Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

Today’s feast day brings back special memories of my childhood. Each night when I was a little girl, my mom or dad would kneel at the side of one of our beds, and along with my brother and sister, we would pray to our guardian angels, asking them “to light and guard, to rule and guide.” That nightly family prayer to our guardian angels brought a deep sense of peace and security as we crawled into bed for the night.

Our first reading tells of another family event. The Israelites, after having recently rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, gather to hear Ezra read and explain the Law of Moses. The assembly consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Everyone listened attentively, and many were brought to tears upon hearing God’s word. Ezra extolled these families to celebrate, for “rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!”

In our gospel reading today, Jesus tells us that, unless we become like children, we will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus is reminding us to have a child-like attitude toward our heavenly Father, just as Jesus had – wholehearted trust, dependence, and openness to the Father’s plan for our lives. And Jesus also assures us that our guardian angels in heaven are always looking upon the face of our heavenly Father, ready to light and guard, to rule and guide us.

On this Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, let us act on the words of Saint Peter Julian Eymard, “Be the apostle of the divine Eucharist, like a flame which enlightens and warms, like the Angel of his heart who will go to proclaim him to those who don’t know him and will encourage those who love him and are suffering.” (Saint Peter Julian Eymard, To Mme Antoinette de Grandville, July 4, 1859)

Let Us Pray:

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.