Someone to Watch Over Us

Today is the feast of the Guardian Angels.  Along with the archangels, we have a special devotion to our "every day" angels.  Today we were able to go to Mass at the cathedral.  Our retired bishop told us that our guardian angels remind us of the intimacy God wishes to have with us on a regular basis.

Each person on earth has a guardian angel who watches us to guide us to Heaven, helping us in temptation and protecting us from physical danger.  These angels are given to us at conception and continues throughout our whole life and join us in the heavenly kingdom.

From the Gospel of today's liturgy we read: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father" (Matthew 18:10).

Today's feast appeared in Spain during the sixteenth century. It was extended to the universal Church and made obligatory in 1670.

There are many thoughts about guardian angels written throughout the ages.  Here are a few of my favorites from the Bible and writings of the saints:

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.(Hebrews 13:2)

And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. (2 Thessalonians 1:7)

“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ..." (Psalm 91:1-16)

"These things I warmly wish for you: someone to love, some work to do, a bit o' sun, a bit o' cheer, and a guardian angel always near." -- Irish blessing

"The servants of Christ are protected by invisible, rather than visible, beings. But if these guard you, they do so because they have been summoned by your prayer." -- St. Ambrose.

Many of the saints had a special relationship with their guardian angels.  Here are just a few:

Padre Pio
Rose of Lima
Jean Vianney
Therese of Liseux
John Henry Newman
Bernard of Clairvaux
and many more

Today we enjoyed a "heavenly" meal that I learned to make while in Italy.  We have grown accustom to eating it on this feast day to honor our guardian angels.  I suppose we could have enjoyed angel food cake for dessert as well but I was not thinking that far ahead!

We ended the day  as we always do, praying this prayer of intercession:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day (or night), be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.