What role do angels play in our life?

The promise that God makes to his people is valid for every Christian: "Behold, I am sending an angel before you to guide you along the way and lead you to the place I have prepared". The angels, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, help man to carry out the design that God has for him, manifesting the divine truths to him, fortifying his mind, defending him from vain and harmful imaginations. Angels are present in the life of the saints and help all souls every day on the way to the heavenly homeland. As parents choose trusted people for children who are going to travel through insidious regions and winding and dangerous paths, so God-Father wanted to assign each soul to an angel who was close to her in danger, supported her in difficulties, illuminating and guiding her in snares, assaults and ambushes of the evil one. ...
… We do not see them, but the churches are full of angels, who adore the Eucharistic Jesus and who ecstatically attend the celebration of the Holy Mass. We invoke them at the beginning of the Mass in the penitential act: "And I implore the blessed Virgin Mary always, the angels, the saints ...". At the end of the Preface we ask again to join in the praise of the angels. On the level of grace we are certainly closer to Jesus, having assumed human nature and not angelic nature. We are, however, convinced that they are superior to us, because their nature is more perfect than ours, being pure spirits. For this reason, it is we who join in their song of praise. When, one day, we rise again, taking on a glorious body, then our human nature will be perfect and the sanctity of man will shine purer and greater than the angelic nature. Numerous saints, such as Santa Francesca Romana, Blessed Sister Serafina Micheli, S. Pio da Pietrelcina and many others, converse with their guardian angel. In 1830 an angel, under the guise of a child, wakes up Sister Caterina Labourè at night and leads her to the chapel where the Madonna appears to her. In Fatima, for the first time an angel appeared at the Cabeco cave. Lucia describes him as "a young man of 14-15 years whiter than if he were dressed in snow made transparent as crystal by the sun and of extraordinary beauty ...". "Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of peace. Pray with me. " And kneeling on the ground he curved his forehead until it touched the ground and made us repeat these words three times: “My God! I believe, I love, I hope and I love you! I ask you for forgiveness for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love you ". Then, standing up, he said, “Pray like this. The hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to your entreaties "!. The second time the angel appeared to the three shepherd children in Aljustrel at the well in Lucia's family farm. "What do you do? Pray, pray a lot! The hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer non-stop prayers and sacrifices to the Most High ... ". The third time we saw the angel holding a chalice in his left hand on which a Host hung, from which drops of blood fell into the chalice. The angel left the chalice suspended in the air, knelt near us and made us repeat three times: “Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - I offer you the most precious body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences, with which he himself is offended. And for the merits of his most holy Heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask you for the conversion of poor sinners ". The presence and help of the angels must arouse relief, comfort and deep gratitude for us in God who so lovingly cares for us. During the day we often invoke angels and, in diabolical temptations, especially S. Michele Arcangelo and our Guardian Angel. They, always in the presence of the Lord, are happy to patronize the salvation of those who turn to them with confidence. We take the good habit of greeting and invoking in the most difficult moments of our life, also the guardian angel of the people to whom we must turn for our material and spiritual needs, especially when they make us suffer with their behavior towards us. St. John Bosco says that "the desire of our guardian angel to come to our aid is much greater than what we have to be helped". The angels in earthly life, like our older brothers, guide us on the path of good, inspiring us good feelings. We, in eternal life, will be in their company in worshiping and contemplating God. “He (God) will order his angels to guard you in all your steps. How much reverence, devotion and trust in angels these words of the psalmist must instill in us! Even though angels are mere executors of divine commands, we must be grateful to them because they obey God for our good. Let us therefore raise our prayers to the Lord incessantly, to make us docile like angels in listening to his word, and give us the will to be obedient and persevering in carrying it out.
Don Marcello Stanzione