Some anecdotes that helped me visualize what our intercessors in Heaven go through…
A certain lady used to kneel in front of a photograph of Padre Pio every evening before going to bed to ask his blessing. Her husband, a good Catholic, thought that the gesture was an exaggeration and began laughing and teasing her each time she did so. Once he told Padre Pio about his wife’s habit. “Every evening my wife kneels in front of your photo and asks you to bless her.” Padre Pio answered, “I know, I know…and you start laughing.”
A gentleman said, “I had decided to give up smoking and to offer this small sacrifice to Padre Pio. Since then, every evening, with the intact packet of cigarettes in my hand, I stayed in front of his image telling him, ‘Father…it is one…’ The second day, ‘Padre, it is two…’ Three months later, I went to San Giovanni Rotondo to see Padre Pio after doing the same thing every evening. ‘Padre,’ I told him as soon as I saw him, ‘I haven’t been smoking for 81 days, 81 packets…’ Padre Pio said, ‘I know everything you know, you made me count the packets every evening.’”
A poor widow woman from Bologna, with five children had visited Padre Pio. She asked him to accept her as one of his spiritual children. She also asked him to keep all of her children in his prayers. He heard her confession and after the meeting, she prayed to Padre Pio every day. In her prayers, she asked him to watch over her children, protect and bless them. Five years later she visited Padre Pio again and during confession she asked him to watch over her children. He said to her, “How many times do you intend to ask me that question?” She told him she did not understand. He replied, “You have asked that of me every day for the last five years!”
(citations:
padrepiodevotions.org/testimonials.asp and
padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/knowledge.htm )
