Guardian angel
Guardian angel
The guardian angel, the guardian angels, also known as guardian angels or guardian angels , exist and have been by the side of men, women and children since God created humanity. Every Christian, from birth, has a protective presence that accompanies him and that he can trust.
In the early years of the Catholic Church, devotion to guardian angels was deeply rooted. Writings that serve as witness to the deep trust that early Christians placed in holy guardian angels are common.
Over the centuries, the great respect and devotion that was professed for the protective angels seems to have diminished, especially among adults. Among boys and girls, within all Christian saints, they have a special predilection for guardian angels. Celestial beings that guide and comfort us , that watch over and protect them, even while they sleep. Guardian angels are religious figures that have become very popular among the smallest of the house.
The devotion to the guardian angels has a great tradition in the Church. Already by the year 800 the "Feast of the Guardian Angels" was celebrated in England, and in the year 1608 a celebration called "the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels" was extended to the entire Universal Church, on the 2nd of october.
Gospel text (Mt 18,1-5.10) for October 2:
"On one occasion the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" I assure you: if you do not change and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever becomes little like this child, that is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever receives a child as this one in my name receives me. Beware of despising one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of my Father who is in heaven."
During the liturgy it is important to remember the existence of the protective angels . They are not stories for children, but incorporeal beings that help us as many times as necessary, night and day, in sadness and in joy. Whenever it is necessary. You just need to ask for help, say a prayer and the angel will help you. The protective spirits are a point of support, a sweet net to fall into. Do not forget, do not stop trusting your guardian angel.
What or who is the guardian angel?
To understand all this fascinating spiritual universe, the crucial question is what or who is a guardian angel?
The answer to this question is very complex. It could be said that the guardian angel is a supernatural entity that guards an individual soul from its conception in the womb of its mother until eternal life. Celestial beings are not born at the moment their protégé arrives in the earthly world, guardian angels were created by God at the beginning of time. The meaning of his life is to obey the word of the Creator by protecting a person.
Guardian angels are spiritual beings, who do not have a body, so they are not subject to physical corruption that human beings suffer. Despite not having their own body, they can manifest themselves if their mission requires it.
A faithful guardian, an emissary of God, in whom we can trust. An envoy of the almighty whose objective is to protect us and give us a message of respect for the most humble. It is a presence to which the Lord has granted a transcendent mission: to protect us throughout our earthly life and guide us towards eternal life at the side of Christ.
A guardian angel keeps his protégé company while he lives and even after death. The main function of the angel is the custody of the person, being a confidant and counselor so that the soul of that son of God finds the way to Heaven. They are also messengers to carry the prayer of their protégé to God and bring the illumination of the Holy Father to their ward.
Who is our guardian angel?
When asked who is our guardian angel? or Who is my guardian angel? The first thing we should know is that all Christians have an angel who protects us following God's orders. We only have one guardian angel that is ours and no one else's, which means we cannot share it.
The guardian angel is there to accompany us, but not to decide for us if we want to take the path of good or evil, because we will always be free to do one thing or the other.
Our guardian angel has the essential role of being a discreet and reliable guardian. It is a strong and courageous spirit that tries to make us follow the best path to be good people, lead a Christian life , achieve salvation and reach the path to heaven. The angel and his protégé form an inseparable couple.
My guardian angel
He will never abandon you, he will always be close to take care of you and he is only yours, so you can call him my guardian angel.
However, experts point out that it is not always about someone you loved very much and who after dying has returned as an angel to follow you by your side forever. Although it would be nice if it were so, the guardian angel has nothing to do with earthly people, they are spirits that God has created in order to fulfill a mission, the custody and support of his protégé. He is our protector and our guide.
His very special job is to make you understand the word of God and inspire you to follow the right path .
The guardian angel has come to your side to accompany you in the battles of life, to protect you when you cannot do it yourself because you feel fragile. It does not have a specific name because the only ones confirmed by the Church are those that appear in the Scriptures as Saint Gabriel. Saint Michael or Saint Raphael.
What is truly important is that it is a spiritual presence created by God to transmit all his immense love to you. It does not matter the year of your birth, nor the month (it is the same as if you were born in February, June or November), nor does the place or social condition matter, the Holy Father will show you his love on the very day of your birth, God will to send a guardian angel who will support you throughout your life and beyond. Whenever you need help, your guardian angel will be by your side .
The figure of the guardian angels in the Bible
The figure of the guardian angel has great relevance throughout the history of the Catholic Church since its origin. In fact, in the Bible, in the Holy Scripture, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament there are numerous references to guardian angels. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the existence of celestial beings is collected as a truth of faith that supports both Sacred Scripture and Christian Tradition.
The guardian angel in the Old Testament
The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible. It is made up of 46 books in which the angels make an appearance on a regular basis to help the people chosen by God. For example, in Genesis or Exodus we can see references to the presence of angels who intervene following the commands of the Lord.
Exodus recounts the times in which the people of Israel were being brutally oppressed by the pharaoh. Moses is chosen by the Lord as the liberator of the people of Israel. God tells him that he will be able to count on the guidance of the guardian angel in his company who will protect them during the journey.
In the Old Testament it is also made clear that God has an army of angels at his command. A legion of always faithful servants who intervene to favor men and women who are followers of the Word of God.
Guardian Angels in the New Testament
The presence of celestial entities in the pages of the New Testament is very frequent and is strongly related to the presence of Christ , the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph , the disciples and the followers of Jesus.
A guardian angel appears to Christ when he is praying in the garden, after sharing the Last Supper with his disciples. The image of Christ praying in the olive grove with the appearance of the angel is one of the traditional figures of Holy Week. A religious sculpture ensemble that is part of the popular Catholic tradition.
Another moment in which the intervention of an angel is of great importance is the release of Saint Peter from prison. The Saint had been taken prisoner by Herod Agrippa for being a disciple and faithful defender of the teachings of Christ. While he was in prison a heavenly figure appeared to him and released him from imprisonment.
The protective angels are presented in the New Testament as emissaries of God , servant spirits at the orders of heaven who help and protect those who have to be saved by following the teachings of Christ. Heavenly beings who carry out their mission of protection and guidance on earth with their eyes and hearts set on Heaven.
The angels are emissaries of the Holy Father who help and protect the Virgin Mary , Christ and his followers.
Angels in the Christian tradition
Throughout the history of the Holy Mother Church there have been numerous Catholic traditions that have been concretized with the passing of the centuries. The case of Christian angelology is one of these cases.
The study of angels, as a branch of theology, is based on Sacred Scripture, on the Sacred Word that God did not give and that is collected in the Bible. This starting point has been taken by many renowned authors to delve into the interesting world of celestial spirits.
Among the outstanding figures who have dedicated themselves to the study of guardian angels, or celestial beings in general, are such illustrious personalities as Pseudo Dionysius Areopagita, Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Gregory of Nyssa or Saint John Chrysostom; and events as important as the Council of Trent or the Second Vatican Council.
Pseudo Dionysius Areopagite
Who was Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite?
Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite was one of the fathers of the Church who lived in the sixth century. He has gone down in history as an important writer and scholar of mystical theology and angelic reality. Such is his importance that he is considered the creator of mystical theology as we know it today. His works have had a profound influence on the thinking of such important figures as Saint Thomas Aquinas or Saint John of the Cross.
The Celestial Hierarchies of Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite
In relation to angelology, Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite published a work of great historical relevance under the title The Celestial Hierarchies. Book in which the author talks about the classification that God established within the celestial beings.
There are three hierarchies which in turn are divided into three orders each. The first hierarchy is the one that is closest to the Creator and interacts without intermediaries. It is formed by the orders of the Seraphim, the Cherubim and the Thrones. The celestial beings of the first hierarchy receive illumination directly from God.
The second hierarchy, located just below the first, is made up of Powers, Dominations, and Virtues. The beings that belong to this hierarchy receive divine illumination through the members of the first hierarchy, they do not interact directly with God.
The third and last hierarchy is formed by the Principalities, the Archangels and the Angels.
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Who was Saint Augustine?
Saint Augustine of Hippo is a Saint and a Doctor of the Church who developed his literary and pastoral activity at the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century. He is recognized as one of the great intellectuals of his time.
During his life he carried out a great evangelizing work as a priest and as a bishop, he published numerous works on philosophy and theology as well as being one of the great defenders of the Christian faith against the heresies that spread during his life.
The office of a guardian angel
Saint Augustine dealt with numerous topics related to faith and Catholic life. Among these topics, he left a series of reflections on angels and the world of celestial spirits that are considered basic pillars of angelology.
One of the most important teachings that Saint Augustine left us is that the word angel does not refer to nature but rather to the office carried out by certain celestial spirits created by God. In other words, the work of custody and protection is what defines a guardian angel.
This statement has been collected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church at point 329 under the title Who are the angels.
Saint Jerome of Stridon
Who was Saint Jerome?
Saint Jerome is a Saint recognized as one of the four Latin Fathers of the Church. Saint Jerome was an important ascetic monk who developed a great pastoral and academic activity at the end of the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth century.
The Saint was a great scholar of the Bible, he served as a priest in Constantinople and Rome, he was the translator of the Bible into Latin (a translation known at the time as The Vulgate),... He was appointed Doctor of the Church in the 13th century for the influence of his works on the Catholic religion.
Such was the repercussion reached by his publications and translations that today Saint Jerome is usually represented writing, surrounded by books.
Guardian angels and the Christian soul
Among the innumerable academic work Saint Jerome left a reflection linked to the guardian angels that helped to understand how God had created these celestial beings. The Saint uses the existence of the guardian angels to give importance to the soul of a Christian. Saint Jerome says that each soul is important because God assigned a guardian angel to each one of them. Every soul, every man and every woman, is personally protected from the day they arrive in the world by a guardian angel who watches over them from evil and danger, from the presence of the Evil One.
Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
Who was Saint Ambrose?
Saint Ambrose was a saint who lived in the fourth century. He was a great scholar of the Holy Scriptures, and for this reason he is considered one of the most important doctors of the Western Catholic Church in ancient times.
Saint Ambrose is remembered for his great work as governor and bishop of Milan, for being a great Bible scholar, author of a large number of books and as the teacher of Saint Augustine.
Guardian angels and protection
Saint Ambrose speaks in his works about angels. Among the teachings that he has bequeathed stands out the idea that there are a large number of angels and celestial beings that are present on Earth. Each of these guardian angels specifically protects a person, helps to ward off temptations and bad times. The righteous enjoy angelic protection in addition to being escorted at the time of their death to the eternal abode.
Saint Ambrose also tells us that the choirs of angels and archangels especially enjoy the conversion of sinners. Each conversion is a great source of joy and peace for the heavenly choirs.
Saint John Chrysostom, patron saint of preachers
Who was Saint John Chrysostom?
Saint John Chrysostom was a priest born in Antioch in the fourth century of our era. The saint was a great scholar of the Bible and became archbishop of Constantinople, one of the most important cities of the time. He was a very cultured and humble person, totally away from material desires.
Known Saint John Saint John of Antioch is remembered by the nickname of Chrysostom, a word that comes from the Greek term chrysóstomos formed by two words chrysós (meaning gold) and stoma (meaning mouth). In other words, Saint John of Antioch went down in history as Saint John Chrysostom, which could be translated as Saint John with a mouth of gold.
The nickname of Chrysostom refers to the ability of oratory that Saint John had. His speeches and teachings achieved great notoriety in his homeland and in neighboring countries. Saint John Chrysostom has gone down in history as one of the best orators of ancient times, possessing extraordinary eloquence.
A holy guardian angel for each nation
Saint John Chrysostom speaks of the guardian angels and the protection they offer as envoys of God. The saint affirms that there are guardian angels who take care of men and women on an individual level, but also on a collective level.
Saint John says that each nation has a protective angel to watch over and guard it. Thus, for example, this reality is recognized in liturgical celebrations that each country establishes. For example, in the 19th century, in Spain, October 1 was proclaimed as the feast of the Holy Guardian Angel of the Kingdom. Similarly, you can find Mexican missals from the 20th century in which October 1 is collected as the day of the Holy Guardian Angel of the Nation. In Uruguay, the Holy Guardian Angel of the Republic was celebrated on March 2.
All these celebrations of the guardian angel established in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are unified with a common criterion established in the Second Vatican Council. From that moment on, October 2 becomes official as the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.
In addition to the countries, also the dioceses, parishes, cathedrals, churches, monasteries , etc… The saint himself saw during his prayers how many angels adored the Blessed Sacrament.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa
Who was Saint Gregory?
Saint Gregory of Nyssa was one of the most important figures among the great philosophers and theologians of the fourth century. He was born into a deeply Catholic family. Saint Basil was his older brother, while Saint Macrina was his older sister and one of his first instructors in the Christian faith.
Saint Gregory became Bishop of Nisa. After the death of his brother, his great vital reference, he assumed the leadership against the Arian religion that spread through his dioceses. In this fight in defense of the Christian faith, he published a large number of works and attended Synods and Ecumenical Councils.
The guardian angels seek the good fortune of their protégé
Saint Gregory of Nice, like other authors such as Saint Basil, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus or Saint Hilary of Poitiers, delves into the theory of the constant presence of guardian angels among men as a protective force. As a shield created by God to defend Christians against the attacks of the evil one and temptations.
The protective spirits are intermediaries who listen to our prayers and offer them to the Creator for his greater glory. In this way, they seek the good fortune of their protégé, helping them to find the path to Resurrection and Eternal Life.
Saint Thomas of Aquino
Who was Saint Thomas?
Saint Thomas Aquinas was one of the most important saints of the Middle Ages. He was born in Italy in the thirteenth century into a noble family. He entered the Dominican order at a very young age against the wishes of his family.
He was a great scholar of classical authors and philosophers, especially Aristotle, and of the Holy Scriptures. Throughout his life he demonstrated that these two worlds that seemed doomed not to understand each other really complemented each other with a natural harmony. He made the world see that the pre-Christian pagan Aristotelian thought was compatible and complementary with the Christian faith.
Santo Tomás developed an intense work as a teacher in Paris, composed precious texts and hymns for Corpus Christi and other liturgical mass celebrations, preached the word of God among the most humble and was the author of numerous theological and philosophical works and documents, among which highlights Summa Theologiae (Summa Theology) , which is considered the greatest exponent of medieval theological science.
The angels in the Summa Theologica of Saint Thomas
The Summa is the masterpiece of Thomistic doctrine. This treatise, which Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote in the last years of his life, has a structure that is repeated throughout the entire work.
It is made up of several parts that are divided into treaties, which in turn are divided into issues. Each treaty talks about a specific topic and forms a thematic and homogeneous unit that Santo Tomás explains in the introduction of each treaty. For example, treatise two (entitled The Divine Nature in more modern editions) raises numerous questions about the nature of God.
One of the Summa's treatises is devoted to angels and heavenly spirits . It is the treaty that has been titled with the name of Treaty of the Angels. This part of the Summa is made up of fourteen questions (from 50 to 64) in which Saint Thomas Aquinas answers questions related to the substance of angels, the movement and knowledge of angelic beings, love or the grace of angels...
The Thomistic responses and reflections on guardian angels are not original but rather a compilation, structuring, ordering and updating of ideas that he took from important Fathers of the Church and ecclesiastical theologians such as Saint Augustine, Pseudo Dionysius, Saint John Damascene, Saint Gregory , San Jerónimo, San Isidoro, San Ambrose, San Bernardo, …
Saint John Mary Vianney, the Curé of Ars
Who was Saint John Mary Vianney?
Saint John Mary Vianney was a French priest who carried out tireless evangelizing work in the town of Ars. Such was his dedication to the faithful and their confessions, so high was his faith and his dedication to others that he achieved great fame in France and in the rest of Europe. During the more than 40 years that he carried out his pastoral work, thousands of pilgrims visited Ars in search of making confession and receiving advice from Saint John Mary.
On October 3, 1874 John the Baptist Maria Vianney was proclaimed Venerable by Pope Pius IX. Shortly after, in 1925, Pope Pius XI canonized him. On August 4, the day of San Juan María Vianney is celebrated.
The prayer to the guardian angels of the Holy Cure of Ars
Saint John Mary always kept the protective angels very present in his prayers and sermons. He tried by all means that the devotees who attended the mass did not forget their prayers to God taking into account the angels. The Saint considered the celestial spirits as friends who accompany us at any time and in any situation. Faithful friends who support and guide us.
The Holy Cure of Ars recommended all devotees to say a short prayer before going to bed:
“Good night, my guardian angel.
Thank you for taking care of me during this day;
offer to God all the beats of my heart while I sleep”.
Pope Francis and the guardian angels
Pope Francis during many of his homilies and speeches has wanted to highlight the importance of guardian angels for Catholics. Especially on October 2, the date on which the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, the Holy Father has tried to highlight the importance of the protective angels in the lives of the faithful.
Pope Francis has said on numerous occasions that guardian angels exist and protect us from the evil one, they are our advisers ("no one can advise himself") and our guide to God. The Pope always insists on the importance of having an understanding and reflective attitude with our guardian angel, one must be docile to appreciate and understand the advice and good intentions with which the angels give us.
You should always keep in mind that guardian angels are with people but they are also in contact with God. They are a bridge between the earthly and the kingdom of heaven.