Do you sometimes struggle to trust in God s providence, feeling as though you're navigating
life without guidance? Join me in today's video as we delve into stories showcasing
Padre Pio's prophetic knowledge, demonstrating that indeed, God watches over us. Stay tuned!
Welcome back to our YouTube channel Following Padre Pio. If you are new to our channel, Padre
Pio was a Capuchin friar, mystic, and miracle worker whose intercession is still very powerful
and active today. We publish videos and shorts 5 days a week, so follow us to find out more about
the life of this fascinating saint. And you will be amazed at what Padre Pio can do for you, a
family member, or a friend! And now to our story! Today s stories are sourced from the book "Padre
Pio, the Saint of the Third Millennium" by Olivo Cesca. Within its pages,
we find three amazing anecdotes that reveal Padre Pio's profound gift of prophecy, which
may inspire you to place more trust in Divine Providence. So, let s dive into our first story,
as recalled by Cleonice Morcaldi, one of Padre Pio s closest spiritual daughters. Listen to this!
During a four-week stay at the hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, where she was bedridden due
to some illness, Cleonice had the opportunity to speak with various doctors about the friar
who never ceased to amaze people Padre Pio. One of these doctors was Professor Francesco Lotti.
Now, just a quick side note for context: Francesco first met Padre Pio a long time ago, when he was
just a teenager. When Francesco's father died, he and his mother travelled to San Giovanni
Rotondo from their home in northern Italy, to seek Padre Pio's guidance. During their conversation,
Padre Pio told Francisco, I will now be your new father. Since then, they shared a close bond. Now
back to Cleonice's story in the hospital. When Cleonice asked Dr. Francesco if he
had any stories about Padre Pio, he responded with laughter, "Any stories? I could stay here
for fifteen days, and still wouldn't be able to tell you everything." He then continued,
"But alright, since my time is limited, I will stick to a personal experience... In 1944,
I was a soldier and received orders to go to Greece. Before that, however,
I wanted to bid farewell to Padre Pio. It was then that I witnessed his gift of prophecy."
"What do you do in life, young man?" Padre Pio asked.
"Padre, you know I have a job," Francesco answered.
"I know, but it's a pity you made a mistake in choosing your profession. You should become a
doctor and come to work at my hospital." "How?" Francesco inquired. "I don't have
the means to pay for studies. Besides, I'm in military service, and I have to go to Greece."
"You won't go to Greece," Padre Pio stated firmly. "Go back home and enrol in university."
"And who will pay for the costs?" Francesco asked. And Padre Pio simply replied,
"Trust in divine providence." Francesco continued: "I entered the
house somewhat dazed and found a letter from the commander, granting me three months of leave. It
was July, and the war would end in Italy in September. Just as Padre Pio had predicted,
I didn't go to Greece, and I enrolled in the university, not knowing how I would pay for it."
And here comes the best part! "Believe it or not," said Francesco, "every time I received the bill,
an envelope with the exact amount came with it. I never found out who sent the money."
This story truly echoes what Jesus told his disciples and gathered crowd about
how God takes care of us: "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink... God
will indeed provide all that is necessary." Our second story comes from Leonarda Andretto
from Venice, who shared a fascinating anecdote. Aware that one of her friends
was traveling to San Giovanni Rotondo, Leonarda made a curious proposition:
"Do you know that Padre Pio knows things from a distance? Want to test it? During confession,
ask him what name I will give to my unborn son." So, during the confession, the friend asked Padre
Pio: "Mrs. Andretto from Venice is expecting a boy, and she would like you to suggest a name."
"A boy? No, no! It's a girl!" Padre Pio impatiently declared.
Sure enough, a month later, Leonarda gave birth to a girl, whom she baptized with the name Maria
Francisca Pia in honour of Padre Pio. This must have truly been a surprise,
considering that in those days, one could not determine what the child is before birth.
Our third and final story for today revolves around Father Giovanni Siena. Father Siena
was a great admirer of the Mexican songwriter D'Artega, owning nearly all his records. In fact,
his greatest dream was to meet D'Artega in person. One morning, as Father Siena was preparing
for Mass in the sacristy, Padre Pio told him: "Giovanni, go to the church
and ask the Mexican to come in." Following Padre Pio's instruction,
Siena went to the church and announced over the microphone, "If there's a Mexican here,
please come. Padre Pio wants to speak to you." A man stood up and followed him to the sacristy.
"Both of you are invited to help with my Mass." Padre Pio said.
After Mass, in the sacristy, Father Siena asked the Mexican gentleman, "May I know who you are?"
"D'Artega," the man answered. 'D'Artega?' Father Siena asked in
disbelief. 'It can't be! But what an honour! I've been wanting to meet you for so long!"
"And you?" D'Artega asked in turn. "I'm Father Giovanni Siena."
"Giovanni Siena? Look at that! I've also wanted to meet you very much. I read your book 'This is the
Hour of the Angels,' and I found the chapter about Saint Michael impressive. I wanted to ask for your
permission to turn it into a song." End of story.
Now, I don't know if Mr. D'Artega ever composed the song, but his encounter with Father Siena
serves as a powerful reminder of the mysterious ways in which divine providence works. Just as
Padre Pio guided Dr. Francesco to enroll in university despite the lack of money,
so too does God guide each of us along our unique journeys. Trusting in divine providence means
surrendering to the belief that God's plan for us is perfect, even when we can't see the full
picture. So, no matter what challenges we face, let us trust in divine providence and surrender
to the loving hands of our Heavenly Father, and to the guidance of Padre Pio and Our
Heavenly Mother who want to lead us to our ultimate good - the salvation of our soul.
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