Angel of God,
to whom the goodness
of the Heavenly Father entrusts me.
protect and guide me
now and for ever.
"Behold I will send my Angel who will go before you, to guard you on your journey and bring you to the place that I have prepared. Revere him and obey what he says. Do not defy him, he will not pardon such a fault for My Name is in him." (Exodus 23: 20-21)
'Send Me Your Guardian Angel', is a marvelous book about Saint Padre Pio's relationship with his Guardian Angel. Saint Pio would send his angel on errands and have him do all sorts of things that the good padre could not do easily himself.
Padre Pio had a great devotion to the Angels and had a special devotion to his Guardian Angel. He was on intimate terms with St Michael and the Angels. Towards the end of his life, Padre Pio spoke with affection of his Guardian Angel as 'the companion of my infancy.' While he was still a boy, his Guardian Angel appeared to him in the semblance of another child. His Guardian Angel helped him in his noviciate year and during his studies in preparation for the priesthood. Padre Pio's Guardian Angel helped him to become holy and was near him in the assaults of the devil and often helped him. For example, with his Guardian Angel's help, Padre Pio was able to understand the contents of letters written in French and Greek, although he did not know either of these languages.
Both inside and outside the confessional, Padre Pio would encourage people to have devotion to the Angels. In farewelling pilgrims, Padre Pio would use such phrases as: 'May the Angels of God accompany you.' 'May the Angel of God be for you light, help, strength, comfort, and guidance.' To some of his penitents in great need, Padre Pio would tell them to send their Guardian Angels to him. He would encourage his penitents and pilgrims to visit the shrine of St Michael the Archangel on Mt Gargano before going home. During the fifth century, St Michael appeared in visible form in a cave in the mountainside on Mt Gargano and revealed to the local Bishop that the mountain was under his special protection for the honour of God and the Holy Angels.