Padre Pio

I don't really know a lot about Padre Pio. The video above is of him celebrating mass, and if you look carefully, you will notice one black band on each of his hands. St. Pio had the stigmata, a highly misunderstood, and often misrepresented, gift given by God. The Oxford dictionary defines it as "marks corresponding to those left of Jesus' body by the Crucifixion." The Catholic Encyclopedia elaborates further:

the substance of this grace consists of pity for Christ, participation in His sufferings, and for the same end: the expiation of the sins unceasingly committed in the world. If the sufferings were absent, however, the wounds would be an empty symbol, a theatrical representation, conducing to pride.

There are quite a few saints throughout the history of the Church who have received this gift. In fact, one of my favourite pictures is of St. Catherine of Sienna receiving the stigmata while in prayer in front of the blessed sacrament (pictured on the right). 

In this picture I see contentment, ecstasy, love, and adoration. It inspires me to be more holy, more devoted to my relationship with Christ, and to want to fall in love with him with all of my being. Striving for a perfect union with Christ, here on earth, may seem like a daunting task. I realize that I may be pretty far away from attaining this level of intimacy with God, but instead of feeling discouraged, I feel encouraged to press on, to move forward in spite of my weakness and inclination to sin. 

You know what's at the heart of the lofty levels of holiness? Consistency. Consistency is the key to growth in the spiritual life. It doesn't matter how many times we fall asleep during adoration or while praying the rosary, for example, what matters is that we show up and try to show up on a regular basis. All it takes is one little step after another, done with the intention of wanting to know and love Jesus more and more each day. 

Christ has called the whole human race to the lofty heights of sanctity ... Let no one believe that sanctity belongs to a few chosen people, while the rest of humanity can limit itself to a lesser degree of virtue.

- Pope Pius XI