Feast of Saint Padre Pio

 Today is the feast of one of my friends-in-Heaven!  Saint Pio, but to me the Padre really goes with the Pio so... Saint Padre Pio.  There are some saints who just set my heart on fire, this is one of them. He was christened Francesco and seemed to follow very closely in living a life like St. Francis of Assisi right down to the stigmata!  He LIVED the life of a saint, so people thought of him as a saint while he was on earth.  The people loved him so much because to them he was their greatest joy on earth next to God Himself!  And how can we resist those who have such a charitable love and desire for souls?  There simply are some very rare souls who make us want to maintain a closeness with God by the way they live. 
 

Awwww, how sweet is that? 

 

Here are some quote from Padre Pio on the Mass to help us prepare ourselves...

 

It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun, than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Holy Mass is a sacred union of Jesus and myself. I suffer unworthily all that was suffered by Jesus who deigned to allow me to share in His great enterprise of human Redemption.

Then attending Holy Mass, renew your faith and meditate on that Victim who is being immolated for you in order to appease Divine Justice. Do not leave the altar without shedding tears of pain and of love for Jesus who was crucified for your eternal well-being.

Every holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we ourselves, do not know.
I would like to comment on this one as a mother of 11 children.  I think the temptation for parents is to think that they only receive the graces of the Mass when they get a holy feeling during Mass... or something.  That cannot possibly be true or we'd have to cease bringing our children to Mass til they are.. oh... 25 give or take.  Devotion is a movement within one's heart, you know, that area that no one.... even your children :)... can take away from you.  The annoying person next to you or 3 pews in front of you can't take it away from you or any other distraction.  I believe... that devotion stems from an inner peace with oneself that no matter how many times you have to donk your toddler... or teenager... in the head to get them to look in the front, no matter how often you have to take the unruly toddler out, that your devotion is unhindered... challenged, yes, hindered, no.  So don't be afraid of those tempting distractions, you will still receive the graces because your devotion comes from within....

(...this must be true or I haven't ever received any graces from the Mass! :)