Today is St. Padre Pio's Feast day. What an amazing saint! How inspiring that he is a modern saint; someone from our own time and culture (I know, he was Italian, but he lived in THIS modern era). If you don't know anything about him and don't have time to read anything, there is a beautiful movie called The Miracle Man that I HIGHLY recommend.
My Mother-in-Law sent out this prayer by Padre Pio today that I have never seen before, but I love it already. Thanks for sending it, Mom Spiering! This prayer is exactly what I have been needing. With the start of classes for the kids, the kitchen remodeling, the house getting messier and messier and I work harder and harder to get organized before the baby arrives . . . life is getting pretty overwhelming. Oh, and Joseph is going through a nasty phase of disobedience. It is almost guaranteed that if he is not in our sight, he is doing something he KNOWS he is not supposed to do, like jumping on the furniture. I don't mean just jumping on the bed or couch, but jumping from the couch to the end table to the top of the woodstove and all around the room. Then when we try to punish him, he cries and yells and runs in the other direction, or sits in a different chair than we told him to go to. . . He does everything he can to disobey. And while I am dealing with him, Henry is often climbing on things that he shouldn't, or in the toilet because I accidentally left the bathroom door open, or putting permanent markers in his mouth. I know, I KNOW there shouldn't be any markers in his reach, but I just can't keep up. And Aine won't feed herself so I (or Craig) end up staying at the table with her an extra 20 min. at least, just to feed her every bite and make sure she eats. While with Aine at the table, Joseph and Henry are all too often into mischief. I know, especially with Henry, he isn't deliberately trying to drive his mother batty, but intentional or not, it is having the same effect.
Anyway, sorry about the grumbling session! My whole point in saying all this is I need to pray more! This prayer is the answer to this mother's prayers. I know it is a prayer for after communion, and I never make it daily mass, but it works to remind me to make a spiritual communion every day that I don't physically receive Our Lord. I know the more I pray, the more strength I will have and the more likely I will be to actually make the effort (extraordinary effort!) to go to daily mass. Sometimes, all we need to do is pray, even just one prayer, and God showers all the graces we need to persevere in prayer--and THAT brings us closer to Him, enabling us to do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.
Padre Pio, Pray for us! Please intercede on our behalf, that we may become like Christ in all things.
A PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
by Saint Padre Pio, OFM Cap.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.
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 fervor.
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 hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be 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 nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgement, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and 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 tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but, the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for. Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.
Amen
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