Grace Thompson
Guardian angels are believed to be assigned to each person by God to act as protectors and guides to heaven. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, St. Basil is quoted as saying: Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Catholics can cultivate relationships with their guardian angels through prayer, treating them as friends, and incorporating them into their daily lives. The Guardian Angel Prayer is a common way for Catholics to connect with their angels, but individuals can also write their own prayers or perform acts of Eucharistic adoration on the angel's feast day, October 2.
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What You'll Learn
Pray to your guardian angel
Catholics are encouraged to befriend their guardian angels by communicating with them through prayer. According to Mark Miravalle, author of "Time to Meet the Angels", guardian angels are "a created spiritual person without a body" and "far more intelligent and higher on the created order than we are".
Praying to your guardian angel daily is a way to cultivate a relationship with them and express your love. You can write your own prayers or use traditional ones, such as the "Guardian Angel Prayer", which is commonly said after the Rosary:
> Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Another prayer specifically to Saint Michael, the Archangel, asks for protection against evil:
> Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Praying to your guardian angel can also be a way to seek their guidance in daily activities and times of need, temptation, or questions about your vocation. You can also pray for your children, asking their angels for special protection.
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Befriend your guardian angel
According to Catholic belief, each person has a guardian angel who is always with them and desires their spiritual and physical well-being. This angel is a "hand-picked-by-God" best friend and trusted protector, whose purpose is to lead believers to heaven.
How to befriend your guardian angel
The following are some ways to cultivate a friendship with your guardian angel:
- Acknowledge their existence: Recognise that you have a guardian angel and that they are always with you.
- Communicate with them: Pray to your guardian angel daily, either using traditional prayers like the Guardian Angel Prayer or by writing your own. You can also talk to them throughout the day, ask them questions, and ask for their help and guidance.
- Cultivate and express love for them: Express your love for your guardian angel and develop trust in their protection and guidance.
- Incorporate them into your daily life: Start your day by asking for your guardian angel's aid and guidance, and end your day by asking for their protection. Call upon them during mass and in times of need or temptation.
- Set a special day: Choose a day of the week to particularly focus on your guardian angel and their presence in your life.
- Treat them on their feast day: The feast of the Guardian Angels is celebrated on October 2. Spend this day in Eucharistic adoration to honour your guardian angel.
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Ask for their help
Catholics are encouraged to befriend their guardian angels and communicate with them daily. One way to do this is by praying to them. The Guardian Angel Prayer is a popular prayer among Catholics, who are taught it as children:
> Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
However, some Catholics may find this prayer simplistic or lacking in sophistication. For those who wish to write their own prayers, Mark Miravalle, author of the book *Time to Meet the Angels*, suggests that the prayer should establish the angel's existence, and ask for its intercession and protection.
Catholics can also ask their guardian angels for help and guidance. St. John Bosco said:
> 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.
Catholics can also ask their angels to help their loved ones. According to mystic Anne the Lay Apostle, guardian angels can communicate with each other. Therefore, Catholics can pray that their guardian angel will communicate with their loved one's angel to bring them back to the Church.
In addition to prayer, Catholics can communicate with their guardian angels by talking to them throughout the day, asking them questions, and even pleading for help. One suggestion is to start the day by asking for their guardian angel's aid, whether in overcoming a vice or approaching daily duties. Before going to sleep, Catholics can ask their angels to watch over them and protect them from bad dreams.
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Celebrate their feast day
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Guardian Angels on October 2. This feast day is an opportunity to honour the guardian angels of our communities and our personal guardian angels.
To celebrate the feast day, you can spend time in Eucharistic adoration. This involves adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, an act that your guardian angel can join you in, as it is natural to their angelic nature. You can also pray to your guardian angel and give thanks for their protection.
You can also learn more about the nine choirs of angels, as described by Miravelle, a theology teacher at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and Ave Maria University in Florida. The nine choirs, each with different roles, are the Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Most commentators believe that guardian angels come from the ninth choir of Angels.
The memorial celebrated on this day did not become a universal feast until the latter part of the seventeenth century when Pope Clement X placed it on the Roman Calendar. Pope Leo XIII later emphasised its importance in the nineteenth century and composed the "Saint Michael the Archangel" prayer, which is mandated to be prayed at the end of every Mass.
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Acknowledge their existence
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that angels are spiritual, non-corporeal beings. They are present with us, though unseen, and are to be acknowledged and honoured.
The Catechism also teaches that from the beginning of life until death, humans are surrounded by the watchful care and intercession of angels. The Catechism states that “each believer” has an angel as a protector and shepherd. This belief is rooted in Scripture, including the Psalms, where we read, “For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11–12).
Saint Jerome, commenting on the Gospel of Matthew, affirmed this belief, saying, "The worth of souls is so great that from birth each one has an angel assigned to him for his protection." Similarly, Saint Thomas Aquinas stated, "Each man has an angel guardian appointed to him. This rests upon the fact that the guardianship of angels belongs to the execution of Divine providence concerning men."
In addition to acknowledging the existence of guardian angels, Catholics are encouraged to invoke their protection through prayer, such as the "Angel of God" invocation. Pope Saint John Paul II taught that the Church venerates guardian angels in the liturgy and recommends recourse to their protection through frequent prayer.
It is important to note that while the existence of guardian angels is a deeply rooted belief in Catholicism, the specific names of angels should not be assigned or invoked, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.
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Frequently asked questions
According to Catholic belief, everyone has a guardian angel. You can communicate with your guardian angel by praying to them daily.
You can pray to your guardian angel, asking for their help and protection. You can also write your own prayers if you don't want to use the traditional guardian angel prayer. Additionally, you can ask your guardian angel for guidance and imagine them walking with you throughout your day.
Your guardian angel is always with you and desires your spiritual and physical well-being. They are your best friend and most trusted protector. You can ask for their help and guidance, and they will be eager to assist you.
