Welcome to our daily rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

Today we celebrate the feast of a modern-day saint, Saint Padre Piel, who died on this day in 1968.

In Colossians chapter 1, verse 24, Paul writes,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,

and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions

for the sake of his body, that is the church.

Inspired by this verse, Padre Pio asked God to allow him to share in the suffering of Jesus,

and by this means to console his sacred heart and help him save souls.

So in 1918, Jesus granted this desire, giving Padre Pio the stigmata, the five wounds of Jesus as they appear in his body, his feet, his hands, and his side.

This lasted for 50 years, miraculously healing the night before Padre Pio's death in

1968.

Now the wounds of Christ in Padre Pio were very painful.

Still, Piel remained patient in his long suffering, 50 years of suffering.

Now, patience means to endure suffering cheerfully, that is, with a sense of humor.

In fact, once when a woman asked Padre Peeio if the bloody wounds of the stigmata hurt,

he asked her with a smile, if she thought the good Lord gave him these for a decoration.

Padre Pio said, Jesus himself wants my sufferings. He needs them for souls.

Now we all have suffering. We all have difficulties and problems, things we can't change.

The question is, what do we do with them? Do we complain? Do we waste our suffering?

Suffering is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given us. Do we waste our suffering?

Suffering is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given us, and we can tap into

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