Discernere: to sift
 
As a home baker, I pictured fine particles of flour falling like snow when Father Elton suggested that we “sift voices.” Is the voice we hear during prayer our own? Is it perhaps our parents’ expectations? Is it the deceptions of the evil one or is it the “still small voice” (1 Kings 19: 12) of God?
 
The spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola give the faithful practical guidelines to determine between the various sources. In a nutshell, however, we must sift out whether the voice brings us consolation or desolation, closer to God or further away from him?
 
Three years ago, on a casual mention by Lucy Rodjito in fact, I embarked on an 8-month-long Ignatian Spiritual Exercises regimen that altered the course of my life. During that time, I battled multiple physical illnesses, constant spiritual struggles and nearly debilitating self-doubt. Yet never before had I felt as close to Christ as I did during the daily hour of contemplative prayer. Though I have not kept up the practice, I continue to return to the moments of intense consolation with which God graced me when I took the time to discern His will and then chose to listen.
 
“What makes my heart sing?”
           
This was the question that prompted my renewed quest for discernment in 2021. Father Elton had asked us to consider whether we felt peace or God’s presence, the strength to love, renewed hope or a sense of being recharged when we pondered a decision for discernment. His casual question, “What makes my heart sing,” however, spoke directly to my soul. In a flash I heard one of my favorite songs, “Hallelujah” by Casting Crowns, resounding through my body. I also pictured the children I care for as an early childhood educator. I recalled the thrill of watching my daughter grow into a young woman and felt the warmth of my spouse’s hand in mine.
 
God’s ways are not definitely our ways for I had different ideas when I first embarked on the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. I was certain that discernment would lead down one path but Christ in his infinite wisdom methodically kept me on the narrow path. And during this PPPG primer on the spiritual exercises, our Lord rang out reassurance in my soul. By choosing to place Christ on the throne instead of myself, I had chosen rightly three years ago. Despite reservations, doubts, fear bordering on dread, Padre Pio seemed to be reminding me, “will we not be safe near Him?” Come what may.

By: Cecilia Cho

In 2016 my wife and I went to Rome for the canonization of Mother Teresa and, by God’s providence, we happened to visit San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy where the uncorrupt body of St. Padre Pio is on display. On both sides of the walls of the spiral walkway leading to the crypt are mosaics narrating the lives of St. Francis and St. Padre Pio. I was both amazed and captivated by their life stories.
 
Upon our return to Vancouver, we heard that St. Mary’s was starting a Padre Pio Prayer Group and were excited to be a part of it. After a few months of regular attendance at these prayer meetings, I was asked to be part of a team who would write the monthly Rosary prayer intentions. A strange confidence came over me and I agreed. As I pondered the task ahead of me, I recalled that when I pray words flow from the depths of my heart. Years before I had read that Our Lady wanted us to pray from the heart and how I desired to be able to do so! She had granted my desire and was now asking me to help others pray. I realized that I had already joined a few communities that interceded for others and PPPG was now one more.
 
I began my blog by telling you of my encounter with the Lord. During this encounter I asked the Lord how I could serve Him and was convinced that he wanted me to bring out the best in others. “The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and abound in steadfast love.” (Psalm 103:8). How true! After fifteen years I realized that what the Lord wanted was for me to permit Him to use me to bring out the best in others. This I realized as I worked with the team of prayer intention writers. It reminded me of how St. Francis mistook our Lord when He said ‘build my Church.’ Francis and his friars rebuilt the dilapidated church building while Jesus was asking him to revitalise the body of the Church. I credit Padre Pio for pointing out my wrong notions for I can do nothing on my own but with the Lord I can do all things. Thank you Jesus and thank you Padre Pio for reminding me to be humble. All glory belongs to God!
 
The pandemic has brought a greater level of peace and solace into my life. Lord, how true it is! You say, “I stand at your door knocking and if you open I will come in and dine with you.” (Revelations 3:20). I had more time to spend in prayer and I discovered the vast spiritual resources available on the internet.
During Lent I found a very inspiring Stations of the Cross site on the web. “Seek and you shall find.” (Matthew 7:7). For some time I had wanted to participate in the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises but various commitments prevented me from doing so. During the lockdown I followed two different thirty-three day virtual Ignatian Retreats. And when I heard of the sad plight of people in Spain who were dying alone on the floors of hospital hallways it gave me a purpose to pray the three o’clock Divine Mercy Chaplet for the dying each day. Jesus once showed St. Faustina a person who was dying all alone and she was able to bilocate and be at the dying person’s side. So each day I would invite Mother Mary, St. Joseph and St. Faustina to join me and be by the side of those who were dying all alone.
 
I found virtual perpetual adoration sites that I visited daily. Partaking in daily mass from the comfort of my home made me desire to immerse myself more deeply in the service and, by the grace of God, the beauty of the Liturgy taught me new ways of praying. For example, the prayer at the preparation of the gifts taught me a new grace before mealtimes: ‘Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have this food and drink, fruit of the earth and work of human hands. We praise you, we thank you and we bless you forever.’
 
Often I say thank you to God for the period of time in which I exist. For all the modern conveniences. Taking electricity as an example, we have it in our kitchen lights, kettles, cookers, microwaves, fridges, freezers and so on. When God created the earth He placed the materials needed to make it all possible and, in time, He allowed us to discover and put it together for our use. So now I pray, with each appliance I use, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have this appliance which earth has given and human hands have made possible. We love You and we bless You.”

​By: E. Livera

So, the lady went inside while Lulu and I waited, soon after permission was granted, she led us to her husband’s ward, and I saw this gentleman in his 80s. He was thin and fragile, attached to many tubes from various machines, with small and big monitors around him. I felt sad, he reminded me of my dad when he was sick battling pancreatic cancer.

The moment she stepped into her husband’s room, I heard the lady said to her husband: “I have a surprise for you,” pointing to me and Lulu. The moment he saw Lulu, his eyes sparkled so brightly, and he smiled. He could not talk, but he kept smiling. I remembered vividly it was such a big smile, his right hand was reaching out to Lulu, giving me the signal that he wanted us to approach. I let Lulu walk closer to his bed, close enough so that he could pat her. His eyes were fixated on Lulu with that special smile. It was such a short visit, only a few minutes, then we had to leave. I simply thanked them for having us, and slowly guided Lulu out of the room. I turned back one last time and saw him looking at us with his bright eyes and wonderful smile. I smiled back and quietly walked out…

I would never forget those eyes and his smile, which we may or may not see on our next visit. He could be discharged and hence recovering at home or he could have been passed away. I did not ask for a name, but I would remember the smile. I pray that he would be okay, that if this was his time, may he have a happy blessed death, surrounded with loved ones and Jesus and Mary.

What a precious moment having the opportunity to bring joy and brighten a perfect stranger’s day.  I am so proud of my dog Lulu, who is so patient walking with me from room to room, moving from one floor to another, listening to our conversations and always never failed to bring out a smile from everyone who saw her.

Jesus said: “…I was sick, and you visited me…” (Matthew 25:36). I wanted so much to visit the sick, but I never imagined that in the end it was me who has been lifted up by Jesus granting me His joy and peace. I would like to end with what Mother Teresa taught the missionaries to “keep the joy of loving the poor and share this joy with all that you meet. Remember works of love are works of peace”. Very true indeed.

That night, I slept soundly with a big smile and my heart full of joy. I was walking in the path of the Holy Spirit that day, the fruit was so real – joy and peace!

May this Christmas you experience His joy and peace! Merry Christmas everyone, what a blessing you are to me!

​Lucy Rodjito

​Living in isolation has been tough.  As Christians, we are each one of us one part of a larger Family and thrive on connection; having all this separation imposed on us has been tricky to deal with -and that is an understatement!  In Padre Pio’s words these circumstances have sometimes seemed “unbearable”.
 
Despite the heaviness of the trial we face, what has fuelled me is spending more time with our Lord.  I have had numerous opportunities to just sit with Him in prayer, meditation, reading/contemplating Scripture, devotions, the Rosary, reading or watching Spiritual books or movies, or in blessed silence. 
         
In San Giovanni Rotondo, Padre Pio lived in remoteness/isolation – maybe not quarantine per se but still far from his loved ones/family; he never reported feeling lonely though…  He knew he was always being embraced by our Loving Father, by Blessed Mama Mary, and his Guardian Angels; I am slowly realizing (often having to remind myself) that the same is true for me – for all of us.  Although it has seemed like a lonely time (missing Mass, Adoration, the Sacraments, and our brothers and sisters), we have been being hugged all along…  And we always will be – until the end of time.  Jesus promised us that and His promises are forever true. 
 
In a way, this time of pandemic has provided us all with many chances to strengthen our relationship with our Saviour.  To “hear” His words of comfort and mercy, to feel the tender embrace of his enduring promises. For myself, this has helped me to see things differently.  I recognize the scary reality of the risks of infection and transmission yet that is pacified when I turn toward my God.  Similar to when Jesus was carrying His burdensome and unbearable cross up to Calvary, through the Providential Love and Mercy of God, the whole situation was transformed when Simon of Cyrene came on scene to help.  It wasn’t Simon that was helping of course: by the Grace of God (and Jesus’ surrender in the Garden), what could have been a horrific journey was transformed.  Not to an easy scenic hike but a bearable journey.  Still scary yet manageable.  By the Grace of God.

​By: Andrea Dasilva

Moments before, during the Consecration, I was looking up at the altar and could not help but notice the hands of the priest holding the Host. That was the moment when I remembered this wonderful poem and I want to share it with everyone. Through the hands of a priest, one receives many blessings. Thank you, dear priests!
 
The Beautiful Hands of a Priest.
(Author: Unknown)
​
We need them in life's early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek them while tasting life's woes.
When we come to this world, we are sinful,
The greatest as well as the least.
And the hands that make us pure as angels
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.
 
At the altar, each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness
Their dignity stands alone.
For there in the stillness of morning
Ere the sun has emerged from the east,
There God rests between the pure fingers
Of the beautiful hands of a priest.
 
When we are tempted and wander
To pathways of shame and sin
'Tis the hand of a priest that will absolve us.
Not once but again and again.
And when we are taking life's partner
​Other hands may prepare us a feast
But the hands that will bless and unite us,
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.
 
God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress,
What can a poor sinner do better
But to praise Thee who chose thee to bless
When the death dews on our eyes are falling,
May our courage and strength be increased
To see, raised above us in blessing
The beautiful hands of a priest.

In St. Padre Pio’s writings, he states (Epist. 1.), “He is so much so much in love with my heart that He makes me burn with His divine fire, with the fire of His love.” The mystics have this grace to penetrate the heart of Jesus, and in turn, they experience His burning love. How is this possible, this human encounter with the divine? It is possible by God’s grace, by our openness, our disposition, our desire. But from start to end this is the work of God. The work of God in St. Padre Pio, and each of us.
​
The reading for the Vigil of St. Padre Pio is taken from John 17. The theme of the chapter is truth. “Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17). Are these not beautiful words of Jesus as He addresses His Father asking that His disciples be “consecrated in truth”? We are the disciples of the Lord, and He wants us to be sanctified by His Word of Truth. There is nothing truer than the Word of truth (as St. Thomas Aquinas said). The Word is Jesus. The Word is God’s promise. The Word was made flesh so we may have Eternal Life.

St. Padre Pio had a deep encounter of the love of Jesus; the Word made flesh. The truth which sanctifies us -- and which pierces us. Because wounded by God’s love –pierced by His Word, we can never be the same knowing we are God’s beloved; He gives us His divine Love like a flame that forever burns.

Fr. David Bellusci, OP
St. Mary's Padre Pio Prayer Group, Spiritual Director
September 23/2020

With all these negative impacts, I even more realize now that God is in charge, we are not. Even though we human beings think we are smart and intelligent but we are certainly powerless and nothing in this event. We cannot foresee this happening. We cannot prevent this from happening. We cannot have enough knowledge to stop this happening.
 
Moreover, we human beings are dependent on each other. When we get sick, we need doctors and nurses to take care of us. When we have to satisfy our basic needs such as food, other people have to work in the grocery stores to serve. Without people travelling and spending money on vacations, airlines and hotels do not have business. The livelihood of people working in these industries is threatened.
 
Besides lack of services, social isolation also poses risks on our physical and mental health. It can link to heart health and depression. Without personal interaction, it can even get in the way of everyday functioning, such as sleep, focus and reasoning ability.
 
So do you think you can be self-sufficient and self-sustainable?
 
The answer is clear. You CANNOT. You are dependent on God and your fellow people very much. What God told us about loving Him and loving neighbours is so right. We think we are doing good for others when we love God and neighbours. That is not true, when we protect others, we protect ourselves. When we love others, we love ourselves.
 
I miss Mass gathering and the monthly Padre Pio Prayer meeting at St. Mary’s. Now I cannot attend because of the restriction, I recognize that it is such an important component in my life because they help me to get close to God, relate others and build community sense which all benefit my body and soul.
 
St. Padre Pio, pray for us! God, have mercy on us! Give us grace to go through the pandemic!

By: Patty Mak