Padre Pio and the Angels
Padre Pio is well known for his life marked by an intense relationship with Heaven, since his childhood. His experience of dealing with angels, and in particular with his guardian angel is enriching.
Padre Pio offers us his experience to help us spiritually. It is useful help to everyone, but also to society as a whole, which today needs a merciful intervention of providence. See also Padre Pio today.
Padre Pio and his guardian angel
From the age of five, Padre Pio saw his guardian angel and spoke to him. In his childhood simplicity, he believed that everyone was like him. From then on, an intimate relationship of friendship was established between him and his best friend. In a letter to his superior, Padre Pio recounts: “At night I closed my eyes, I saw the veil come down and Heaven open before me, I was comforted by this vision and I fell asleep in great tranquility. Waiting for my little childhood companion to wake me up to pray the morning prayers together.”
Subsequently, the young man never closed the door of his home while absent. He said, “the little angel keeps my house”.
One day Padre Pio had a vision: a man of rare beauty, shining like the sun, led him by the hand into an immense countryside where he showed him a character of a disproportionate size who was at the head of a multitude of men of horrible appearance, clothed in dark shadows. He said to him: “You will have to fight him.” When asked how he could face such a giant, the marvelous man assured him: “I will always be at your side, I will always help you so that you always succeed in stopping it.” This prophetic vision guided Padre Pio all his life and encouraged him in the violent battles he had to fight against the demon.
Among the many concrete aids that the father received from his guardian angel, this one is remarkable: receiving thousands of letters from all over the world and in all languages, Padre Pio explained: “my companion translates everything.”
Padre Pio's words about the guardian angel
Padre Pio encouraged all the souls he met to enter into this relationship of deep friendship with the guardian angel. He explained that our guardian angel is there, for us alone: “Summon your guardian angel, because he will enlighten you and guide you on your way to God. Use your guardian angel, it would be a serious omission not to use it and a great injustice to forget it.”
In a letter to his spiritual daughter, Annita, Padre Pio gives many tips concerning our relationship to our guardian angel: “Have a great devotion, Annita, to this angel so good and so benevolent. What a consolation to know that close to us is a spirit who, from cradle to grave, never leaves us for a moment, not even when we dare to sin! This heavenly spirit guides us, protects us as a friend, as a brother. But it is equally comforting to know that this angel prays incessantly for us, that he offers to God all the good works we do, our thoughts and desires when they are pure.
For God's sake, never forget this invisible companion, always ready to listen to us and quick to console us. O delicious intimacy! O delicious company! If only we could understand it! Always have it before the eyes of the mind. Remember often the presence of this angel, thank him, pray him, keep him always good company. Open yourself to him and entrust your suffering to him. Have a constant fear of offending the purity of her gaze. Know this and fix it in your mind, it is so delicate, so sensitive. Speak to him in the hours of supreme anguish, and you will experience his beneficial help. Never say that you are alone to support the fight against your enemies. Never say that you have no one to open up to and confide in. It would be a grave wrong if you did this heavenly messenger.”
Padre Pio prayed this prayer daily, dedicated to his guardian angel. He invites us to do the same.
