Our guardian angels are incredibly special beings, created in love by the same creator who made us. And on October 2, we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. This feast day, added to the Roman calendar in 1615 by Pope Paul V, encourages us to think about the role that these angels play in our lives and to give thanks for their constant presence.
Franciscan Media explains that the role of the guardian angel “is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer, and to present their souls to God at death.”
We can find the presence of angels throughout the Old Testament, but even Christ talked about angels. In the Gospel of Matthew, right before He told the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
Building on that teaching, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” and that “from its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.”
Hallow explains that “your guardian angel isn’t just assigned to protect you—they’re meant to be an active companion on your spiritual journey.” Thus, we should become friends with them and speak to them often, asking for their intercession, for their guidance and protection, thanking them for their prayers, and even asking them to pray with us.
Our guardian angels aren’t stained by sin, as we are, and every day they get to bask in the glory of God. They want that for us too. So as we contemplate our guardian angels on this special feast day, let us ponder all that they do for us, how they protect us, and the fact that they take their role seriously. Let us thank God for their constant protection, and let us work toward a stronger relationship with them.
But as we think about the role of our guardian angel, we should also be learning from them how to serve and protect those around us, especially the vulnerable.
The Baltimore Catechism teaches us that we were put here on earth to know, love, and serve God. Part of serving Him is caring for those around us who need our help. That includes the sick, the elderly, the preborn, the impoverished, and anyone who needs guidance or feels lost.
It’s our responsibility to care for the people who cannot care for themselves. We simply cannot ignore those who are hurting, either mentally or physically. Imagine if our guardian angels only protected us when things were going well. They wouldn’t be doing a very good job, and their absence would not only lead to doubt about their care but to a lack of trust in their love. Yet we know that our guardian angels are there through good times and bad, through sorrow and joy, and so must we be there during all times for the vulnerable in our communities.
That doesn’t mean that we have to allow the homeless person or the prisoner to live in our homes. It doesn’t mean we should make excuses for immoral or evil behavior. It doesn’t mean that we should give away all of our money, to the detriment of our own families. But it does mean that we must regularly help others, teach them about Christ’s love, and make their lives better. These are the times we can ask our own guardian angel for guidance about how to make a difference, and then we must follow through in love and with compassion and consistency.
To that end, we can donate to shelters or volunteer in a ministry that serves the poor. We can teach CCE classes. We can sacrifice some of our wants so that someone of lesser financial means can have something they need. Additionally, knowing that our time often means more to people than our money, we can give our time by visiting the sick or the elderly. By doing so, we let people know that they matter, that they have value, and that they are loved. Financial help is practical, but when someone is suffering from loneliness or isolation, money does nothing to assuage those feelings.
When we think about the great care and love that God has given us by assigning each of us a guardian angel, we must not only be thankful, but we must reflect this goodness and become angel-like in our behaviors. So as we approach this special feast day, which falls at the beginning of Respect Life Month, there’s no better time to think outside of our own lives and to give voice to the voiceless and protection to the disadvantaged. When we do so, we will become modern-day and earthly “guardian angels” to the people who need us most.
This article first appeared in LifeSiteNews at lifesitenews.com/opinion/guardian-angels-should-inspire-us-to-help-others-in-need/?utm_source=most_recent.
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