The Power of St. Pio and the love that reached out.

 
Murf & St. Pio.


I haven't perfected the art of reading the future yet so I certainly can't say (or would I wish) as to what happens next. I make no secret to the fact that although I would consider myself a Catholic with strong spiritual beliefs, I have not been a regular mass goer. For those that know me personally, you would be aware that one of my balloons is called 'St. Pio' with aircraft registeration G-PPIO and is based full-time in N. Italy. I have documented in previous blogs here about the surreal aerostatic adventures that G-PPIO has brought both me and my flight crew on and indeed will continue to.  

My late Mum, Ann Murphy had a strong devotion to Padre Pio. Mum is now 19 years gone. Somewhere in between, my fondness towards St. Pio grew. As I would fly the St. Pio Balloon, I always felt and still do feel a closeness both to this venerated Saint of the Catholic Church but also to my late Mum. The unique distinction (if I can call it so) that myself and Padre Pio have in common is that for eight months we both shared the same ground and indeed breathed the same air. 

Fast forward and if you are up to date with my blog, you are aware of the significance of my CT Scan results 10 days ago where a 'significant shrinkage' of my tumor was recorded. You will also be aware of that deep charge of emotion I received minutes after that scan result as I accepted the host from Fr. Owen O'Sullivan, a priest that is of the same order of Padre Pio, the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. As Fr. Owen entered the room, I instantly felt the closeness of St. Pio. But there was more, I could sense and feel his love of me, his love of Aidan Murphy. Don't ask me how I sensed it, I just did. It was a top to toe feeling that ensconced me but it's presence only entered the room on that very moment Fr. Owen breezed in. That feeling was so strong that through out the following few days, as I recalled it in my mind over and over again, that live emotion that I felt when it happened, was back with me again. 

Before I decided to write this blog this evening, that beautiful sensation that's holding the love of St. Pio came back to me. Yes, it got me tiery and emotive but I wanted to write about it here. 

I hope you don't think I'm trying to influence anybody's religious beliefs here, far from it. I just want you all to know that last week St. Pio in a very surreal moment which I will remember for the rest of my life reached out and touched my heart. As I'm now writing this very next sentence, there's tears streaming down my cheeks.  They appear to be tears of emotion. It's bringing back that outreach that I felt when Fr. Owen presented me with the host on that fateful Tuesday. Something quite strong happened at that exact moment. That something I will forever remember. 

I need to find out the answer to this. I believe I'm being asked to do something but I'm not entirely sure what it is. As I referenced in a recent blog, over the past 10 years +, certain and specific persons, situations, events and timings have all co-ordinated themselves to be in sync with me, but more importantly they are in sync with this, my current illness in the fact that I can and am obtaining a unique benefit from them that is ticking boxes for me. Boxes that would otherwise make this journey I'm on a lot more difficult. 



St. Pio (G-PPIO) in flight recently 
over stunning Mondovi, North Italy. 
"The flights are fantastic, the journey is unbelievable" - Capt. Murf. 



My journey continues, my special balloon flight carries on. 
I'm asking St. Pio to keep the landing lights shining. 
Please God I'll get to land this thing safely. 
If I'm good at it, I'll bring others and land safely with them too. 

If I'm lucky, the Mammy is there to help and I've no doubt that she is. 

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Thanks as always for reading my blog. 

 

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