As we approach the Feast Day of St. Padre Pio on September 23, we share an excerpt from a letter from Padre Pio to Maria Gargani* on December 10, 1917. 

"My most beloved daughter, try to keep peace in your heart through a balance of moods…. Guard against finding a reason to upset yourself; in order to be able to submit your various moods when you are being tried. Do you know what religion is? It is the academy of perfection in which each soul must learn to allow itself to be handled, planed, and smoothed by the divine Spirit, when He also acts as a doctor of our souls so that, having been well planed and smoothed, they can be united and joined to the Will of God. 
 
"The evident sign of perfection is that of being submissive to the Divine Will in the trials of the spirit. Religion is a hospital for the spiritually ill who wish to be cured, and in order to achieve this, they must submit themselves to bleeding, the lancet, the razor, some probing, surgical instruments, fire, and all the pains of medicine. 
 
"O my daughter, do not give too much importance to what the enemy and your imagination suggest to you regarding your interior suffering and spiritual aridity, being sure that this is best for you. Lovingly, sweetly, and tenderly, make this resolution: either to die or be cured. And as you don’t want to die spiritually, try to be healed perfectly. And in order to be healed, desire to bear the treatment and correction of the Divine Doctor, and beseech Him not to spare you in anything in order to save you." 

* Maria Gargani was an elementary school teacher, and an active member of Catholic Action and Third Order of St. Francis. With Padre Pio's approval, she founded the Sisters Apostles of the Sacred Heart. Padre Pio provided spiritual direction through the 67 letters he wrote to her between August 26, 1916 and May 16, 1923. Her process of canonization is currently underway. 

TAGS: Reflection

The title above is a slogan often used in the recycling industry. Seems like it could be used in our everyday spiritual life as well. 

For those times when you don't know which road to take, way to think, words to say, or thing to do,  remember: "when in doubt, throw it out." 

You have two choices. Would my thought, word, or deed fit more into the world's "bin," or in God's "bin"? God's "bin" is always the better choice when confronted with a perplexing situation. It is better to be safe than to cause adverse effects by following what others deem to be right. 

Just like that plastic bag or plastic cup, without absolute knowledge of right versus wrong, simply make the inconclusive, but seemingly better, decision to follow the path of God and place the situation in His "bin". 

God of unfathomable knowledge, lead me to always choose You. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

"No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 

Do you ever feel like you have “information overload” or have been inundated with TMI (too much information)? It seems as though we can only take so much before we start “bursting at the seams.” Like this utility tower, we start spouting out in every direction, sometimes by laughing, crying, yelling, or some other outburst, in order to release the pressure building within us. 

Remember that there will be occasions when God takes us through a time of correction and testing. When we respond the way He wants us to, and not the way we want to, He then brings us out of it and pours His blessings upon us. Many times we want the blessings of God without the testing and correction, but some impurities in our life will only come out with increased pressure. Don’t despise this happening. Look to God and allow Him to finish the work. 

Glorious God, help me to see all situations as a blessing from You. When You give me more than I think I can handle, let me watch how You turn it into something much better than I could imagine. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

“Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart … “ – Joel 2:12 
 
Too often, we approach Ash Wednesday with liturgical gloom and doom. It’s the “black sheep” of the family of dark solemnities in the liturgical calendar, failing even to garner status as a holy day of obligation. But when painted in this light, it’s easy to miss its beautiful invitation to claim our brokenness, embrace our vulnerability, and stand in solidarity with all those who do the same. 
 
The difference between the good in us and the bad in us is sometimes frightfully thin. We so often fall short of the Faith we claim. We have treated people as things and we have treated things as if they were valuable people. 
 
Lent is a season that reminds us to repent and get our lives centered, our priorities straight, and our hearts clean. This holy season offers us a new chance to say, "yes" to the Lover of our Souls who created us and who made us in his own image. Lent is the time for a restoration project that will reveal the beauty of God’s design for us, showing once again the scale, proportion, and priorities intended by our Maker. 
 
Lent is a season of hope and with ashes on our foreheads and hope in our hearts, we go forth to love and serve. For by God’s grace in Christ, we do not have to stay the way we are. 
 
God is ready to heal our woundedness, to make us more whole than ever before. Ash Wednesday is our call to make room for the divine dance to work its sacred magic within us. 
 
Lover of my Soul, as I begin this year's Lenten Journey, turn my attention to the things that matter most to you. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

Now that the tree is out on the curb, and you settle in for a long winter’s nap, savor these words called “The Work of Christmas” by African-American theologian Howard Thurman. 

When the song of the angels is stilled, 
when the star in the sky is gone, 
when the kings and princes are home, 
when the shepherds are back with their flocks, 
the work of Christmas begins: 
to find the lost, 
to heal the broken, 
to feed the hungry, 
to release the prisoner, 
to rebuild the nations, 
to bring peace among the people, 
to make music in the heart. 

Find the lost, and if you are the lost, may you know you have already been found by Love itself. 

Heal the broken, and if you feel broken, know that you are whole, as is, even with all your cracks. That’s how the Light gets in. 

Feed the hungry, and if you are hungry, may you find that spiritual food that fills one forever. 

Release the prisoner, and if you are imprisoned, may you be freed from the bondage of self. 

Rebuild the nations, and if you love this nation, give it your best self by voting, by serving on a jury, by speaking truth to power. 

Bring peace among the people, the kind of peace that comes from within that nothing outside can diminish. 

Make music in the heart and in the heart of this awe-filled, awesome world, sing your song, the one you alone came here to sing. 

SOURCE: "Breathe in your new life" by Regina Brett, 12/25/2022 

TAGS: Reflection

On this Feast Day of St. John of the Cross (December 14), let us reflect on one of his writings, “Advent Poem.” Each of us is called to be pregnant with Love, with Light, with Mercy that we give birth to in our neighborhood: “each of us is the midwife of God.” 
 
If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road 
pregnant with the Holy and say, 
“I need shelter for the night. 
Please take me inside your heart, my time is so close.” 
Then, under the roof of your soul, 
you will witness the sublime intimacy, 
the divine, the Christ, taking birth forever, 
as she grasps your hand for help, 
for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us. 
Yes, there, under the dome of your being, 
does creation come into existence eternally, 
through your womb, dear pilgrim, 
the sacred womb of your soul, 
as God grasps our arms for help: 
for each of us is His beloved servant never far. 
If you want, the virgin will come walking down the street, 
pregnant with Light, and sing! 

TAGS: Reflection

"What? No parking here? Oh, I didn't think that pertained to me." 

Excuses. We all use them to wiggle out of situations, or defend something we know we should or should not have done. 

But excuses aren't truth, and only truth is from God. 

Defend your actions with truth, not with excuses, as "the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Excuses will only defile you. 

Spirit of Truth, guide me at those times when I want to put myself above the truth. Let the truth prevail. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

They stop in the Adoration Chapel where Jesus is waiting for them in the Blessed Sacrament. They are joyous; they are sad. They bow; they kneel. They smile; they cry. They come from all walks of life; dressed in all sorts of attire. They are all ages, all genders, all sizes. They stay for a few minutes or for a few hours. 

Some are too ashamed to even enter into His presence, and choose instead to kneel in the hall before the open door. 

Each of them has a need: to talk,  to share, to dump, to heal. Each of them has a want: counseling, advice, direction, forgiveness. 

The young woman comes in seeking blessings for her school day. The young man comes in seeking companionship as he heads off to college. The adult woman comes in seeking relief for her grieving of the turmoil in her native country. The adult male comes in seeking forgiveness for his errant ways. The priest comes in seeking guidance in his ministry. 

It is a mixed population with varied histories, but all one faith. 

Each of them is looking and searching and finding ... Jesus, their friend. 

TAGS: Reflection

The address on the mailbox was "923", the Feast Day of St. Padre Pio. 

The mailbox must always be full with letters, notes and cards. People sending their thanksgivings, prayers and supplications to St. Pio. 

He reads them all, you know, because he had the gift of looking into souls and scrutinizing consciences. As he explained it, "Through Jesus, I see and hear all -- I see your soul just as you see yourself in a mirror." 

Write to him; speak to him. He will intercede for you. While your letter may never be delivered, your concern will be "read" nonetheless. 

St. Padre Pio, pray for us. 

TAGS: Reflection

Can you hear the singing of the angels? 
Can you hear the plucking of the harps? 
A chorus of heavenly beings to join us on our way. 

We have no need to fear, 
For harm is pushed out of the way. 
The angels guard us daily and lead us not astray. 

Our eyes when we are blinded; 
Our ears when we can't hear. 
The angels protect us from danger and catch us when we fall. 

We cannot see or touch them, 
We sense their omnipresence. 
We know they are ever near us and carry our breath to God. 

Thank you, God, for our angels. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection