Guardian angels act as a "secret service" to God
In the New Testament, we are told that there are times when we entertain angels without knowing it. Awareness of these possible spiritual visits can be comforting and encouraging for us in the midst of life's struggles and pains.
Speaking of our guardian angel, Pope Francis comments: “He is always with us! And this is a reality. It is like having God's ambassador with us ”.
I have often thought about the possibility of a visiting angel on some different occasions when someone unexpectedly came to my aide or gave me unwanted help. It is surprising how often this happens in life!
Next week we will celebrate the liturgical feast of the guardian angels. Holy day reminds us that all the baptized have been assigned a specific angel. As peculiar as it may seem to the most worldly believers of our day, the Christian tradition is clear. There is a specific angel that is uniquely assigned only to us. A simple reflection on such a reality can be humiliating.
As the feast of the Guardian Angel approaches, it is therefore worth asking a few questions about these heavenly companions: Why should we have a Guardian Angel? Why should angels visit us? What is the purpose of these visits?
The traditional prayer for our guardian angel, which most of us learned as children, tells us that angels are with us to "enlighten and guard, rule and guide". When evaluating the language of prayer as an adult, it can be unsettling. Do I really need an angel to do all these things for me? And what does it mean that my guardian angel "rules" my life?
Again, Pope Francis has some thoughts on our guardian angels. Tell us:
“And the Lord advises us: 'Respect his presence!' And when, for example, we commit a sin and believe we are alone: No, it's there. Show respect for his presence. Listen to his voice because he gives us advice. When we feel that inspiration: “But do this… it's better… we shouldn't do it”. Listen! Don't go against him. "
In this spiritual council, we can see a further explanation of the role of angels, especially our guardian angel. The angels are here in obedience to God. They love him and serve him alone. Since we are children of God, members of his family, angels are sent to us on a specific mission, namely, to protect us and take us to heaven. We can imagine that guardian angels are a type of "secret service" of the living God, who has been charged with keeping us safe from harm and bringing us safely to our final destination.
The presence of angels should not challenge our sense of autonomy or threaten our search for independence. Their careful accompaniment gives spiritual strength to our self-control and enhances our self-determination. They remind us that we are the children of God and that we do not make this journey alone. They humiliate our moments of pride, while simultaneously building our talents and personalities given by God. Angels diminish our self-magnification, affirming us simultaneously and encouraging us in our self-awareness and acceptance of ourselves.
Pope Francis gives us more wisdom: “So many people don't know how to walk or are afraid of taking a risk and stand still. But we know the rule is that a stationary person ends up stagnating like water. When the water is still, mosquitoes come, lay their eggs and spoil everything. The angel helps us, pushes us to walk. "
Angels are among us. They are here to remind us of God, to call us out of ourselves and to push us to fulfill the vocation and the tasks that God has entrusted to us. With this in mind, if we were to summarize the Guardian Angel's Prayer in contemporary slang, we would say that our Guardian Angel was sent to us to be our coach, secret service agent, personal trainer and life coach. These contemporary titles can help illustrate the calling and mission of angels. They show us how much God loves us that He would send us such assistance.
On their feast day, we are invited to pay attention to our heavenly companions. Holy day is an opportunity to thank God for the gift of our Guardian Angel and to draw close to him in everything we do.