Save the Date!

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  

info@padrepiocleveland.org  

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!

S U M M E R J U LY 2 0 1 4

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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: INFO@PADREPIOCLEVELAND.COM 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