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.
St. Augustine, How Can Song Be A Prayer?
Question 040.
Can song really be counted as prayer?
Singing is proper to one in love… Jubilee is a sort of sound which means that the heart wants to give birth to that which cannot be uttered. And who deserves such jubilation if not the ineffable God? And ineffable is that which cannot be said or even touched. What remains if not jubilation in that the heart opens itself to a wordless joy, and the joy increases beyond the limits of the spoken word.
from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger.
There is a certain mystery to song:
First, song seems to […]
St. Augustine, How is the Liturgy the Source and Summit of Prayer?
Question 039.
How is the liturgy the “source and the summit”?
Man’s soul struggles onward towards that it loves so that it might rest upon reaching it. When the soul finds its delight in God, there she finds true, certain, eternal rest, for which it has vainly sought in other objects.
from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger.
The end of man is the praise and glory of God. This is where he shall find his rest, his peace, his fulfillment, his eternal delight in God. Man, as a species, is called to the praise of God within the hierarchical order of creation. […]
St. Augustine, Is Vocal Prayer Necessary?
Question 038.
If contemplation is the height of all prayer, why should we use vocal prayer?
At certain stipulated times, we employ words in our prayer to God. And it is by signs such as these that we correct ourselves and discover the degree of progress obtained in this desire, in order to burn even more and achieve an increase in strength. According to the proportion of the ardor of our desire before a prayer is uttered, so will be its effectiveness.
from St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer by Fr. Ermatinger.
Vocal prayer can be done in private, in solitary or with others, or in public, in solitary or […]