“See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
October 2 is declared in the Catholic Church as the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. In 1670, Pope Clement X established this day in the universal calendar as a day to honor the angels who shield us each day.
While most of the attention this day is given to personal Guardian Angels, it is a tradition in the Church (taught by theologians such as Saint Thomas Aquinas) that all countries, cities, dioceses, and parishes have their own Guardian Angel.
They are wonderful creatures of God, shrouded with great mystery. On occasion newspapers will report on miracles when someone is saved from an accident by a mysterious figure, often never seen again.
We owe much to our Guardian Angels, who most of the time guard and shield us without our knowledge. They intervene quietly, accomplishing their work as humbly as possible.
To aid us appreciate these “heavenly helpers,” here are 5 wonderful facts about our Guardian Angels:
1) Every person in the world has a Guardian Angel (whether Christian or not)
It is believed by theologians and is confirmed in the YOUCAT that “Every person receives from God a Guardian Angel” (n. 55). This is consistent with Sacred Scripture, the teachings of Saints Thomas Aquinas, Basil and Jerome as well as experiences from non-Christians who believe they were assisted by a Guardian Angel.
Mike Aquilina talks about such an experience from a friend he knew in his book Angels of God:
2) Guardian Angels are appointed at the beginning of life
As the Catechism describes, “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession” (CCC 336). This statement leads some to believe (Saint Anselm for example) that angels are appointed at the very moment of the union of body and soul in the womb. If true (it is not dogmatically proclaimed and is therefore up for debate), it would follow that women who are pregnant have two Guardian Angels watching over them and their child.
3) Guardian Angels have names, but God gives those names to them
The Catholic Church has taught us that,
“The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.” (Congregation of Divine Worship and the Sacraments, The Directory of Popular Piety, n. 217, 2001)
The reasoning behind this is that a name has a certain amount of authority over another person. If I know your name I can call you whenever I want and can feel a certain amount of authority over you. We do not have authority over our Guardian Angels. They only report to one commander: God Himself. We can request for their assistance or help, but we should not feel like they are disturbing us.
The Church then discourages us from naming our Guardian Angels as we may receive a name in prayer, but it may not be divinely inspired. It could be influenced by the devil or by our own human thoughts. We have only three names of angels confirmed in Scripture and so any other name we receive is hard to confirm as inspired by God.
4) We do not become Guardian Angels when we die
Contrary to popular belief, there is no way for us to change into an angel after death. When we die, we may be separated from our bodies for the moment but will be reunited with them at the end of time. We don’t become an angel while we wait. All Guardian Angels were created at the beginning of time in a single moment of creation.
Recall the words of God to the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I sanctified you” (Jeremiah 1:5).
God had a Guardian Angel in mind for you when he created the world.
5) Guardian Angels are here to help us
The Catechism explains a Guardian Angel as a “shepherd” who is meant to shield us and lead us into everlasting life. Their main aim is to aid us get to heaven, and we are encouraged to pray to them on a daily basis, asking their help in every need.
The Church makes avaliable an excellent prayer that can be prayed by the young and the old:
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,
Rule and guide.
Amen.
