MEMORIAL OF SAINT PIUS OF PIETRELCINA

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Prayer for Padre Pio’s Intercession

Gracious God,

you generously blessed your servant,

Padre Pio,

with the gifts of the Spirit.

You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified,

as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of your Son,

and as a stirring inspiration to many people of your infinite mercy,

forgiveness and love.

In the confessional,

Padre Pio labored endlessly for the salvation of souls.

Through his powerful intercession,

many who suffered were healed of sickness and disease.

Endowed with the gift of discernment,

he could read people’s hearts.

From the blood of his wounds came a perfumed fragrance,

a special sign of your Holy Presence.

With dignity and intense devotion,

he celebrated daily Mass,

inviting countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ,

in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Through the intercession of Saint Pio,

I confidently beseech you to to grant me the grace of

(state your petition here).

Help me to imitate his example of prayerful holiness and compassion,

so that I, too,

may faithfully follow the Risen Lord, and one day rejoice in the Kingdom,

where you live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Reading

PRV 21:1-6, 10-13

Like a stream is the king’s heart in the hand of the LORD;

wherever it pleases him, he directs it.

All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,

but it is the LORD who proves hearts.

To do what is right and just

is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart–

the tillage of the wicked is sin.

The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,

but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.

Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue

is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.

The soul of the wicked man desires evil;

his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.

When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;

when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

The just man appraises the house of the wicked:

there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor

will himself also call and not be heard.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Blessed are they whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the LORD.

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Make me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

The way of truth I have chosen;

I have set your ordinances before me.

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law

and keep it with all my heart.

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Lead me in the path of your commands,

for in it I delight.

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

And I will keep your law continually,

forever and ever.

R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Gospel

LK 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him

but were unable to join him because of the crowd.

He was told,

“Your mother and your brothers are standing outside

and they wish to see you.”

He said to them in reply,

“My mother and my brothers

are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

SAINT OF THE DAY

September 23

St. Padre Pio  (1887 - 1968)

Francesco, named in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, was born to Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione, peasant farmers, in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina on May 25, 1887. From his childhood, it was evident that he was a special child of God. Francesco was very devout even as a child, and at an early age felt drawn to the priesthood. He became a Capuchin novice at the age of sixteen and received the habit in 1902. Francesco was ordained to the priesthood in 1910 after seven years of study and became known as Padre Pio.

On September 20, 1918, Padre Pio was kneeling in front of a large crucifix when he received the visible marks of the crucifixion, making him the first stigmatized priest in the history of Church. The doctor who examined Padre Pio could not find any natural cause for the wounds. Upon his death in 1968, the wounds were no longer visible. In fact, there was no scaring and the skin was completely renewed. He had predicted 50 years prior that upon his death the wounds would heal. 

The wounds of the stigmata were not the only mystical phenomenon experienced by Padre Pio.

The blood from the stigmata had an odor described by many as similar to that of perfume or flowers, and the gift of bilocation was attributed to him. Padre Pio had the ability to read the hearts of the penitents who flocked to him for confession which he heard for ten or twelve hours per day. Padre Pio used the confessional to bring both sinners and devout souls closer to God; he would know just the right word of counsel or encouragement that was needed. Even before his death, people spoke to Padre Pio about his possible canonization. He died on September 23, 1968 at the age of eighty-one. 

His funeral was attended by about 100,000 people.

On June 16, 2002, over 500,000 Padre Pio devotees gathered in Rome to witness Pope John Paul IIproclaim Padre Pio, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. The Padre Pio Foundation and many benefactors traveled to Rome, San Giovanni Rotondo, Pietrelcina, Piana Romana and many other holy places to celebrate Padre Pio's Canonization.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 94 (95)

Christ is the chief shepherd,

the leader of his flock:

come, let us adore him.

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord,

let us acclaim God our salvation.

Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks,

let us acclaim him with songs.

Christ is the chief shepherd,

the leader of his flock:

come, let us adore him.

For the Lord is a great God,

a king above all gods.

For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands,

and the peaks of the mountains are his.

For the sea is his: he made it;

and his hands formed the dry land.

Christ is the chief shepherd,

the leader of his flock:

come, let us adore him.

Come, let us worship and bow down,

bend the knee before the Lord who made us;

for he himself is our God and we are his flock,

the sheep that follow his hand.

Christ is the chief shepherd,

the leader of his flock:

come, let us adore him.

If only, today, you would listen to his voice:

“Do not harden your hearts

as you did at Meribah,

on the day of Massah in the desert,

when your fathers tested me –

they put me to the test,

although they had seen my works.”

Christ is the chief shepherd,

the leader of his flock:

come, let us adore him.

“For forty years they wearied me,

that generation.

I said: their hearts are wandering,

they do not know my paths.

I swore in my anger:

they will never enter my place of rest.”

Christ is the chief shepherd,

the leader of his flock:

come, let us adore him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Christ is the chief shepherd,

the leader of his flock:

come, let us adore him.

Hymn

Worship, glory, praise and honour

To our God, high-throned above:

We, with many generations

Join to praise thy name of love.

In the scriptures, by the Spirit,

May we see the Saviour’s face,

Hear his word and heed his calling,

Know his will and grow in grace.

Psalm 9B (10)

Thanksgiving

The Lord will protect the rights of the oppressed.

With what purpose, Lord, do you stay away,

hide yourself in time of need and trouble?

The wicked in their pride persecute the weak,

trap them in the plots they have devised.

The sinner glories in his desires,

the miser congratulates himself.

The sinner in his arrogance rejects the Lord:

“there is no God, no retribution.”

This is what he thinks

– and all goes well for him.

Your judgements are far beyond his comprehension:

he despises all who stand against him.

The sinner says to himself: “I will stand firm;

nothing can touch me, from generation to generation.”

His mouth is full of malice and deceit,

under his tongue hide trouble and distress.

He lies in ambush by the villages,

he kills the innocent in some secret place.

He watches the weak,

he hides like a lion in its lair, and makes plans.

He plans to rob the weak,

lure him to his trap and rob him.

He rushes in, makes a dive,

and the poor victim is caught.

For he has said to himself, “God has forgotten.

He is not watching, he will never see.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord will protect the rights of the oppressed.

Psalm 9B (10)

Lord, you have seen our trouble and our sorrow.

Rise up, Lord, raise your hand!

Do not forget the weak.

Why does the wicked man spurn God?

Because he says to himself, “you will not take revenge.”

But you do see: you see the trouble and the pain,

and then you take things into your own hands.

The weak fall to your care,

and you are the help of the orphan.

Break the arms of the sinner and evil-doer:

seek out wickedness until there is no more to be found.

The Lord is King for ever and for ever.

The Gentiles have perished from his land.

You have heard the prayer of the weak, Lord,

and you will strengthen their hearts.

You will lend your ear to the pleas of the orphans and the helpless,

so mere mortals can frighten them no longer.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Lord, you have seen our trouble and our sorrow.

Psalm 11 (12)

A prayer against the proud

The words of the Lord are words without alloy,

silver from the furnace, seven times refined.

Save me, Lord, for the good men are all gone:

there is no-one to be trusted among the sons of men.

Neighbour speaks falsehood to neighbor:

with lying lips and crooked hearts they speak.

Let the Lord condemn all lying lips,

all boastful tongues.

They say “Our tongues will make us great,

our lips are ours, we have no master.”

“On account of the sufferings of the poor,

the groans of the weak, I will rise up,” says the Lord.

“I will bring to safety the one whom men despise.”

The words of the Lord are pure words,

silver tried by fire, freed from dross,

silver seven times refined.

You, Lord, will help us

and guard us from now to all eternity –

while the wicked walk round outside,

where the vilest are most honored of the children of men.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The words of the Lord are words without alloy,

silver from the furnace, seven times refined.

The Lord will guide the humble on the right path.

– He will teach his ways to the meek.

First Reading

Ezekiel 36:16-36

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, the members of the House of Israel used to live in their own land, but they defiled it by their conduct and actions; to me their conduct was as unclean as a woman’s menstruation. I then discharged my fury at them because of the blood they shed in their land and the idols with which they defiled it. I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them in foreign countries. I sentenced them as their conduct and actions deserved. And now they have profaned my holy name among the nations where they have gone, so that people say of them, “These are the people of the Lord; they have been exiled from his land.” But I have been concerned about my holy name, which the House of Israel has profaned among the nations where they have gone. And so, say to the House of Israel, “The Lord says this: I am not doing this for your sake, House of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I mean to display the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord–it is the Lord who speaks– when I display my holiness for your sake before their eyes. Then I am going to take you from among the nations and gather you together from all the foreign countries, and bring you home to your own land. I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land which I gave your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God. I shall rescue you from all your defilement. I shall summon the corn and make it plentiful, and no more bring famines on you. I shall increase the yield of fruit trees and fields so that you will no longer have the ignominy of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil conduct and actions. You will loathe yourselves for your sins and your filthy practices. I assure you that I am not doing this for your sake–it is the Lord who speaks. Be ashamed and blush for your conduct, House of Israel.

The Lord says this: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will repopulate the cities and cause the ruins to be rebuilt. Waste land, once desolate for every passer-by to see, will now be farmed again. Everyone will say: This land, so recently a waste, is now like a garden of Eden, and the ruined cities once abandoned and levelled to the ground are now strongholds with people living in them. And the nations left round you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was destroyed and replanted what was ruined. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.

Responsory

I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh instead,

so that they may keep my laws.

Then they shall be my people and I shall be their God.

I will give them a single heart and I will put a new spirit in them.

Then they shall be my people and I shall be their God.

Second Reading

St Augustine's sermon On Pastors

The church, like a vine, grows and spreads everywhere

They are straying across the mountains and the high hills, they have been scattered over all the face of the earth. What does this mean, scattered over all the face of the earth? That they attach themselves to earthly things, the things that glitter on the face of the earth: they love and desire them. They do not want to die and be hidden away in Christ. Over all the face of the earth not only because they love earthly things but because across all the earth there are sheep astray. They are everywhere, but one thing, pride, is the mother of them all, just as Christians who are spread over all the world have one mother, the Church.

So it is not to be wondered at that pride gives birth to dissension while love generates unity. The Church is the mother of all, and everywhere the shepherd in her seeks those who are astray, strengthens those who are weak, cares for the sick and puts the broken together again. Many of them are not even known to one another, 
but she knows them all because she is merged with them all.

She is like a vine that has grown and sprouted everywhere. Those in love with earthly things are like sterile shoots pruned away by the grower’s knife because of their sterility, cut away so that the vine should not have to be cut down. And those sterile shoots, once they are pruned away, lie on the ground and stay there. But the vine grows over all, 
and it knows those shoots that remain part of it, and it knows the cut-off shoots that lie next to it.

But from where they lie she calls them back, for as St Paul says of the broken branches, God has the power to graft them back again. Whether you speak of sheep straying away from the flock or branches cut off from the vine, God is equally able to call back the lost sheep and to graft back the lost branches: the Lord, the true vine-dresser. They have been scattered over all the face of the earth and no-one misses them, no-one calls them back – no-one among the bad shepherds. No-one misses them – 
that is, no man does.

Well then, shepherds, hear the words of the Lord. As I live, says the Lord God... See how he starts. It is like an oath sworn by God, calling his very life to witness. As I live, says the Lord God. The shepherds are dead but the sheep are safe. As I live, says the Lord God. What shepherds are dead? Those who have sought their own interests rather than Christ’s. So what of the shepherds who seek Christ’s interests and not their own? Of course there will be such shepherds, of course they will be found: 
there is no lack of them and there never will be.

Responsory

We have confidence in God through Christ.

It is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant which consists not of a written law,

but of the Spirit.

There is nothing in us which allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work.

The capacity we have comes from God.

It is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant which consists not of a written law,

but of the Spirit.

Let us pray.

Almighty and eternal God,

who, by a singular grace, allowed the priest Saint Pio to participate in the cross of your Son,

and by means of his ministry renewed the wonders of your mercy,

grant, through his intercession,

that, constantly united to the passion of Christ,

we may happily arrive at the glory of the resurrection.

Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God forever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.