Guardians Over Us

Catholic teaching maintains that, at the moment of conception, a Guardian Angel is assigned to each one of us, and follows us, here to guide us and guard us, until we die and are reunited with God in His Heavenly Home.

They have a special job, and as I was thinking of my Guardian Angel the other day, I realized that their mission is one to which not just, “any angel,” would be entrusted.  It’s got to take a fantastic angel, who earned their stripes and earned their role in safeguarding God’s humans.

Now, I will say, I often chuckle at this meme that routinely floats around Facebook, and I admit to saying several, “thank you Guardian Angel,” prayers as I parent an active boy:

I also decided that the Guardian Angel job, as prestigious as I imagine it to be, is also a completely thankless job.  I recently spoke with a friend, and mentioned invoking her unborn baby’s Guardian Angel, when she acknowledged she hadn’t ever thought to discuss her concerns with her baby’s Guardian Angel.  She admitted she actually didn’t even speak to her own Guardian Angel.  While she may have been reluctant to share that with me, I immediately knew what she was talking about.  I confess, I went decades (plural) without speaking to my Guardian Angel!  And yet, my angel was working over time, keeping me out of serious harm’s way.

A lot of people I know don’t think to speak to their Guardian Angel.  Many Catholics I know (myself included) memorize the Guardian Angel Prayer in early childhood, and then completely forget it as they grow up and grow older.  Because of the nature of the poem, it was a quick prayer for me to re-learn, when I realized after my son was born, that I wanted to do everything to ensure his safety and protection as he grows up, which meant enlisting some divine help at times!

St. Augustine is credited with saying, “We cannot pass our Guardian Angel’s bounds, resigned or sullen, he will hear our sighs.”  Furthermore, St. Padre Pio is quoted with saying, “For whomever is alone, there is his Guardian Angel.”  They are dragged along with us, oftentimes without being thanked or even acknowledged, no matter what we decide to do in our lives, and no matter our mood!

And yet, regardless of the choices we make, they want to help us, and are actually charged to help us.  They don’t even ask anything of us, hence my argument that it has to be the most thankless job out there!

Those dudes (in the non-gender-sense of the word) are with us all. the. time!  As St. John Bosco stated,

So, I think I will take this moment to remember my Guardian Angel (the Catholic Church’s feast day isn’t until the fall).

Instead of talking to myself, perhaps my story should be, “I’m in a conference with my Guardian Angel!”

Also, some saints have written about the importance of us taking our Guardian Angel to church so they have an opportunity to worship to God at the altar with all the other angels and saints in Heaven!  Even if I don’t get too much out of the priest’s homily or the prayers and songs, I pray my Guardian Angel will get more than plenty, and will probably be exceedingly grateful at having been able to go to church!