Every one of us has a very powerful intercessor in the Blessed Virgin Mary. In fact, all of the inhabitants of Heaven can pray for us. But their power to help us, in some ways, is not equal. The closer they were to God on earth, the closer and more powerful they are with Him in Heaven. But in the hearts of them all is the desire to help others, and also the need to be asked.

Throughout time, the saints in life have always urged us to pray to Heaven for help! We need it and Heaven wants to give it. History is filled with examples of Heaven’s incredible assistance, as well as numerous sayings of the saints, all of which serve as encouragements to our prayer.

It was along just such a topic, that the following anecdote was told by Padre Pio:

"One day the Lord walked around Paradise and saw many ugly faces which absolutely should not have been present in that place, so full of all that is good and so devoid of all evil, so that Heaven’s porter was confronted about it! Until he explained that it was not due to lack of vigilance on his part, but through the abundant mercy of the Madonna and Saint Joseph."