From the Pen of Fr. Tim - 10/01/2023 - Saint Francis Borgia

From the Pen of Fr. Tim

Monday – October 2nd, we celebrate the Memorial of our Guardian Angels. God loves us so much that He grants us an angelic Body Guard. Our Guardian Angels love us probably more than we love our selves. It said that when a Guardian Angel loses his charge to hell, he wails over the loss.

There is need for us to cultivate a relationship with our Guardian Angels. The modern literature often says that Guardian Angels heed our commands. And there are indeed times when I have called on my Guardian Angel to help me with some task – particularly in the realm of Spiritual Warfare. If you ask your angel to do something on your behalf, please be sure to thank our God for our Guardian Angel – and to praise our God with your Guardian Angel. But the older literature calls you and I – not to give our Guardian Angels commands, but – to heed his voice. He is your protectOr, so it is by far more important to heed his voice than give him commands.

Also, in modern piety, it is very much in vogue to ask your Guardian Angel his name. The older literature warns against this practice simply because you may be contacting a fallen angel. To our younger people, one of the better requests you might make of your Guardian Angel is to ask him to help you find your future spouse. Trust me, he will find a spouse that is a good, loving fit for you and your life.

There are several prayers out there to give thanks to God and ask your Guardian Angel for help. Perhaps you know them already. This one is from the Western Catholic Church:

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.

Here is one from the Eastern Catholic/Eastern Orthodox Churches:

Holy angel, to whose care this poor soul and wretched body of mine have been given, do not cast me off because I am a sinner, do not hold aloof from me because I am not clean. Do not yield your place to the Spirit of Evil; guide me by your influence on my mortal body. Take my limp hand and bring me to the path that leads to salvation. Yes, holy angel, God has given you charge of my miserable little soul and body. Forgive every deed of mine that has ever offended you at any time in my life; forgive the sins I have committed today. Protect me during the coming night and keep me safe from the machinations and contrivances of the Enemy, that I may not sin and arouse God’s anger. Intercede for me with the Lord; ask him to make me fear him more and more, and to enable me to give him the service his goodness deserves. Amen.

Let us be careful out there…

Fr. Tim Henderson