Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
Padre Pio (Francesco Forgione) was born on May 25, 1887 in Pietrelcina in the Diocese of Benevento. On January 6,1903 he entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins. On August 10, 1910 he was ordained a priest in the cathedral of Benevento; On July 28, 1916, he came for the first time to the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, under Mount Gargano, where he stayed with short breaks until his death, that is until September 23, 1968. On the morning of September 20, 1918 (it was a Friday) in the choir of the old church, while praying before the Crucifixion, he received the gift of stigmata that remained open and bleeding for half a century. During his life, in addition to his priestly ministry, he founded "prayer groups" and a modern hospital, which he called "House for the Relief of the Suffering". On May 2, 1999, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him blessed and on June 16, 2002 - a saint of the Church.
Who Padre Pio really was? He amazed the world with his life and faith
Bloody wounds
So, who was Padre Pio really? Where did his phenomenon come from? What really proves his greatness? The arrival of a young friar from Pietrelcina in 1916 to San Giovanni Rotondo caused a huge, unprecedented in previous years, awakening of Franciscan spirituality in this town - more and more people came to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces. The painful and bloody “crucifixion” of Padre Pio on September 20, 1918 in the form of stigmas attracted crowds to Gargano Hill with even greater force. Bleeding wounds and other mystical phenomena, enormous suffering, zealous service in the confessional House for the Relief of the Suffering, Prayer Groups characterized and distinguished both his person and the service he undertook. The Holy Mass itself, celebrated with great love and depth, not only attracted the attention of the world, but even influenced the bus schedule and hotel hours.
Looking at Padre Pio, reflecting on the phenomenon of his person and exploring his spirituality, it is impossible not to mention all these characteristic features and moments of his life and ministry. Are they really the real source of his greatness? It is also puzzling that despite many accusations of fraud, suspicions of insincerity, penalties and restrictions imposed, today Padre Pio is a Saint of the Catholic Church, and his spirituality - still alive - attracts crowds of followers.
The secret of popularity
One of the priests who met Padre Pio in person described his experience in this way: “Many years ago I was with Padre Pio with a sick man who asked for healing. I was happy about the good occasion that came to me - I was finally able to know this brother's "secret" ... Let me say right away that I could not tell anything. The sick person I brought was not healed, I did not smell any smell or see any unusual phenomena. Moreover, when I confessed to him, Padre Pio did not reveal to me any secrets of my soul. For me he was a good confessor, I would say - like many others.
And I was left with my doubts and everyday problems. But I could only witness one thing. Well, for many days I participated in the Holy Mass celebrated by Padre Pio and that was everything to me. I was always close to the altar, following his every gesture. I have celebrated thousands of masses before, but in those moments, I felt like a poor priest, because Padre Pio really talked to God at every moment of the Eucharist. The Lord was present at his Mass, but not only in the Eucharist, He was present in him. Thus, in San Giovanni Rotondo, I met a priest who loved God in suffering and praying to the end: a true saint. I do not know if Padre Pio worked miracles, but I know that such a man could do hundreds of them. Thanks to this, it seems to me an easy solution to this brother's "mystery": a Christian should not seek miracles in order to believe, but faith, because then all life will become a miracle - so did Padre Pio (V. Frezza, Sacerdozio ed Eucarestia in Padre Pio, [w:] G. Di Flumeri (red.), Atti del 1º Convegno di studio sulla spiritualità di Padre Pio (San Giovanni Rotondo, 1-6 maggio 1972), San Giovanni Rotondo 1973, s. 323).
It seems to me that this is the key to reading Padre Pio's life. He did not so much look for miracles and extraordinary signs, he did not want fame or publicity, he did not want to be known and admired even for a moment. He only desired faith in the Lord, so his whole life became a miracle. After all, he himself said that he was "only a poor brother who prays". So he was like St. Francis of Assisi, who admired the greatness and goodness of God in all creation - for him what God had created became so close and precious that he called everyone, and in particular another human being, brother and sister. Looking at Padre Pio's life, and especially his ministry, one can easily see that everything he did, all the suffering of his life, every hour spent in trusting conversation with the Lord, were a humble cry to God for the salvation of souls. For others he really became a "poor brother", a poor - because he placed his whole life, all desires, dreams and plans in the hands of the Lord, a brother - because for another person, especially afflicted by disease, weakness and sin, he became a close companion, protector and intercessor.
It is significant that in all this God did not take away his torments, on the contrary - the cross that the saint took upon himself became more and more burdensome over the years. Padre Pio consistently followed the way of the cross and, paradoxically, he awakened in himself an ever-greater desire to suffer with the Crucified One in the sacrifice of love for all sinners and souls repenting in purgatory. In a letter to his spiritual director, he wrote: “I feel the need to offer myself to God as a sacrifice for poor sinners and for the souls in purgatory. (...) It is true that I made this offering of myself to the Lord God several times, invoking Him that He would want to transfer to me the punishments prepared for sinners and for the souls in Purgatory, and He even multiplied it a hundred times for me, if only He would convert and save sinners, and also quickly accepted the souls in Purgatory to heaven ”(Epistolario I, p. 206).
In love with Jesus
At the same time, the whole life and ministry of Padre Pio was filled with prayer and a very close relationship with Jesus - following the example of St. Francis, about who was said that he not only prayed, he had become a prayer himself. When we look at Padre Pio in a slightly different way, we look inside him, we will see an ordinary, humble and quiet Capuchin Friar who, experiencing enormous temptations and sufferings, with all his life, with his whole heart clung to the mystery of the life and death of Jesus Christ. He wrote about it to his spiritual director: “My soul must endure constant pain. I see no other choice but to throw myself into the arms of Jesus, in which Jesus often lets me sleep” (Epistolario I, p. 485).
Padre Pio devoted a lot of time every day to a simple and very intimate stay with Jesus: personal prayer, meditation, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and humble celebration of the Eucharist. A particularly long prayer before each Mass and the Liturgy of the Word resulted in the fact that his Eucharist was so beautiful and unique, and true miracles were happening during its celebration. So not only did he want humility, he really was "just a poor brother who prays." From his simple, everyday standing before the Lord, listening to God's word, the saint's love and sensitivity to the needs of the faithful were born, whom he used with great zeal and devotion in the confessional and spiritual direction to discern the will of the Lord together. This is where his endurance and strength in suffering as well as his love of the cross flowed.
He wrote to the spiritual director: “Yes, I love the cross, only the cross, I love because I always see it on Jesus' shoulders. Jesus knows well that my whole life, my whole heart is devoted to Him and His sufferings. (...) When Jesus wants to let me know that He loves me, He lets me taste His Passion, wounds, thorns, torments ... When He wants me to rejoice, He fills my heart with this Spirit that is all fire and speaks me about his joys. However, when He wants to be comforted, He tells me about His sufferings, He invites me with a voice that is both a request and a command that I should sacrifice my body to ease His sufferings. (...) I do not feel able to be deprived of suffering; I do not have the strength to do it. It is possible that I have yet to express myself well on the secret of this suffering. The Lord Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, would like all Christians to follow Him. Now Jesus also offered me this cup; I accepted him, and therefore He does not spare me. My humble sufferings are worthless, but Jesus delights in them because he loved them very much on earth. Hence, on certain special days when he suffered more on this earth, he allows me to feel more suffering. So, wouldn't it just be enough for me to humiliate myself and try to stay hidden from human sight because I have become worthy to suffer with Jesus and like Jesus? " (Epistolario I, pp. 335-336).
Dreams of happiness
Padre Pio died within himself every day, he stripped himself of his desires and everything that happened around him. He enjoyed neither fame nor crowds of people sometimes looking for sensation. He loved Jesus and wanted to live and die only for him. The spiritual director, Fr Agostino, during one of the ecstasies experienced by Padre Pio in Venafro, recorded the following words: "O Jesus, (...) I love You ... very much ... I want to be all yours .... can’t you see that I am on fire for you? ... you are asking me for love, love, love, love ... here I love you ... fill me up every morning ... You, you only with me. O Jesus, give me Your love ... when you come to my heart and see something that does not please Your love, destroy it ... I love You” (Diario, p. 35). So, God was the real goal of all Padre Pio's desires and dreams. This was what made him truly great - but not in a human way. On the other hand, God, because he gives such people a special grace, exalted his servant, made him holy and brought him to the heights of his glory.
So, let us stop here if we really want to get to know Padre Pio, understand his spirituality, find the source of his phenomenon. Everything else is, of course, important, beautiful and essential, because it shows what great signs the Lord can do by using an ordinary person who becomes a good instrument in His hands. This legacy is worth exploring and getting to know, writing and reading about it. However, the most important, source-based, is a close and humble relationship with the Lord, full of love and devotion, who - as Padre Pio wrote (cf. Epistolario I, p. 317) - makes us happy here on earth. If so, what will be in heaven?!
Until Tomorrow
fr. george