February

March 2009

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. (John 3)

April  
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 Take care to render (your heart) more pleasing to our divine Master, day by day. 2 Because...years pass and eternity approaches, we must redouble our courage and raise our spirit to God. 3 Serve (God) with greater diligence in everything that our vocation and Christian profession obliges us. 4 Face the trial to which Providence exposes you, but do not lose heart, do not be discouraged. 5 Remember...the words which the divine Master one day said to his apostles...: ‘Let not your hearts be troubled’. 6 Jesus has promised real assistance to those who follow him. 7 Remember Jesus when you are in the hour of trial, turn to him and you will always obtain relief, gaining and singing eternal victory.
8 Follow the path on which the Lord has placed you. 9 God, who has taken you by the hand to lead you along unknown paths, guides you; confide in him and do not be afraid. 10 The Father’s hand never rejects, but it calls, embraces, caresses ... it is always a paternal hand. 11 (God) commands us to love him in accordance with our strength, with all our soul, all our mind and all our heart. 12 We must have an unlimited desire for the only true good, which is God himself. 13 Before anything else, we should try to live in tranquility of spirit. 14 Often place yourself in the presence of God, and offer him all your actions and sufferings.
15 Live totally in God, and for the love he holds for you patiently bear yourself in all your miseries. 16 To be good servants of God, we must be charitable towards our neighbor; have an indomitable determination to do the will of God. 17 Have profound humility and simplicity in order to confide in God, picking ourselves up again many times when we fall... 18 (Confide in God), tranquilly bearing others in their imperfections. 19 May the grace of Jesus always prevail in your heart, and may it transform you totally with his holy love. 20 Do not desire to descend from the cross because this would be the descent of the soul to the plains, where Satan lays traps for us. 21 This life is short, and the reward for what one suffers is eternal.
22 Let us do good; let us adhere to the will of God. 23 Listen to our Lord who says to the Patriarch Abraham and to you also: Do not fear, ‘I am our protector’. 24 Be firm in your (holy) resolutions; stay in the boat in which our Lord has placed you and let the storm come. You will not perish. 25 If fear overtakes you, cry out loud: ‘Oh Lord, save me!’ He will stretch out his hand to you; hold on to it tightly and joyfully walk on the stormy sea of life. 26 Do not let those impure thoughts...frighten you. Despise them always, without becoming discouraged or tired; live with your thoughts always fixed on God... 27 Live with your thoughts always fixed on God and you will never be overcome (by evil thoughts). 28 (Suffering and trials are the) mark of those who have chosen a Crucified God as their inheritance.
29 Make a particular effort to practice (gentleness) and submission to the will of God ... (even in) the daily events that occur. 30 If you should happen to fail in some way, humble yourself, make a new proposition, pick yourself up and carry on. 31 Place the outcome of your desires in the hands of divine providence, and abandon yourself in his paternal arms like a child... The words from Padre Pio for this month are taken from six letters to Unidentified People: 1917: January 1; June 3; August 4; November 5; December 27 1918: January 27

website: www.PPPG.org


March 2009

Praying the Month dedicated to the Hidden Life of Jesus and
His Preparation for the Ministry

Lenten Journey

Lord Jesus Christ, you gather your people during this holy season of Lent, and you call us to repent and believe the 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, *
  1. 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, *
  2. 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, *
  3. Lord Jesus, that I may never hide behind pride, and that I may be ready and willing to begin again after my repeated falls, *
  4. 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, *
  5. 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, *
  6. Lord Jesus, that I may let go of those things that prevent me from growing closer to You, *
  7. 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, *
  8. Lord Jesus, that I may see my crosses as ways of loving You and dying to myself, *
  9. 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, *
  10. 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 for ever and ever. Amen.

website: www.PPPG.org