What our Guardian Angel looks like and his role as comforter

 

 

Guardian angels are always by our side and listen to us in all our afflictions. When they appear, they can take different forms: child, man or woman, young, adult, elderly, with wings or without, dressed like any person or with a bright tunic, with a flower crown or without. There is no form they cannot take to help us. Sometimes they can appear in the form of a friendly animal, as in the case of the "Gray" dog of San Giovanni Bosco, or the sparrow that carried the letters of Saint Gemma Galgani at the post office or as the crow who brought bread and meat to the prophet Elijah at the Querit stream (1 Kings 17, 6 and 19, 5-8).
They can also present themselves as ordinary and normal people, such as the archangel Raphael when he accompanied Tobias on his journey, or in majestic and shining forms as warriors in battle. In the book of the Maccabees it is said that «near Jerusalem a knight dressed in white, armed with gold armor and a spear appeared in front of them. All together they blessed merciful God and exalted themselves by feeling ready not only to attack men and elephants, but also to cross iron walls "(2 Mac 11, 8-9). «After a very hard fight, five splendid men appeared on the sky on horses with golden bridles, leading the Jews. They took the Maccabeus in the middle and, by repairing it with their armor, made it invulnerable; on the other hand, they threw darts and thunderbolts at their adversaries and they, confused and blinded, dispersed in the throes of disorder »(2 Mac 10: 29-30).
In the life of Teresa Neumann (1898-1962), the great German mystic, it is said that her angel often took on his appearance to appear in different places to other people, as if she were in bilocation.
Something comparable to this tells Lucia in her "Memoirs" about Jacinta, both seers of Fatima. Under one circumstance, a cousin of his had run away from home with money stolen from his parents. When he had squandered the money, as happened to the prodigal son, he wandered until he ended up in prison. But he managed to escape and on a dark and stormy night, lost in the mountains without knowing where to go, he went on his knees to pray. At that moment Jacinta appeared to him (then a nine-year-old girl) who led him by the hand to the street so that he could go to his parents' house. Says Lucia: «I asked Jacinta if what he was saying was true, but she replied that she didn't even know where those pine forests and mountains were where the cousin was lost. She said to me: I just prayed and asked for grace for him, out of compassion for Aunt Vittoria ».
A very interesting case is that of Marshal Tilly. During the 1663 war, he was attending Mass when Baron Lindela informed him that the Duke of Brunwick had started the attack. Tilly, who was a man of faith, ordered to prepare everything for defense, stating that he would take control of the situation as soon as Mass was over. After the service, he showed up at the command site: the enemy forces had already been repelled. Then he asked who had directed the defense; the baron was amazed and told him that it had been himself. The marshal replied: "I have been to church to attend Mass, and I am coming now. I didn't take part in the battle ». Then the baron said to him, "It was his angel who took his place and his physiognomy." All the officers and soldiers had seen their marshal direct the battle in person.
We can ask ourselves: how did this happen? Was he an angel like in the case of Teresa Newmann or other saints?
Sister Maria Antonia Cecilia Cony (1900-1939), a Brazilian Franciscan religious, who every day saw her angel, tells in her autobiography that in 1918 her father, who was military, was transferred to Rio de Janeiro. Everything passed normally and he wrote regularly until one day he stopped writing. He only sent a telegram saying he was ill, but not seriously. In reality he was very ill, struck by the terrible plague called "Spanish". His wife sent him telegrams, to which the bell boy of the hotel called Michele was replying. During this period, Maria Antonia, before going to bed, recited a rosary for her father every day on her knees and sent her angel to assist him. When the angel returned, at the end of the rosary, he placed his hand on her shoulder and then he could rest peacefully.
During all the time in which his father was infirm, the delivery boy Michele cared for him with a particular dedication, took him to the doctor, gave him the medicines, cleaned him ... When he was recovered, he took him for a walk and reserved all the attention of a real son. When he finally recovered completely, the father returned home and told the marvels of that young Michele "of a humble appearance, but who hid a large soul, with a generous heart that instilled respect and admiration". Michele always proved to be very reserved and discreet. He knew nothing of him but the name, but nothing of his family, nor of his social status, nor did he want to accept any reward for his innumerable services. For him he had been his best friend, of whom he always spoke with great admiration and gratitude. Maria Antonia was convinced that this young man was her guardian angel, whom she sent to assist her father, since her angel was also called Michele.