Guardian Angels
“From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.’ Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.” — Catechism of the Catholic Church, 336
Psalm 91:11 (New American Bible, Revised Edition) For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go.
Did you know that from the very beginning of your life, a guardian angel is assigned to you?
The Role of Our Guardian Angels
The Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels is celebrated every year on October 2. These celestial beings have been given to us for guidance, protection, and instruction. We can ask our guardian angel for help in the matters of daily life. Guardian angels protect us from spiritual harm, guide our conscience, and intercede for us in prayer. They can inspire good thoughts in us and warn us away from danger. The role of a guardian angel is powerful — so gaining knowledge of how to speak to them is to your advantage. Don’t forget to ask your assigned guardian angel for guidance.
336 From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.202 “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.”203 Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God. Catechism of the Catholic Church
Angel at Angel Stadium
A few summers ago, Mike and I attended an Angels game. Our seats were located in right field — the area where many spectators bring baseball gloves hoping to catch foul balls. Mike was a little apprehensive and kept warning me to pay attention to the game. But instead of watching, I was scrolling through my phone and deleting photos. In spite of Mike’s warnings, I kept right on deleting. Besides, if a ball came our way, there were plenty of people around us with gloves to catch it.
We also remembered that we had two extra tickets. We offered them to Sonja and Russ, but they had come as a party of four. So instead, the tickets were given to a friend of Russ and his young son.
Well, what Mike feared most came to pass. A hard-hit foul ball came directly at me — no warning, no time to react. Because I turned away at the last second, it missed my face, though the force of the ball could be felt rushing through my hair as it flew past. For a moment, those around us were certain I had been hit in the face. Instead, the ball landed near the young son of Russ’ friend.
At Angel Stadium, a guardian angel had saved a life — again.
Darren’s Guardian Angel
With each missionary trip, so many religious souvenirs would come back — blessed medals, rosaries, and holy cards shared generously with friends and family. A rosary ring had been given to a friend to pass along to her son, Darren.
Darren’s family had moved from the Los Angeles area, but his roots were in one of its suburbs. He and a group of friends started a car club there. They were flashy, riding around in ostentatious vehicles as though they owned the streets. Other car clubs bristled at their arrogance and wanted to show them who was boss.
One evening, Darren and his girlfriend Susan stopped for gas. Glancing into his rearview mirror, Darren noticed a Lexus pull up — filled with intimidating men from a rival car club. When he stepped out to pump gas, he saw the driver pull out a gun. He jumped back into his vehicle and a car chase began.
Darren did not want to frighten Susan, but he knew they were in serious trouble. In the panic, he turned down a dead-end street. With the Lexus slowly creeping up behind them, he told Susan to get out of the car and run. It was then that he remembered the rosary ring in his pocket. He grabbed it, and together they sprinted toward a ten-foot chain-link fence leading down to a riverbed.
He does not remember whether he called the police — but suddenly, out of nowhere, the police appeared. The Lexus sped away. Darren knew without a doubt that his prayers and his guardian angel had saved them both. In the wake of that night, the car club disbanded. Darren had learned a life lesson about the dangers of flaunting his blessings.
Torie’s Angels
Our nephew Torie used to suffer from cluster headaches. This type of headache is so severe that they are sometimes referred to as suicide headaches. He suffered episodes a couple of times a year, with each cluster lasting three to four days. The duration of each individual headache ranged from thirty minutes to an hour. There is no cure for cluster headaches, and because they are not considered life-threatening, the medication available offers little relief.
During one episode, Torie became so ill that he was vomiting and suffering with every movement. He collapsed on the bathroom floor and, due to the intensity of the pain, could not get up. Then something supernatural occurred. Torie said that he saw seven small angels. He felt his arms lifted as the angels raised him from the floor and helped him to his bed. Torie stands 6’2″ and weighs 225 pounds. Today, he no longer suffers from cluster headaches.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, nothing is impossible with You. You send us, Your children, protective love — love from heaven, emanating from our guardian angels. Lord, keep us and our families from harm. May we always remember to call on our guardian angels. Amen.