Feast of the Guardian Angels - Oct 2nd

Yesterday was the feast of the Guardian Angels and we didn't get a chance to do a post about it but the benefit of that is that today we can do a whirl around the internet and give some links to other reflections from people about the feast day and the role of the "Messengers of God" in our lives.

O 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.

Phil over at Blue Eyed Ennis took one out of the archives where she has a great round up of the theology and beliefs in Angels down through the centuries and even across the main monotheistic faiths - HERE.

Be like children – believe in your guardian angel, Pope says - In his homily for the Feast of Holy Guardian Angels, Pope Francis told those gathered for daily Mass to be like children who pay attention to their “traveling companion.”

"Every one of the faithful has beside him an angel as tutor and pastor, to lead him to life" (St. Basil)

At the beginning of time, God created multiple realities: the spiritual reality, corporeal reality, the earthly world and the angelic world. As creatures of a spiritual nature, the angels are endowed with intellect and free will, like human beings, but in a degree superior to them, even if this is always finite because of the lim...it which is inherent in every creature. The angels are therefore personal beings and, as such, are also "in the image and likeness" of God. Referring to the condition of the angels, Jesus himself said that in the future life, those who are risen "cannot die any more, because they are equal to the angels."

The Church professes her faith in the guardian angels, celebrating them in the liturgy with an appropriate feast, as well as encourages frequent prayer to the angels, who "see the face of the Father always."
 
The Church honors the figures of three angels in particular with a liturgical worship -- those which Sacred Scripture calls by name. The first, Michael the Archangel, who represents the essential attitude of the good spirits and the salvific choice thanks to which the angels "see the face of the Father" who is in heaven; Gabriel, who represents the incarnation as the supreme sign of the omnipotent Father; and Raphael, who is made known to us by the story of Tobias in the Old Testament (cf. Tob 12:15-20 ff.), which is so significant for what it says about entrusting to the angels the little children of God, who are always in need of custody, care and protection.
 
As St. Basil said, we each have a guardian angel/ patron saint to walk beside us through life. Today we celebrate the guardian angels and patron saints, and continue share with them the intentions we hold within our hearts through prayer.

"Angels Participate in the History of Salvation" by John Paul II, from the General Audience on August 6, 1986

Pope John XXIII - Meditation for the Feast of the Guardian Angels - 2 October 1959

According to the teaching of the Roman catechism, we must remember how admirable was the intention of divine Providence in entrusting to the angels the mission of watching over all mankind, and over individual human beings, lest they should fall victims to the grave dangers which they encounter. In this earthly life, when children have to make their way along a path beset with obstacles and snares, their fathers take care to call upon the help of those who can look after them and come to their aid in adversity. In the same way our Father in heaven has charged his angels to come to our assistance during our earthly journey which leads us to our blessed fatherland, so that, protected by the angels' help and care, we may avoid the snares upon our path, subdue our passions and, under this angelic guidance, follow always the straight and sure road which leads to Paradise...

Everyone of us is entrusted to the care of an angel.

That is why we must have a lively and profound devotion to our own Guardian Angel, and why we should often and trustfully repeat the dear prayer we were taught in the days of our childhood.

May we never fail in this devotion to the angels! During our earthly pilgrimage we may often run the risk of having to face the natural elements in turmoil, or the wrath of men who may seek to do us harm. But our Guardian Angel is always present. Let us never forget him and always remember to pray to him.

Over at The Guardian, there is a rather melodramatic Francis (good) v Benedict XVI (bad) article about the issue of angels where it sets out what Pope Francis said about angels - ignore the commentary but the quotes are good - HERE.

Word on Fire has a reminder how Angels are the heavenly fighters! - HERE.

The Faithful Traveller has a reflection on Guardian Angels over at Patheos - HERE.

Catholic Exchange has a discussion about the Catholic belief in Angels - HERE and HERE.