“May your good guardian angel always watch over you, and be your guide on the rough path of life.”
—letter to Annita Rodote, July 15, 1913
Throughout the Bible there are many stories of ways in which angels helped convey the message of God. From a very young age, Padre Pio spoke of interactions he had with angels, as well as saints and demons. In fact, when he was a child, he often spoke of his guardian angel as his friend. That friendship continued throughout his life, with Padre Pio often turning to his lifelong companion in times of despair.
It was, for him, yet another sign that Christ was always with him in some form. We are blessed with those same friendships.
In Padre Pio’s Own Words
Oh Raffaelina, how comforting it is for you to know that we are under the care of a celestial spirit who never abandons us (how wonderful!), even when we act in a way that displeases God! How sweet that great truth is for a believing soul! Can the devout soul who makes an effort to love Jesus fear anyone then, when it is always accompanied by such an illustrious warrior? Could he perhaps be one of the many angels who, with the angel St. Michael, defended God’s honor in the empire above against Satan and all the other rebellious angels who were dispatched to perdition and relegated to hell?
Well, you need to know that this angel is still powerful against Satan and his satellites. His love has not failed and will never fail to defend us. Cultivate the habit of always thinking about him and realizing that a heavenly spirit is always right next to us. He does not leave us for one instant from the cradle to the grave. He guides and protects us as a friend or a brother would.
(To Raffaelina Cerase, April 20, 1915)
Prayer
St. Pio, help us see God through the many ways that he reveals himself to us.
May we be open to Christ’s messengers in our lives.
