Prayer Calendar

A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good.

From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. (Luke 6: 39-45)

You shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve.

You shall not put the Lord your God  to the test (Luke 4: 1-13)

Master, it is good that we are here. This is my chosen Son; listen to him. (Luke 9: 28-36)

Why should it (the fruitless fig tree) exhaust the soil? Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize; it may bear fruit. If not you can cut it down. Luke 13: 1-9)

My son you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice,

because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found. (Luke 1-3, 11-32)

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Prayer of Manasseh

Lord Almighty, God of our ancestors, you made heaven and earth with all their beauty.  

You set limits for creation by your powerful and glorious name.
All things stand in awe in your presence, because no one can endure the splendor of your glory.
Your promised mercies are beyond measure and imagination, because you are the highest,

Lord, kind, patient, and merciful, and you care for your children who suffer.

You, Lord, according to your gentle grace, promised forgiveness to those who are sorry for their sins.
In your great mercy, you allowed sinners to turn from their sins and find salvation.
Lord, God of those who do what is right, you always offer us chances to change our hearts and lives.

You offer me, the sinner, the chance to change my heart and life.

My sins are many, Lord. I am not worthy to look up, to gaze into heaven.

I bow down before you from deep within my heart, imploring your kindness.

Forgive me, Lord, forgive me. For you, Lord, are God of those who turn from their sins.
In me you’ll show how kind you are. Although I’m not worthy, you’ll save me according to your great mercy.

I will praise you continuously all the days of my life, because all the hosts of heaven praise you.

The glory is yours forever and ever. Amen

(adapted abbreviated form of the Penitential Prayer of King Manasseh of Judah, an apocryphal Scripture)

Daily thoughts from the Pen of Padre Pio

Letter to Annita Rodotte – 29 Jnuary 1915

1   May your heart always be the temple of Jesus! May Jesus and Mary be with you always, and with all those souls who love Him with pure hearts. Amen.

2   I am extremely happy for the divine grace of coming to know, not only of your noble soul which is acceptable to the Lord, but also for your longed-for and precious letter.

3   May Jesus be pleased to preserve you always in his holy grace, and make you grow more and more abundantly in charity.

4   I give infinite thanks to the heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, whom I serve with all my spirit for all those heavenly charism and for that peace which he in his paternal divine goodness desired to instill in your heart.

5   To him and not to me, should you render not only the praises due, but also every thanks. Nothing is due to me.

6   I am an instrument which only succeeds in serving some purpose when it is handled by the divine Craftsman.

7   Left to my own devices, I can do nothing but sin…and sin again.

8   Let us thank Jesus for the strength he gave your soul in submitting itself to the divine will, which was manifest to you through me.

9   You must not be surprised therefore, that our common enemy has done all in his power to make you pay no heed to what I wrote you.  This is his task and he receives his reward.

10   But always despise him (satan) and arm yourself against him with increasing steadfastness of faith, as it is written: Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

11   Resist him firm in your faith. Don’t let the many snares of this infernal beast frighten you. Jesus who is always with you and who will fight with and for you, will never permit you to be tricked and overcome.

12   Don’t be afraid when you find yourself in battle with the apostate. Place all your care in God alone, as he has supreme care of you and his vigilant grace will see that you always triumph over all the evil deceit of the enemy.

13   Don’t worry; abandon yourself to the divine heart of Jesus and leave all your cares to him.

14   Always place yourself last amongst those who love the Lord, considering everybody to be better than you.

15   Be humble with others, since God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.  The more graces and favors grow in our soul, the more you should humble yourself.

16   (Humble yourself) always maintaining the humility of our heavenly Mother of God, who, the very instant she became the Mother of God, declared herself to be the servant and handmaid of the same God.

17   Both in happy and sad events, always humble yourself under the powerful hand of God, humble and patiently accepting not only that which pleases the senses.

18   (Patiently accept) even more so, accepting with humility and patience all the tribulations he sends you, in order to render you more and more acceptable to him and always more worthy of the heavenly Homeland.

19   Temptation is a sure sign that the soul is very pleasing to the Lord. Accept everything, therefore, with thanks.

20   The Lord himself has pledged it with His divine word: And because you were acceptable to the Lord, the angel says to Tobit, it was necessary that you should experience temptation.

21   Be comforted, therefore, most beloved daughter (and son) of Jesus, and rejoice in the midst of these very temptations and tribulations, firmly convinced that all this is due to a most extraordinary gesture of the Heavenly Father’s goodness towards your soul.

22   In everything always give thanks to the Father, who is so good, through his most beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

23   Therefore don’t worry, and don’t give the enemy the opportunity of afflicting you.

24   I now suggest to you a most ardent desire of mine and I hope you will carry it out. Choose a learned confessor of upright life, and once you have made his choice, do not change it except for very serious reasons.

25   You cannot imagine how detrimental the changing of one’s confessor is to the poor soul, all the more so if the soul is seeking Christian perfection.

26   I beg you to choose a good director who besides being of upright life and doctrine, must also have experience.  Then open up your entire soul to him and be guided by him in everything and for everything.

27   The Lord does not want (anyone) to live in (a sinful state) and if He permits this I don’t know why, but all will be for the glory of God and the sanctification of souls.

28   Calm the tortures and anxieties of (the) spirit as the soul is most dear to the Lord. Do not be upset about this (no answer to prayer for someone in severe difficulty)

29   (Do not) worry but try to grow more and more in charity, leaving all cares to the divine Master.

30   On my behalf, not to forget this unhappy priest in he treasure of her prayers; this priest who constantly accumulates further debts with the Lord without having any means with which to pay them. Pray always for my speedy departure from this world, because you should know my soul is ill and can only recover when she is united with her God in the heavenly Homeland

31   Write to me whenever you wish and whenever you feel the need. Don’y worry about the words you use; the Lord will take care of everything and will make good that which is imperfect.

Lenten Journey

Lord Jesus Christ, you gather your people during this holy season of Lent, and you call us to repent and believe the G

Gospel. Remove any barriers that keep us from you so that we might live fully the life we received at Baptism and carry our cross each day. You have given us Padre Pio of Pietrelcina as a modern image of the Suffering Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through his intercession and your divine grace, may we turn to you in our need, thank you in our abundance, and share your love with the world around us. Amen.

Litany of the
Stations of the Cross

1. Lord Jesus, that I may see the people in my life through your eyes, and not the eyes of a Pontius Pilate, who washed his hands of responsibility, through Your life-giving Sacrifice, and the intercession of Padre Pio, grant me this grace. *
2. Lord Jesus, that I may embrace the crosses of my life, so that in recognizing my weaknesses I may discover Your strengths, *
3. Lord Jesus, that I may always trust in Your loving care for me, even when I fall, *
4. Lord Jesus, that I may see how often You love me through the people in my life, as Mary loved you, and that I may always keep our Blessed Mother Mary, who accompanies me in life’s journey, in my heart, *
5. Lord Jesus, that I may see that loving others and assisting them in their need is the surest way to find and recognize You in my life, as Simon did, *
6. Lord Jesus, that I may have a deeper and more courageous faith to be unafraid to reach out to others, as Veronica did to You, *
7. Lord Jesus, that I may never hide behind pride, and that I may be ready and willing to begin again after my repeated falls, *
8. Lord Jesus, that I may show compassion to others in their sorrow or need, and place my sorrow or need second to theirs for a while, *
9. Lord Jesus, that I may recognize how much I need You, and rely on Your strength in the many difficulties and pit-falls of life, *
10. Lord Jesus, that I may let go of those things that prevent me from growing closer to You, *
11. Lord Jesus, that I may see Your cross as the great sign of Your love for me, as did our Spiritual Father, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, *
12. Lord Jesus, that I may see my crosses as ways of loving You and dying to myself, *
13. Lord Jesus, that I may learn to place my life in Your hands, and not fear seeming unimportant, useless, helpless…as You allowed Your lifeless body to be placed in the hands of Mary, *
14. Lord Jesus, that I may always believe in Your closeness and loving presence, especially when You seem distant from me, *

Concluding Prayers

Lord Jesus, help me to walk with You each day of my life, even to Calvary. The sorrow and joy, the pain and healing, the failures and triumphs of my life are truly small deaths and resurrections that lead me closer to You. Give me the faith and trust I need to walk with You always.

Mary, Mother of our Redeemer and our most Blessed Mother, be with us through life’s journey. As you comforted Jesus on the road to Calvary by your silent and loving presence, as you held his lifeless body close to your Immaculate Heart, as you offered the sadness and suffering that only a mother can feel when she sees the suffering of her child, look upon me as you looked at Jesus. See His marred image in my frail nature; hold me close to your mother’s heart in my moments of temptation and sin; and pray for me that I may be for God what I was created to be a –LIVING IMAGE OF JESUS. Amen.

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, loving Father and Spiritual Guide, in this most holy season of Lent, be with us. By a singular grace you were blessed to participate in the mystery of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through your ministry, God revealed the marvels of His mercy to numberless souls. Pray for us, that like you, and through your loving intercession we may remain one with Christ in his Passion so as to joyfully attain come with you to the glory of the Resurrection. Intercede for us with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who is God forever and ever. Amen.

(Since it is Lent, with a crucifix before you or in your hand, even the crucifix of the Rosary,

pray the following prayer and add the prayers  for the Holy Father)

Behold, O good and gentle Jesus,

I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight,

and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and beseech Thee

to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity,

with true repentance for my sins and a most firm desire of amendment:

while with deep affection and grief of soul

I consider within myself and mentally contemplate Thy five most precious Wounds,

having before my eyes that which David, the prophet, long ago spoke concerning Thee, my Jesus:

They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all My bones (Psalm 21, 17, 18).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be for the Catholic Church and the intentions of the Holy Father