Father Pio and Jesus

Father Pio, also known as Padre Pio, was an Italian Franciscan friar and mystic who lived in the 20th century and is known for his stigmatization and healings. He was a humble servant of God who dedicated his life to prayer, penance, and the welfare of the poor and the sick. He had a deep love for Jesus and a special devotion to the Holy Eucharist, which led him to experience many mystical moments of union with Christ. In this article, we will explore the indispensable bond of faith and love that existed between Father Pio and Jesus and how it can inspire us to deepen our own relationship with Christ.

Father Pio’s experience of Jesus was rooted in his Catholic faith, which he lived and preached with zeal and clarity. He saw in Jesus the unconditional love, mercy, and forgiveness that he had himself received and shared with others. He meditated on the life of Jesus, His teachings, His suffering, and His triumph over sin and death. He also prayed to Jesus and talked to Him as a friend, a counselor, and a savior. He often said that “Jesus is my life,” meaning that Jesus was the source and the goal of his existence, the one who gave him strength, hope, and joy.

Father Pio also had a deep awareness of the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, which he celebrated with great reverence and devotion. He believed in the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated bread and wine and urged others to approach the Eucharist with faith, humility, and purity. He once said, “Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and contemplation, for love needs silence and meditation” (L’Aurora).

Father Pio’s love for Jesus was also manifested in his compassion for the suffering and the sick, whom he saw as the living image of Jesus on earth. He spent long hours listening to their stories, offering them comfort and support, and praying for their healing. He believed that the suffering of Christ was present in the suffering of His people and that by sharing in their pain, he was sharing in the mystery of the Cross. He said, “In the depths of every soul, there is a tomb and a resurrection. The leads to resurrection because it is the symbol of absolute love” (Epistola).

Father Pio’s union with Jesus was sealed by his stigmatization, which he received in 1918 and carried for more than fifty years until his death. The stigmata were the five wounds of Jesus on his hands, feet, and side, which bled and caused him great pain and inconvenience. Father Pio saw in them a sign of the love and the suffering of Christ and accepted them as a gift of intimacy and participation in His passion. He suffered not only physically but also spiritually, as he endured temptations, trials, and humiliations from the devil and from some people who doubted or opposed him. But he remained steadfast in his faith, hope, and love for Christ and offered his sufferings for the salvation of .

Father Pio’s relationship with Jesus was not only personal but also communal, as he founded a religious community called the Capuchin Friars of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and a hospital called the House for the Relief of Suffering, which continue to serve the Church and the world today. He also corresponded with many people who sought his guidance and prayer, and he encouraged them to follow Jesus and to trust in His mercy. He wrote thousands of letters, which are collected in several volumes, and many of them reveal his deep love for Jesus and his desire to share it with others.

Father Pio died on September 23, 1968, at the age of eighty-one, but his witness of faith and love for Jesus continues to inspire millions of people around the world. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002 and is considered one of the most beloved and influential saints of the 20th century. His message is simple but profound: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and only through Him can we find peace, happiness, and salvation. Let us follow Father Pio’s example and pray to Jesus with the same faith and love that he had, and let us ask for his intercession and guidance in our own journey of faith. As Father Pio once said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”