Padre Pio 1st Letter-Holy Mass Guidelines

When in school in the VIII standard, I found a picture of Padre Pio on the floor. To me, this was no coincidence.

Of all the places in the world, he let me find him, on the ground. HUMILITY, my first lesson! I am still learning.  

It was my first meeting with Padre Pio. And in my heart – I knew him.

Holly and Gerry are a married couple, deeply in love. They fight occasionally. 

One winter, Gerry dies of a brain tumor.

Deeply distraught, Holly withdraws from her family and friends. As they rally around Holly on her birthday and help organize her apartment, a cake is delivered, and with it is a message from Gerry. It proves to be the first of several meaningful messages—all ending "P.S. I Love You" — which he had arranged to have delivered to her after his death.

As the seasons pass, each new message fills her with encouragement and sends her on a new adventure. Holly's mother says that Gerry's letters are keeping Holly tied to the past. But they are, in fact, pushing her into the future. With Gerry's words as her guide, Holly slowly embarks on a journey of rediscovery.

(This is a movie, I watched before I could come across the letters of Padre Pio. And when I did, I KNEW, this was no coincidence. BE OPEN!)

This is the letter, I first came across years back. July 25, 1915. A Letter from Padre Pio to Annita Rodote (my name-Anita). An advice on how to attend the Holy Mass. This is my connection with Padre Pio. This is what matters to me and these are Padre Pio’ guidelines to me too.

I Believe! 

I know, I am nothing without GOD! 

I have updated Padre Pio' letters, to Annita Rodote with guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

Beloved daughter of Jesus,

May Jesus and our Mother always smile on your soul, obtaining for it, from Her most holy Son, all the heavenly charisms!

I am writing to you for two reasons: to answer some more questions from your last letter, and to wish you a very happy names-day in the most sweet Jesus, full of all the most special heavenly graces. Oh! If Jesus granted my prayers for you or, better still, if only my prayers were worthy of being granted by Jesus! However, I increase them a hundredfold for your consolation and salvation, begging Jesus to grant them, not for me but through the heart of his paternal goodness and infinite mercy.

In order to avoid irreverence and imperfections in the house of God, in The Church - which The Divine Master calls the house of prayer - I exhort you in the Lord to practice the following. 

Enter the church in silence and with great respect, considering yourself unworthy to appear before the Lord's Majesty. Amongst other pious considerations, remember that our soul is the temple of God and as such, we must keep it pure and spotless before God and his angels. Let us blush for having given access to the devil and his snares many times (with his enticements to the world, his pomp, his calling to the flesh) by not being able to keep our hearts pure and our bodies chaste; for having allowed our enemies to insinuate themselves into our hearts, thus desecrating the temple of God which we became through holy Baptism.

Then take holy water and make the sign of the cross carefully and slowly.

As soon as you are before God in the Blessed Sacrament, devoutly genuflect.

Once you have found your place, kneel down and render the tribute of your presence and devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Confide all your needs to him along with those of others. Speak to him with filial abandonment, give free rein to your heart and give him complete freedom to work in you as he thinks best.

When assisting at Holy Mass and the sacred functions, be very composed when standing up, kneeling down, and sitting, and carry out every religious act with the greatest devotion. Be modest in your glances; don't turn your head here and there to see who enters and leaves. Don't laugh, out of reverence for this holy place and also out of respect for those who are near you. Try not to speak to anybody, except when charity or strict necessity requests this.

If you pray with others, say the words of the prayer distinctly, observe the pauses well and never hurry.

In short, behave in such a way that all present are edified by it and, through you, are urged to glorify and love the heavenly Father.

On leaving the church, you should be recollected and calm. Firstly take your leave of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament; ask his forgiveness for the shortcomings committed in his divine presence and do not leave him without asking for and having received his paternal blessing.

Once you are outside the church, be as every follower of the Nazarene should be. Above all, be extremely modest in everything, as this is the virtue, which, more than any other, reveals the affections of the heart. Nothing represents an object more faithfully or clearly than a mirror. (My often used cautionary line, 'the mirror reflects') (My mom, recently gave me a mirror, which was distributed by a Priest, with a certain advice. I keep that mirror with me.) 

In the same way, nothing more widely represents the good or bad qualities of a soul than the greater or lesser regulation of the exterior, as when one appears more or less modest. You must be modest in speech, modest in laughter, modest in your bearing, modest in walking. All this must be practiced, not out of vanity in order to display one's self, nor out of hypocrisy in order to appear to be good to the eyes of others, but rather, for the internal virtue of modesty, which regulates the external workings of the body.

Therefore, be humble of heart, circumspect in words, prudent in your resolutions. Always be sparing in your speech, assiduous in good reading, attentive in your work, modest in your conversation. Don't be disgusting to anybody but be benevolent towards all and respectful towards your elders. May any sinister glance be far from you, may no daring word escape your lips, may you never carry out any immodest or somewhat free action; never a rather free action or a petulant tone of voice. In short let your whole exterior be a vivid image of the composure of your soul.

Always keep the modesty of the divine Master before your eyes.

Never forget this divine model, Annita. Try to see a certain lovable majesty in his presence, a certain pleasant authority in his manner of speaking, a certain pleasant dignity in walking, in contemplating, speaking, conversing; a certain sweet serenity of face. Imagine that extremely composed and sweet expression with which he drew the crowds, making them leave cities and castles, leading them to the mountains, the forests, to the solitude and deserted beaches of the sea, totally forgetting food, drink and their domestic duties.

Thus let us try to imitate, as far as we possibly can, such modest and dignified actions. And let us do our utmost to be, as far as possible, similar to him on this earth, in order that we might be more perfect and more similar to him for the whole of eternity in the heavenly Jerusalem.

I end here as I am unable to continue, recommending that you never forget me before Jesus, especially during these days of extreme affliction for me...... 

Don't worry if you are unable to answer my letter for the moment. I know everything so don't worry. 

I take my leave of you in the holy kiss of the Lord. I am always your servant.

Fra Pio, Capuchin.

Padre Pio was asked what his Mass meant to him. He responded:

• “It is a sacred participation in the passion of Jesus. All that the Lord suffered in His passion, I suffer, to the extent that it is possible to a human being. And that is apart from any merit of mine, but entirely due to His goodness.”
• “Every holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we, ourselves, do not know.”

• “If we only knew how God regards it, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass.”
• “The mass gives to God an infinite glory.”
• “Mass is redemption of your soul and reconciliation with God.”
• “Listen to the Mass the way the Virgin Mary stood at Calvary”
• “The holy Mass regenerates the world.”
• “The fruits that we receive at Mass cannot be enumerated. We will know it only in Paradise.”
• “I want to save my soul at any cost. I live for Jesus Christ, I live for his glory, I live to serve him, I live to love him. If it depended on me I would never leave the altar.” (PadrePio)

Padre Pio 2nd Letter-Guardian Angel

I Believe! I know, I am nothing without GOD! I have updated Padre Pio' letters, to Annita Rodote with guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Padre Pio ends this letter with-: 'May you live and die in the arms of Jesus.'

In my letter dated October 10, 2020, I had included Christina Perri' - 'In your arms'. It was as Jesus instructed. At the time, I was unsure, because I did not fully understand it. But, I now remember and I now understand.

It was one of the days, in the year before, when Jesus explained how death would come. Jesus says, my eyes close, looking into His Face one moment and when they open the next moment, Jesus is right there. 

When I breathe my last, it will be in the arms of Jesus, as promised by Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. And as Padre Pio ends this letter, he writes, 'live and die in the arms of Jesus'.

July 15, 1913 - From Padre Pio to Annita Rodote. In this letter he gives her valuable advice regarding how to be with her Guardian Angel; locutions; and prayer. 

As each and every one of us has a Guardian Angel, it would do us well to take Padre Pio’s advice to heart.

J.M.J.D.F.C.

Dear daughter of Jesus,

May your heart always be the temple of the most holy Trinity; may Jesus increase in your soul the ardour of his love and may he always smile on you as on all souls whom he loves. May most holy Mary smile on you throughout all the events of your life, and abundantly replace the earthly mother you lack.

May your good guardian angel always watch over you; may he be your guide on the rugged path of life. May he always keep you in the grace of Jesus and sustain you with his hands so that you may not stumble on a stone. May he protect you under his wings from all the snares of the world, the devil and the flesh.

Have great devotion, Annita, to this good angel; how consoling it is to know that near us is a spirit who, from the cradle to the tomb, does not leave us even for an instant, not even when we dare to sin. And this heavenly spirit guides and protects us like a friend, a brother.

But it is extremely consoling to know that this angel prays without ceasing for us; offers to God all our good actions, our thoughts, our desires, if they are pure.

For pity's sake, don't forget this invisible companion, always present, always ready to listen to us and even more ready to console us. O delightful intimacy, O delightful company! If we could only understand it!

Always keep him present to your mind's eye. Often remember the presence of this angel; thank him, pray to him, always keep him good company. Open up yourself to him and confide your suffering to him. Have a constant fear of offending the purity of his gaze. Know this and keep it well imprinted on your mind. He is so delicate, so sensitive. Turn to him in times of supreme anxiety and you will experience his beneficial help.

Never say you are alone in sustaining the battle against your enemies. Never say you have nobody to whom you can open up and confide. 

You would do this heavenly messenger a grave wrong.

As regards those interior locutions, don't worry but be calm. What you must avoid is that your heart becomes attached to these locutions. Don't give too much importance to them; show that you are indifferent. Neither despise love, nor long for such things. Always reply to these voices: "Jesus, if it is you who are speaking to me, let me see the facts and the effects of your words, that is, holy virtue in me."

Humble yourself before the Lord and confide in him, spending your energies by divine grace, in practicing the virtues, and then let grace work in you as God wishes. It is virtue which sanctifies the soul and not supernatural phenomena.

And don't confuse yourself by trying to understand which locutions come from God. If God is their author, one of the principle signs is that as soon as those voices are heard, they fill the soul with fear and confusion, but afterwards, they leave a divine peace. On the contrary, when the author of internal locutions is the devil, they begin with a false security, followed by agitation and an unspeakable malaise.

I do not doubt at all that God is the author of those locutions, but one must be very cautious because often, the enemy mixes a lot of his own work through them. But this must not frighten you; this is the trial to which even the greatest saints and most enlightened souls were subjected, and they were acceptable to the Lord. You must simply be careful never to believe in these locutions too easily, especially when they concern how you must behave and what you must do. But you must receive them and submit them to the judgment of him who directs you. Then you should resign yourself to his decision.

Therefore it is best to receive similar locutions with great caution and constant indifference. Behave in this way and everything will increase your merit before the Lord. Don't worry about your spiritual life; Jesus loves you and very much, and you try to correspond to his love by always advancing more and more in holiness before God and men.

Pray vocally also; as the time has not yet come to leave these prayers, and patiently and humbly bear the difficulties you experience in doing this. Be ready, also, to undergo distractions and aridity, and you must by no means neglect prayer and meditation. It is the Lord who wishes to treat you in this manner for your spiritual advantage.

Forgive me if I end here. Only God knows how much it cost me to write this letter. I am very ill; pray a great deal that the Lord may desire to free me from this body soon.

I bless you along with the excellent Francesca. May you live and die in the arms of Jesus.

F. Pio

Padre Pio 3rd Letter-A Prayer for The Church

March 8, 1915. A letter from Padre Pio to Annita Rodote, A Prayer for The Church.

I have learnt that we all have to do our part. We need to give our best for the greater Glory of God!

Addressing our Heavenly Father, Padre Pio wrote:

"May the apostasy of many souls belonging to the sheepfold of Jesus Christ come to an end once and for all. May God's reign come soon; may this most holy Father sanctify His Church; may He abundantly shower His mercy on those souls who have not known Him up to now. May He destroy the reign of Satan and reveal to all the evil snares; and what a liar he is.

"May the most tender Father enlighten the intelligence and touch the hearts of all men, so that the fervent may not become cooler or slow down in the ways of salvation, that the lukewarm may become more fervent, and those who have moved far from Him may return. May He also dissipate and confuse all the wise of this world so that they do not wage war and inhibit the propagation of His reign.

"Finally, may this most holy Father banish from His Church all the dissension that exists, so that there will be only one sheepfold and only one Shepherd. May He multiply a hundredfold the number of chosen souls, send us many saints. May He, through them, make fervor return to all Christian souls.

"May the number of Catholic missionaries increase, as we once again have reason to complain to the divine Master: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."

"Annita, don't ever forget to pray for these needs which I have set out. Thus, without your either being an apostle, a priest or a missionary, you will gain that crown which the heavenly Father has prepared ab aeterno (meaning- From eternity, from the beginning of time) for them.

"But there is another prayer which you must never neglect: See how much scorn and sacrilege is committed by the sons of men towards the Most Holy humanity of His Son in the sacrament of love? It is up to us, Annita, as we have been chosen beforehand by the Lord's goodness, to be members of His Church." It is up to us, to defend the honor of this meek Lamb who is always concerned when the case of souls is in question, but always silent where His own case is concerned.

"Let our entire lives, our every action and all our aspirations be completely directed towards making reparation for the offenses which our ungrateful brothers continually do to Him.

"But our thoughts must be raised higher still. There is a Father up there who alone can and must give everything to glorify this most holy Son of His. We must knock at this divine Father's heart, with holy and filial confidence, and pray that He Himself will take on the defense of Jesus in the Sacrament, either by bringing about an end to the world or to stop so much iniquity."

Padre Pio 4th Letter-Thy Will be done!

How good the Lord is to everyone! But how much more does he demonstrate that goodness to those who have a genuine and sincere desire to please him in everything and await the fulfilment of his divine purposes in them! Learn to recognise and worship God’s will even more concerning all human events. 

Often repeat the divine words of our dearest Master: “Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” [Matthew 6:10]. 

May this lovely prayer always be in your heart and on your lips in all the circumstances of your life. Repeat these words when you are afflicted; repeat them when you are tempted and when you undergo trials that Jesus sends you. Repeat them even when you are engulfed in the ocean of Jesus’ love. That prayer will be your anchor and your salvation. 

(To Annita Rodote, February 6, 1915)