Guardian Angel

The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels is a memorial of the Catholic Church officially observed on 2 October.

In some places, the feast is observed on the first Sunday in September with the permission of the Congregation for Divine Worship

Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. -Catechism of the Catholic Church 336

Guardian Angel Prayer

Guardian angel, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side to light, to guard, to rule, to guide

A Gift From God

Our guardian angels are a heavenly gift to us from God. Saint Bonaventure preached that they, “guard, comfort, and support humanity.”

It is true that many aspects of our guardian angels remain a mystery to us, yet it is a beautiful opportunity to trust in Christ and the Church’s teachings, and place our confidence in these spirits who are aiding us on our journey to Heaven.

Guardian Angel. — That every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith; but it is the “mind of the Church“, as St. Jerome expressed it: “how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his conception an angel commissioned to guard it”. (Comm. in Matt., xviii, lib. II). This belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity; pagans, like Menander and Plutarch (cf. Euseb., “Praep. Evang.”, xii), and Neo-Platonists, like Plotinus, held it. It was also the belief of the Babylonians and Assyrians, as their monuments testify, for a figure of a guardian angel now in the British Museum once decorated an Assyrian palace, and might well serve for a modern representation; while Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, says: “He (Marduk) sent a tutelary deity (cherub) of grace to go at my side; in everything that I did, he made my work to succeed.” In the Bible this doctrine is clearly discernible and its development is well marked. In Gen., xviii-xix, angels not only act as the executors of God‘s wrath against the cities of the plain, but they deliver Lot from danger; in Ex., xii-xiii, an angel is the appointed leader of the host of Israel, and in xxxii, 34, God says to Moses: “my angel shall go before thee.”

At a much later period we have the story of Tobias, which might serve as a commentary on the words of Ps., xc, 11: “For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.” (Cf. Ps., xxxiii, 8; and xxxiv, 5.) Lastly, in Dan., x, angels are entrusted with the care of particular districts; one is called “prince of the kingdom of the Persians”, and Michael is termed “one of the chief princes”; cf. Deut., xxxii, 8 (Sept.); and Ecclus., xvii, 17 (Sept.).

This sums up the Old Testament doctrine on the point; it is clear that the Old Testament conceived of God‘s angels as His ministers who carried out His behests, and who were at times given special commissions, regarding men and mundane affairs. There is no special teaching; the doctrine is rather taken for granted than expressly laid down; cf. II Mach., iii, 25; x, 29; xi, 6; xv, 23. But in the New Testament the doctrine is stated with greater precision. Angels are everywhere the intermediaries between God and man; and Christ set a seal upon the Old Testament teaching: “See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt., x; iii, 10). A twofold aspect of the doctrine is here put before us: even little children have guardian angels, and these same angels lose not the vision of God by the fact that they have a mission to fulfil on earth. Without dwelling on the various passages in the N. T. where the doctrine of guardian angels is suggested, it may suffice to mention the angel who succoured Christ in the garden, and the angel who delivered St. Peter from prison. Heb., i, 14, puts the doctrine in its clearest light: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?” This is the function of the guardian angels; they are to lead us, if we wish it, to the Kingdom of Heaven. St. Thomas teaches us (Summa Theol., I, Q. cxiii, a. 4) that only the lowest orders of angels are sent to men, and consequently that they alone are our guardians, though Scotus and Durandus would rather say that any of the members of the angelic host may be sent to execute the Divine commands. Not only the baptized, but every soul that cometh into the world receives a guardian spirit; St. Basil, however (Hom. on Ps. xliii), and possibly St. Chrysostom (Horn. iii on Ep. to Col.) would hold that only Christians were so privileged. Our guardian angels can act upon our senses (I, Q. cxi, a. 4) and upon our imaginations (ibid., a. 3), not, however, upon our wills, except “per modum suadentis”, viz. by working on our intellect, and thus upon our will, through the senses and the imagination. (I, Q. cvi, a. 2; and cxi, a. 2). Finally, they are not separated from us after our death, but remain with us in heaven, not, however, to help us to attain salvation, but “ad aliquam illustrationem” (Q. cviii, a. 7, ad 3 am).

Source Catholic Answers

9 quotes from saints about guardian angels

Guardian angels are instruments of providence who help protect their charges from suffering serious harm and assist them on the path of salvation.

It is a teaching of the Church that every one of the faithful has his or her own guardian angel, and it is the general teaching of theologians that everyone has a guardian angel from conception.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their [angels’] 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” (No. 336).

Several of our greatest saints have also shared their thoughts on guardian angels. Here’s what they had to say:

St. John Vianney

“Our guardian angels are our most faithful friends, because they are with us day and night, always and everywhere. We ought often to invoke them.”

St. John Bosco

“When tempted, invoke your angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped. Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him; he trembles and flees at the sight of your guardian angel.”

St. Jerome

“How great is the dignity of souls, that each person has from birth received an angel to protect it.”

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“My holy Guardian Angel, cover me with your wing. With your fire light the road that I’m taking. Come, direct my steps… help me, I call upon you. Just for today.”

St. Basil the Great

“Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd, leading him to life.”

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

“We should show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father.”

St. Francis de Sales

“Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit. Without being seen, they are present with you.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá

“If you remembered the presence of your angel and the angels of your neighbors, you would avoid many of the foolish things which slip into your conversations.”

St. John Cassian

“Cherubim means knowledge in abundance. They provide an everlasting protection for that which appeases God, namely, the calm of your heart, and they will cast a shadow of protection against all the attacks of malign spirits.”