Having
the heart of a child to receive the Kingdom of God – that is the message Jesus
gives us in the Gospel today. We think
of the enthusiasm and joy in which children see God, in which they enjoy
reaching out to others.
As we
celebrate the memorial of the Guardian Angels today, we think about how we in
the Catholic Church believe in angels. And I
see angels as beings the heart of a child believes in. We see
angels as spiritual beings who were created by God. C. Our English word “angel” comes from the
Greek word “angelos”, which means “messenger”. God
sends out his angels to carry special messages for him. We see
the role of the guardian angel as guides to lead us to good thoughts, good
works, and good words, to keep us from succumbing to evil. Since
the 17th century, the Church has celebrated a feast honoring the Guardian
Angels in October. It is
interesting, noting that many in the ancient world, including the Assyrians and
the Babylonians, believed in guardian angels. In a
study done by Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion, more than
half of all adults, including one in five of those who say they are not
religious, believe that they have been protected by a guardian angel during
their life – what a very interesting statistic.
I love
the prayer to the Guardian Angels. It is
a favorite prayer of many Catholic children, and many Catholic adults remember
this prayer from their childhood: 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 and rule
and guide. Amen.
In the
prayers that we pray, we communicate with God, we develop and grow in our
faith. May the
angels and the saints hear our prayers and intercede for us as members of the
kingdom of God.
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