Saint Padre Pio

I have quite a few favorite saints and Saint Padre Pio is one of them. Some years ago, I bought my parents a statue of Saint Padre Pio that sat in front of their fireplace for a long time. Then, when we sold everything so they could move here when my dad's health began to fail, the statue found a home in the upper level of the rectory. I used that statue for my homily this weekend as I talked about Saint Padre Pio and the call to serve. Jesus told his disciples in the gospel for this weekend, Mark 9:30-37, they should not strive for greatness but be the servant of all. Saint Padre Pio was truly a servant of the Lord. He was ordained a priest in 1910 and received the stigmata or wounds of Christ in 1918. The stigmata remained with him throughout his life until his death in 1968. Something that Padre Pio would say of himself is, "I am a poor Franciscan who prays" (August 2012, The Priest, 29). Being a servant means that we are humble and that we share the love, mercy, compassion of God with all of our brothers and sisters. The article that I used from "The Priest" magazine was appropriately titled, "Aspire Only to Serve." We are called to serve and we pray that we may have the grace and strength to share the Lord's goodness with others. May the holy men and women who have gone before us, like Saint Padre Pio, intercede for us that we may live the Lord's call to serve each day!!! God Bless You!!!