HOMILY OF 6 APRIL 1974
Homily delivered by Father Bonaventure Mary Raschi during the Mass in the presence of Prayer Groups Ligurian defendants in devotional pilgrimage to the City of Little Mount Bandages (Genoa).

They told me to speak.
What should I speak?
The Padre Pio.
I had the joy of friends; As he told me: "Why bother themes? We have always desired good, we want so well, are one. " When it comes to these words perfectly understand what friendship means a saint.
Then I had this grace and this condescension: friends are deeply in the heart and learn from him a great thing.
At that moment, or rather on that day, I spent about two hours in prayer with him and began to understand not only what the prayer, but essentially the spirit of prayer that motivated him; He loved the Father, loved distinguish good soil preparation for prayer and the incense of prayer. It goes without saying that the preparatory work of prayer was prayer.

And what was this spirit of preparation for prayer?
It has a very common name, that everyone bring a piece; Named: Cross!
We sia-mo from dawn to dusk in a lament, because there is sen-te well, because they have concerns, because you have sorrows, because vi-ta presents us with difficulties, per-ché other situations or financing rie or moral or physical obstacles on the way there; we regret, and human complain because so no one can enjoy the Cross.
But Cross said Father Pio, had written in his cell-everywhere you go, you find that you expect.
And why?
Why we can not make a very high prayer without truly be freed first of all miseries, all the annoyances of all the concerns of all that is boring, so hard, and be available in the peace of heart and to ask pray.
Only Cross is the effective way to operate these things.
The Cross posts much affected by land; The very size Cross net with attachments to riches and pleasures; Cross teaches the very wisdom of serenity, so caution: thinking the Cross is a sickle fienaia that cuts everything satin and leaves free rein to the new regeneration. We all need to cleanse.
What we want priests teach dall'Altare when the voice is that of the about me?
I!
And who am I?
A miserable like everyone else, and perhaps more than others.
But what I account?
But what is my glory?
What does it mean to be speaker, what it means to be Director?
What it means to be the head of an organization?
What does it mean to have a hand in, a so?
What does it mean?
Nothing!
It means that sooner or later pass sister death, hope that their sister, and everything will be finished.
The individual must be constantly purified, cuts many things to himself, away many miseries; At least this is the intention.
If so, as taught and how Padre Pio taught that dottissimo Cappuccino that was the Spiritual Father of Padre Pio: Father Benedict with Father Augustine, initiating so-called "quiet prayer."
The quiet prayer is a wonderful state that we can not create ourselves; It is a gift from God.
God, in the midst of peace, create this situation, this "prayer for peace"; So that the soul is more immersed in contemplation affectionate peaceful, serene, his God, begins to hear his great attributes in a sensitive manner , efficient, consoling; slowly put in contact with the heart of God adorable, it receives reflections, light, heat, inspirations, directives, always in a great peace.
Well said Father Benedict, the Spiritual Director of Padre Pio, the adoration of peace is the most beautiful, because they do not have any danger; Has the task of crushing the pride, to remove interest, to abandon everything and only of interest 'Adorabile Lord, love Love.
This will then understand the first elements of prayer, of prayer, of elevation, as described St. Thomas Aquinas, "a pious elevation of the mind in God."
As we take this Father Pio prayer!
When they say: Padre Pio will be recited about 37/38, some say 39, rosaries per day, but practically speaking, is not pos-sibile, as was to recite these rosaries?
Padre Pio said: "I can not spiegarvelo why not comprendereste."
If they are proverbial, it seems to me like a glimmer, to understand something: that the Spirit, continues activities, such as breathing and pray this breathe continuously, this prayer, therefore, continues gives rise to a 37,38,50 rosaries day .
It is a continuous breath.
Who can see the movements of our hearts, our lungs, our whole life? Whether it develops with us, in us and for us?
And yes, it counts!
They say: "There are scientists who do their calculations!"
But in essence is that the breath is the life goes on.
Now, if every breathing and the entire breath is a life, Padre Pio the Rosary was a breath.
Here's the Spirit of the Father of prayer.
They were not so many words, while counting the words, as the Spirit of prayer, placing himself in the great truths of God, who, co-me said Santa Caterina, souls, as an ocean, live and they feed like fish that guizzano inside.
God is a great Ocean in which they live and feed the souls.
We therefore for the teaching of the Father, for the teaching of the Church, for the teaching of Christ, we must enter in the spirit of prayer if we want our prayers to be effective.
Then remove as much as possible the thoughts, identify as much as possible in prayer; We go as far as possible in Mysteries of the Rosary, for example, and walk as much as possible coll'idea all'Ave Maria, Mater Dei, Mother of God. "Hail, full of grace"; Look, there are two or three words, but what it means: "full of grace"?
You know what I mean: "full of grace"?
The sea full of water in his comparison is nothing.
Full of Grace means that the grace, the grace that is substantial in God, God himself in person lives within her all the parts of the body and the spirit.
It is a mysterious and beautiful image of God. Picture perfect.
That is why the Madonna was taken as the Mother of God; That's why Our Lady is called: "Supplement of the Trinity."
It is a mystery that understand in heaven.
For now we pray that the Madonna enlighten us and comfort us in His devotion.
But this is the teaching of our dear and beloved, venerable Pio of Pietrelcina.
He then has the seal of all these things.
Why, what appears to Padre Pio especially?
What is the basis for which has attracted all the people?
Why Padre Pio has become a universal be so which is attached a sea, a sea of souls?
Why?
WHY IS THE CHRIST GOD V1VENTE ONE MORE TIME, EVEN IN THE OFFICIAL IN THE LIMITED: A REPRODUCTION OF CHRIST.
Your hands, your feet, your side bear the marks of passion, so is the Christ.
Thus, suitable because returns devotion dell'adorabile crucifix and the Lord Jesus returns in the center of the Catholic world more alive than ever.
So please, let us pray today that Padre Pio we get from the spirit of prayer, bring about how to penetrate the secret world of prayer, we obtain the ability to be able to pray, we otten-ga the joy of belong total-mente the Lord free from our passions, our miseries.  

It is a gift; The most beautiful gift that God could do and that Padre Pio can obtain.

 

I believe in one God...