On Oct. 2, we celebrate the Feast Day of the Guardian Angels, the patron of the Diocese of Gary. As we think about our Guardian Angels, it's good to remember that God has assigned an angel to each one of us at the moment of our conception. Imagine all the people throughout the world, every single person has an angel who's been assigned to them to be with them. This really means two things.
The first thing is that we are never alone. When we think about our world, where people feel lost and alone, unseen or unheard, it is important to understand that we are never alone; our angel is always with us.
The other thing that it teaches us is that God never abandons us. What I mean by this is that, as we hear in the Gospel, our angels are in heaven, always looking upon the face of the Heavenly Father, which means that our angels are always simultaneously with us and with God. They're always in that intercessory role, helping us, protecting us, guarding us, directing us, safeguarding us, whatever we might need.
These are two important points, but from them, we can derive beneficial implications. For example, our guardian angels can help us whenever we might need to have a hard conversation with someone or enter a difficult situation. If you know it's something that's going to be hard, there is a practice in the Church that encourages us to pray to our guardian angel to intercede for you. This is helpful, especially if you know it's going to be a hard conversation with somebody else.
You can ask your guardian angel to talk to their guardian angel, which can ease the situation because both parties have guardian angels. Since both guardian angels are in the presence of the Heavenly Father, there can be a great intercession for you and the person you are meeting with.
Understanding how guardian angels work for us “behind the scenes” can help encourage us as we minister to others. As the work of guardian angels is unseen but fruitful, be assured that the unseen work that we do is similarly a source of blessing. There can be both joys and sorrows in that, but recognize that there's something that glorifies the Father in our hidden work. There are extraordinary graces received in that.
Everyone we encounter has been assigned an angel. Do we see others as someone whom God has given dignity, knows their worth, and has given an angel to accompany them? If we view others in this way, it may help to move our hearts towards greater compassion.
There is a custom in the Church that proposes that if you are consecrated to Mary through the Marian consecration, another angel is assigned to you. Priests receive a ministerial angel who then helps us celebrate the sacraments and especially intercedes for us when we celebrate the Mass.
Let us pray, especially today, for our guardian angels to comfort, protect, guide and carry our prayers like incense to our Heavenly Father.
Father Christoper Stanish serves as vicar general, moderator of the curia and chancellor for the Diocese of Gary.
