Today the Church honors our Guardian Angels, those angels appointed by God and assigned to us to guard us. Psalm 91 speaks of our guardian angel when it says “God commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go.” So, today we honor those angels who are ever at our side to “to light and guard, to rule and guide.”It is good for us to honor them with a liturgical feast, simply for their goodness and devoted servants of God Most High. To honor them is to honor God for having made them. Their great dignity and splendor shows how infinitely great God is.
We also honor them in gratitude for all they do for us. Our Guardian Angels protect us from harm, both physical and spiritual, including warding off demons who wish us ill. They strengthen us against temptation. That little voice that encourages us to remain faithful to God is often our guardian angel. They embolden us to do what is right, to live out our faith boldly and confront obstacles.
They intervene miraculously to save us from trouble, and physical accidents, even fatal ones. If we are alive right now, it is likely that our guardian angel has saved us from harms that we will only discover in eternity.
Simply by their existence they remind us of our dignity. God believes that we are so worth protecting he assigns us an angel guardian. As St. Jerome puts it, “The worth of souls is so great that from birth each one has an angel assigned to him for protection.” And Jerome echoes here our Lord’s teaching in today’s Gospel, that the little ones have been assigned angels who stand always before the face of God.
Our angels act as intercessors who bring our requests to God, as they themselves behold the face of God directly.
They assist us in moving toward the Good, understanding Truth, and perceiving beauty. They help us use our reason to pursue virtue, they serve as teachers, enlightening our minds to perceive God’s precepts, strengthen our minds against error, and move our imaginations away from perverse things to holy things.
They truly aid in our salvation, reminding us that our ultimate goal is the beatific vision of God. As St. Augustine suggests “As, then, they see, so shall we also see; but not yet do we thus see.”
Whenever we have anything difficult to do, a difficult conversation with a fallen away sinner, a difficult duty in our Christian life, facing a grave temptation, we should call upon the assistance of our guardian angels, for God has committed them to assist us and committed us to their care.
Now our angels love us and guard us even when we are oblivious to their aid. But turning to them consciously and devotedly, we can derive greater aid from them. As we heard in our reading from Exodus: “ If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.” We must choose to heed the voice of our angel.
May we always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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In gratitude to God for our Guardian Angels, may we be attentive to their inspirations, and through them be kept safe from sin, and faithful to the works of mercy.
May we, like the angels, practice purity in both mind and body, and be guarded from every temptation to sin.
For special angelic protection for our police and fire fighters, first responders, and military who keep us safe from threats to our lives and freedoms.
May the sick know the assistance of the angels in their illness and suffering.
May the angels who stand ever before the face of God, help us increase in that never-failing hope of coming at last into God’s presence.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our benefit, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.
Heavenly Father, may our prayers rise like a pleasant fragrance before you and be brought to your altar on high through the hands of your holy angels. Through Christ Our Lord.
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