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:
During the Month of June, Which is Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Padre Pio Press Invites Its Readership to Join In Saying:
in the morning The Litany of Humility
The Litany of the Sacred Heart at night 
In Reparation for All the Ways He is Blasphemined,
Consolation for All The Times He is Ignored,
and Veneration for All that He Continues to Give to Us.
During the Month of June, Which is
Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Padre Pio Press Invites Its Readership to Join In Saying:
in the morning
The Litany of Humility
:
and at night,
The Litany of the Sacred Heart
In Reparation for
All the Ways He is Blasphemed,
Consolation for All the Times
He is Ignored,
and Veneration for All that
He Continues to Give to Us.
Quinqugesima Sunday- Homily by Fr. Ermatinger
Transcription of Homily
Quinqugesima Sunday
A continuation of the Holy Gospel, according to St. Luke.
At that time, Jesus took unto Him the 12 men and said to them, “Behold we go up to Jerusalem and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. For He shall be delivered to the Gentiles and shall be mocked and scourged and spit upon. And after they have scourged Him, they will put Him to death, and the third day He shall rise again.”
And they understood none of these things and this word was hidden from them. And they understood not the things that were […]
St. Augustine, Isn’t This Just “Navel Gazing”?
Question 017.
But isn’t the “going into ourselves” thing narcissistic?
More than an introversion, prayer is a transcendence of oneself. Do not wander outside of yourself, but return into yourself, for within the interior man dwells the truth. And when you discover that you too are mutable, transcend yourself. You transcend a reasoning soul. Therefore, gravitate towards that place where your reason is illuminated… You [God] were more internal than what was intimate in me, and higher than what was highest in me. Christ elevates the soul of the person in whom he dwells, so as to make communion and dialogue possible.
St. Augustine, Where Should I Go to Find God?
Question 016.
Where should I look for God?
It is difficult to find Christ in the crowd. Your mind needs a certain solitude, for it is only by this type of contemplative solitude that God is seen… purify the chamber of your heart. Regardless of where you are, there pray, for he who dwells within, hears you.
from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger.
We look for the One who is beyond all things outside of us, but He is not to be found amongst others in the crowd, for He excels both the individual in the crowd and the crowd itself. We might […]
St. Augustine, Might We Have Fulfillment in this Life?
Question 015.
Isn’t it expecting too much to think that anything can truly fill us in this life?
There let us dwell in hope, since we do not yet dwell in reality… And that which was our hope will become our reality, it will be our repose… You move us to delight in praising you; for you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in you.
from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger.
Man is finite, yet he carries within him an abyss that only the infinitude of the eternal God can fill. All else that man […]
