BIG C CATHOLICS

September 24, 2017 For Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, prayer united us to God immediately and personally. And it can be like this for us all. Even in prayer, St. Therese teaches simplicity -- talking to God in direct, personal and heartfelt ways. She prayed from her heart as a child speaks to a loving parent they trust. In this she, imitated Our Savior. Communication is the foundation of trust, honesty and love. Today we pray for open communication within our lives. May it manifest itself in our relationship with the Lord as well as in our conversations with others we encounter in life. ____________________________________________ Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of o

Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but with your heart. In fact, on certain occasions you should only speak to Him with your heart. — St. Pio of Pietrelcina ______________________________________ Prayer for St. Padre Pio’s Intercession Almighty ever-living God, who, by a singular grace, gave the Priest Saint Pius a share in the Cross of your Son and, by means of his holy ministry, renewed the wonders of your mercy, grant that through his intercession we may be united constantly to the sufferings of Christ, and so brought happily to the glory of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, together in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

September 23, 2017 Saint Therese is known for her "little way," which is simply the idea of seeking holiness in the ordinariness of our everyday lives. She teaches us to do the ordinary with extraordinary love. This is the essence of St. Therese's spirituality. Today we pray for the relationships in our lives. May we be more loving with our family, friends, coworkers, strangers, and God. We ask for the strength to do small things with love and to see everyone as our brothers and sisters in Christ. ____________________________________________ Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, an

Padre Pio was a man of immense spiritual gifts and insight. As a Capuchin priest, his ministry was marked by prayer and piety. His suffering was constant. He bore the stigmata of Our Lord’s Crucifixion with their attending agony, and was beset by demonic manifestations. His observations below teach us that our suffering is of immense value when joined with Our Savior's sacrifice and born with humility. The greater your sufferings, the greater God’s love for you. ***  When we suffer, Jesus is closer to us. ***  The storms that are raging around you will turn out to be for God’s glory, your own merit, and the good of many souls. *** Every sacrifice which your soul makes, every good it does is directed to God for the sanctification of all. *** True and substantial devotion consists in serving God without experiencing any sensible consolation. This means serving and loving God for His own sake. *** How unbearable is pain when suffered far from the Cross, but h

Perhaps the most distinguishing mark of Padre Pio’s holiness was bearing the stigmata, through which he shared in the suffering of Christ. Initially, our Savior’s sacred wounds, though felt by Fra. Pio, were not visible. On the morning of September 20, 1918, after celebrating Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Grace next to the friary, Padre Pio retired to the choir stalls in thanksgiving. Kneeling in loving adoration before the outspread, bloodied figure of Christ crucified, he experienced a peacefulness which invaded his whole being, a peacefulness, that he later described as "similar to a sweet sleep". What happened next is recorded in a letter Padre Pio wrote barely a month later to fellow friar Padre Benedetto: "It all happened in a flash. While all this was taking place, I saw before me a mysterious Person, similar to the one I had seen on August 5th, differing only because His hands, feet and side were dripping blood. The sight of Him frightened me: what I fel

Memorial - September 23rd Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, (1887-1968) better known as Padre Pio, was the 20th century Capuchin priest, stigmatic and mystic, who during his lifetime, was a spiritual father to innumerable souls. He is the only priest in the history of the Church to receive the stigmata — the divine marks of predilection — from our Lord’s Passion and Death. Thus, for much of his priesthood, Padre Pio suffered the spiritual, emotional and physical anguish of Christ’s holy wounds. In addition, he was given the miraculous gifts of bilocation, transverberation, (a divine piercing of the heart indicating union with God) the odor of sanctity, the ability to read souls, the ability to see and communicate with spiritual beings, (i.e. guardian angels, demons, the departed) and the capacity to write and comprehend languages foreign to him. Moreover, his brother Capuchins testified under oath that he levitated, healed by touch, and experienced divine ecstasies while praying, as w

September 22, 2017 Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Therese, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life bring peace and love to the world through faithful endurance in love for God our savior. Amen. St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena Day One Loving God, you blessed St. Therese with a capacity for a great love. Help me to believe in your unconditional love for each of your children, especially for me. I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more! Our