On Monday 23 September the Church joyfully commemorated the feast of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. This worldly renowned friar was the first priest to bear Christ’s stigmata. As a faithful disciple of his spiritual father, Saint Francis, Padre Pio nourished a heroic love for the ministerial priesthood. His mystical and apostolic life is indeed an empowering resource for priestly holiness.
The summit of his apostolic mission was undoutedly the celebration of the Eucharist. According to his friend, Padre Alberto D’Apolito.
“Whoever attended just one Mass of his [Padre Pio’s], never forgot it.
It produced such an impression that time and space between the altar and Calvary disappeared. The Mass of Padre Pio visibly reproduced the Passion of Christ, not only in a mystical form, but also physically, in his body. Waves of emotion made Padre Pio tremble at the altar as if the struggle with invisible persons filled him, time after time, with fear, joy, sadness, anguish, and pain. From the expression on his face, one could follow the mysterious dialogue.”
This most intriguing testimony from a close acquaintance of his, already demonstrates the supernatural stamina of the Mass. Saint Pio himself used to teach to his spiritual children: “The Mass is Infinite Like Jesus... Renew your faith by attending Holy Mass. Keep your mind focused on the mystery that is unfolding before your eyes. In your mind's eye transport yourself to Calvary and meditate on the Victim who offers Himself to Divine Justice, paying the price of your redemption. The Mass is infinite like Jesus. . . Ask an angel what the Mass is, and he will reply to you in truth, 'I understand what it is and why it is offered, but I do not, however, understand how much value it has.' One angel, a thousand angels, all of Heaven know this and think like this."
If this is so how can I, a priest, who have been purposely called by God specifically to celebrate sacramentally and ontologically the Eucharistic sacrifice, live and celebrate it recklessly? If I rush to celebrate it what spiritual benefit God’s People, including myself, will be achieving from that Mass? I feel so hurt when people praise priests who celebrate a Sunday Eucharist in only twenty-five minutes when Padre Pio’s Mass lasted two hours! How insulted the Heavenly Court must be by such sheer abuse of the liturgy! Do we realize, as priests, that we are seriously offending God and his People when we rush the Mass? Human time should bow down before God’s eternal throne in our Churches! God’s time and ours cannot be reconciled!
Another sphere of priestly service which Padre Pio’s holy life should clearly correct is his zeal for hearing confessions. Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, aptly described the stigmatized Capuchin as “a great apostle of the confessional”. Padre Pio spent like twelve hours or more daily administering God’s healing through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
During his visit in San Giovanni Rotondo on June 21, 2009, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said that “for the holy friar of the Gargano, the care of souls and the conversion of sinners were a desire that consumed him until death. How many people have changed their lives thanks to his patient priestly ministry, so many long hours in the confessional! ... It is his ministry as a confessor that constitutes the greatest title of glory and the distinctive feature of this holy Capuchin.”
As priests do we value the importance of celebrating and living the Eucharist ardently? Are we really loving God’s flock by patiently and generously administering the Sacrament of confession? Is it a priority in our priestly ministry?
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap