The Guardian Angels do seven things for each of us

Imagine having a bodyguard who has always been with you. He did all the usual bodyguard things like protecting yourself from danger, repelling assailants and generally keeping you safe in all situations. But he did even more: he offered you moral guidance, helped you become a stronger person and led you to your last call in life.

We don't have to imagine it. We already have such a bodyguard. Christian tradition calls them guardian angels. Their existence is supported by Scripture and both Catholics and Protestants believe in them

But too often we neglect to exploit this great spiritual resource. (I, for example, am certainly guilty of this!) In order to better enlist the help of the guardian angels, it could help to have a better appreciation of what they can do for us. Here are 7 things:

Protect us
Guardian angels generally protect us from both spiritual and physical harm, according to Aquinas (question 113, article 5, answer 3). This belief is rooted in scripture. For example, Psalm 91: 11-12 states: “For he commands his angels about you, to protect you wherever you go. With their hands they will support you, so as not to tap your foot against a stone. "

encourage
Saint Bernard also says that with angels like these on our side we shouldn't be afraid. We should have the courage to live our faith courageously and face whatever life can throw. As he says, "Why should we fear under such guardians? Those who hold us in all our ways can neither be overcome, nor deceived, let alone deceived. They are faithful; they are prudent; they are powerful; why are we shaking

Miraculously intervene to save us from trouble
Guardian angels not only "protect", but they can also save us when we are already in trouble. This is illustrated by the story of Peter in Acts 12, when an angel helps get the apostle out of prison. History suggests that it is his personal angel who intervened (see verse 15). Of course, we cannot count on such miracles. But it is an added advantage to know that they are possible.

Guard us from birth
The Church Fathers once discussed whether guardian angels had been assigned to birth or baptism. San Girolamo supported the first decisively. Its basis was Matthew 18:10, which is a crucially important scripture passage that supports the existence of guardian angels. In the verse Jesus says: "Look, don't despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that their angels in heaven always look at the face of my heavenly Father". The reason we receive guardian angels at birth is that their help is associated with our nature as rational beings, rather than belonging to the order of grace, according to Aquinas.

Bring us closer to God
From the foregoing it follows that also the guardian angels help us to draw closer to God. Even when God seems distant, he only remembers that the guardian angel that has been personally assigned to you is at the same time contemplating God directly, as the Catholic Encyclopedia notes.

Illuminate the truth
The angels "propose the intelligible truth to men" through sensitive things, according to Aquinas (question 111, article 1, answer). Although he does not elaborate on this point, this is a basic teaching of the Church that the material world indicates invisible spiritual realities. As St. Paul says in Romans 1:20, "Ever since the creation of the world, its invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what it has done."

Communicate through our imagination
In addition to working through our senses and intellects, our guardian angels also influence us through our imagination, according to Thomas Aquinas, who sets the example of Joseph's dreams (Question 111, Article 3, On the Contrary and Answer). But it may not be something as obvious as a dream; it could also be through more subtle means like a "ghost", which could be defined as an image brought to the senses or the imagination.