Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - 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." [Matthew]
The words of Jesus in the passage from the Gospel According to Matthew have been developed into a devotion to "guardian angels" that are part of each person's life! The devotion is fairly ancient but was introduced to the official church calendar in 1670. The Bible treats angels either as intermediaries between God and human or as another way of describing God's providential presence. Human imagination, aided by biblical imagery (cf. e.g. Ezekiel 1), gives them long, usually white, robes, halos and wings sprouting from their backs.
The passage from Matthew today comes in the context of describing the faith and attitude that any disciple must have. A child in Jesus' time had very little status other than being the property of the parent! Child-like (not childish) trust in God's providential presence should characterize a follower of Jesus. Ambition and power-seeking are to be avoided. Humble service is the hallmark. The Guardian Angel devotion is a reminder of God's care for and presence to each of us. Tradition and imagination may aid us in depicting this providential presence, AMEN