St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Capuchin Priest, stigmatist and incorruptible.

 St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Capuchin Priest, stigmatist and incorruptible.

Born May 25, 1887 at Pietrelcina, Benevento, Italy to a southern Italian farm family as Francesco Forgione, the son of Grazio. He was a shepherd, and at age 15 he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars in Morcone, Italy, joining the order at age 19. He suffered several health problems, and at one point his family thought he had tuberculosis. He was ordained at age 22 on August 10, 1910.

While praying before a cross, he received the stigmata on September 20, 1918, the first priest ever to be so blessed. 

- He would hear confessions by the hour, reportedly able to read the consciences of those who held back. 

-Reportedly, he was able to bilocate, levitate, and heal by touch. 

-In 1956 he founded the House for the Relief of Suffering, a hospital that serves 60,000 a year. 

-In the 1920’s he started a series of prayer groups that continue today with over 400,000 members worldwide.

- He died September 23, 1968 in San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy of natural causes.

Canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on December 20, 2001. 

-Usually the testimony book during the course of canonization is have up to 3 books but St. Pio's was up to 16.

St. FrancisMary of Camporoso, Capuchin Brother.

An Italian Roman Catholic professed religious from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He became a beggar(questor) in Genoa where he sought alms from people and was known for his holiness which prompted people to come and see him.

St. Joseph of Cupertino, Franciscan mystic and the patron saint of pilots and air passengers.

 

He was born in Cupertino, Italy. After short stay with the Capuchins, he was accepted by the Conventual Franciscans at Grattela, where he received ordination in 1628. Though known for his reluctance in studies, he made it to the priesthood miraculously and demonstrated many gifts, including the ability to fly through the air about 70 ecstatic incidence was recorded.  Joseph's gift led him to be humble, patient and obedience. He died at Osimo and was canonized in 1767.

Why no preaching?

 

I was shocked when someone told me he saw in a filling station an inscription, "no smoking, no preaching" What is happening?

I was travelling from Lagos to Delta when I came across a preacher who after preaching and praying passed a pamphlet containing small envelop. I was on my habit, to my surprise she called me and handed over this pamphlet, I reluctantly collected it. I called the woman and asked her, what's your message this morning? Save a soul or support my ministry? Can you do without asking at the end for support, we could be touched at the end to support you but think about it, has my preaching become a business? She started quoting scripture to me and I simply returned the whole thing and referred to today's reading, Jesus was not seen asking for support after proclaiming the word hence he said, my food is to do my father's will and also he never lacked what to eat, the people were sensitive to provide. 

We know our dear preachers have needs but when you form the habit of asking and tasking people, it becomes a type of business where you get rewarded for your good work. 

Why don't make sacrifice, don't always task people and people may give moved by inspiration. The bus moved away and thus I hope the message was passed.   

#an opinion 

Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis was the first person, historically recorded, who bore the marks of the crucified Christ in his hands, his feet, and in his side.

He received the marks some two-years prior while in prayer on the remote mountaintop of Mt. Alverna (also known as La Verna). Francis had gone there with two other friars, Brother Leo being one. While deep in prayer on a day near the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, a crucified seraph (angel) appeared.

Sts. Cornelius, pope Cyprian, bishop (martyrs)

For 14 months, there was no pope after the martyrdom of St. Fabian, the church was governed by a college of Priest. St. Cyprian, a friend of Cornelius wrote that Cornelius be elected pope. This he was for two years. With the sacrament of penance, he readmitted Christians who have denied Christ during the persecution.

These men were God's instrument in helping the church find prudent path between extremes of rigorism and laxity. They are part of the Church's ever-living streams of tradition, ensuring the continuance of what was begun by Christ, and evaluating new experiences through the wisdom and experience of  those who have gone before.

Mother of Sorrow, Queen of peace. Pray for us

Today is memorial of Our Lady of Sorrow

"And sword will pierce your own soul too, so that the secret thoughts of many may  be laid bare" (Luke 2:35)

We have to live life to the full- moments of joy, we prosper and make Merry. Also expect pain, poverty and suffering. They make us weak but stronger, yearn for but trust all the more. 

Christ did not promise us sun without rain, love without hurt, life without suffering, he promises to fill our suffering with his presence!

We all can't be suffering at the same time, so that others can console us, give us hope and joy to balance our affliction. I need you, we need us.

Every cross we bear has been sanctified with equivalent grace within, that's why when you think you can't go on, God sends your Mother Mary, Simon of Cyrene, Veronica and women of Jerusalem. Say Yes, accept the cross, for there lies the crown, death- resurrection.

Mother sorrows, Queen of peace, pray for us!

Good morning. Have a nice day

-Gerald Nwogueze OFMCap

Join in praying the Novena to Padre Pio Day 7

Novena to Padre Pio - Day 6

O St. Pio, I come to you today knowing that you are truly a miracle worker. As one who is close to Jesus, I ask that you would pray for these my intentions: (State your intentions here) I pray with the words of Pope John Paul II as I beg for your prayers on my behalf: “Glorious, humble and beloved Padre Pio. Teach us, we pray, humility of heart, so that we may be counted among the little ones of the Gospel to whom the Father promised to reveal the mysteries of His Kingdom. Help us to pray without ceasing, certain that God knows what we need even before we ask Him. “Obtain for us the eyes of faith that will help us recognize in the poor and suffering, the very face of Jesus. “Sustain us in the hour of trouble and trial and, if we fall, let us experience the joy of the sacrament of forgiveness. Grant us your tender devotion to Mary, mother of Jesus and our Mother. “Accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage toward the blessed Homeland, where we too, hope to arrive to contemplate forever the Glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Amen In closing, St. Pio, we pray the prayer you composed for Confidence and Trust in God’s Mercy: “O Lord, we ask for a boundless confidence and trust in Your divine mercy, and the courage to accept the crosses and sufferings which bring immense goodness to our souls and that of Your Church. Help us to love You with a pure and contrite heart, and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross, as we climb the mountain of holiness, carrying our cross that leads to heavenly glory. May we receive You with great faith and love in Holy Communion, and allow You to act in us as You desire for your greater glory. O Jesus, most adorable Heart and eternal fountain of Divine Love, may our prayer find favor before the Divine Majesty of Your heavenly Father.” Amen. All glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. St. Padre Pio, Pray for us! Amen.

Read more at: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/novena-to-padre-pio
 

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

 

Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

The feast was celebrated in Rome before the end of the 7th century. Its purpose is to commemorate the recovering of that portion of the Holy Cross which was preserved at Jerusalem, and which had fallen into the hands of the Persians. Emperor Heraclius recovered this precious relic and brought it back to Jerusalem on 3 May 629.

"We exalt and adore you O Christ, for by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world"

All I preach is Him crucified.

-St. Paul

The crucifix is my source.

 -St. Bonaventure 

Gaze, contemplate and imitate him crucified

-St. Clare of Assisi

I can't hold back my tears at the innocence/ humility of the babe in Manger and the dying Jesus on the cross.

-St. Francis of Assisi

Fashion into a cross every distress and pain you experience and lift it on your shoulder following his footsteps, Calvary is very near.

-Gerald Nwogueze OFMCap

Prayer before and after confession

From All Catholic Prayers App

Prayer before Confession Devotion

Receive my confession, O most loving and gracious Lord Jesus Christ, only hope for the salvation of my soul. Grant to me true contrition of soul, so that day and night I may by penance make satisfaction for my many sins. Savior of the world, O good Jesus, Who gave Yourself to the death of the Cross to save sinners, look upon me, most wretched of all sinners; have pity on me, and give me the light to know my sins, true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose of never committing them again. 

O gracious Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of Jesus, I implore you to obtain for me by your powerful intercession these graces from your Divine Son. 

St. Joseph, pray for me.

Prayers After Confession # 2 Devotion

What thanks do I not owe to Thee, my God! not only for having created me, redeemed me, and called me into the bosom of Thy Church, but still more for having waited for my return whilst I was wandering from Thee in the miserable paths of sin; for having so often pardoned me, as I hope Thou hast done this day, and for having preserved me from so many other sins, into which I should have fallen had I not been preserved by Thy gracious hand. But my enemies will not cease to tempt until death, and if Thou support me not, alas! I shall soon begin again to offend Thee more grievously than ever. Grant me then, through the merits of Jesus Christ the precious grace of final perseverance. The Divine Saviour has assured us that whatever we ask in His Name, Thou wilt grant it to us. I entreat Thee, therefore, through all that Thy dear Son suffered for me, never to let me forsake Thee any more. I feel the greatest confidence that, if I continue to pray for this grace, I shall obtain it, because Thou hast promised to hear our prayers. But I tremble with fear lest, in some unguarded moment, I should forget my dependence on Thee, fail to invoke Thy help, and thus relapse into my former misery. Grant, therefore, that in all my temptations I may have instant recourse to Thee, by invoking the holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Thus, O my Lord, I may confidently hope to die in Thy grace, and to love Thee forever in heaven, where I shall be sure never to be separated from Thee, and to be consumed in the fire of Thy holy love for all eternity.

Amen.

Catholic Prayers - http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=wiktoria.goroch.bible_prayers

His mercy is greater than my sins.

Don't give up, struggle on, God will support us, just trust the process! No one said its going to be easy, only know its going be worth it.

Which is better to say when we sin,

 "o my soul, we are so miserable, useless and most abominable of all creatures cus we have offended him who loves us so much"  

Or

"O my soul, yes we have messed up, arise and let's make effort not to mess up again?"

The truth is that, 

we still need to promise again and yet again and again never to sin again. No matter how many times we have made them and broke them, because God counts and sees every conscious effort you make keeping them not only the number of "I will never do it again," only do not take those second chances for granted.

Sometimes God allows me to fall just to let the "Have mercy on us" make more meaning and to turn accusing finger inward. Cus I will be more slow to judge the other person whose sin may have irritated me. I will then be like, I don't have power to condemn. Then "Your, him, you" turns to "Our, We, Us" 

He loves US even in OUR weaknesses. Let's pray for each other and not condemn ourselves.

 

St. Peter Claver, Jesuit Priest.

 

Born at 1581 at Verdu, Catalonia, Spain in 1581, SAINT PETER CLAVER was the son of a farmer. He studied at the University of Barcelona and entered the Jesuits at age 20. After his ordination as a priest he was influenced by Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez to become a missionary in America. He ministered physically and spiritually to slaves when they arrived in Cartegena, Colombia, having converting a reported 300,000, and working for the humane treatment on the plantations for 40 years. He organized charitable societies among the Spanish in the New World similar to those organized in Europe by Saint Vincent de Paul.

Saint Peter died on 8 September 1654 at Cartegena of natural causes

Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary

This feast probably originated after the Council of Ephesus in 431, which established her right to the title of “Mother of God.” It was first mentioned in a hymn composed by Saint Romanus, an ecclesiastical lyrist of the Greek Church and adopted by the Roman Church in the 17th century.

Ant. Your birth, O Virgin Mother of God, proclaims joy to the whole world, for from you arose the glorious Sun of Justice, Christ our God; he freed us from the age-old curse and filled us with holiness; he destroyed death and gave us eternal life.

Blessed Fredric Ozananm, founder of St. Vincent de Paul society.

 

He founded with fellow students the Conference of Charity, later known as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in the cathedral church Notre Dame de Paris in 1997.

Bl. Claudio Granzotto

 Bl. Claudio Granzotto

Feastday:August 15

Birth:1900

Death:1947

Beatified By:20 November 1994 by Pope John Paul II

Claudio Granzotto was the youngest of nine children in a peasant farming family. His father died when Claudio was nine years old. Drafted into the Italian army at age 15, he served three years. Sculptor, studying and graduating with honours from the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, Italy in 1929. Professed brother of the Order of Friars Minor in 1933. Known for his life of prayer, his work with the poor, and his unquestioned artistic skill.