“Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter. ”
—Padre Pio
Sometimes Padre Pio is portrayed as a less than joyous person. In reality, though, he was known to have a wonderful sense of humor. In fact, there are numerous stories of him pulling pranks on his fellow friars and other people. According to those who knew him, he loved to tell jokes and funny stories. There are also many pictures of him laughing.
In the face of adversity, it can seem impossible to find any levity or something to smile about. But we must always remember that no matter what we’re going through, God is at our side. That alone is worth being joyful.
In Padre Pio’s Own Words
Understanding God’s plan for your life should, on the one hand, elicit such gratitude in your heart toward such a good Father that you would lavish continual thanks to your heavenly benefactor…. On the other hand, understanding his plan should strengthen you to refuse to halt your journey because of the pain and sorrow we must endure to reach the end of this very long road.
The Lord told me he revealed these things about his plan to you primarily so that you would not be in doubt about the course of your life. Run the course, then, and do not grow weary.
Run, and may we all run in such a way that, at the end of the journey, we can say with the holy apostle, “I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” [2 Timothy 4:6–7].
(To Raffaelina Cerase, November 26, 1914)
Prayer
St. Pio, help us remember the joy
that comes from knowing that we are loved
exactly as we are and where we are on our faith journey.
