more than one hundred and fifty that are badly said. Most Catholics say the Rosary, the whole fifteen mysteries or five of them anyway or, at least a few decades. So why is it then that so few of them give up their sins and go forward in the spiritual life? It must be because they are not saying them as they should. It is a good thing to think over how we should pray if we really want to please God and become more holy.
To say the Holy Rosary to advantage one must be in a state of grace or at the very least be fully determined to give up mortal sin. This we know because all our theology teaches us that good works and prayers are only dead works if they are they are done in a state of mortal sin. Therefore they can neither be pleasing to God nor help us gain eternal life. This is why Ecclesiastes says: “Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner” (Eccl. 15:9). Praise of God and the salutation of the angel and the very Prayer of Jesus Christ are not pleasing to God when they are said by unrepentant sinners. Our Lord said: “This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6). It is as though He was saying: “Those who join My Confraternity and say their Rosary every day (even perhaps the fifteen decades), but without being sorry for their sins offer Me Up service only and their hearts are far from Me.”
I have just said that to say the Rosary to advantage one must be in a state of grace “or at least be fully determined to give up mortal sin;” first of all, because, if it were true that God only heard the prayers of those in a state of grace it would follow that people in a state of mortal sin should not pray at all. This is an erroneous teaching which has been condemned by Holy Mother Church, because of course sinners need to pray far more than good people do. Were this horrible doctrine true it would then be useless and futile to tell a sinner to say all, or even part of his Rosary, because it would never help him.
Secondly, because if they join one of Our Lady’s confraternities and recite the Rosary or some other prayer, but without having the slightest intention of giving up sin, they join the ranks of her false devotees. These presumptuous and impenitent devotees, hiding under her mantle, wearing the scapular and with rosary in hand, cry out: “Blessed Virgin, good Mother—Hail, Mary!…” And yet at the same time, by their sins, they are crucifying Our Lord Jesus Christ and tearing His flesh anew. It is a great tragedy, but from the very ranks of Our Lady’s most holy Confraternities souls are falling into the fires of hell
We earnestly beg everyone to say the Holy Rosary: the just that they may persevere and grow in God’s grace; the sinners that they may rise from their sins. But God forbid that we should ever encourage a sinner to think that Our Lady will protect him with Her mantle if he continues to love sin, for then it will only turn into a mantle of damnation which will hide his sins from the public eye. The Rosary, which is a cure for all our ills, would then be turned into deadly poison. “A corruption of what is best is worst.”
The learned Cardinal Hugues says: “One should really be as pure as an angel to approach the Blessed Virgin and to say the Angelic Salutation.” One day Our Lady appeared to an immoral man who used to always say his Rosary every day. She showed him a bowl of beautiful fruit, but the bowl itself was covered with filth. The man was horrified to see this, and Our Lady said: “This is the way you are honoring me! You are giving me beautiful roses in a filthy bowl. Do you think I can accept presents of this kind?”
With Attention
In order to pray well, it is not enough to give expression to our petitions by means of that most excellent of all prayers, the Rosary, but we must also pray with real concentration for God listens more to the voice of the heart than that of the mouth. To be guilty of willful distractions during prayer would show a great lack of respect and reverence; it would make our Rosaries fruitless and would make us guilty of sin.
How can we expect God to listen to us if we ourselves do not pay attention to what we are saying? How can we expect Him to be pleased if, while in the presence of His tremendous Majesty, we give in to distractions just as children run after butterflies? People who do this forfeit Almighty God’s blessings which are then changed into curses because they have been praying disrespectfully. “Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully” (Jeremias 28:10).
Of course, you cannot possibly say your Rosary without having a few involuntary distractions and it is hard to say even one Hail Mary without your imagination troubling you a little (for our imagination is, alas, never still). The one thing you can do, however, is to say your Rosary without giving in to distractions deliberately and you can take all sorts of precautions to lessen involuntary distractions and to control your imagination.
With this in mind put yourself in the presence of God and imagine that Almighty God and His Blessed Mother are watching you and that your guardian Angel is standing at your right hand, taking your Hail Marys, if they are well said, and using them like roses to make crowns for Jesus and Mary. But remember that at your left hand lurks the devil ready to pounce upon every Hail Mary that comes his way and to write it down in his deadly notebook. And be sure that he will snatch every single one of your Hail Marys that you have not said attentively, devoutly and with reverence.
Above all, do not forget to offer up each decade in honor of one of the mysteries and while you are saying it try to form a picture in your mind of Jesus and Mary in connection with this mystery.
The life of Blessed Hermann (of the Premonstratensian Fathers) tells us that at one time when he used to say the Rosary attentively and devoutly while meditating upon the mysteries Our Lady used to appear to him resplendent in breathtaking majesty and beauty. But as time went on his fervor cooled and he fell into the way of saying his Rosary hurriedly and without giving it his full attention. Then one day Our Lady appeared to him again—only this time she was far from beautiful and her face was furrowed and drawn with sadness. Blessed Hermann was appalled at the change in her, and then Our Lady explained:
“This is how I look to you, Hermann, because in your soul this is how you are treating me; as a woman to be despised and of no importance. Why do you no longer greet me with respect and attention meditating on my mysteries and praising my privileges.”
Fighting Distractions
When the rosary is well said it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and it is more meritorious for the soul than any other prayer. But it is also the hardest prayer to say well and to persevere in, owing especially to the distractions which almost inevitably attend the constant repetition of the same words.
When we say the Little Office of Our Lady, or the Seven Penitential Psalms, or any prayers other than the Rosary, the variety of words and expressions keeps us alert, prevents our imagination from wandering, and so makes it easier for us to say them well. On the contrary, because of the constant repetition of the same Our Father and Hail Mary in the same unvarying form, it is difficult, while saying the Rosary, not to become wearied and inclined to sleep or to turn to other prayers that are more refreshing and less tedious. This goes to show that one needs much greater devotion to persevere in saying the Holy Rosary than in saying any other prayer, even the Psalms of David
Our imagination, which is hardly still a minute, makes our task harder and then of course there is the devil who never tires of trying to distract us and keep us from praying. To what ends does not the evil one go against us while we are engaged in saying our Rosary against him.
Being human, we easily become tired and slipshod—but the devil makes these difficulties worse when we are saying the Rosary. Before we even begin he makes us feel bored, distracted or exhausted—and when we have started praying he oppresses us from all sides. And when, after much difficulty and many distractions, we have finished, he whispers to us: “What you have just said is worthless. It’s useless for you to say the Rosary. You had better get on with other things. It’s only a waste of time to pray without paying attention to what you’re saying; half an hour’s meditation or some spiritual reading would be much better. Tomorrow when you’re not feeling so sluggish you’ll pray better, don’t finish your Rosary until tomorrow.” By tricks of this kind the devil gets us to give up the Rosary altogether or else hardly say it at all, and we keep putting it off or else change to some other devotion.
Dear Rosary Confraternity members, do not listen to the devil, but be of good heart even if your imagination has been bothering you throughout your Rosary, filling your mind with all kinds of distracting thoughts—as long as you really tried hard to get rid of them as soon as they came. Always remember that the best Rosary is the one with the most merit, and there is more merit in praying when it is hard than when it is easy. Prayer is all the harder when it is (naturally speaking) distasteful to the soul and is filled with those annoying little ants and flies running about in your imagination, against your will, and scarcely allowing you the time to enjoy a little peace and appreciate the beauty of what you are saying.
Even if you have to fight distractions all through your whole Rosary be sure to fight well, arms in hand: that is to say, do not stop saying your Rosary even if it is hard to say and you have absolutely no sensible devotion. It is a terrible battle, I know, but one that is profitable to the faithful soul. If you put down your arms, that is, if you give up the Rosary, you will be admitting defeat and then, having won, the devil will leave you alone.
But at the Day of Judgment he will taunt you because of your faithlessness and lack of courage. “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater” (1 Luke 16:10). He who fights even the smallest distractions faithfully when he says even the very smallest prayer he will also be faithful in great things. We can be absolutely certain of this because the Holy Spirit has told us so.
So all of you, servants and handmaids of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, who have made up your minds to say the Rosary every day, be of good heart. Do not let the flies (it is thus that I call the distractions that make war on you during prayer) make you cowardly abandon the company of Jesus and Mary, in whose holy presence you always are when saying the Rosary. In what follows I shall give you suggestions for getting rid of distractions.
A Good Method
When you have asked the Holy Spirit to help you pray well, put yourself for a moment in the presence of God…
Before beginning a decade, pause for a moment or two—depending upon how much time you have—and contemplate the mystery that you are about to honor in that decade. Always be sure to ask of Almighty God, by this mystery and through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, one of the virtues that shines forth most in this mystery or one of which you stand in particular need.
Take great care to avoid the two pitfalls that most people fall into during the Rosary. The first is the danger of not asking for any graces at all, so that if some people were asked their Rosary intention they would not know what to say. So, whenever you say your Rosary, be sure to ask for some special grace. Ask God’s help in cultivating one of the great Christian virtues or in overcoming one of your sins.
The second big fault a lot of people make when saying the Holy Rosary is to have no intention other than that of getting it over as quickly as possible! This is because so many of us look upon the Rosary as a burden which is always heavier when we have not said it—especially if it is weighing on our conscience because we have promised to say it regularly or have been told to say it as a penance more or less against our will. It is really pathetic to see how most people say the Holy Rosary—they say it astonishingly fast and mumble so that the words are not properly pronounced at all. We could not possibly expect anyone, even the most unimportant person, to think that a slipshod address of this kind was a compliment and yet we expect Jesus and Mary to be pleased with it! Small wonder then that the most sacred prayers of our holy religion seem to bear no fruit, and that, after saying thousands of Rosaries, we are still no better than we were before! Dear Confraternity members, I beg of you to temper the speed which comes all too easily to you and pause briefly several times as you say the Our Father and Hail Mary. I have placed a cross at each pause, as you will see:
Our Father Who art in Heaven, + hallowed be Thy name, + Thy kingdom come, + Thy will be done + on earth as it is in Heaven. + Give us this day + our daily bread + and forgive us our trespasses + as we forgive those who trespass against us, + and lead us not into temptation + but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, + the Lord is with Thee, + blessed art thou among women + and blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. +
Holy Mary, Mother of God, + pray for us sinners, now + and at the hour of our death. Amen.
At first, you may find it difficult to make these pauses because of your bad habit of saying prayers in a hurry; but a decade that you say recollectedly in this way will be worth more than thousands of Rosaries said all in a rush—without any pauses or reflection.
Blessed Alan de la Roche and other writers (including Saint Robert Bellarmine) tell the story of how a good confessor advised three of his penitents, who happened to be sisters, to say the Rosary every day without fail for a whole year. This was so that they might make beautiful robes of glory for Our Lady out of their Rosaries. This was a secret that the priest had received from Heaven.
So the three sisters said the Rosary faithfully for a year and on the Feast of the Purification the Blessed Virgin appeared to them at night when they had retired. Saint Catherine and Saint Agnes were with her and she was wearing beautiful robes that shone and all over them “Hail Mary, full of grace” was blazoned in letters of gold. The Blessed Mother came to the eldest sister and said “I salute you, my daughter, because you saluted me so often and beautifully. I want to thank you for the beautiful robes that you have made me.” The two virgin saints who were with Our Lady thanked her too and then all three of them vanished
An hour later Our Lady and the same two saints appeared to them again, but this time she was wearing green which had no gold lettering and did not gleam. She went up to the second sister and thanked her for the robes she had made Her by saying her Rosary. Since this sister had seen Our Lady appear to the eldest much more magnificently dressed she asked Her the reason for the change. The Blessed Mother answered: “Your sister made Me more beautiful clothes because she has been saying her Rosary better than you.”
About an hour after this she appeared to the youngest of the sisters wearing tattered and dirty rags. “My daughter” she said “I want to thank you for these clothes that you have made Me.” The young girl was covered with shame and she called out: “Oh, my Queen, how could I have dressed you so badly! I beg you to forgive me. Please grant me a little more time to make you beautiful robes by saying my Rosary better.” Our Lady and the two saints vanished, leaving the girl heartbroken. She told her confessor everything that had happened and he urged her to say her Rosary for another year and to say it more devoutly than ever.
At the end of this second year on the very same day of the Purification, Our Lady, clothed in a magnificent robe and attended by Saint Catherine and Saint Agnes, wearing crowns, appeared to them again in the evening. She said to them: “My daughters, I have come to tell you that you have earned heaven at last—and you will all have the great joy of going there tomorrow.” The three of them cried: “Our hearts are all ready, dearest Queen; our hearts are all ready.” Then the vision faded. That same night they became ill and so sent for their confessor who brought them the Last Sacraments and they thanked him for the holy practice that he had taught them. After Compline Our Lady appeared with a multitude of virgins and had the three sisters clothed in white gowns. While angels were singing “Come, spouses of Jesus Christ, receive the crowns which have been prepared for you for all eternity,” they departed from this life.
Some very deep truths can be learned from this story:
1. How important it is to have a good director who will counsel holy practices, especially that of the Most Holy Rosary;
2. How important it is to say the Rosary attentively and devoutly;
3. How kind and merciful the Blessed Mother is to those who are sorry for the past and are firmly resolved to do it better;
4. And finally, how generous she is in rewarding us in life, death and eternity, for the little services that we render Her faithfully.
With Reverence
I would like to add that the Rosary ought to be said reverently —that is to say it ought to be said, as far as possible, kneeling, with the hands joined and clasping the Rosary. However, if people are ill they can of course say it in bed or if they are traveling it can be said on foot—and if infirmity prevents people kneeling it can be said seated or standing. The Rosary can even be said at work, if people’s daily duties keep them at their jobs, because the work of one’s hands is not by any means always incompatible with vocal prayer. Of course, since the soul has its limitations and can only do so much, when we are concentrating on manual work we cannot give our undivided attention to things of the spirit, such as prayer. But when we cannot do otherwise this kind of prayer is not without value in Our Lady’s eyes and she rewards our good will more than our external actions.
I advise you to divide up your Rosary into three parts and say each group of mysteries (five decades) at a different time of day. This is much better than saying the whole fifteen all at once.
If you cannot find the time to say a third part of the Rosary all at one time, say it gradually, a decade here and there. I am sure you can manage this; so that, in spite of your work and the calls upon your time, you will have said the whole before going to bed.
Saint Francis de Sales sets us a very good example of faith in this respect: once when he was quite exhausted from the visits of the day and remembered, towards midnight, that he had left a few decades of his Rosary unsaid, he would not go to bed until he had finished them on his knees, not-withstanding all the efforts of his secretary who saw he was tired and begged him to let the rest of his prayers go until the next day.
And do let me remind you just once more to copy the faithfulness, reverence and devotion of the holy friar who is mentioned in the Chronicles of Saint Francis and who always said his Rosary very devoutly and reverently before dinner.
This article was excerpted from St. Louis Marie de Montfort’s Secret of the Rosary, Montfort Publications, 1991, Part II.
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Marvels of the Rosary
Published on October 6, 2011 by St. Louis Marie de Montfort in Classic Mariological Excerpts
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Ever since Saint Dominic established the devotion to the Holy Rosary up until the time when Blessed Alan de la Roche re-established it in 1460 it has always been called the Psalter of Jesus and Mary. This is because it has the same number of Angelic Salutations as there are psalms in the Book of the Psalms of David. Since simple and uneducated people are not able to say the Psalms of David the Rosary is held to be just as fruitful for them as David’s Psalter is for others.
But the Rosary can be considered to be even more valuable than the latter for three reasons:
[…]
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The Power of the Rosary
Published on May 20, 2011 by St. Louis Marie de Montfort in Marian Devotion
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A Diabolical Possession
When St. Dominic was preaching the Rosary near Carcassone (1) an Albigensian was brought to him who was possessed by the devil. St. Dominic exorcised him in the presence of a great crowd of people; it appears that more than 12,000 had come to hear him preach. The devils who were in possession of this wretched man were forced to answer St. Dominic’s questions in spite of themselves.
[…]
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The Inestimable Fruits of the Rosary
Published on May 6, 2011 by St. Louis Marie de Montfort in Classic Mariological Excerpts
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Never will anyone really be able to understand the marvelous riches of sanctification which are contained in the prayers and mysteries of the Holy Rosary. This meditation on the mysteries of the life and death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the source of the most wonderful fruits for those who use it.
Today people want things that strike and move and that leave deep impressions on the soul. Nor has there ever been anything in the whole history of the world more moving than the wonderful story of the life, death and glory of Our Savior which is contained in the Holy Rosary. In the fifteen tableaux the chief scenes or mysteries of His life unfold before our eyes. How could there ever be any prayers more wonderful and sublime than the Lord’s Prayer and the Salutation of the angel? All our desires and all our needs are found expressed in these two prayers.
[…]
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The Power of the Rosary
Published on October 13, 2010 by St. Louis Marie de Montfort in Marian Devotion
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A Diabolical Possession
When St. Dominic was preaching the Rosary near Carcassone (1) an Albigensian was brought to him who was possessed by the devil. St. Dominic exorcised him in the presence of a great crowd of people; it appears that more than 12,000 had come to hear him preach. The devils who were in possession of this wretched man were forced to answer St. Dominic’s questions in spite of themselves.
They said that:
1. There were 15,000 of them in the body of this poor man, because he had attacked the 15 mysteries of the rosary;
2. They went on to testify that by preaching the Rosary he (Dominic) put fear and horror into the very depths of hell and that he was the man they hated most throughout the whole world, because of the souls which he snatched from them through devotion to the Holy Rosary;
3. They then revealed several other things.
St. Dominic put his rosary around the Albigensian’s neck and asked the devils to tell him who, of all the saints in heaven, was the one they feared the most, and who should therefore be the most loved and revered by men. At this they let out such unearthly screams that most of the people fell to the ground, faint from fear. Then, using all their cunning, so as not to answer, the devils wept and wailed in such a pitiful way that many of the people wept also, out of purely natural pity. The devils spoke through the mouth of the Albigensian, pleading in a heartrending voice:
Dominic, Dominic, have mercy on us—we promise you that we will never hurt you. You have always had compassion for sinners and those in distress; have pity on us, for we are in grievous straits. We are suffering so very much already, so why do you delight in heightening our pains? Can’t you be satisfied with our suffering without adding to it? Have pity on us! Have pity on us!
St. Dominic was not one whit moved by the pathos of these wretched spirits and told them that he would not let them alone until they had answered his question. Then they said they would whisper the answer in such a way that only St. Dominic would be able to hear. The latter firmly insisted upon their answering clearly and out loud. Then the devils kept quiet and refused to say another word, completely disregarding St. Dominic’s orders—so he knelt down and prayed thus to Our Lady: “Oh, all powerful and wonderful Virgin Mary, I implore you by the power of the Most Holy Rosary, order these enemies of the human race to answer me (9).
No sooner had he made this prayer than a glowing flame leaped out of the ears, nostrils and mouth of the Albigensian. Everyone shook with fear, but the fire did not hurt anyone. Then the devils cried:
Dominic, we beseech you, by the passion of Jesus Christ and by the merits of His Holy Mother and of all the saints, let us leave the body of this man without speaking further—for the angels will answer your question whenever you wish. After all, are we not liars? So why should you want to believe us? Please don’t torture us any more; have pity on us.
“Woe unto you wretched spirits, who do not deserve to be heard,” St. Dominic said, and kneeling down he prayed to Our Lady:
Oh most worthy Mother of Wisdom, I am praying for the people assembled here who have already learned how to say the Angelic Salutation properly. Please, I beg of you, force your enemies to proclaim the whole truth and nothing but the truth about this, here and now, before the multitude.
St. Dominic had hardly finished this prayer when he saw the Blessed Virgin near at hand, surrounded by a multitude of angels. She struck the possessed man with a golden rod that she held and said: “Answer my servant Dominic at once.” (Remember, the people neither saw nor heard Our Lady, but only St. Dominic.) Then the devils started screaming:
Oh you who are our enemy, our downfall and our destruction, why have you come from heaven just to torture us so grievously? O Advocate of sinners, you who snatch them from the very jaws of hell, you who are the very sure path to heaven, must we, in spite of ourselves, tell the whole truth and confess before everyone who it is who is the cause of our shame and our ruin? Oh woe unto us, princes of darkness:
Then listen well, you Christians: the Mother of Jesus Christ is all-powerful and she can save her servants from falling into hell. She is the Sun which destroys the darkness of our wiles and subtlety. It is she who uncovers our hidden plots, breaks our snares and makes our temptations useless and ineffectual.
We have to say, however reluctantly, that not a single soul who has really persevered in her service has ever been damned with us: one single sigh that she offers to the Blessed Trinity is worth far more than all the prayers, desires and aspirations of all the saints.
We fear her more than all the other saints in heaven together and we have no success with her faithful servants. Many Christians who call upon her when they are at the hour of death and who really ought to be damned according to our ordinary standards are saved by her intercession.
Oh if only that Mary (it is thus in their fury that they called her) had not pitted her strength against ours and had not upset our plans, we should have conquered the Church and should have destroyed it long before this; and we would have seen to it that all the Orders in the Church fell into error and disorder.
Now that we are forced to speak we must also tell you this: nobody who perseveres in saying the Rosary will be damned, because she obtains for her servants the grace of true contrition for their sins and by means of this they obtain God’s forgiveness and mercy.
Then St. Dominic had them all say the Rosary very slowly and with great devotion, and a wonderful thing happened: at each Hail Mary that he and the people said together a large group of devils issued forth from the wretched man’s body under the guise of red-hot coals.
When the devils had all been expelled and the heretic was at last entirely free of them, Our Lady (who was still invisible) gave her blessing to the assembled company, and they were filled with joy because of this.
A large number of heretics were converted because of this miracle and joined the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.
Simon de Montfort, Alan de Lanvallay and Othere
It is almost impossible to do real credit to the victories that Count Simon de Montfort Won against the Albigensians under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary. These victories are so famous that the world has never seen anything to match them. One day he defeated 10,000 heretics with a force of 500 men and on another occasion he overcame 3,000 with only 30 men. Finally, with 800 horsemen and 1,000 infantrymen he completely put to rout the army of the King of Aragon which was 100,000 strong, and this with the loss on his side of only one horseman and eight soldiers!
Our Lady also protected Alan de Lanvallay, a Breton Knight, from great perils. He too was fighting for the Faith against the Albigensians. One day when he found himself surrounded by enemies on all sides Our Lady let fall 150 rocks upon his enemies and he was delivered from their hands. Another day when his ship foundered and was about to sink, the Blessed Mother caused 150 small hills to appear miraculously above the water and by means of them they reached Brittany in safety.
He built a monastery at Dinan for the religious of St. Dominic, in thanksgiving to Our Lady for all the miracles that she had worked on his behalf in answer to his daily Rosary. Having become a religious himself he died a holy death at Orleans.
Othere was also a Breton soldier, from Vaucouleurs, and he often put whole companies of heretics or robbers to flight unaided, wearing his Rosary on his arm or carrying it on the hilt of his sword. Once when he had beaten them his enemies admitted that they had seen his sword gleam and that another time they had noticed a shield on his arm which had pictures of Our Lord and Our Lady and the saints upon it. This shield made him invisible and gave him the strength to attack well.
Another time he defeated 20,000 heretics with only 10 companies and without losing a single man. This so impressed the general of the heretics’ army that he came to see Othere afterwards, abjured his heresy and declared publicly that he had seen him surrounded by flaming swords during the battle.
Cardinal Pierre
Bl. Alan de la Roche says that a certain Cardinal Pierre, whose titular Church was that of St. Mary-beyond-the-Tiber, was a great friend of St. Dominic’s and had learned from him a deep devotion to the Most Holy Rosary. This resulted in his loving it so much that he never ceased singing its praises and encouraging everyone he met to embrace it
Eventually he was sent as Legate to the Holy Land to the Christians who were fighting the Saracens. So successfully did he convince the Christian army of the power of the Rosary that they started saying it one and all to storm heaven for help in a battle in which they knew they would be pitifully outnumbered. This resulted in victory for them, and 3,000 Christians triumphed over an enemy of 100,000.
As we have seen, the devils have an overwhelming fear of the Rosary. St. Bernard says that the Angelic Salutation puts them to flight and makes all hell tremble.
Bl. Alan says that he has seen several people delivered from Satan’s bondage after taking up the Holy Rosary, even though they had previously sold themselves to him in body and soul by renouncing their Baptismal Vows and their allegiance to Our Lord Jesus Christ
Freed from Satan
In 1578 a woman in Anvers had given herself to the devil and had signed the contract with her own blood. Shortly afterwards she was stricken with sincere remorse and had an intense desire to make amends for this terrible deed. So she sought out a kind and wise confessor who advised her to go to Father Henry, one of the Fathers of the Dominican Friary, who was Director of the Rosary Confraternity in that town, to ask him to enroll her in it and hear her confession.
Accordingly she went to ask for him but met, not Father Henry, but the devil disguised as a Dominican Father. The latter scolded her pitilessly and said that she could never hope to receive Almighty God’s grace again as long as she lived, and that there was in which she could regain possession of her contract. This grieved her greatly but she did not quite lose hope of God’s mercy and sought out Father Henry once more, only to find the devil a second time, and to meet with a second rebuff.
She came back for the third time and then at last, by Divine Providence, she found Father Henry, in person—the priest whom she had been looking for—and he treated her with very great kindness, urging her to throw herself upon the mercy of Almighty God and to make a good confession. He then received her into the Confraternity and told her to say the Rosary frequently.
One day while Father Henry was saying mass for her Our Lady forced the devil to give back the contract which she had signed. In this way she was delivered from the devil by the authority of Mary and by her devotion to the Most Holy Rosary.
A Monastery Reformed
A nobleman who had several daughters entered one of them in a lax monastery were the nuns were very proud and thought of nothing else but worldly pleasures. The nuns’ confessor, on the other hand, was a zealous priest and had a great love for the Holy Rosary. Wishing to guide this nun into a better way of life he ordered her to say the Rosary every day in honor of the Blessed Virgin while meditating on the life, Passion and glory of Jesus Christ
She joyously undertook to say the Rosary and little by little she grew to have a repugnance for the wayward habits of her sisters in religion. She developed a love for silence and prayer and this in spite of the fact that the others despised and ridiculed her and called her a fanatic.
It was at this time that a holy priest, who was making the visitation of the convent, had a strange vision while he was making his meditation: he saw a nun in her room, rapt in prayer, kneeling in front of a Lady of breathless beauty who was surrounded by angels. The latter had flaming spears with which they repelled a crowd of devils who wanted to come in. These evil spirits then fled to the other nuns’ rooms under the guise of vile animals.
By this vision the priest became aware of the lamentable state the monastery was in and he was so upset that he thought he might almost die of grief. He immediately sent for the young religious and exhorted her to persevere.
As he pondered on the value of the Rosary, he decided to try to reform the sisters by means of it. He bought a supply of beautiful rosaries and gave one to each nun, imploring them to say the Rosary every day, even going so far as to promise them that, if they would only say it faithfully, he would not try to force them to alter their lives. Wonderful and strange as it may seem the nuns agreed to this pact and were glad to be given the rosaries and promised to say them.
Little by little they began to give up their empty and worldly pursuits, letting silence and recollection come into their lives. In less than a year they all asked that the monastery be reformed.
So the Holy Rosary worked more changes in their hearts than the priest could have worked by exhorting and commanding them.
A Bishop’s Devotion
A Spanish countess, who had been taught the Holy Rosary by St. Dominic, used to say it faithfully every day with the result that she was making wonderful strides in her spiritual life. Since her one and only thought was how she might attain to perfection she asked a Bishop who was a renowned preacher for some practices that would help her become perfect
The Bishop told her that, before he could give her any counsels, she would have to let him know the state of her soul and also what her religious exercises were. She answered that her most important exercise was the Holy Rosary which she said every day meditating on the Joyous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, and that her soul was greatly helped by so doing.
The Bishop was overjoyed to hear her explain what priceless lessons the mysteries contain. “I have been a doctor of theology for 20 years,” he exclaimed “and I have read many excellent books on various devotional practices. But never before have I come across one better than this—for it is of the essence of Christianity and is a devotion which cannot but bear fruit I shall follow your example, and from now on I shall preach the Rosary.”
The Bishop’s preaching met with great success, for in almost no time his diocese changed for the better. There was a notable decline in immorality and worldliness of all kinds as well as in gambling. There were several striking instances of people being brought back to the Faith, or sinners making restitution for their crimes and of others sincerely resolving to give up lives of vice. Religious fervor and Christian charity began to flourish. These changes were all the more remarkable because this Bishop had been striving to reform his diocese for some time but with hardly any results.
To better inculcate devotion of the Rosary, the Bishop also wore a beautiful rosary at his side and always showed it to the congregation when he preached. He used to say:
“My dear brethren in Jesus Christ, I am a doctor of theology and a doctor of canon as well as civil law, but I say to you, as your Bishop, that I take more pride in wearing Our Lady’s Rosary than in any of my episcopal regalia or academic robes.”
Parish Transformed
A Danish priest used to love to tell how the very same improvement that the Spanish Bishop noticed in his diocese had occurred in his own parish. He always told his story with great rejoicing of soul because it gave such glory to Almighty God. He said:
I had preached as compellingly as I could, touching on many aspects of our Holy Faith, and using every argument I could possibly think of to get the people to amend their way of life. But in spite of all my efforts they went unconcernedly about their way as before; and it was then that I decided to preach the Holy Rosary.
I told my congregations how precious it is and I taught them how to say it. I kept on preaching the Holy Rosary and the devotion took root in the parish. Six months later I was overjoyed to see that people had really changed for the better. How true it is that this God-given prayer has divine power— the power to touch our hearts and to fill them with horror of sin and the love of virtue!
One day Our Lady said to Bl. Alan:
Just as Almighty God chose the Angelic Salutation to bring about the Incarnation of His Word and the Redemption of mankind, in the same way those who want to bring about moral reforms and who want people reborn in Jesus Christ must honor me and greet me with the same salutation. I am the channel by which God came to men, and so, next to my Son Jesus Christ, it is through me that men must obtain grace and virtue.
I, who write this, have learned from my own experience that the Rosary has the power to convert even the most hardened hearts. I have known people who have gone to missions and who have heard sermons on the most terrifying subjects without being in the least moved; and yet, after they had, on my advice, started to say the Rosary every day they eventually became converted and gave themselves completely to God. When I have gone back again to visit parishes where I have given missions I have seen a tremendous difference in them; in those parishes where people had given up the Rosary they had generally fallen back into their sinful ways again, whereas in places where the Rosary was said faithfully I found the people were persevering hi the grace of God and were advancing each day in virtue.
Admirable Effects
Bl. Alan de la Roche, Father Jean Dumont, Father Thomas, the chronicles of St. Dominic and other writers who have seen these things with their own eyes speak of the marvelous conversions that are brought about by the Holy Rosary. Great sinners—both men and women—have been converted after 20, 30 or even 40 years of sin and unspeakable vice, because they persevered in saying the Holy Rosary. And these have been people who, beforehand, had been deaf to all pleading! I shall not tell you about those wonderful conversions here because I do not want to make this book too long. And I am not even going to refer to those which I have seen with my very own eyes: there are several reasons why I would rather not talk about them (2).
Dear reader, I promise you that if you practice this devotion and help to spread it you will learn more from the Rosary than from any spiritual book. And what is more, you will have the happiness of being rewarded by Our Lady in accordance with the promises that she made to St. Dominic, to Bl. Alan de la Roche and to all those Who practice and encourage this devotion which is so dear to her. For the Holy Rosary teaches people about the virtues of Jesus and Mary, and leads them to mental prayer and to imitate Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It teaches them to approach the Sacraments often, to genuinely strive after Christian virtues and to do all kinds of good works, as well as interesting them in the many wonderful indulgences which can be gained through the Rosary.
People ore often quite unaware of how rich the Rosary is in indulgences. This is because many priests, when preaching on the Rosary, hardly ever mention indulgences and give rather a flowery and popular sermon which excites admiration but scarcely teaches anything.
Be that as it may I shall say no more than to assure you, in the words of Bl. Alan de la Roche, that the Holy Rosary is the root and the storehouse of countless blessings. For through the Holy Rosary:
1. Sinners are forgiven;
2. Souls that thirst are refreshed;
3. Those who are fettered have their bonds broken;
4. Those who weep find happiness;
5. Those who are tempted find peace;
6. The poor find help;
7. Religious are reformed;
8. Those who are ignorant are instructed;
9. The living learn to overcome pride;
10. The dead (the Holy Souls) have their pains eased by suffrages.
One day Our Lady said to Bl. Alan:
I want people who have a devotion to my Rosary to have my Son’s grace and blessing during their lifetime and at their death, and after their death I want them to be freed from all slavery so that they will be like kings wearing crowns and with scepters in their hands and enjoying eternal glory.
Amen. So be it.
This article was excerpted from The Secret of the Rosary, Montfort Publications, 1999.
Notes
(1) This incident is referred to by St. Louis in his “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary” when he explains that those who love Our Lady are not lost Cf. paragraph 42. M.B.
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Wow, Gallieo, do you think you could have given us a summary of those 100+ pages? I didn't think we were allowed to cut and paste books or extremely long portions thereof.
I must say in all sincerity, Catholics have added a lot of stuff to their belief system that is not in the Bible. Praying to Mary or the saints as if we are instructed anywhere to do so. No, we pray to the Father or Jesus, we have a direct channel of communication with God. The Bible tells us that Mary was Jesus mother and that she was blessed. That means happy. She was chosen to be His mother, she served well and that's it, no worship or glorification was evident in scripture, no attention or relationship required of us mentioned. Purgatory is not mentioned ... maybe in the Apocrypha literature. Even so, once a person dies, their destiny is sealed, they don't get a second chance to somehow burn sins off, as if Jesus sacrifice for our sins wasn't sufficient.
You either are saved or not. Of course after being ushered into Hades, one would immediately change their attitude and believe if that were so. "Ok, OK ... I'm sorry ... I believe now ... Please forgive me .... One more chance?"
Everyone would opt for that, but then Christ death would not be that crucially important ... "I'll get a second chance in purgatory and just live my way now." It completely contradicts the idea that once you are saved, you are spiritually cleansed of all sins: past, present and future, so that at any sudden moment of death, you go directly to the LORD. Our spirits are clean, white as snow and this is how the Father sees us. Sin dwells in the members of our flesh, but we leave our flesh behind when we die so no further actions are necessary.
The Pope believes in theistic evolution along with the Catholic Church. They also would view the entire book of Revelation as symbolic and that much of it happened already.
Everyone, just stick with the Bible and take everything else with a grain of salt. Make sure whatever you read conforms to and can be supported by scripture. Test it. Some holy Priest or Nun claims they had a vision -- test it. The Lady of Guadulupe has a vision of Mary ... good for her, what does that do for your faith in Jesus? Now a vision of heaven or Jesus or a visitation by an angel, that's interesting, but be careful, the Devil can appear as an angel of light. Joseph Smith had a visitation ... Look how many follow that path?
I must say in all sincerity, Catholics have added a lot of stuff to their belief system that is not in the Bible. Praying to Mary or the saints as if we are instructed anywhere to do so. No, we pray to the Father or Jesus, we have a direct channel of communication with God. The Bible tells us that Mary was Jesus mother and that she was blessed. That means happy. She was chosen to be His mother, she served well and that's it, no worship or glorification was evident in scripture, no attention or relationship required of us mentioned. Purgatory is not mentioned ... maybe in the Apocrypha literature. Even so, once a person dies, their destiny is sealed, they don't get a second chance to somehow burn sins off, as if Jesus sacrifice for our sins wasn't sufficient.
You either are saved or not. Of course after being ushered into Hades, one would immediately change their attitude and believe if that were so. "Ok, OK ... I'm sorry ... I believe now ... Please forgive me .... One more chance?"
Everyone would opt for that, but then Christ death would not be that crucially important ... "I'll get a second chance in purgatory and just live my way now." It completely contradicts the idea that once you are saved, you are spiritually cleansed of all sins: past, present and future, so that at any sudden moment of death, you go directly to the LORD. Our spirits are clean, white as snow and this is how the Father sees us. Sin dwells in the members of our flesh, but we leave our flesh behind when we die so no further actions are necessary.
The Pope believes in theistic evolution along with the Catholic Church. They also would view the entire book of Revelation as symbolic and that much of it happened already.
Everyone, just stick with the Bible and take everything else with a grain of salt. Make sure whatever you read conforms to and can be supported by scripture. Test it. Some holy Priest or Nun claims they had a vision -- test it. The Lady of Guadulupe has a vision of Mary ... good for her, what does that do for your faith in Jesus? Now a vision of heaven or Jesus or a visitation by an angel, that's interesting, but be careful, the Devil can appear as an angel of light. Joseph Smith had a visitation ... Look how many follow that path?
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