Saint Padre Pio

GENERAL AUDIENCE

Pope Benedict XVI

Dear priests, the day before yesterday, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart and a day of priestly holiness, we inaugurated the Year for Priests, during which we shall commemorate with veneration and affection the 150th anniversary of the death of St John Mary Vianney, the Holy Curé d'Ars. In the Letter I wrote for the occasion, I wanted to stress how important the holiness of priests is for the Church's life and mission. Like the Curé d'Ars, Padre Pio also reminds us of the dignity and responsibility of the priestly ministry. Who was not struck by the fervour with which he relived Christ's Passion in every Eucharistic celebration? In him, as in the Curé d'Ars, a total willingness to accept the faithful, especially sinners, flowed from love for the Eucharist. Furthermore, if in a turbulent and difficult epoch St John Mary Vianney sought in every possible way to enable his parishioners to rediscover the meaning and beauty of sacramental repentance, the holy Friar of the Gargano was consumed until the end of his life by his longing to care for souls and to convert sinners. How many people changed their way of living thanks to his patient priestly ministry; what long hours he spent in the confessional! Like the Curé d'Ars, it was his ministry as confessor itself that constituted this holy Capuchin's distinctive feature and his greatest claim to glory. Consequently how can we fail to understand the importance of taking part devoutly in the Eucharistic celebration and of receiving the sacrament of Confession frequently? The sacrament of Penance in particular should be increasingly appreciated and priests must never resign themselves to seeing their confessionals deserted, or limit themselves to noting loss of interest in the faithful for this extraordinary source of serenity and peace.

Then there is another important lesson we can learn from Padre Pio's life: the value of and need for prayer. He would answer those who asked him to express an opinion of himself: "I am only a poor friar who prays". And effectively he prayed always and everywhere with humility, trust and perseverance. Here then is a key point, not only for the spirituality of the priest but also for that of every Christian, and especially for you, dear men and women religious, chosen to follow Christ more closely through the practice of the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. One may sometimes be overcome by a certain discouragement at the weakening or even abandonment of faith which is recorded in our secularized societies. It is certainly necessary to find new channels for communicating the Gospel truth to the men and women of our time, but if the essential content of the Christian proclamation is always to remain the same, we must turn to its original source, to Jesus Christ who is "the same yesterday and today and for ever" (Heb 13: 8). The human and spiritual life of Padre Pio teaches us that only a soul closely united with the Crucified One succeeds in communicating the joy and riches of the Gospel even to those who are remote.

Love for Christ is inevitably linked to love for Christ's Church, guided and enlivened by the power of the Holy Spirit, in which each one of us has a role and mission to carry out. Dear priests, dear men and women religious, the tasks entrusted to you and the charisms which you interpret may differ but may the spirit in which you carry them out always be the same so that your presence and action among the Christian people become an eloquent witness of God's primacy in your lives. Was it not perhaps precisely this that everyone perceived in St Pius of Pietrelcina?

Five Maxims for Living a Devout Life

L'Osservatore Romano

DESCRIPTION

Examining the writings of Padre Pio we find the rules for the attainment of perfection.

PUBLISHER & DATE

Vatican, August 4, 2004

The publication of the letters of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina reveal unheard of and surprising aspects of his priestly ministry. Through his vast experience he was a master of spiritual direction for the various categories of faithful: young people, adults and the elderly, both men and women. His ministry for priests and Religious was of equal, if not better, quality.

As an apostle full of charismatic gifts, this saintly priest knew how to treat every person and every situation with the greatest gentleness and charity. Gianluigi Pasquale, the Capuchin who is currently publishing page after page of Padre Pio's spiritual correspondence, has given us a further proof of the goodness and wisdom of Padre Pio as a spiritual master through his work Padre Pio. Nel segno di Francesco. Le Lettere del santo di Pietrelcina (Milan, San Paolo, 2OO4, pp. 1O6, €7).

The letters are addressed to the followers of Padre Pio who have started the journey of holiness and perfection: the writings were generally to individuals, but among his correspondents there were also groups of men.

'May Jesus bless you always and smile at your spirit'

"May Jesus bless you always and smile at your spirit, subjected through his goodness to so many trials; may he always console your heart, afflicted for him and by him, not through hate but through love".

This letter is dated 6 August 1916, and the town indicated is Foggia. In it, Padre Pio reasserts the pedagogical theology of the Old and New Testaments. Evil, like suffering, is not the work of God. Pain, from being an instrument of affliction, becomes a means of spiritual uplifting, of purification and of holiness.

Padre Pio affirmed: "This is my most ardent wish that I have always made for you ever since I met you before Jesus, and which I have come to present to you today in the sweetest Bridegroom of our souls".

In his being, in his person, in his teaching, Padre Pio mirrors the special features of the Good Shepherd, from which he never, for any reason, desired to stray: "It is far from legitimate, then, to think that I, at this moment the appointed judge of your soul, should wish for the sake of comforting you to pronounce a judgment different from the truth and lull you into a sleep fatal to your eternal destiny. If that were so, my beloved daughter in Christ, charity would be damaging hatred and piety, merciless cruelty. Except, of course, if you were to consider me a wicked wretch, you are obliged to be satisfied with my assurances and take them as certain. Nor is it permissible for you to suppose that I judge lightly or without deep conviction".

Padre Pio does not intend to violate the "sacrarium" of the individual conscience. Yet, as he faced the demands of truth, he came to write (3 March 1917): "I urge you in our most gentle Lord not to worry about my spiritual state. I have very good reason to praise God since he has granted your spirit some enlightenment which, although it is not entirely released, should not altogether surprise you. Spiritual fevers, like physical ones, are usually followed by a variety of sensations that, far from harming the sick person, are useful to him for various reasons: in this case because they dispel the lingering malefic humours that caused the illness".

Patience paves the way to holiness and perfection

Among the virtues that foster the achievement of holiness and perfection, Padre Pio points to patience: "You may rest assured, my dear friend, that what best guarantees our perfection is the virtue of patience; and if it is necessary to practice this virtue with others, it is right to exercise it first of all towards ourselves. Those who aspire to the pure love of God need patience with themselves even more than with others".

On 15 November 1917, the future saint wrote from San Giovanni Rotondo to a consecrated woman, warmly recommending the devotion to the Crucified Jesus. "May Jesus always be within your heart and may he protect you always with his vigilant grace".

And Padre Pio continued: "The other day I returned home" (to San Giovanni Rotondo) and expressed his genuine satisfaction: "You can imagine my deep emotion and my gratitude to Divine Love. Such exultations of holy joy that can only be felt and never described".

He then lists the following rules for the attainment of perfection: "Here is what I feel I must say to you in the Lord today. To live a devout life without failing, all you need do is to fix some excellent and generous maxims in your mind".

Padre Pio's five maxims for living a devout life

"The first one I desire you to cherish is from St Paul: 'All things work together for the good of those who love God' (Rom 8:28).

"The second maxim that I desire you to keep for ever engraved on your heart is that God is our Father; and what do you have to fear as the daughter of such a father whose providence would not let a hair of your head be harmed?

"The third maxim is that you must observe what the divine Master teaches his disciples: 'What do you lack?' The disciples answered that they lacked nothing. When you were troubled even at the time when you unfortunately did not feel much confidence in God, tell me, were you never oppressed by anxiety? You will answer, 'No'. So, I will reply, 'Why do you not have the strength to overcome all the other trials?'.

"The fourth maxim concerns eternity. Living these brief and fleeting moments should not matter much to the children of God, since they will live for eternity in glory with God."

"The fifth maxim that I implore you to keep fixed in your mind is that of the Apostle St Paul: 'Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Gal 6:14). Treasure in your heart the crucified Jesus Christ and all the crosses of the world will seem like roses. Those who have been pricked by the crown of thorns of the Saviour, who is our Head, do not feel the other wounds.

"All I am asking you at the moment is to help me with your prayers to God; and know that I will always do the same for you and for your family and for all the souls who worked for my liberation. My gratitude and acknowledgment to God for them will be eternal".

Fidelity to the charism of St Francis of Assisi

Padre Pio wanted San Giovanni Rotondo to be his true religious "homeland". It was there that he continued to sanctify himself and to win over for Christ a multitude of the faithful from every part of the world. It was also the place of his mystical sublimation where he received the stigmata.

In November 1922, he reasserted his fidelity to the Franciscan charism: "Where can I serve you best, O Lord, other than in the cloister and under the banner of the Poverello of Assisi?".

Mentioning his "spiritual struggles", he confessed: "You know, O Lord, the hot tears that I shed before you in those most distressing times. You know, O God, of my soul, of the cries from my heart, the tears that streamed from these eyes. You had proof of the tears I shed and their cause from the pillows bathed with them. I want and I always wanted to obey you, but life came to a standstill. I even desired to die rather than fail to respond to your call".

The trial was accepted and it was fruitful: "May infinite praise and thanksgiving be raised to you, O my God". And finally, here is this holy man's invocation to St Francis: "You also help me too. I know that Jesus loved you so much and you deserve it. So speak to him for me, so that he will grant me the grace to be a son

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In the words of St. Padre Pio:

"The Spirit of God is a spirit of peace. Even in the most serious faults He makes us feel a sorrow that is tranquil, humble, and confident. This is precisely because of His mercy. The spirit of the devil, instead, excites, exasperates, and makes us feel, in that very sorrow, anger against ourselves. We should, on the contrary, be charitable with ourselves first and foremost. Therefore if any thought agitates you, this agitation never comes from God, who gives you peace, being the Spirit of Peace, but from the devil.

Endure tribulations, illness, and pain, for the love of God and for the conversion of poor sinners.

Jesus is always with you, even when you don’t feel his presence. He is never so close to you as he is during your spiritual battles. He is always there, close to you, encouraging you to fight the good fight; he is there to ward off the enemy’s blows so you won’t be hurt.

I urge you to unite with me and draw near to Jesus with me, to receive his embrace and a kiss that sanctifies and saves us. . .Let us not cease then to kiss this divine Son in this way, for if these are the kisses we give him now, he himself will come to take us in his arms and give us the kiss of peace in the last sacraments at the hour of death.

May the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, obtain for us from her Son the grace to live a life according to the heart of God, a life that is entirely interior and hidden in Him.

Humility and charity are the main supports of the whole vast building and all the other virtues depend on them. One makes up the foundation; the other, the roof of the building, the sturdiness of which depends on both. If the heart constantly dedicates itself to the practice of these two virtues, it will have no difficulty with all the others.

I feel all your troubles as if they were my own.

Endeavor to walk in the presence of God, in the ways I taught you and which you know. Guard yourselves against anxiety and worries, because there is nothing worse in the way of perfection than agitations, worries and anxieties of soul."