It can be so hard to find a priest or another religious to provide spiritual direction. What is spiritual direction? It is a one on one relationship with a clergy member or authority in the church who can guide you on the path to perfection. The path to perfection is the way of Jesus Christ. To kind of hewn off the things you do not need and to find more of the things you do need to get to heaven. Before we had a shortage of priests, many people even lay people, had spiritual directors. St Padre Pio had many spiritual children that he helped guide on the way closer to Jesus.

I have prayed on and off for a long time to have a spiritual director. I do not have one. However, I do have the books of the letters St Padre Pio sent to his spiritual children as the director of their souls. I have a strong kinship with St Padre Pio and believe I am one of his spiritual children. If I cannot have a spiritual director, I have St Padre Pio’s words to guide me instead.

I thought it might be a good idea to write out some of my thoughts about the direction given by my spiritual father, St Padre Pio. It could be helpful to others, too.

“Don’t be at all afraid…Even if this were to happen…Jesus will not allow your souls to suffer any injury…The soul that places its trust in God alone has nothing to fear.”

St Padre Pio Letters Vol II

How many things do I worry about each day? I am getting better at controlling my wandering, fearful mind but I do still find a handful of things that hit me as something I need to panic about. Here is a saint speaking, it seems, to me. Do not be afraid. It says this, as we have heard, 365 times in the Bible. One time for each day of the year. Also, we know when we are afraid, we snap into work and control (at least, I do). As I ramp up in my fear, I begin to rely on myself – which is never a good thing. I have gotten into lots of trouble by trying to control things and by forgetting God is with me, always.

Who among us does not worry? It is a common issue that applies to all of us. “Jesus will not allow your souls to suffer any injury” – our souls, not our bodies or our feelings but our souls. The most important immortal part about us. At some point and time we will go on beyond what our bodies can do and manage. Our last breaths will come – for each of us – no one gets to breathe forever. Our time will come to “sleep” but we won’t sleep, we will meet God and hopefully have done what we need to do to keep our soul in relationship with Him the just judge, the merciful father.

Lord, keep us safe from anything that can harm our soul and our hope for eternal life.

Trusting in God and being at peace are good ways to not make bad decisions. I found this helpful and I hope you do, too! Pax et boun.

PS I highly recommend these books of letters of Padre Pio. They can be found here: https://www.padrepio.org/product-category/books-cds/ or here https://padrepio.com/product/letters-i-book/