Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Angels are spirits, messengers of God. They are our bodyguards. They do all the usual bodyguard things like protecting us from danger, warding off assailants, and generally keeping us safe in all situations. In addition to these functions, they offer us moral guidance, help us become a stronger person, and lead us to our ultimate calling in life
God sends his angels to serve us, to guardian us and to teacher us. Many fathers of the Church have preached or written on the Guardian Angels. Saint Basil the Great taught that “…each member of the faithful has a Guardian Angel to protect, guard, and guide them through life”; or the voice of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux who also taught that “these celestial spirits have been placed at our sides to protect, instruct, and guide us.” Indeed, “heaven denies us nothing that [will] assist us”.
Saint Bernard in his Sermon says: “He (God) has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. These words should fill you with respect, inspire devotion and instill confidence; respect for the presence of angels, devotion because of their loving service, and confidence because of their protection. And so the angels are here; they are at your side, they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need”.
In the Book of Exodus, we read, “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you, to guard you along the way…” (23:20). In Psalm 91, we lifted our voices in song, “For [the LORD] will give his angels charge concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (91:11).
Many movies have featured Angels, like the angel Clarence in Frank Capra’s movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read: “From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their (the angels) watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united to God. “’ (#336).
Each time we recite the Nicaea Creed at Mass, we acknowledge the works of God when we pray “ We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.” We acknowledge that God Created all things, “seen and unseen”. Jesus asked us in today’s gospel not to despise anyone, not even the “little ones.” Jesus tell us about the work of the guardian angels of everyone, they stand in the present of our God.
In the Guardian Angel Prayer many people pray daily especially at the beginning and end of our day we pray:
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen
