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AUGUST 2 MEETING
Summer Schedule:
Meeting at 8:30 a.m. at St. Barnabas,
Northfield with Mass & Prayers
SPRITUAL DIRECTOR: REV. FR. EDWARD JANOCH
GROUP LEADER: CINDY RUSSO
ST. PADRE PIO PRAYER GROUP
THUR, AUGUST 7 PILGRIMAGE TO ITALY Oct. 27 – Nov. 7 Last call for those
interested in going on this trip must finalize their
decision & contact Cindy Russo at
Holy Hour for Vocations sponsored by the
Knights of Columbus.
7 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church
WOMANKIND BABY BOTTLES We would like to thank everyone for the The Baby Bottle Change Drive for WomanKind and we are excited to see the donations for them! We are still out 97 baby bottles—and can use your help to make this a very successful campaign. If you have a Baby Bottle for the WomanKind Change Drive, please bring it to the St. Barnabas Rectory as soon as possible. If you live too far, you can write a check for the amount of change and mail to: Padre Pio WomanKind Drive 206 Butternut Lane, Northfield, OH 44067.
In the month of July ~We celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Included in this newsletter is the Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. There is information about the sacramental devotion to the Brown Scapular. Our hope is that you utilize this knowledge and share with others. It is time to go out and spread the Good News in a gentle way. This is one way to increase your faith and prayer life. Prayer was the key to Padre Pio’s existence and the guarantee of his mission. Prayer was his daily activity. He also dedicated many hours of the night to prayer. It was the task which he felt was particularly his own and which drew upon him attention of the whole world. At the altar, in his cell, or in the monastery garden, with his hands folded in prayer or holding his Rosary, his world was God — to be contemplated, to be praised, to be entreated, to be propitiated. More than anything else, his was a life of prayer, of uninterrupted conversation with God. Last call for anyone interested in attending the Italy Pilgrimage. Please keep our thirty pilgrims in your prayers. Remember we are all brothers and sisters. Thank you St. Pio “Spiritual Father” for your guidance. (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel continued on p.3)
“Charity is the queen of virtues”
~Padre Pio
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SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR’S REFLECTIONS
As our Country celebrates the 238th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence establishing our freedom from England, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what God tells us what Freedom truly is. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, in Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 1, Article 1, Paragraph 7, Subsection 3, Heading 1; we read the following:
Freedom put to the test 396 God created man in his image and established him in his friendship. A spiritual creature, man can live this friendship only in free submission to God. The prohibition against eating "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" spells this out: "for in the day that you eat of it, you shall die." 276 The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" 277 symbolically evokes the insurmountable limits that man, being a creature, must freely recognize and respect with trust. Man is dependent on his Creator, and subject to the laws of creation and to the moral norms that govern the use of freedom. 276 Genesis 2:17. 277 Genesis 2:17.
This paragraph tells us what True Freedom in God is about. True Freedom in God requires one to freely give of one’s self completely to God. This runs counter to what the spirit of the world tells us that true freedom is; to do whatever you want. There are no limits to what you can do and no one can tell you to not do something that you freely want to do. However, with God we are to surrender our self totally to Him. This seems to be a paradox [a contradiction] to what freedom is, but with God it is the truth. We are not capable to live our life on our own. We are dependent on God for all that is Good and we subject ourselves to His moral laws. In this surrender, we discover what True Freedom is. When one lives a life of reckless abandonment, there is only chaos and disorder. Freedom does not exist. In fact, we truly become slaves to our own self and we destroy our friendship with God. We must daily make the choice to freely follow God or not. This question on freedom and serving God is not a new concern. We read in the Old Testament: “If it is displeasing to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 St. Padre Pio says: “Will it be possible to make you an entirely faithful servant? Jesus desires this, and with his grace all will be achieved.” The last two weeks have been filled with many questions about how things are done here at St. Charles Borromeo Parish. They have been countered by the complete acceptance and kindness shown to me by the many parishioners. So many people have told me that they have relatives at St. Barnabas Parish. So what I do at St. Charles will find its way back to St. Barnabas. God Bless Us All. Faithfully yours in Christ, Fr. Edward J. Janoch Spiritual Director My new address and phone number: Fr. Edward J. Janoch St. Charles Borromeo Parish 5891 Ridge Road Parma, Ohio 44129 440-‐884-‐3030
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THE BROWN SCAPULAR Do you remember what Our Lady was wearing when she appeared to Bernadette? How about her appearance as Our Lady of La Salette? How did Juan Diego describe her or how did she appear on his tilma? It seems Our Lady had a different wardrobe each time!
Whenever a visionary describes the appearance of Our Lady when she makes herself visible to the one seeing her, it usually includes a description of what she was wearing. Often her clothing is symbolic and is related to the message she wishes to impart. Perhaps you yourselves have memories or stories of your mother making special sacrifices to provide you with new clothing for a special occasion, taking you shopping for new outfits, buying material to make garments, or perhaps even disagreements as to what you should wear on any given day or occasion. Whatever we may recall, it is a mother’s love that is evoked as she struggles to supply both our needs and not offend our tastes.
Mary is no less concerned than our earthly mothers but her care lies primarily in the spiritual realm; thus she clothes us in garments that are a sign of our special relationship with her, a sign of her protection and of our dignity as Christians and, in the case of the Brown Scapular, of our belonging to the Family of Carmel. The clothing, or Habit, of a Carmelite consists of a brown tunic over which is place a brown scapular. In the beginning the scapular was a working garment – a kind of apron worn over the tunic to protect it and likewise a symbol of the divine service to which the monks or hermits were called. This garment, now called the scapular, is a sign of Mary’s protection for those who wear it. The scapular is a cloth garment. Thus the Brown Scapular for the laity becomes a sacramental, a means of actual grace when devoutly worn.
Sacramentals prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. The use of sacramentals imposes a commitment or responsibility on the part of the user. They are not magical charms! Now you might ask, “Where, then, did the scapular originate?” Tradition tells us that St. Simon Stock, an English Carmelite, in a vision of Mary, received from her hands the brown scapular in which she told him, “This is a privilege for you and the order: whoever dies wearing this Scapular will be saved.” From this moment on a miraculous change took place in the Order.
Anyone who chooses to be enrolled in the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular identifies themselves with the mission of the Carmelite Order: to be in the world a prophetic sign of union with God, that is to “stand in the presence of God” as a witness to His mercy in communion with our brothers and sisters. Mary leads us on this faith journey toward her Son. Mary promised to those who faithfully wear the scapular: "Those who die wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire." This must not be understood superstitiously or magically, but in light of Catholic teaching that perseverance in faith, hope and love are required for salvation.
The scapular is a powerful reminder of this Christian obligation and of Mary's promise to help those consecrated to her obtain the grace of final perseverance. Wear it as a sign of her protection.
Morning Offering Prayer with the Brown Scapular O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
(here kiss your brown scapular as a sign of your consecration. This carries a partial indulgence.) I offer thee the Precious Blood of Jesus present on all the altars of the world, joining
with it the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day.
O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate—that she may best apply them to
the interests of thy most Sacred Heart. Precious blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
(This offering is said by members of The World Apostolate of Fatima through out the world, each
morning, to fulfill the request by Our Lady of Fatima for the sanction of daily duties as a condition for the conversion of all people.)
NINE DAY NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL (begin on July 7th)
O Most beautiful Flower of Mount
Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven,
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my
necessity. (state your request)
O Star of the Sea, help me and show me
herein that you are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven
and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succor me in this my necessity. There are
none that can withstand your power. O show me herein that
you are my Mother.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us that have recourse to
thee. (3 times)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (3 times)
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THE NECESSITY AND POWER TO FORGIVE (Part 1 of 3) This is the first in a three part series :
1-‐The Necessity to and Power to Forgive, 2-‐ Experiencing God’s Forgiveness, and 3-‐ Confession. Forgiving others is one of our greatest challenges in the spiritual life. All of us have been sinned against, sometimes in extremely vicious ways. In reaction, we tend to develop resentment-‐ re-‐feeling the hurt over and over, sometimes for a lifetime and into eternity! We cannot experience freedom and peace if we refuse to forgive. Unforgiveness blocks God’s love, causing contraction of our spirit with accompanying physical symptoms such as headaches, stiffness, arthritis, etc. Many choose to try to bury unforgiveness but it stays with us as a spiritual low-‐grade or full-‐blown infection. Some want to rationalize or justify it. The bad thief on the cross justified his resentment and mocked Jesus. The good thief faced it, softened his attitude, and was free to enter heaven. Lack of forgiveness is our ticket to purgatory or hell. Jesus talks many times very starkly and firmly that unless we forgive others, we will not be forgiven. Some examples are: The Merciless Official Mathew 18: 21-‐35 “…then in anger the master handed him over to the tortures until he paid back all that he owed. My heavenly father will treat you in exactly the same way unless each of you forgives his brother or sister from the heart.” Mathew 6: 14-‐15 “If you forgive the faults of others, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours. If you so not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you.” Mathew 5: 22-‐26 “Anyone who holds his brother in contempt risks the fires of Gehenna. If you bring your gift to the altar and here recall that your brother or sister has anything against you”. In another gospel “you have nothing against your brother. Go first to be reconciled with your brother and sister, and than come and offer your gift…. I warn you, you will not be released until you have payed the last penny.” (a reference to purgatory.) Jesus was not kidding about forgiveness. We choose a bad fate for ourselves unless we forgive. Unforgiveness and resentment would destroy the peace and joy in heaven. Jesus wants us to be really free in spirit, for all of eternity. For those who find it extremely challenging to forgive. We can use the steps of Alcoholic’s Anonymous in a accommodated way.
1. “…we admitted we were powerless over unforgiveness.” Resentment controls us and we can’t let it go. 2. “…came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” Jesus can do in us what we
cannot do alone. 3. “…made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of god.” We use our will to counteract strong
feelings. 4. “…made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” This step is critical because it directly confronts
denial and rationalizing. It can be called “the purification of conscience.” Padre Pio was the master of revealing to people the true state of their souls, often telling them of sins they had forgotten or were covering up. If they would admit them, they would be free. If they wouldn’t admit their sins or repent, he would refuse absolution and they would leave still enslaved their unrepented attitude-‐ a bad fate.
5. “…admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” Sin is a lonely and isolating reality. The community of the church is powerful. Confession is the most valuable to feel fully forgiven.
6. “…were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” If we are not yet ready, we can pray for the “desire to desire“ to forgive. It may take time to receive the grace.
7. “…humbly ask god to remove our shortcomings.” We can have an indignant attitude, “how could this have been done to me. I deserve better treatment. Therefore, I don’t want to forgive. “Pride is the source of all sin. Humility is an antidote to forgiveness.
Using the steps may take a substantial period of time. Enlisting support from many possible sources can be helpful. We can only feel God’s forgiveness when we have learned to forgive others. “Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” Ask any one who is practicing the 12 steps well, and they will joyfully say that giving up forgiveness and resentment was their key to peace and joy.
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IT’S A BOY! Our Padre Pio Prayer Group had officially received notification
from the sponsorship of the Salvadoran mission program . We are providing a Catholic education at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Academy for Emerson Antonio Rodriquez Renderos. He is 12 yrs.
old and in the 5th grade. He comes from a family of four. He attends school Monday-‐Thursday. He hopes to be a business administrator one day just like his uncle. He enjoys using computers, playing
soccer, and spending time with his friends. Please keep him in your prayers. May Padre Pio watch over him and keep him safe. We will keep you updated on our new son. Thank you for your generosity.
ANGER, CONTAINMENT, FORGIVENESS, PRAYER —A Story-Lesson from Padre Pio There was a woman who used to go frequently to confession to Padre Pio. She was one of his faithful spiritual daughters. She had a strong, decisive personality and also a hot temper. She was well aware of her impulsive nature and character weaknesses. She sincerely tried to make progress in overcoming her faults, but it seemed to be an uphill battle. The woman happened to be walking right in front of Padre Pio as he was making his way toward the church. Suddenly one of the Capuchins yelled at her in a rude manner, “Get out of the way! Make way for Padre Pio!” The disrespectful way that the Capuchin spoke to her was more than she could bear. The woman felt so insulted that she yelled right back at the Capuchin, “No, I will not do what you say. I am not in the way. You are a bad priest. You are full of bitterness!” The Capuchin became so angry at the woman’s words that his face turned bright red. Padre Pio was standing close by but he seemed to be wrapped in his own thoughts and did not appear to notice the incident. A few days later, the woman went to confession to Padre Pio. She confessed that she had lost her temper with the Capuchin priest when he spoke harshly to her. She said words to him that she now regretted and she was truly sorry for her behavior. Padre Pio listened carefully but remained silent. The woman waited for him to respond, but he did not. “Padre Pio, did you hear what I just confessed? I offended a priest. I yelled back at him and told him that he was a bad priest. I have committed a grave offense. I know that you were there when the incident happened but you seemed to be preoccupied with something else.” Again there was silence. Finally, Padre Pio said to her, “When you lost your temper and said those disrespectful words to the priest, did he answer you back?” “No, he did not,” the woman replied. “Did he say even one word?” Padre Pio asked. “No, he said nothing,” the woman answered. With those few words, Padre Pio wanted the woman to realize that the priest restrained himself even though he was very angry and even though he could have easily kept the argument going………With very few words, Padre Pio made his point! Padre Pio spent many long hours in prayer. Praying for those who hurt us allows us to bring peace to ourselves, as well as to ask God to heal the ones who wrong us. By putting the hurt in God’s hands, we are able to move on with our own lives and know that He has it taken care of!
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PRAY FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED SOULS
PRAYERS FOR OUR SICK BROTHERS AND SISTERS Abbot Christopher Schwartz O.S. B.,
Devin Harvey, Karina Barraza de Ortiz, Ofelia Melgoza, Spencer Dray, Steve Olexa, Helen Husky, Walter Kowalski, Carol Bertoni, Mary Dirda, Roger Reardon, Dan Peters, Joseph Russo Sr., Ron Firem, Joan Tomassi,
Nicole Tomassi, Mike Friess, Jerry Lewis, James Green, Helen Husky, Joy Zivzak, Dennis Houlahan, Dan Houlahan, Gina Sacco, Carmelita Pruchnicki, Robert Snyder,
Richard Merecki, Luella Merecki, Ed Chesar,Michael Orbany, Nicholas Anthony DiDonato, Jeff Bauer, Judy Selby, Rose Slee
And we ask God to bless all of their Caregivers.
PRAYER TO PADRE PIO FOR HEALING
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, obedient father, you loved the sick and infirm more than yourself because in them you saw Jesus. In the name of God you performed miracles of healing in body, soul and mind. Your
intercession with God healed the ills of past and present and strengthened people to respond with confidence to future challenges. Those who came to you regained a sense of spiritual integrity as you rekindled hope in
their lives, and encouraged them to renew the spirit in their hearts.
Through the intercession of Our Heavenly Mother, may we experience your powerful assistance and be healed in our bodily and spiritual needs, particularly (name it) and gratefully give praise and thanks to God for all His
blessings. Amen.
WEBSITE: WWW.PADREPIOCLEVELAND.ORG CONTACT US: [email protected] FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PADREPIOCLEVELAND TWITTER: @PADREPIOCLEVEOH
Please pray for the Soul of our dear sister, faithful member of the Padre Pio Prayer Group LYDIA BAKER, (nee Abramovich) 86, passed away
peacefully June 28, 2014. May her soul, and all the souls of the faithful
departed rest in peace. Amen