Devotion to the Guardian Angel: Its Daily Benefits

The young Tobia, a wayfarer with his Angel, was a perfect image of all of us travelers here together with ours; with this difference, that he saw it, without knowing that it was Angelo; we know the opposite, without seeing it. He with a blind father and poor family accinger {17 [103]} owes himself a long and disastrous journey, Giovine as he is, inexperienced in ways and business. But what? as soon as he puts the foot out of the house, a very pretty young man (the angel Raphael) is soon seen, who in a traveler's suit courteously offers him companion and guide. Not otherwise, since our first appearance in the world has our Angel become close to us, he is no longer abandoning us in the whole journey of our life. And who can number the dangers to which the caretaker lover takes us away, and the goods that each belongs to us? We know too much about how many dangers we are exposed to in our childhood; how many events in his youth and throughout his life, or for infirmity, or for travel, or for difficult business and bad encounters, or for adverse and unexpected cases. We remember that often for such an unexpected and almost miraculous providence, we get out of it. Legends of whom I felt moved to leave the house, and barely left it, that ruined; of those who withdrew their foot from that place, and thereby saw that they had escaped a fire; of those who changed their way traveling, and found themselves far from the killers; of those who stopped at home, and thus came to dodge precipices, or ambushes; and to whom should all this be made, if not to the loving eye of our Angel, always attentive and watching over us? So that the saying of the Real Prophet, that the Angel of the Lord frees us from danger: Immittet Angelus Domini in circuitu timentium eum, et eripiet eos. He is around us, says yes. Ambrose, and he walks in front of us, so that no one can harm us. In spite of the many risks already taken, he can tell Tobia to see himself, free and healthy, and owe it to the good guardian Angelo. Tobias in fact promptly collected the large sums of his credit, and at first attributed it to the goodness of the debtor, but then saw that {19 [105]} the goodness was of the Angel to know them in ways so proper to him to collect. He believed a happy meeting that he had placed his duty and the law just with his wife who was equally wealthy and tempered, but then he saw that this was a favor from his Angel. He believed his misfortune to find himself at risk of being devoured by a large fish; but then he saw that the risk was a graceful trait of his Angel, who made the fish escape a demon, and gave sight to the blind father. Thus in a conduct of apparently fortuitous things, the grateful young man recognized a constant beneficence of his good Angel, and broke out in these accents: Bonis omnibus per eum repleti sumus (Tob. 12, 3). All the goods of which we are full is all the work of that benefactor Angel. Oh great care, exclaims tenderly s. Agostino, or the great care, and the affectionate vigilance with which they assist us in all hours, in all circumstances, and we speak! {20 [106]} Amabil my guardian, how true it is, that you have kept this same conduct of love with me. A look that I give to my past years, to my business, my heart immediately tells me that what I have escaped from evil, I have escaped for you; what I did well, I did it for you.

PRACTICE
Any successful successful business, or avoided risks, recognize it by prayers, lights and self-help. Angelo: therefore pray to him morning and evening, especially when embarking on a journey, when leaving home, pray heartily in doubts and distress, that he may bless you and free you from misfortunes.

EXAMPLE
A recent event {21 [107]} marvelously confirms that the Guardian Angels share great favors every day.

On August 31, 1844, on the occasion that a person had to go to a city to settle some of his business, he was suggested to recommend himself to his holy Custos for a good journey. Which he did very willingly united the service people, thus placing all the cause of the journey in the hands of the Guardian Angel. Mounted in the car, after a long stretch of road, the horses suddenly attempt a messy course: I wanted to brake them, but they no longer feel the bite, they run free, and while they send out loud screams of fright, the car bumping into a pile of gravel , rushes and returns ruinously those who were enclosed within. Meanwhile the small door was broken, they ran the most serious danger of being crushed. Still the horses continuing to run precipitously, hoping no more {22 [108]} for help than that of the Guardian Angel, one of them shouted with what he had of voice: Angele Dei, custodians…. lights. This was enough to save everyone. The eager horses calm down immediately, each one immediately gathers himself in the person as best he can. Full of amazement, one looks at the other, and sees with great wonder that no one had suffered badly. Which made them unanimously break into these voices: Long live God and the Guardian Angel who saved us.

Immediately resuming their journey, with a prosperous journey they arrived at the intended place. Here is confirmed with the fact that truth that God teaches us in holy scripture, that is, that the Lord has given us an Angel, who will serve as a guard and guardian in our every journey. Angelis suis Deus mandavit de te, ut custodiant you in omnibus viis tuis. (ps. 90, 11). {23 [109