8 things about your Guardian Angel that will help you get to know us better
October 2 is the memorial of the guardian angels in the liturgy. Here are 8 things to know and share about the angels he celebrates. . .
1) What is a guardian angel?
A guardian angel is an angel (a created, non-human, non-corporeal being) who has been assigned to guard a particular person, especially with regards to helping that person avoid spiritual dangers and achieve salvation.
The angel can also help the person avoid physical dangers, especially if it will help them achieve salvation.
2) Where do we read about guardian angels in Scripture?
We see angels helping people on various occasions in Scripture, but there are some instances where we see angels providing a protective function over a period of time.
At Tobit, Raphael is assigned to an extended mission to help Tobit's son (and his family in general).
In Daniel, Michael is described as “the great prince who has responsibility for your [Daniel's] people” (Dan. 12: 1). He is therefore depicted as the guardian angel of Israel.
In the Gospels, Jesus indicates that there are guardian angels for people, including small children. He says:
Be careful not to despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:10).
3) What does Jesus mean when he says that these angels "always see" the fact of the Father?
It may mean that they are constantly in his presence in heaven and able to communicate the needs of their representatives to him.
Alternatively, based on the idea that angels are messengers (in Greek, angelos = "messenger") in the celestial court, it can mean that whenever these angels seek access to the celestial court, they are always granted and are allowed to present the necessities of their accusations to God.
4) What does the Church teach about guardian angels?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
From beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their careful care and intercession. Beside every believer there is an angel as protector and shepherd who leads him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life participates by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God [CCC 336].
See here for more information on the Church's teachings on angels in general.
5) Who has guardian angels?
It is considered theologically certain that every member of the faith has a special guardian angel from the moment of baptism.
This view is reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which speaks of "every believer" who has a guardian angel.
While it is certain that faithful have guardian angels, it is commonly thought that they are even more widely available. Ludwig Ott explains:
According to the general teaching of theologians, however, not only every baptized person, but every human being, including non-believers, has his own special guardian angel from his birth [Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, 120].
This understanding is reflected in a speech from Benedict XVI's Angelus, which stated:
Dear friends, the Lord is always close and active in the history of humanity and accompanies us with the unique presence of his Angels, whom the Church venerates today as "Guardian Angels", that is, ministers of divine care for every human being. From the beginning until the hour of death, human life is surrounded by their constant protection [Angelus, 2 October 2011].
5) How can we thank them for the help they give us?
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explained:
Devotion to the Holy Angels gives rise to a certain form of Christian life characterized by:
devoted gratitude to God for placing these heavenly spirits of great holiness and dignity at the service of man;
an attitude of devotion deriving from the awareness of living constantly in the presence of the Holy Angels of God; - serenity and confidence in facing difficult situations, since the Lord guides and protects the faithful on the path of justice through the ministry of the Holy Angels. Among the prayers to the guardian angels, Angele Dei is particularly appreciated, and is often recited by families in the morning and evening prayers, or during the recitation of the Angelus [Directory on popular piety and liturgy, 216].
6) What is the Angel Dei prayer?
Translated into English, it reads:
Angel of God,
my dear keeper,
to whom the love of God
commits me here,
always today,
be by my side,
to illuminate and guard,
rule and lead.
Amen.
This prayer is particularly suitable for devotion to guardian angels, as it is addressed directly to one's guardian angel.
7) Are there any dangers to watch out for in worshiping angels?
The Congregation stated:
Popular devotion to the Holy Angels, which is legitimate and good, can however also give rise to possible deviations:
when, as can sometimes happen, the faithful are taken by the idea that the world is subject to demiurgic struggles, or an incessant battle between good and bad spirits, or angels and demons, in which man is left at the mercy of higher forces and over which he is powerless; such cosmologies have little relation to the true evangelical vision of the struggle to overcome the Devil, which requires moral commitment, a fundamental option for the Gospel, humility and prayer;
when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturation on the journey towards Christ, are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, in order to attribute all setbacks to the Devil and every success to Guardian Angels [op. cit. , 217].
8) Should we assign names to our guardian angels?
The Congregation stated:
The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Sacred Scripture