Emmanuel Maillard

“Padre Pio’s Prayer to his Guardian Angel My Holy Guardian Angel, glory to God who, in His eternal wisdom, has entrusted me to you! Praise be to the Lord for the power He has given you to be a collaborator of His goodness, His tenderness, His mercy! May He be blessed for having placed you at the service of His Love for me! I thank you for your continual presence at my side, for your devotion, your kindness, for the trust and protection you grant me. I trust in your protection and mediation. You who always see the face of God the Father, please offer him my prayers. I entrust my plans to you. Walk before me, walk behind me, walk beside me. Protect me, inspire me, make known to me God’s will and choices. Help me to accept them and carry them out in all circumstances with the simplicity of a dove and the prudence of a serpent. (Mt 10:16) Defend me against the attacks of Satan and his demons. Help me to victoriously resist every temptation against faith and surrender to Divine Providence, purity, and the Love of God and my brothers and sisters. Holy Guardian Angel, purify my memory, protect me from disordered and dangerous imaginations, from the temptations of my sensitivity, from the deceptive illusions of the devil that distort my judgment, lull my conscience, and present error as truth, evil as good. Deliver me from the spirit of restlessness, dispersion, laziness, and self-satisfaction. Agree to pray for me, to pray with me, and even to pray in my place when I am too busy or too dry to do so. Enlighten my imagination, purify the images that arise within me; strengthen the light of my understanding, grant me your unalterable serenity in the face of all events, the physical and moral evils of the world, ordained by Divine Providence. Angel of the Lord, be gracious to me, fight with me so that I may always live in the Peace of God and faithfully serve His glory through Christ my Savior. Amen.”
― Emmanuel Maillard, Make Friends With the Angels

“As I mentioned, therefore, believing in the existence of Angels is not an option — it is an important point of the Catechism. This is what happened to a priest friend of mine in Paris many years ago. While he was a seminarian in Rome, he had the great opportunity to confess to Padre Pio at San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. During confession, Padre Pio asked him, “Do you ever pray to your Guardian Angel?” My friend replied somewhat mockingly, “No, you’re joking! I don’t believe in Guardian Angels!” What immediately followed was unusual: Padre Pio slapped him squarely in the face and said sternly, “Fool! Stupid! I see him by your side!” I think this completely unexpected shock brought this young Parisian, who had made his own choice between the things he believed and the others he considered outdated stories, back to his senses! From that day on, my friend began praying to his Guardian Angel!”
― Emmanuel Maillard, Make Friends With the Angels