Four ways to increase devotion to your guardian angel

Most of us believe in angels, but we rarely pray to them. We imagine them sadly flying around us, protecting us or guiding us. But they are pure spirit and we cannot relate to that aspect of their nature. Understanding a special bond with your angelic guardian may seem embarrassing, but it is a devotion we can all adopt to deepen our inner life and grow in sanctification. Why is devotion to our angel important? To begin with, angelic theologians and most exorcists agree that our guardians have chosen us. They knew us before we were created and, out of love and obedience to God, they said yes to His offer to protect us. This means that they had full knowledge of our temperament, of every sin we have ever committed, and of all the good we would do in life. They probably know us better than we know ourselves.

Here are some specific ways to increase your devotion to your Guardian Angel. Pray to your angel every day to make you grow in holiness. Ask your angel to reveal your main flaw so that you can grow in holiness. Since your angel has full knowledge of all things, he knows everything about you. It is not uncommon for us, from time to time, to be baffled as to why we are stuck in a particularly negative pattern of behavior, or why certain relationships seem to be difficult for us. Pray that your guardian will show you what your weaknesses are and how they affect and hinder your spiritual growth. Ask your angel to help you when you get lost You can, in addition to devotion to Saint Anthony of Padua, ask your guardian angel to help you find something when you are lost, or to help you when you feel lost spiritually. I knew from an early age that my guardian angel was real and protected me from danger. When I was in college and attended a concert with some of my students from the youth group, I prayed to him for the first time. They all had rides to stay up late but I had to go home as the next day started early. The problem was that, as I wandered around the parking lot quite late in the evening, I got more and more lost and began to panic. Where was my car parked anyway? I was sure I was walking in circles, and it scared me for so many reasons. I didn't want to be out in the dark alone late at night for too long. I begged my guardian angel to help me find my vehicle. Immediately, I heard a tap on the lamppost behind me. I turned and saw my car parked next door. Some might say it was a mere coincidence, but I believe my angel helped me that day.

Your angel helps you fight evil and strengthens you. Fr Ripperger says that, in his experience and that of other exorcists, Satan assigns us a guardian "demon" to counter the effects of our guardian angel's influence in our lives. This came as a total shock to me when I first heard about it. The explanation is this: Since all angels were created at the same time and all angels decided to obey or disobey God, it is entirely possible that there was a fallen angel who was once holy and that God asked him to be your keeper. Only he refused and was immediately thrown to Hell. Another faithful angel accepted this mission. Since Satan likes to make fun of everything God does, it makes sense that we can have an evil spirit that tries to dissuade us from approaching Him. This spirit would know us well and perhaps be the agent of ordinary temptations for us. But our guardian, always with us, is fighting this - and others - demons you will never see or meet in this life. Pray that your guardian will keep you strong in times of trial, assist you in sacred thoughts and influence your imagination, especially when you are under intense diabolical attack. Since angels communicate telepathically, that is, through thoughts, they can, and do, powerfully influence us towards heavenly things when we ask. Ask your angel to humble you every day. Your angel will give you inner humiliation if you ask him. At first it seems absurd to ask to be humiliated, but your guardian knows that the best and safest way to heaven is humility. There is no saint who praises God eternally who has not been humiliated first of all. All angels are perfect in every virtue, but their primary means of serving God is through humble submission to His will. This is constant. They are faithful without apprehension or skepticism. Every shred of pride is reserved for evil angels. Therefore, ask your angel to help you grow in humility and every day you will discover amazing ways in which your ego has been hurt or pride has been destroyed. So, thank him for that and for all the ways he loves you.