Padre Pio said, "I hang on the Cross with Jesus." What did he mean by this? This is
a good video to deepen our knowledge of Our Lord's Passion. So, keep watching to find out!
Welcome to our YouTube channel Following Padre Pio about the Capuchin monk, mystic,
and miracle worker whose intercession is still very powerful and active today. We publish videos
three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so follow us to find out more about the
life of this fascinating saint. And you will be amazed at what Padre Pio can do for you,
a family member, or a friend! Today's video is a testimony given to
us by Rosario Borraccino about the Holy Mass of Padre Pio. He describes Padre Pio's Mass as an
anticipation of Heaven, a sort of foretaste of Heaven. Rosario was absolutely convinced that,
in the celebration of Holy Mass, Padre Pio reached the highest union with Jesus,
so he was therefore a co-host of salvation and a mediator for all of his brothers and sisters.
Rosario says that during the Mass Padre Pio was almost completely
detached from the world and the people around him.
"We saw a spiritual tension. It was as if the struggle with the enemy of souls was happening,
especially when Padre Pio pronounces the words of consecration: "This is My Body; This is My Blood."
And of course, other things added to this atmosphere. For instance, Padre Pio's long
pauses at certain times and his firm striking of his breast.
Rosario tells us that everyone left the church with the feeling that they had attended a Mass
of a priest who had been actively participating in the sufferings of Golgotha. It seemed as if
Padre Pio was experiencing the pains of Christ and that he was somehow crucified with Christ.
Rosario continues, "This participation in the sufferings of Christ only intensified during
Lent." And he says, "Ecstasy followed ecstasy. Each lasting perhaps five or six minutes."
So, you can imagine how long these Masses would be. But despite the length, people were not bored,
on the contrary, they were completely captivated. "Sometimes, Rosario says,
"the silence in the church was broken with the words of someone exclaiming, "I believe."
Padre Pio often said the words of consecration with difficulty. Bowing his head, it seemed
as if there was a weight, an intense weight, pressing down on Padre Pio.
He looked as if he was preparing to fight someone much stronger, to fight the enemy. Or perhaps
he felt the weight of Jesus' cross. Beads of sweat ran down his face, even in the middle
of winter. Padre Pio seemed to be in agony. Now some of you might imagine southern Italy as a
very warm place, and although it is warmer in the Mediterranean climate than in the north,
it still gets very cold. Down to about 3 degrees Celsius, or 37 Fahrenheit, cold enough to snow.
So even in these cold conditions, Padre Pio would be soaked in sweat.
It looked like Padre Pio was going through agony. In many sources,
these moments are described as just that - agony. It was only when he raised the host
after the consecration that the features of his face changed and became gentle and radiated peace.
One did not feel as if these moments lasted very long. There was an impressive silence in the
church like everyone was holding their breath. It was a silence that everyone took part in.
Another thing that stood out was Padre Pio's resilience. According to Rosario, he remained
standing for practically two hours, despite the suffering caused by the wounds on his feet.
For those that didn't know, Padre Pio had five wounds corresponding to the ones on Christ s body.
So, not only on his hands but also on his side and feet.
These were very deep wounds. They have been examined by doctors, but they found
no natural explanation for them. So, these were mystical wounds, known as the Stigmata.
During Mass, these wounds would start spontaneously bleeding again,
especially on Fridays. It was as if the Lord wanted to emphasise the day of the crucifixion.
The bleeding was accompanied by a lot of pain. And during Lent became even more intense.
The pain in his feet was so strong, that Padre Pio would walk with difficulty.
But despite the intense pain, for two hours every day, he stood on his feet in Mass.
One day, he was pressed to explain this, how can he stand for two hours? This was Padre Pio's
answer. Listen to this. Padre Pio says, "During the celebration, I do not feel tired, because I am
not standing. But hang with Jesus on the Cross as His co-participator in His work of redemption."
So, during Mass Padre Pio would re-live Jesus' experiences as if they were his own.
From the Last Supper to the sufferings on Calvary, all the way to the hanging on the Cross.
Looking at him, it would seem that he was standing firmly on the ground,
but spiritually he was being crucified with intense pain with our Lord on the Cross.
Although Padre Pio followed the same rite, the same rubrics of Mass celebrated around the world,
his Mass was different. It had something transcendental, something not found in the Masses
of other priests. In this regard Rosario says: If it were not for this difference, then how else can
one explain people making huge journeys, at great financial cost, making all sorts of sacrifices,
just to attend the celebration of his Holy Mass and that they did not become tired of waiting?"
It seems that Padre Pio was not the only one in a different state during Mass.
Rosario compares the state of the Mass attendees with
the state of the apostles who witnessed Jesus' Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.
The same visitors and pilgrims were not content with attending just one Mass, but they insisted
on attending each Mass every day, as long as they were there in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Even if it meant getting out of bed before dawn. Padre Pio's Masses were always packed,
Summer and Winter. Everybody wanted to frequently witness the crucified priest's Mass.
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