St. Padre Pio : Carrying His Cross, Receiving Christ's Yoke, for Redemptive Suffering and an Antidote to Theodicy

September 23 is the Feast of Pius of Pietrelcina, an Italian Franciscan Capuchin priest, affectionally known as St. Padre Pio.

What does St. Padre Pio evoke you?

Perhaps, the stigmata he had.

Then, what does the stigmata of St. Padre Pio mean?

It can be a powerfully visible sign of bearing tremendous suffering bored by him, invoking the Passion of the crucified Christ.

Perhaps, St. Paul of Tarsus, Apostle, can be the first stigmatist, given these words of him against the Judaizers, who demanded circumcision on Gentile Christians.

Not even those having themselves circumcised observe the law themselves; they only want you to be circumcised so that they may boast of your flesh. But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation.

Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen (Galatians 6:13-18).

By saying, “for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body”(Galatians 6:17), Paul was indicating that he bore the marks of Jesus on his body. And this can be the first known stigmata, given his intimacy with Christ (i.e. Philippians 1:15-23; 3:7-14), Paul bore suffering for Christ as to share his portion of Christ’s redemptive passion for us, symbolically resulting in bearing the marks of Jesus on his body, stigmata.

As found in St. Paul’s teaching, bearing suffering for a duration of time is understood as “μακροθυμία” ( makrothumia) in Biblical Greek. In this Greek word, μακρός (makros) indicates a long period of time, as well as, a great distance, while θυμός (thumos) means strong passion, suffering. And it is often translated in English as “patience”, as one of many aspects of selfless love (ἀγάπη- agape) in 1 Corinthians 13:4.

While St. Paul of Tarsus endured tremendous suffering on his apostolic mission in his intimacy with Christ, who suffered and died to save and redeem us, St. Padre Pio also bored tremendous suffering to death, as his cross to carry, throughout his pastoral ministries. And this is reflected in the Gospel Reading of the Feast of St. Padre Pio, Matthew16:24-27. Had he had proclivity to himself, then, he would not have been able to carry his cross to follow Christ. It would keep him from Christ and his Passion and death, symbolized with his Cross, which symbolizes the salvation and redemption for us. Therefore, as it was the case with St. Paul, St. Padre Pio was crucified with Christ as he carried his cross and had Christ living in him, and it is living by faith, as reflected in the First Reading (Galatians 2:19-20).

In his homily at the canonization Mass for St. Padre Pio, as Pope, St. John Paul II reasoned that St. Padre Pio was able to bear suffering with redemptive meaning because he has received the yoke of Christ (i.e. Matthew 11:28-30). Therefore, the life of St. Padre Pio, in particular, the way he bore suffering with his patience, carrying his cross, reminds us that Jesus not only asks us to take our cross to follow him but also calls us to take his yoke so that our cross can be not only bearable but also bears redemptive meaning, while bringing us intimately to him.

The way St. Padre Pio was bearing suffering to his death in connection with the crucified Christ also gives redemptive meaning to our sufferings, whether they lead to restoration of health or death. And the way he bore suffering is a powerful antidote to the heresy of theodicy.