The
belief in Guardian Angels appears in the Old Testament, although it is
not specifically articulated. The belief that angels can be guides and
intercessors for men appears in the books of Job and Daniel where angels
seem to be assigned to certain countries. In the Gospel Jesus says of
children: "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.
For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my
Father in heaven." This is often understood to mean that children are
protected by guardian angels.
The fathers of the Church had differing views on the
Guardian Angels. Saint Ambrose, for example, believed that saints lose
their guardian angels so that they might have a greater struggle and
persevere. Saints Jerome and Basil of Caesarea argued that sin drove the
angels away. The first Christian theologian to outline a specific
scheme for guardian angels was Honorius. He said that every soul was
assigned a guardian angel the moment it was put into a body. St Thomas
Aquinas agreed with Honorius and specified that it was the lowest order
of angels who served as guardians. Guardian angels appear in literary
works throughout the medieval and renaissance periods.
Popes have
always invoked the protection of their Guardian Angels. Pope Pius XI
recalled in one of his audiences that he relied on his Guardian Angel’s
help when confronting the likes of Hitler and Mussolini. Pope John XXIII
in a private conversation with a Canadian bishop attributed the idea of
calling an ecumenical council to his Guardian Angel - it was via his
Angel that God gave him the inspiration to convene Vatican Council II,
which started October 11, 1962, 52 years ago.
One can also name your
own Guardian Angels, as I have personally done when I called mine
Stephen. Yes, Stephen has been very good to me, protecting me from
danger and saving me from near accidents and who knows what else.
PRAYER:
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
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