Angels Watching Over Me

"For God commands His angels to guard you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11

Because it falls on a Sunday this year, we are not celebrating the memorial of the Guardian Angels, but I still think we can use some time today to think of these heavenly beings that God sends to earth to watch over us. I know most of the time I don't think about my Guardian Angel and I probably take its presence for granted, but I know that my angel often gets me out of sticky situations, protects me, reminds me to make right choices, and helps me to keep on the right path.

When I was a child I prayed to my Guardian Angel every night before bed. It always gave me comfort and helped me fall asleep if I was troubled or anxious. I don't pray the prayer much anymore, but preparing parents for their child's baptism, I exhort them to pray with their children every night and this is one of the prayers I encourage them to teach their children. Unfortunately many of them have never heard of it. 

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

Another thing I remember from my childhood is the Guardian Angel song.  We sang it in school, we sang it in camp and in the late 60's I even remember singing it in church. This isn't exactly the way I learned the song, but I like the arrangement.

Perhaps it's time to think of our Guardian Angels a bit more often.  Yes, angels are all around us. They are not the cutesy beings that are depicted in little statuettes, yard statues, posters and greeting cards, but vigilant servants of God  who do His will to watch over humanity. They keep us safe, they comfort us as they once comforted Jesus on the night before He died, and when we breath our last breath they carry us into the arms of the Lord so that we too may join them in giving praise to God for all eternity.

BATTLE

One of my favorite scenes in the film Michael is when John Travolta, playing the quirky but lovable archangel Michael, goes literally head to head with a bull. "Battle" he cries out as he confronts his foe much to the horror of those accompanying him. He of course ignores their warnings and runs into the bull and defeating him. 

Today is the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael,  the three Archangels whose names come to us through the scriptures.  Michael is probably the most well known, probably because he does battle for the Lord, the most famous being the battle with Satan that we heard in today's reading from the book of Revelation.  He is the patron saint of police officers, soldiers and basically anyone who is called upon to protect humanity.  He is also the patron saint of bakers which stumps me but perhaps someone out there knows the reason why.

People have always been fascinated with angels, those heavenly creatures created by God to serve Him and to serve humanity. I learned in elementary school there are nine choirs of angels listed from the lowest to the highest.: Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim. Some of the angels are sent to earth to keep to guard us, to protect us, and to serve as God's messengers.  The higher choirs serve God alone. But angels have also been "transformed" in recent years into kinds of "new age" energy forces that often keep God out of the picture. We have to be reminded that angels have no power on their own aside from what has been allowed by God. And, like all power, it can be used for evil as well as for good. Remember Satan and his minions were once heavenly angels who rejected God and work constantly to turn humanity against Him.  But we must also remember that we have the protection of St. Michael and the other angels.  We should call upon them every day to be with us in our battle against the forces of evil.

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.