Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Lk 8:16-18

Unlike America, I grew up in a very poor area of Vietnam, where things developed slowly. My family didn’t have electric light until 1993. Before that, we had just one lamp for our whole house. Everything we did at night depended on that light—studying, working, and spending time together. I remember sitting with my siblings at the same desk, studying in the glow of that lamp. Those were special times connected by that single light.

I want to use this image to make a point: even though we live in a world full of conveniences, we often find ourselves surrounded by many different lights. Sadly, many of us do not see the same light—the light of Christ. Instead, we rely on the light of the world rather than the light of Christ.

Our souls can become distracted, keeping us from fully embracing His light. We need to look for the light of Christ in our hearts.

Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, whom we celebrate today, taught the importance of prayer and confession in helping many people find the light of Christ. Even though he faced great challenges and bore the stigmata, he never let darkness take away his light. He knew that for the light of Christ to shine in our souls, we must clear away the darkness around us.

Padre Pio emphasized that prayer and confession are key ways to seek and embrace the light of Christ. By doing these, we can brighten our souls and become lights for others.

May the light of Christ shine in our hearts through the sacraments of the Church, and may we reflect that light in all we think, say, and do. May God bless us all.