Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 - Oct. 2 - The Guardian Angels
[Exod 23:20-23 and Matt 18:1-5, 10]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. [Matt]
As I have said before in this space, angels are a matter of faith and fact and imagination! Certainly as school children at a Catholic elementary school in the early 1950's, we were told to move over a bit in our school desks to let our Guardian Angel sit down! We were taught and memorized the prayer to the Guardian Angel, which I can often get a congregation to recite with me on this feast day. Do you remember it? "Angel of God, my guardian dear, whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen"
Scripture seems to take the existence of angels for granted. This is what I called the "faith and fact" aspect of angels. Jesus speaks of angels as a "given" in today's gospel in referring to discipleship toward children. The imagination side is another matter. We are left to envision angels in our own way, especially if this angel is what we would care to call our "Guardian Angel." The "feast" is relatively recent (1670) in the liturgical calendar. I prefer to think of this as a reminder of God's providential care every day, hour , minute and second. At least I hope a Guardian Angel will help me to see what Jesus says they see: "the face of my heavenly Father." AMEN
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