The story of the Madonna that Padre Pio loved to tell

Padre Pio, or San Pio da Pietrelcina, was an Italian Capuchin friar who lived between the late XNUMXth and mid-XNUMXth centuries. He is known above all for his stigmas, or rather the wounds that reproduced the wounds of Christ on his flesh during the Passion, and for his charisms, or rather the particular supernatural qualities that had been granted to him by God.

One of the most distinctive features of Padre Pio's spirituality was his deep and intense relationship with the Virgin Mary. Since he was a child, in fact, he had consecrated himself to the Mother of God and had developed a very strong Marian devotion. This relationship was further strengthened when, in 1903, Padre Pio was consecrated to the Madonna and promised to dedicate her life to her glory.

During his life, Padre Pio had numerous meetings with the Virgin Mary, who spoke to him and advised him in various moments of his existence. One of the best known of these episodes occurred in 1915, when Padre Pio fell seriously ill and was miraculously cured by the Madonna. On that occasion, Maria asked him to take a vow of perpetual chastity and to consecrate himself completely to her will.

Padre Pio considered the Virgin Mary as his own spiritual mother and he relied on her at every moment of his life. He had great trust in Our Lady and knew that she would always protect him and accompany her on her journey of faith. This trust was also manifested in the way he encouraged his devotees to turn to Our Lady with confidence, in the certainty that she would come to their aid.

The big heart of the Madonna

There is a story, in particular, that the Saint loved to tell about the Madonna. Jesus, he used to walk in Paradise and every time he did so he met a large number of sinners, certainly not worthy of being there. So he decided to turn to St. Peter to recommend him to pay attention to those who enter Heaven.

But for 3 consecutive days, Jesus, continuing to walk, always met the usual sinners. Thus, he admonishes St. Peter, telling him that he will take away the keys to Paradise. St. Peter, at that point, decided to tell Jesus what he had seen. He tells him that Mary opened the gates of Paradise every night and let sinners in. They both raised their hands. Nobody could do anything. Mary with her big heart did not forget any of her children, not even the least of sinners.