Padre Pio’s Feast Day: Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry

Click for More

On this feast of St. Padre Pio, the Church reminds us of one of the most beloved saints of modern times, a humble Capuchin friar marked by extraordinary gifts, suffering, and faith. Fr. Chris Alar reflects on today’s Gospel (Luke 8:19–21), where Jesus tells us that His true family are those who “hear the word of God and act on it.” Few lived this more radically than Padre Pio.

From his childhood in southern Italy, through years of sickness, demonic attacks, and the extraordinary gift of the stigmata, Padre Pio embraced suffering with deep trust in God. He became known for his spiritual gifts—reading souls, healing, bilocation—and most importantly for his ministry in the confessional, where countless souls found God’s mercy. Like St. Faustina, he was misunderstood and restricted at times, yet he endured with obedience, humility, and love.

His motto, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” remains timeless. Padre Pio shows us how to “offer it up,” turning even frustrations and small sufferings into powerful intercession for souls. This is the way of the Cross, and the way of Divine Mercy.

The Catechism teaches us that suffering united to Christ’s passion becomes redemptive (CCC 1521). Padre Pio lived this truth so fully that his very wounds reflected Christ’s. His body bore the stigmata, yet at his death the wounds vanished without scars, a mystery testifying to God’s work in him.

Today, let us entrust our anxieties and crosses to Christ through the intercession of St. Padre Pio. May we find in him a model of holiness and in his words a call to deeper trust: Pray, hope, and don’t worry.

For a deeper understanding of the sacraments that sustained Padre Pio, explore Understanding the Sacraments by Fr. Chris Alar, available at ShopMercy.org.

Added to Favorites!
Added to Watch Later!

You might also like...

Discerning God's Will in Your Life

Does God want us to make a specific choice for each decision in our life? If so, how do we know what that choice should be? How do we know when we want something if it is our will or God's will? Join Fr. Chris Alar as he explains the importance of spiritual direction and how we can know what God wants us to do and how to find peace in our decisions.

Breaking Soul Ties

Have you ever wondered why some people can't seem to stop thinking about their first love, even though decades have passed? Or why certain addictions seem to run in certain families? Or why you just can't heal from that childhood trauma or abuse? Father Chris Alar, MIC, suggests a “soul tie,” or spiritual attachment to another, may be present, and offers solutions. Then hear the story of Andrew Comiskey of Desert Stream Living Waters Ministry, a perfect example of effectively breaking sinful soul ties of the past.

Charlie Kirk: Why? Fr. Chris Alar Makes an Interesting Connection

With the senseless activities in our world today, how do we make sense of this? What are the words of Christ in the Scriptures that apply directly to us today? And how can we solve these problems? Please join Father Chris Alar as he gives the Church perspective.