Last Sunday, September 29, we celebrated the feast day of the Archangels - Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Today, we celebrate the feast of the guardian angels. Most of us probably know by heart the prayer of the guardian angel, which most Catholics learn to pray as children. It is comforting to Catholic parents to know that there is an angel who is trying to protect their children on their journey of faith. The role of the guardian angel is to represent us before God, to watch over us always, to aid our prayers, and to present our souls to God at the time of our death. The concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human person is a development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on what we learn in Scripture. 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.” Devotion to the guardian angels developed in the monasteries in Europe in the Middle Ages, which we can see particularly is Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
Our psalmist states today: “Let my prayer come before you, Lord. Daily I call upon you, O LORD; to you I stretch out my hands.” We rely on the Lord for strength and help throughout our journey of faith. May the guardian angels that God sends to protect us and guide us give us comfort and confidence on our journey.
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