Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (8: 4-15) in which Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower and explains its meaning to the disciples. Afterwards Fr Paul shares a little about the life of St Padre Pio whose memorial we celebrate today. Fr Paul says Pius, as he was called, was born in the small village in southern Italy, and he joined the Capuchin friars at the age of 16. He became a priest seven years later and spent fifty years at the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo, where he was very much sought after as a spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor. Many miracles were popularly ascribed to him during his lifetime. He died a few days after the fiftieth anniversary of his receiving the stigmata, and over 100,000 people attended his funeral. Today, Fr Paul invites us to ask ‘St Padre Pio…pray for us!’