Product: Padre Pio, Miracle Man (2000)
Rating: 5.0
Jacob's Ladder
This movie on the life of St. Pio is excellent! Even though St. Pio was known during his life time as a "wonder-worker", and had many angelic and demonic encounters throughout his life, and even had apparitions of both Jesus and Mary, St. Pio was still a human being. This movie shows people the life of St. Pio from HIS human perspective. The viewer will see St. Pio crying after a woman dies before his eyes, asking "Why does he [Satan] always win?" The viewer will see St. Pio get angry, laugh, love, and suffer.One of the most fascinating aspects of St. Pio's thinking was his shame of being chosen by God to bear the stigmatic wounds of Jesus. One of his first responses to the sitgmatic wounds is, "Why? Why did God choose me?". It is this shame that drives St. Pio to hide his stigmata. When the Pope grants permission to a (unbelieving) doctor to examine him, he responds, "Are you hear to see the freak show? Sorry, the circus is closed." I think this highlights St. Pio's human character.Although St. Pio performed a multitude of miracles during his earthly life, these are not the focus of the film at all. This film shows a "wonder-worker" who thought if necessary to have a hospital built for the sick and suffering. This film shows a St. Pio who says, "You can't always ask for miracles." In fact, although the movie shows St. Pio's gift of prophecy and heart-reading, the only other miracles that the movie shows are the lives that were changed by St. Pio's life of faith, hope, and love.Ultimately what this presentation of St. Pio's life gives to us viewers is the lesson that Christians are themselves "sacraments" (i.e., physical means through which God conveys His grace), and that we cannot expect our Christian lives to be overflowing with the supernatural. God works through our discipline, obedience, perseverance, prayer, and faith to spread His Kingdom.