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Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What are angels? Why are they so important? What difference do they make today?
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Angels have two purposes: first, they surround God’s throne and worship him. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “the angels look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” Some of them also cross over from heaven to earth as God’s messengers, guiding our steps.
Imagine: every person God creates has a guardian angel. You have yours. I have mine. In the bible, we can see them acting concretely in people’s lives.
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For example, in the Old Testament an angel appears to Abraham, telling him not to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
The angel Gabriel appears to Mary in the Gospels, telling her she will conceive a son and name him Jesus.
Another angel appears to Joseph in a dream, telling him not to be afraid; Mary’s child is, in fact, the Son of God. So, Joseph welcomes Jesus and Mary into his home.
Thirty years later, an angel appears to Jesus in the desert, comforting him as he’s tempted by Satan for forty days and forty nights.
After Christ’s resurrection, an angel appears to a sleeping Saint Peter, who’s chained to the ground in prison. As Peter’s wrists are freed, the angel leads him to freedom.
Angels also act in our own lives. They guide, protect, and comfort us, even if we can’t see them. And at the end of our lives, it’s our guardian angel who leads us into paradise.
As the priest prays at the conclusion of each funeral: “May the angels lead you into paradise. May the martyrs come to welcome you, to the new and eternal Jerusalem.”
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So, what does this Feast of the Guardian Angels say to us?
The veil between heaven and earth is far thinner than we often assume. Even while here on earth, angels – God’s messengers, our protectors – surround us.
Turn to your guardian angel today. Pray for direction. Ask for guidance. As the Lord says in the Book of Exodus, “See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared,” today, tomorrow, and forever. (Exodus 23:20)
May the angels watch over us here on earth, and in the end, lead us into paradise, the new and eternal Jerusalem.
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Image credits: (1) Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (2) Marcantonio Franceschini, The Guardian Angel (3) AnaStpaul