Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti - Padre Pios Words of Hope

Padre Pios Words of Hope

Be quite at peace as regards the
existence of divine love in your heart.
Cast aside all that futile anxiety and
have no fear.

Edited by Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti

Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
Huntington, Indiana 46750

Scripture citations in this work are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used with permission. Padre Pios quotes are taken from Padre Pio of Pietrelcinas Letters, Volumes I, II, and III, and except for some minor editing in order to clarify, condense, and create a more inclusive text are reproduced practically verbatim. Published by San Giovanni Rotondo; used with permission. The illustrations included in the text are by the author, Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti.

If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used without proper credit being given in one manner or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future editions may be corrected accordingly.

Copyright 1999 by Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division,
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. All rights reserved. Published 1999.
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With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission in writing from the publisher. Write:

Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division,
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.,
200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750

ISBN: 0-87973-694-1 (Inventory No. 694)
LCCCN: 99-70511

Cover design by Monica Watts

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

For my husband, Greg, through whom God loves
and guides me

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge the following: Our Sunday Visitor acquisitions editor Jackie Lindsey and project editor Lisa Grote; my parents Norm and Marie Dunn; my children, Doug, Jill, Lori, Dave, Pete, and Ellen; my mentor Teri Martini; our pastor Monsignor D. Boggs; my friends Father J. Crookston, Father T. Stein, Sister Patricia Edward, Donna, Claude, Dorothy Gaudiose, Barbara, Joanie, Veda, Kristi, Andrea, Carolyn, Sherry, Sally, Carol, Mary Lou, Elizabeth, Olive, and Carmen; my prayer partners the Sinsinawa Dominicans; the Ross Library staff; the Lock Haven University Stevenson Library staff; Father Alessio Parente, O.F.M. Cap., of San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, for giving me permission to quote Padre Pios letters; Our Blessed Mother; Padre Pio; my holy guardian angel; and, of course, Christ Our Lord.

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina said, May Jesus keep his gaze turned upon you and enable you to belong to that great multitude seen by the beloved disciple which no person could number (Letters, Volume I and Revelation 7:9).

Introduction

During the eighty-one years of his life, Padre Pio proclaimed a saint by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002 had plenty of reasons to fear, worry, and doubt.

For fifty years, as a monastic priest in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, Pio bore the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ crucified. For fifty years those wounds bled, causing Pios hands to swell, his side to throb, and his feet to ache. Throughout his life, he also endured frequent tests which doctors and scientists performed on his five wounds to see if they had natural or supernatural origin. Every conclusion: Pios stigmata were not of natural origin.

Stigmata

Through spiritual as well as bodily fevers, Padre Pio continued to suffer. During every moment of every trial, he trusted in Jesus and found joy in him: On September 20, 1918, while praying alone in the San Giovanni chapel, Pio trembled as an angelic creature materialized in front of him. Blood dripped from the creatures hands, feet, and side. Terror snaked through Pio at the sight, then he cried out as spears of light radiating from the creature pierced Pios own hands, feet, and side. The young priest slumped to the floor. As blood dripped from his five fresh wounds, he thought he would surely die.

But he lived, and in March of 1919, Pio wrote to a friend who had asked about that moment of stigmatization, ... since September 18 of last year, after the appearances of that heavenly personage, I found my hands and feet pierced and an open wound close to the heart. I dont want you to begin to hold me, a wretch, in high regard as a result of this revelation. Admire the marvels of the Lord and nothing else.

Even though he had received the gift of Christs stigmata, it only made Pio feel more undeserving of Gods love.

But still he trusted and rejoiced.

Take Heart

Live tranquilly and dont be bewildered in the dark night through which your spirit is passing, said Padre Pio. Be patient and resigned while awaiting the return of your divine Sun who will soon come to brighten the forest of your spirit.

Why did Pio have such undying confidence in Christ? Through his own experiences with pain, poverty, frail health, and other trials, Pio learned to take heart; it is Jesus who permits your soul to be in a state of aridity, in darkness.... The Lord wants to lead you amidst the thorns because he wants you to be similar to him.

Exile

On June 9, 1931, Pios superiors suspended him from all priestly duties, except for saying Mass in private. Even though word of his stigmata and other spiritual gifts had already spread around the globe, the Church in her wisdom needed time to investigate these phenomena before allowing the faithful to continue to flock to the San Giovanni monastery where Pio lived.

Were the miracles people claimed had come to them through Padre Pio really from God? Or did those miracles arise from twisted minds and natural causes? Two long years later, when the Church finally allowed Pio to resume his priestly duties, his followers celebrated. God had seen and heard their tears and prayers during Pios exile.

Some of His Other Gifts

For fifty years, Padre Pio bore the gift of the stigmata. Wasnt that enough for one person? Apparently not. In order to help people, God also blessed Pio with the gift of bilocation the ability to be in two places at one time.

Pio had the gift of perfume. Many times when he wanted people to know he was praying for them and that God would meet their needs, the people would smell violets, lilies, and roses. In Confession, Padre Pio had the ability to read a persons soul. If the person concealed sins from him, Pio would reveal them to that person.

God also granted Pio the gift of conversion. Countless people returned to Jesus and the Church through Padre Pios intercession.

By Christs power, Pio healed the sick in body, mind, and soul. Padre Pio also prophesied. During World War II, he told the people of San Giovanni Rotondo that no bombs would hit that city. With a foreign-occupied air base only fifteen miles away, the people refused to believe their Padre. But when the war ended and no bombs had struck their town, they believed.

Though Padre Pio received more than his share of spiritual gifts, he never sought them, never felt worthy of them. He never put the gifts before the giver. About supernatural gifts, Pio wrote,... you must by no means desire such extraordinary things, knowing that it is not these things that render the soul more perfect, but rather, holy Christian virtue.

Pilgrims From Around the World

In spite of and because of all his spiritual gifts, Padre Pio suffered in many ways. The gifts attracted pilgrims from all over the world. People traveled to the rocky, barren land on which San Giovanni perched. They wanted to see, touch, hear, and even smell this now-famous priest. Women came with scissors and tried to snip off pieces of his brown garments to take home as souvenirs. More than once he had to scold people who crowded around him so tightly he thought he might suffocate.