The movement of the human soul, and human society in general, from its fallen chaotic state towards divine order is at the heart of the Blog of Padre Pio Press. Writings, ponderings, and reflections on this movement of the soul are authored by Fr. Cliff Ermatinger and by the occasional Guest Contributor. The articles and recordings are relegated to the following areas:
Throughout the Month of May,
Padre Pio Press Cordially Invites Its Readership to Join In Saying:
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Augustine, Is the Life of Prayer Worth It?
Question 006
Where is all of this leading?
We shall have God as our common object of vision, as our common possession, our common peace, For whatever he gives us now, he shall be to us in place of his present gifts. He shall be our full and perfect peace… Our joy, our peace, our rest, the end of our troubles, is none but God.
from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger.
As we progress in the life of prayer, we find that it is fraught with trials; we wish to pray vigils but find difficulty in staying awake, we try fasting […]
At the East of the Garden of Eden God Placed the Cherubim, and a Flaming Sword To Guard the Way
Part III in a Series by Pseudo-Ermatinger
The space shuttle Challenger lifts off from the Complex 39A launch pad, National Archives, 1983.
The soul’s journey towards the divine may travel outward from herself, might propel herself outward and upward under her own power, her own ingenuity, her own vainglory. To be sure, the powers of man, of body, mind, and will are vast, multifaceted, and capable of circumscribing and bending the material order to his will. Man’s gaze is outwards towards the horizons, knowing that the Earth, though it be where he sojourns, be not his home. Like Icarus of old, man seeks to fly upward […]
Spiritual Retreats Need Piety and Modesty
Originally Published at TAN Direction
A charitable young man, a former parishioner of mine, heard that I was stuck in quarantine. He texted me, indicating that he had just finished a weekend retreat, was in the neighborhood, and could drop off some victuals for his reclusive ex-pastor.
Not only was I moved by his kindness, I wanted to know more about his retreat. He was respectfully silent for a moment, and then thoughtfully said :
“There were good elements in the retreat, but disconcerting things, as well. We were told to sit in circles and share our woundedness, manifest our vulnerability. More than once, the soliloquies ended up blaming one’s father for his weakness […]
St. Augustine, May I Pray With Just My Speech?
Question 005
So prayer is more than words?
Let the “inner man” in whom Christ dwells by faith (Eph. 3:17) cry out to the Lord, not with the noise of lips alone, but with the affection of the heart…Unless you cry out to the Lord with your thought, the Lord does not hear you.
from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger.
Man’s exterior actions must be in harmony with his interior acts; if it is not, there is disorder present. When a man prays to the Lord, it is right that he prays with his exterior voice; […]
