GUARDIAN ANGELS

A few days ago we honored the choirs of angels, especially St. Michael, along with Sts. Gabriel and Raphael. Today we honor those spirits who have been given custody of us by their and our Creator. They're always at our side, protecting and watching over us, and helping us when we need it. The following words are from St. Ambrose, a Doctor of the Church, concerning our guardians, and how safe we should be:

"Air and earth and ocean, everything is full of angels. Eliseus, besieged by a whole army, felt no fear; for he beheld invisible cohorts assisting him. May the prophet open thine eyes also; may the enemy, be he legion, not terrify thee; thou thinkest thyself hemmed in, and thou art free; there are more with us than with them."


HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS

God does not abandon to what we call "chance," any of His creatures. By His essence and providence He is everywhere present; not a sparrow falls to the ground, nor a hair from our heads, without His consent. He is not content, however, with assisting His creation daily and at every moment, with sustaining His handiwork, which without His continuous support would return to dust. His divine and infinite Love, not only maintaining the existence which He gives and perpetuates in living beings, has charged His Holy Angels with the ministry of watching and safeguarding each one of His rational creatures.

The Angels, divided into nine hierarchies, have varied obligations. Their intelligence and prudence are penetrating like the beam of a lighthouse; so it appears even when we compare it to the best of human intelligence, which are like the light of a little candle in contrast. An Angel, visualizing an end to be attained, sees instantly the means necessary to achieve it, whereas we must pray, study, deliberate, inquire, and choose during many phases of effort, in order to reach our proposed ends.

Kingdoms have their Angels assigned to them; dignitaries of the Church and of the world have more than one Angel to guide them; and every child who enters into the world receives a Guardian Angel. Our Lord says in the Gospel: "Beware lest you scandalize any of these little ones, for their Angels in heaven behold the face of My Father." Thus the existence of Guardian Angels is a dogma of the Christian faith, based on Holy Scripture itself. Catholic theology teaches that this protection is extended to every member of the human race, without any distinction of just and sinners, infidels and baptized. To ward off dangers; to uphold man in his struggle against the demons; to awaken in him holy thoughts; to prevent him from sinning, and even, at times, to chastise him; to pray for him, and present his prayers to God: such is the office of the Guardian Angels. (I also believe that our angels can pray with us in our prayers. They could do the Credo with us; half of the Our Father and the Hail Mary, and the entire Glory Be. Ask them to pray with you. Just my thoughts, of course.)

(God, in His awesome Love for us, has given us this special angel to be with us until the end of time. From the moment of our conception until we die and are judged, this guardian is with us. And, at that dark hour of our demise, we will actually see the one who has been our companion our whole life, even when we thought we were alone. This being will be with us also at our particular judgment, and, barring a condemnation of our soul, will be at our side through eternity. Pretty cool, huh?)


Let's end with some encouraging words from St. Bernard of Clairvaux:

"In every place show respect to thy angel. Let gratitude for his benefits incite thee to honour his greatness. Love this thy future co-heir, the guardian appointed for thee by the Father during thy childhood. For though we are sons of God, we are as yet but children, and long and dangerous is our journey. But God hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep the in all thy ways. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk; and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon. Yes; where the road is smooth enough for a child, they will content themselves with guiding thee, and sustaining thy footsteps, as one does for children. But, if trials threaten to surpass thy strength, they will bear thee up in their hands. Oh those hands of angels! Thanks to them, what fearful straits we have passed through, as it were without thinking, and with no other impression left upon us, than that of a nightmare suddenly dispelled!"