Faith-Kingdom of God-St. Padre Pio

HOMILY WEEK 25 01 – Year A

Builders of a New Temple:

Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)

(Ezra 1:1-6;Ps 126; Lk 8:16-18)

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Do you see yourself as a builder?

We are about rebuilding the reign of God.

The first reading is all about the return of the exiles to their homeland through the lenient policies of the Persians. Though it was Zerubbabel who rebuilt the Temple, Ezra and Nehemiah were pioneers of the restoration. The real father of Judaism is Ezra with his three dominant conceptions: the chosen race, the Temple, and the Law. If his reforming measures seem severe and his isolationism narrow, it is because his zeal was great and the need to safeguard the infant community urgent. He is the pattern of all the scribes, the great and growing hero of Judaic tradition. Nehemiah restores and repopulates Jerusalem, making it possible and attractive to live there.  He is caring, concerned, dedicated and prayerful, leaving a noble memory.

The Chronicler sees this restored community, gathered around the Temple and obedient to the Law, as a realization of the ideal God-governed society for which he has pleaded in the Books of Chronicles. The realization is not perfect, the future holds more. During this period, under Persian control, Israel re-constitutes itself as “the People of the Book” with scripture (the Torah) authoritative for personal and communal life. While the Temple and its clergy gain great power, the people themselves also develop new criteria for belonging and identity. There is harmony between Persian imperial policies and the will of God.

The return and rebuilding took place in stages. Not only were pre-exilic institutions restored, but religious practice conforming to the Torah was established in an attempt not to repeat the mistakes of the pre-exilic community. The returned exiles were a minority in a vast polytheistic and multi-cultural Persian Empire so they sought to protect their ethnic and religious identity by establishing rigorous religious boundaries.

The gospel has Jesus, who is the new Temple, commanding us to stand out, to make a difference, to boldly go ahead to do his work, to share in his mission to build a New Temple, the new People of God, led by Church membership. As great as the temple building project was, it pales in comparison to the task that Jesus has given to us –to participate in the building up of the reign of God here on earth.

For me, that happens best when someone breaks through years of anger and resentment and is able to move towards forgiveness of past hurts, to be set free. Velma is one such person who was able to communicate with her abuser “with love,” not only forgiving him now he had hurt her so deeply, but also asking him to forgive her for how she had treated him for so many years, and give him a hug. She even eventually was able to dance with him at a social gathering. That is building a new temple.

Today the church honors someone who lived these readings in an exemplary manner. St. Pius of Pietrelcina (known as Padre Pio) was born Francesco Forgione (1887-1968) in the Italian village of Pietrelcina. He entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars at age 16, taking the name Pio and was ordained 7 years later in 1910. As humble Capuchin friar, he lived more than 50 years in the friary of San Giovannie Rotondo, devoted to a life of ministry as a spiritual advisor to countless people, confessor, and very reverend celebration of the Eucharist. He was a man of prayer and suffering, and was granted the blessing of the stigmata, like St. Francis. Many miracles were ascribed to him during his lifetime. Pope Paul VI said of him, “Look what fame he had, what a worldwide following gathered around him! Not because he was wise or a philosopher, but because he celebrated mass with humble faith, heard confessions from dawn to dusk, and bore the wounds of the Lord.” He died a few days after the 50^th anniversary of his receiving the stigmata, and over 100,000 people attended his funeral.  Padre Pio was canonized by JP II in 2002.

So, as we celebrate the Eucharist today, our meal within this new temple, let us pray for the faith to see ourselves as builders of the new Temple, the reign of God here on earth, as did Padre Pio.