I think I recall in the movie Passion of the Christ, when the Roman soldiers stood Our Lord up next to the pillar to be scourged, a horrendous punishment, He said to God the Father “my heart is ready.” The evening before He had prayed he would be spared, but confronting His imminent passion and death he made an act of courage. He embraced His cross.
Yesterday I posted about videos of priests who had died and seen hell. Their description is rightly terrifying, but a gift from God through them to warn us. Interestingly, that post went viral gaining much more views than usual.
Tonight I want to talk about St. Padre Pio. Padre Pio for short. For me he is the greatest saint in modern times. I don’t think any other recent saint comes close for the amount of suffering they had to endure, and the virtue by which they did endure it. His example stands out to me as one of the most suffering of all saints and the most like Christ. Being that his suffering was intimately bound up with being a priest, the mystical passion he went through saying daily Mass, and his extraordinary abilities hearing confessions, he seems to stand out as a great example and patron saint if you too are enduring great suffering.
Padre Pio suffered from many ailments throughout his life including chronic gastritis, chronic asthma, chronic severe arthritis, recurring fevers, etc. I’m thinking there were actually a lot more. His body was riddled with illness even since childhood.
This is all in addition to having received the full stigmata, including the worst wound of Christ which was across the right shoulder from Christ carrying the cross. The greatest suffering from the stigmata was the embarrassment of it turning him into a celebrity, thousands flocking daily to see it.
Padre Pio only slept a couple hours every night, and often in bed he was literally physically attacked by demons leaving him wounded. For decades he only ate a few ounces of food every day which is physiologically impossible except for it being a miracle.
His motto was Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry. That last admonition rings true for me, to stop worrying which is a source of evil.
If you look at how much physical pain he endured while maintaining peace and joy, he is an encouragement not to worry about anything, whether the hard trials of this life, or the destiny of our soul. It only risks our soul to worry about whether or not we will in the end save it, there being a fine line between genuine fear of God’s punishments and worry.
There are so many miraculous aspects to Padre Pio’s life, the sum total of which should settle any doubts about the supernatural. He could bilocate, levitate, read souls, prophesize, among other supernatural gifts.
One day a crowd gathered around him blocking him from going down the hall, so he levitated to the height where his feet were above the crowd and he walked over them on air to the other side of the crowd. Members of his religious order witnessed this and swore formal testimony they witnessed it.. But he often performed miracles like this.
Padre Pio blessed a small blind girl with no pupils, and she could then see, even though she continued the rest of her life seeing but with no pupils, which is scientifically impossible. Padre Pio had performed one of many miracles.
If you or someone you know is enduring some serious illness, St. Padre Pio should be invoked daily, being one of the patron saints of the sick. Or for any major crisis.
God allows everything for our salvation, even unimaginable suffering. Turning to saints like St. Padre Pio, for their example and intercession, is a great help and consolation.