Padre Pio

A book about Padre Pio sent to me today from Paraclete Press takes me back to Italy when I was 19 years old at Harding University in Florence. We took art and music appreciation, and though we visited many a church, we did not take "monastery appreciation." So much of the rich heritage of monastic life in Italy was lost on our youth.

One of the most adored saints in the Catholic Church in the 20th century was Padre Pio, a name given to him in his monastic work that means "a father who is pious." Padre Pio died in 1968.

Here is one of his "letters" from the new Paraclete Press book, Words of Light: Inspiration from the Letters of Padre Pio:

O God, if everyone knew your severity, just like they knew your seetness, which creature would be so foolish as to dare to offend you? My God, you, who are very just and very good, show the severity of your justice to all those who dare to offend you, so that they might learn, if not to love you, at least to fear you.

One feature of this book resembles Mother Teresa of Calcutta's recent published revelations that she went through dark periods. Christopher Hitchens, one of the world's best-known atheists today, pointed to Mother Teresa's comments as evidence that her life was somehow wasted or even a fraud. Here is a second selection from Padre Pio's letters:

My spirit is continually caught up in the darkness, which becomes ever thicker. The temptations against the faith continue to grow and grow. I live, therefore, always in the dark; I try to see, but in vain. My God, when will I see you arise, I don't expect the sun, but at least the dawn? I am sustained by the world of authority alone.

Paraclete Press (800-451-5006) has many great books--my favorite are ones written by Scot McKnight.