Padre Pio's Mass was something special. At 5:30 in the morning, the doors of the church would open,
and people would rush inside, racing each other to get as close to Padre Pio as possible.
But what made Padre Pio's Mass so special?
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Before we get into the topic of Padre Pio's Mass, let's ask the question: What is Holy Mass?
Holy Mass is the central act of worship of the Roman Catholic Church. It was instituted by Our
Lord at the Last Supper. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered on the eve of the Passion
when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. So, when we go to Mass, we participate in this
unique sacrifice of Jesus that happened around two thousand years ago. It is as if time and
space disappear, and Christ s sacrifice is made present on the altar in the church we attend.
We may also call the Mass the Unbloody Sacrifice because we do not see the Lord's
bloody body as it was seen on Calvary. Instead, his body and blood are under the
appearance of bread and wine. But it is the very same sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary.
But what about the word Mass? What does it mean? The word Mass comes from the Latin word 'missa'.
When Mass used to be celebrated commonly in Latin, the people were dismissed with
the words, "Ite, missa est", which could be translated literally as, "Go, it has been sent."
Pope Benedict XVI wrote: In antiquity, 'missa' simply meant dismissal. However, in Christian
usage, it gradually took on a deeper meaning. The word dismissal has come to imply a mission.
The People of God might be helped to understand more clearly this essential
dimension of the Church's life, taking the dismissal as a starting-point.
So, instead of seeing the words of the priest as a conclusion to the celebration, Pope Benedict
saw them as a beginning. As Christians, we are called together in worship, but also to go out
and proclaim the Gospel through our lives. Now that some of you maybe have a deeper
understanding of the Mass, let's have a look at how eyewitnesses described Padre Pio's Mass.
The deputy of the Capuchins, Arni Decorte says, "Padre Pio had the gift of making us pray.
He lived the Mass. He was fascinating. I can say that only in San Giovanni Rotondo did I really
understand the Divine Sacrifice. And yet Padre Pio's Mass was long. But still, when I followed
him, I lost sight of time and space. And when I first attended his Mass, I was sorry when it came
to an end. To my astonishment, I realized that it had taken more than two hours."
So, despite the unusual length of the celebration,
many would've liked the Mass to have continued even longer!
Father Gabriele Amorth, the well-known exorcist from the Vatican said: "People who had come out
of pure curiosity to Padre Pio's Mass, found themselves weeping like children."
Those present who were not believers suddenly found themselves free of any doubt. Hardened
sinners with closed hearts found repentance and conversion during the Mass. Many young men and
women would be freed from indecision and gave their lives to the Lord in a religious calling.
Padre Pio had his own way of prayer. He had long periods of silence and dramatic pauses.
The way he raised the Blessed Host with his stigmatized hands, was something
truly dramatic. Padre Pio was embarrassed about the stigmata, so he would always wear gloves,
but during Mass, he was not allowed to wear gloves. He wore extra long sleeves so people
could not see his stigmata. Yet during the consecration, when he raised the Host up high,
people would see his stigmata had started to bleed again. And it was a miracle right there and then.
The expression on Padre Pio's face showed that he was participating in the sufferings of Calvary.
Sweat mixed with tears rolled down his face, and everyone present could see that he was in agony.
Padre Pio's Mass was certainly a privilege to have attended.
People who had the blessing to attend Padre Pio's Mass were captivated,
they could not help but think about Christ's suffering while looking at Padre Pio.
Padre Pio advised that when we attend Holy Mass, we should imagine Christ suffering on Calvary.
Once they asked Padre Pio why one should not applaud during Holy Mass. He responded: At Calvary
there were also those who applauded the death of Christ: they were the soldiers and the devils.
So hopefully this message inspires you to be more present at Mass.
Padre Pio said: "The world would easier survive without the sun than without Holy Mass."
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