CHANGE OF HEART - PADRE PIO

 

I remember years ago, when my brother was still alive, visiting their palatial home in Orange County (CA).  It was tastefully and expensively decorated.  In a niche in the great room, was a beautiful alabaster statue of Our Lady and next to her a smaller statue of Padre Pio. I remember thinking, he is not my kind of saint, but then I am not Italian like my sister-in-law.

 Many years down the line, I saw the movie "PADRE PIO”  which was made for Italian TV in two parts. When the film premiered on 17 April 2000, the film was watched by over 11 million people. The second episode was watched by over 12 million people, or about 45.63% of all television viewers in Italy.

Sergio Castellitto plays the saint and Jurgen Prochnow the Apostolate Visitator, who has been sent by the Pope to find the truth regarding the man of God.  The Cardinal is a taunting skeptic in the beginning but leaves with his life changed. 

Saturday is the feast of  this saint, so I highly recommend that you watch this movie. It is over three hours long, but worth every minute and maybe like this Anglo-Saxon, you too may have a change of heart!

                                       My favorite prayer of St. Padre Pio

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without meaning and hope.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I can hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You ever more, and to be always in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be always faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I wish it to be a place of consolation for You, a dwelling of Your love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late; the days are coming to a close and life is passing. Death, judgement and eternity are drawing near. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way, for that I need You. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me, Jesus, because in the darkness of life, with all its dangers, I need You. Help me to recognize You as Your disciples did at the Breaking of the Bread, so that the Eucharist Communion be the light which disperses darkness, the power which sustains me, the  unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death I want to be one with You, and if not by Communion, at least by Your grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolations because I do not deserve them, but I only ask for the gift of Your Presence. Oh yes! I ask this of You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I seek You alone, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and I ask for no other reward but to love You more and more, with a strong active love.

Grant that I may love You with all my heart while on earth, so that I can continue to love you perfectly throughout all eternity, dear Jesus.  Amen