Who your Guardian Angel is and what they do: 10 things you should know
According to Christian tradition, every one of us has a guardian angel who accompanies us from the moment we’re born until the moment of our death, and stays at our side at every moment of our life. The idea of a spirit, of a supernatural entity that follows and supervises every human being, was already present in other religions and in Greek philosophy.
In the Old Testament, we can read that God is surrounded by a genuine court of heavenly figures who worship Him and perform actions in His name. Even in these ancient books, there are frequent references to angels sent by God as protectors of people and individuals, as well as messengers. In the Gospel, Jesus invites us to respect even the smallest and humble, in a reference to their angels, who watch over them from heaven and contemplate the face of God at every moment.The Guardian Angel, therefore, is linked to anyone who lives within God’s grace. The Fathers of the Church, like Tertullian, Saint Augustine, Saint Ambrose, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Jerome and Saint Gregory of Nyssa, maintained that a guardian angel existed for each person, and although there was not yet a dogmatic formulation concerning this figure, already during the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) it was stated that every human being had their own angel.
From the seventeenth century onwards, the spread of popular devotion increased and Pope Paul V added the festival of guardian angels to the calendar.
Also in sacred representations and above all, in the images of popular devotion, Guardian Angels began to appear, and were usually depicted in the act of protecting children from harm. In fact, it is especially by children that we are encouraged to talk with our Guardian Angels, and to address our prayers to them. As we grow up, this blind trust, this unconditional love towards an invisible yet extraordinarily reassuring presence, fades.
The guardian angels are always near to us
Here’s what we should remember whenever we want to find it near to us:
- Guardian angels exist.
The Gospel affirms this, the Scriptures support it by countless examples and episodes. The Catechism teaches us from an early age to feel this presence on our side and to trust in it.
- Angels have always existed.
Our Guardian Angel is not created with us at the time of our birth. They have always existed, from the instant at which God created all of the angels. It was a single event, a single moment in which Divine Will generated all the angels, by the thousands. After this, God no longer created any other angels.
- There is an angelic hierarchy and not all angels are destined to become Guardian Angels.
Even the angels differ from each other in their tasks, and above all in their positions in heaven compared to God. Some angels in particular are selected to take a test and, if they pass it, they are qualified for the role of Guardian Angels. When a child is born, one of these angels is chosen to stand by his side until death and beyond.
- We all have one
Statue of an Angel with a Lyre
… and only one. We cannot sell it, we can not share it with anyone. In this regard also, the Scriptures are full of references and quotations.
- Our Angel guides us on the pathway to Heaven
Our Angel cannot oblige us to follow the path of goodness. He cannot decide for us, impose choices on us. We are and remain free. But his role is precious, important. As a silent and trustworthy advisor, our angel stays by our side, trying to advise us for the best, to suggest the right path to follow, to obtain salvation, to deserve Paradise, and above all to be good people and good Christians.
- Our Angel never abandons us
In this life and in the next, we will know that we can count on them, on these invisible and special friends, who never leave us alone.
- Our Angel is not the spirit of a dead person
Although it might be nice to think that when someone we love died, they became an Angel, and as such returned to be by our side, unfortunately, this isn’t so. Our guardian angel cannot be anyone we have known in life, nor a member of our family who has died prematurely. It has always existed, it is a spiritual presence generated directly by God. This does not mean that it loves us less! We should remember that God is Love first and foremost.
- Our guardian angel has no name
… or, if he has, it is not our job to establish it. In the Scriptures, the names of some angels are mentioned, such as Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. Any other name attributed to these celestial creatures is neither documented nor confirmed by the Church, and as such it is inappropriate to claim it to use for our Angels, especially by pretending we’ve determined it using a fanciful method like the month of our birth, etc.
- Our Angel fights on our side with all his strength.
We must not think of having a tender plump cherub at our side playing the harp. Our Angel is a warrior, a strong and courageous fighter, who ranks at our side in every battle of life and protects us when we are too fragile to do it alone.
- Our guardian angel is also our personal messenger, charged with bringing our messages to God, and vice versa.
It is to the angels that God addresses himself in communicating with us. Their job is to make us understand his Word, and move us in the right direction.
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The Holy Guardian Angels, Oct 2
Exodus 23:20-23 / Matthew 18:1-5, 10
I will send an angel before you: He will
protect you as you travel.
Some people are surprised to learn that the Church has never
taught as a matter of strict faith that every person has a personal guardian
angel. Nevertheless, the idea of a guardian angel enjoys a long tradition
in the Church. And many Christians will testify that they have experienced a
special protection at times in their lives. 
The idea of a guardian angel underscores one of the most important truths of our faith: God exercises a special love and concern over each one of us. Speaking of this, Jesus said to his disciples: "Not one sparrow is forgotten by God. So, do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows." Lk 12:6-7
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Recall a time we felt God's special love and protection. "Do
not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the LORD your God, am with you wherever
you go." Joshua 1:9
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Stories about angels appeal very much to children, as well
as to adults. Pictures of angels often show them with big wings, but also at
time they are portrayed like chubby little children with cute wings.
Whatever it may be, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to teach
about angels:
#328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred
Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of
Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.
#334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the
mysterious and powerful help of angels.
#336 From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their
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 in God.
Today's feast of the Guardian Angels affirm this teaching and it also reminds
us that we have, since our existence on earth, a spiritual being, who is with
us as our guardian and who at the same time stands before God in heaven. It is our guardian angel who prays with us and with Mary, the Queen of Angels,
prays for us, and helps us to follow Jesus and do the will of God here on earth
and helps us on our journey to heaven. Let us acknowledge our Guardian Angels with this prayer, and let us also teach
this prayer to our children and to those who need to know that there is always
an angel with them.
Angel of God
My guardian dear
To Whom His love
Commits me here
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen
Friday October 2, Friday of 26th Week
SIN - IN US
Now that he has heard God explain to him that his
righteousness does not entitle him to special treatment, Job humbly says that
he entrusts himself to God. Modern means of communications have brought the
world more closely together and shown us more clearly too the presence of sin
and evil in the world; more than half of the world is hungry and exploited, the
world economy has gone out of hand notwithstanding dole-outs for development
aid and whole nations are not free from inside or from outside. And in our own
little worlds there is repeated selfishness, pride at the expense of others,
suspicion... While condemning the sins of society, let us not lose our personal
sense of sin in the process; let us not forget our solidarity of sin and at the
same time live better our solidarity with love and life on account of Christ.
Sin is a rejection of Christ and his message.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, merciful Father, it is easy for us to condemn
wars, civil strife, corruption, exploitation, slavery of any kind. But we ask
you, Lord God, though very timidly, to open our eyes to the evil in us. Make us
see, Lord, that we are doing on a small scale, in our own little worlds, the
evil for which we blame the big world. Make us see that we too are sinners in
need of forgiveness brought us by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Throughout the book, Job was accused and taunted by his
three friends as he unwaveringly claimed innocence. In the final chapters of
the book, God himself appears, with answers that prove to be less than
satisfactory. God is not about to deal with a problem as great as suffering on
a one-on-one basis. There are many mysteries in fife that defy human
explanation. The Lord presents some of them in today’s reading; they extend
from light to darkness, morning to night, the depths of the sea, death itself.
Does Job have any answer for all of this? If not, why does God owe Job an
explanation? Embarrassed and demoralized, Job can only regret that he had ever
spoken. Far more reprehensible are the citizens of Jesus’ time who heard the
call of salvation and disregarded it. That they were excluded from God’s favor
is more understandable. To reject God is far worse than to question him. But
even there we can make no final judgment in God’s disposition of wrong-minded
people. But it is fair warning. We have more than ample opportunity to know
what God wants of us. We have opportunities and graces that enable us to
respond. Every day is a grace. The problem of why the just suffer remains a
mystery. Whether through famine, war, or natural calamity, hundreds of
thousands of innocent people die. And we often ask, Why does calamity so often
strike the world’s poorest? There are many mysteries in life that we cannot
resolve. But they stand together with the overwhelming evidence of the order in
the universe, the details that make human life possible, the many factors that
point to the divine direction of the world and life. The point is that faith
touches the unknown.
Trust in the fidelity of God
The rejection of Christ
Intercessions
– That the world of today may not lose its sense of sin and
“legalize” things that are wrong, we pray:
– That all those hardened in sin may be touched by the
Spirit of the Lord to repent and change their ways, we pray:
– That the many who bear a heavy burden of sin and guilt and
those who suffer from the sins of others may keep trusting in God’s liberating
and forgiving goodness, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, merciful Father, in these signs of bread and
wine your Son comes among us with his cross to put an end to all pride of sin and
to be the starting point of our new existence. In him you showed us the new
person. Give us his strength to repent and to be converted, to rise above our
petty selfishness and like him, to love and serve without counting the cost. We
ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, merciful Father, you respect and educate our
freedom. You do not give us guarantees against failure but you call us to
choose and decide. God, forgive us and help us when in our clumsy, awkward
efforts to see your Son’s freedom become real and alive, we take risks and make
mistakes. We want to remain faithful to you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We regret it, and in our best moments we don’t really want it, but sin always returns. May God have mercy on us and help us. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
