Suffering Servant

Honoring the memory and ministry of Padre Pio

09/23/2019

Matthew 16:24-27 Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay each one according to his conduct."

Suffering is unavoidable. Sometimes that suffering can be physical, but it can also be emotional or mental. It can be endured by individuals but also by groups of people, or a nation, like the suffering of slavery and abortion in our country. Parents suffer vicariously when they see their children suffer. The whole earth suffers when we fail to care for our “common home” as Pope Francis reminds us. I see the inevitability of suffering several times a week when I visit the hospital and give the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

Last week I was called to the hospital to anoint Mr. Tony Scherry, who passed a few hours later. I pray the sacrament brought Tony and his family some comfort and strength as they carried the cross of suffering. And finally, I am learning that I, too, will and must suffer at some point, especially for my own sins. The surprising thing is that I have been able to live a suffering-free life so far. I’ve gotten off easy thus far, but it will not last; suffering is unavoidable.

Now, here’s the subtle irony when we deal with Christian suffering. Our pains can help heal other people’s wounds. One of the most poignant prophesies in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah is found in Isaiah 53, which describes him as the “suffering servant.” We read in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquities. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed.” The last line is the money line for me: “by his wounds we were healed.”

We see this interchange of suffering for healing in daily life. When we break one leg and put it in a cast, the other leg sort of suffers by carrying the weight of the whole body. By the anguish of the healthy leg, the wounded leg is healed. So, too, Jesus bore the pains of our sins so we could be healed. But this does not mean we will not suffer. On the contrary, our cross will be the surest sign of our Christianity, our badge of honor. That’s why the saints are always pictured with the instruments of their martyrdom, like a cross or sword. In other words, we, too, must become little “suffering servants” in imitation of our Lord and Master.

Today, September 23, is the feast of St. Padre Pio, a Capuchin Franciscan friar. In a very unique way he was a suffering servant like Jesus because he bore the “stigmata,” the wounds Jesus suffered on the Cross. Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887 to a poor but very devout Catholic family in Pietrelcina, in southern Italy. His baptismal name was “Francesco” (Francis). Even as a young boy he suffered severe illnesses: gastroenteritis and typhoid fever. He entered the Capuchin Franciscans at age 15 and took the name “Pio” (Pius).

As he studied to be a priest, he had additional illnesses: insomnia, exhaustion, fainting spells, migraines, and he vomited frequently and could digest only milk and cheese. He served in the Italian army in World War I in the medical unit, and returned and started a hospital for those in extreme need, called “La Casa sollievo della suffrenza.” Padre Pio’s desire, however, was not only to alleviate the physical ailments of his patients, but especially their spiritual ones. He was a priest. He heard confessions, said Mass, anointed the sick, and served as spiritual director for countless people.

One day in 1947, a Polish priest named Fr. Karol Wojtyla came to Padre Pio for confession. In a moment of prophetic inspiration, Padre Pio said that one day that Polish priest would rise to the highest position in the Church. In 1978 that prophesy came true as that priest was elected as the pope and took the name John Paul II. And in order to say thanks, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio in 2002.

But perhaps Padre Pio’s most notable trait was the stigmata, the same sufferings that Jesus endured. Padre Pio said he was embarrassed by the bleeding in his hands and in his feet and his side because he didn’t want to be compared to Jesus Christ. But he endured his sufferings for the sake of others, so that by his wounds others might be healed.

Suffering is unavoidable, but it can also be an instrument of healing for ourselves and for others. Scott Hahn said: “We usually pray ‘Deliver us from sufferings,’ but Jesus teaches us to pray ‘Deliver us from evil’.” Our greatest enemy is not suffering but evil, and surprisingly, suffering may be the best way to “deliver us from evil.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!