Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Rebuilding is never only about bricks and mortar. It is about identity, belonging, and the courage to start again after seasons of loss. Today’s readings move from a temple rising out of the dust of exile (Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20), to the pilgrim joy of entering God’s house (Psalm 122), to Jesus’ startling claim that family is formed by hearing and doing the word of God (Luke 8:19-21; cf. Luke 11:28). On the memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina—Padre Pio—we are given a companion who shows what this looks like in a wounded world: prayer that perseveres, obedience that costs, and charity that builds a house of mercy.

Rejoicing in a House Restored (Ezra 6; Psalm 122)

The decree of a pagan king funds the rebuilding of the Lord’s house: “From the royal revenue … let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay” (Ezra 6:8). Providence often works through unexpected hands. The elders, strengthened by the prophetic word, finish the Temple; Israel dedicates it with sacrifices and renewed worship (Ezra 6:14-20). Then comes the feast—Passover kept in purity and joy (Ezra 6:19-20). Psalm 122 gives the inner soundtrack to this moment: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).

There is an outer rebuilding and an inner reordering. The priests and Levites are set “in their divisions” (Ezra 6:18), and Jerusalem is praised for its “compact unity” (Psalm 122:3). Worship orders life; adoration knits the people together. St. Ambrose saw this clearly: the Church’s worship is not a private comfort but the school where desires are purified and a people learns justice and mercy. The rebuilt house signals not only a standing structure, but a reconfigured heart and a re-gathered community.

For many today, “exile” takes the form of burnt-out schedules, fractured families, chronic anxiety, or the ache of grief. The call is the same: return and rebuild. St. Gregory of Nyssa taught that the soul’s journey is an ongoing ascent—epektasis—ever pressing toward God’s inexhaustible goodness. The Temple was completed on a date; your heart is God’s living temple that is always under loving renovation (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16). Keep going. Every small act of prayer and fidelity lays another stone.

Family by Hearing and Doing (Luke 8:19-21; Luke 11:28)

A crowded room stands between Jesus and His relatives. When told His mother and brothers want to see Him, He replies, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21). This doesn’t diminish Mary; it reveals why she is blessed. As the Alleluia acclamation echoes, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28). Mary is foremost because she heard and obeyed (Luke 1:38). Family likeness is measured by obedience to the Word.

Hearing without doing builds nothing. Doing without hearing constructs on sand. In a culture awash with words, Christ’s criterion is simple and searching: Does the Word we hear become the life we live? Ambrose insisted that the Word of God claims authority over our choices—even over rulers and systems. When the Word rules, we become kin to Christ and a home for others.

Padre Pio: A House of Mercy in a Wounded World

Francesco Forgione, known to the world as Padre Pio (1887–1968), lived this Gospel kinship through prayer, suffering offered with Christ, and concrete mercy. A Capuchin friar marked by the stigmata, he spent long hours hearing confessions, reconciling sinners to God, and turning wanderers into children at home. He faced investigations and restrictions and responded with a hard obedience that purified love. He founded the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza—the Home for the Relief of Suffering—because worship must spill into works of mercy, just as Israel’s sacrifices led to a community restored.

Padre Pio’s counsel, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” is not a slogan; it is a cruciform way of hearing and doing. To pray is to listen; to hope is to trust the Builder’s plan; not to worry is to hand Him the tools of our fear. Like the Temple completed under Darius, the saints show that God can use unlikely instruments and difficult seasons to raise a dwelling place of grace.

How to Rebuild the House Today

Return to the center: Make a daily appointment with Scripture. Read the Gospel of the day and ask, “What is one concrete act this word invites today?” Then do it (Luke 8:21; Luke 11:28).
Reorder worship: Let Sunday shape the week. Arrive a bit early for Mass. Pray Psalm 122: “Let us go rejoicing…” (Psalm 122:1-2). Ask God to rebuild unity in your family and parish.
Seek purity for Passover: Go to Confession this month. In Ezra, the Levites purified themselves to serve (Ezra 6:20). Confession purifies the heart-temple and restores joy.
Lay a mercy-stone: Choose one work of mercy this week—a visit, a meal, a forgone retort replaced with a blessing—and offer it for someone in exile.
Practice persevering hope: Name one area that feels like ruins—marriage strain, debt, addiction, chronic illness—and, with Padre Pio, entrust it to Christ daily: “Jesus, rebuild what I cannot.” Keep a simple record of small graces that appear.

When Kings Help and When They Don’t

Sometimes “Darius” helps: a supervisor grants flexibility, a policy shifts, a friend opens a door. Sometimes he doesn’t. Either way, Ezra reminds us that God’s promise, not human permission, is decisive (Ezra 6:14). Ambrose once called an emperor to penance, underscoring that earthly power bows before divine truth. Do what depends on you—pray, act, build—while letting God handle the kings.

The Joy That Follows Obedience

Notice the sequence in Ezra: obedience to God’s command, cooperation across the community, completion of the work, and then joy (Ezra 6:14-16). Joy is not an escape; it is the fruit of shared fidelity. Psalm 122’s gladness is not naïveté; it is the confidence of pilgrims who know where they are going. If the Word you hear today leads to even a small act of trust, you have taken a real step into the family circle of Christ.