Padre Pio's Blessing

Padre Pio corresponded with thousands of people who considered themselves his spiritual children, and he closed many of his letters with a blessing of this kind. The lines gathered here — the comfort in affliction, the heart as a temple of the Holy Spirit, Jesus as the helmsman of the little ship, Mary as the star on the path — come from those letters and are preserved by the Padre Pio Devotions apostolate.

It is a blessing rather than a petition: it is spoken over someone else. The closing words, "Pray, hope, and don't worry," are his best-known counsel, and they are usually attached when the blessing is prayed today.

Parents pray it over children, spouses over each other, and friends send it to someone facing a hard season. It also works well as a closing prayer at the end of family prayer or a gathering.