Feast of Guaridan Angels

A Guardian Angel is a heavenly spirit assigned by God to watch over each individual during life. The doctrine of angels is part of the Church’s constant Tradition, based on Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Fathers of the Church. “Angel” means messenger in Greek. Angels are mentioned often in scripture, where they are not only messengers but defenders, companions, guides and guardians. The role of the Guardian (or “protecting”) Angel is both to guide the person to good thoughts, works and words, and to preserve him from evil. Since the 17th century, a feast honoring the Guardian Angels has been celebrated in October throughout the universal Church. At one time all the angels used to be remembered on the feast of Michaelmas (September 29). But people wanted a day to honor their own special protectors. And so today we have the “feast of the angels” – October 2. Read more at October 2 – Feast of the Guardian Angels Here I recall one of my favorite prayers as a youngster and still say today.

Angel of God

My guardian dear

to whom God's love

commits me here

ever this day be at my side

to light,to guard

to rule and guide

AMEN!

For a truly theological look at guardian angels I have to quote from Fr Z's blog:

There are three types of persons, divine, angelic and human. Of the three types, divine persons, the Holy Trinity One God, are uncreated. Angelic and human are created persons. Angels have no material component, but humans do.

Because angels are not limited by matter, or individuated in matter, and since they are purely spiritual persons, each angel is his own species. They are like in that they are angels, and unlike in that each one is particular to himself. There is, therefore, a hierarchy among the angels. But all of them always contemplate God, as angels can. They don’t have to be limited to any place, since they have no bodies. They simply are where they are in action. So aligned are they with the will of God that when they appear in Scripture and speak, sometimes it is hard to tell when God is speaking and when they speak... But even the lowliest of the angels is beyond any human conception of mightiness.

Read the whole entry HERE