ST PIO OF PIETRELCINA, P. (Memorial) White

Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at age 15, and was ordained at age 22 in 1910. While praying before a cross, he received the stigmata, the first priest ever to be so blessed. He would hear confessions by the hour, reportedly able to read the consciences of those who held back. Padre Pio founded the House for the Relief of Suffering in 1956, a hospital that serves 60,000 a year. His canonization miracle involved the cure of Matteo Pio Colella, age 7, the son of a doctor who worked in the hospital founded by Padre Pio. The miracle was approved by the Congregation and Pope John Paul II canonized him 16, June, 2002.

First Reading: Eccl 3:1-11; Psalm: 144. R. v. 1a; Gospel: Lk 9:18-22

SEIZING THE MOMENT

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

The book of Ecclesiastes is bristled with wisdom. The wisdom we learn today from this book is the utilisation of time and opportunities. Time and opportunities are a gift from God; a gift that does not last forever. Human beings generally can learn wisdom from the operative pattern of the universe. The universe is ordered in a manner that illustrates the momentariness of all things. Existence and extinction are the two sides to life. Nothing on earth lasts forever. For there is a season and time for every matter under the heaven.

Just as the sage Qohelet wrote, there is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh. We can go on and on. What this implies is that we should utilise our time and opportunities. If we are rich today; we may be poor tomorrow. So we should learn to be generous and kind. We may be healthy today and sick tomorrow; so we should work hard while we can. And if there is a time when life will end, then we should be wise to be humble and to live righteously.

A lot of people out there are not conscious of these realities of life. It is a blessing therefore to be reminded of them today so as to help us order our lives accordingly. Because we can be so carried away by the pursuits of life that we miss out on the eternal values that matters and lasts forever. Let us look around us. There are a lot of people that need our generosity and kindness. There are so many deprived of food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, justice and love. If we don’t do something to help while we can, there will come a time when we may not have the opportunity to. Or a time when we cannot even help ourselves or help others but will depend on the love of some other person to survive. Nothing lasts forever. We can live wisely.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord God, help us know the shortness of life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Amen.