Guardian Angels

Perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined the concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being is a development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on Scripture but not directly drawn from it. Jesus' words in Matthew 18:10 best support the belief: "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." Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer and to present their souls to God at death.

The concept of an unseen companion has given rise to many childish titters about leaving room for an angel in a crowded seat and teacher-induced terrors about the danger of sudden death for a child who fails to honor the angel with prayer. When we were kids, we are taught of this concept, of creatures that have wings and fly in through the heaven, bringing our prayer (or maybe) whispering them to God. Enough reason why the Ateneo Grade school celebrate it with a big celebration, for the little ones guardian angels are real, but as grown ups now we don’t easily buy that idea of unseen angels creatures that is always with us, even when we go to the CR or take a bath. For we have a different idea of angels, like in the Movie City of Angels and choose mortality in order to pursue the joys of a relationship, or even in the movie Constantine whereas Gabriel turned to the dark side, and Lucifer was like among us dressed in white.

Yet guardian angels are not just for children. I remember what my second grade teacher told me, that we don’t need to prove that guardian angels are creatures that we cannot see, but guardian angels are always among us. In a way she said that we are guardian angels to one another. And perhaps this is what this feast is telling us that we may be guardian angels to one another, we may not have halos or even wings but we can be guardian angels to one another in so many ways. By taking care of one another, correcting each other in the spirit of love, concern and compassion to one another. We can even show it in the little things that we do in the most ordinary way. Guardian angles need no halo or wings; they only need love, concern and compassion to the person whom they guide. Be a guardian angel to one another. For this devotion to the angels is, at base, an expression of faith in God's enduring love and providential care extended to each person day in and day out until life's end.

The Feast of the Guardian Angels provides us with the opportunity to appreciate the infinite goodness of God. In His love and Divine Wisdom, the Lord has provided each and every one of us with a special angel to attend to our physical and spiritual need to secure our salvation through faith in Jesus and the Sacrament of Baptism. Today, let us remember our Guardian Angels. Let us thank the Lord for this spiritual gift. Let us thank our individual angels for their protection and leadership, asking them to always remind us of their presence so we may walk in harmony with them towards the Heavenly Kingdom of God.