20231002 ANGELS ARE OUR COMPANIONS ALONG THE WAY
02 October 2023, Monday, The Holy Guardian Angels
First reading | Exodus 23:20-23 © |
I myself will send an angel before you
The Lord says this: ‘I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him. If you listen carefully to his voice and do all that I say, I shall be enemy to your enemies, foe to your foes. My angel will go before you.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 90(91):1-6,10-11 © |
The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
and abides in the shade of the Almighty
says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’
The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.
It is he who will free you from the snare
of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;
he will conceal you with his pinions
and under his wings you will find refuge.
The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.
You will not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the plague that prowls in the darkness
nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.
The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.
Upon you no evil shall fall,
no plague approach where you dwell.
For you has he commanded his angels,
to keep you in all your ways.
The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps102:21 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,
his servants who do his will.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 18:1-5,10 © |
Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’
ANGELS ARE OUR COMPANIONS ALONG THE WAY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EXODUS 23:20-23; MATTHEW 18:1-5,10]
Today, we celebrate the feast of the guardian angels. On 29th September, we celebrate the feast of the Archangels, St Michael, St Raphael and St Gabriel. They are called archangels because they played a more critical role in the plan of God’s salvation for humanity. Like all angels, they are messengers at the service of God to reveal His plan to humanity, to protect and to guide. It is within this perspective that we also celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels. As this feast suggests, the angels are assigned to us to protect us from harm and from all dangers. This is what the Lord said, “See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.”
Traditionally, the Church invites us to pray to the angels for protection and guidance. The prayer that was taught to us when we were children is still useful for us as adults to pray in faith. “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.” In this prayer, we are given a theological interpretation of the work of guardian angels as guiding us and guarding us in our everyday life. This is what the first reading from the book of Exodus suggests to us. God told the Israelites that He would send “an angel to guide them and guard them. “I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. My angel will go before you and lead you to where the Amorites are and the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Jebusites; I shall exterminate these.”
Indeed, the psalmist assures us that those who trust and rely on God will be protected by His holy angels. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High and abides in the shade of the Almighty says to the Lord: ‘My refuge, my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’ It is he who will free you from the snare of the fowler who seeks to destroy you; he will conceal you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge. You will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plaque that prowls in the darkness nor the scourge that lays waste at noon. Upon you no evil shall fall no plaque approach where you dwell. For you has he commanded his angels, to keep you in all your ways.” With the angels protecting us, we can live our lives without fear because he will be at our side.
Besides praying to the angels, we are called to listen to them because they are the voice of God prompting us to do good and to avoid evil. Again, the Lord said to the Israelites, “Give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him. If you listen carefully to his voice and do all that I say, I shall be enemy to your enemies, foe to your foes.” We must be alert to his voice in our lives, often coming in ways that we least expect, sometimes through a voice inside or outside of us, sometimes through strange events that are mysterious to us; and sometimes the angels work through us as well, prompting us to reach out and to do good. This is why we must listen to the angels and obey their voices. To listen to the angels is to listen to the voice of God because God chooses to use His intermediaries to communicate with us as He did with Abraham when three angels appeared before him (cf Gn 18); and to Gideon as well, ordering him to go and save his people. (cf Jdg 6:11-23) The angel also forbade the ass of Balaam to move ahead to collude with the pagan king to curse Israel. He was then asked to bless Israel instead. (cf Num 22) Like St Peter, we are called to listen and obey the angel when he told them to leave the prison and proclaim Christ crucified to the people. (Acts 12:1-11) Obedience to the angels is the way we serve God in truth and in love.
For this reason, we should become more aware of the angels in our lives. We must thank God for our Guardian angels. The problem with the world today is the emphasis on sensuality, which has made it difficult for us to be in contact with the spiritual world. Because of science and human pride, we tend to dismiss the angels who we cannot see. This is dangerous because it will lead us to distrust and disbelief in the spiritual world. When we are no longer aware of the spiritual beings, good or bad in our lives, we become indifferent to them. To be ignorant of the presence of the angels is at the same time to be unaware of how the evil spirits work in our world and in our lives. The Church is clear that just as there is an order in the material world, there is also an order in the spiritual world. St Paul speaks of the different hierarchy of spiritual beings. (cf Eph 6:10-12) The spirits are therefore real. We are called to be alert and fight against Satan and his angels who are prowling round to devour us. (cf 1 Pt 5:8) For this reason, we need to intercede with our Guardian Angels to pray for divine assistance in our lives. The letter of Hebrews tells us that angels are ministering spirits to help us. (cf Heb 1:14)
So instead of behaving in an arrogant manner, dismissing the reality of the spiritual world, we must, as the Lord advised us, be humble as a child learning to accept things beyond his understanding. “‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'” With the psalmist we pray, “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.” (Ps 131:1f)
At the same time, we are called to imitate the Holy Angels in praising and thanking God in our lives. Angels, although pure spirits, are creatures of God. Their whole life is to give praise and thanksgiving to God. We are told in the book of Revelation that the angels unceasingly praise God in worship, singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord!” But they not only praise God in prayer, they praise God in their lives by offering themselves to do good for others, reaching out to those in need and leading them to God. We too must follow the angels in rendering praise and thanksgiving to God in unceasing prayer, and most of all in our lives. For this is what St Paul urges us, to pray unceasingly throughout our life. We are called to be angels to each other and to give support to each other in this journey of life.
Most of all, we are called to be angels to the little ones, children and those who are most vulnerable in life. In no uncertain terms, the Lord said, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.” We must be the ones to protect the little ones under our care. The Lord warns us “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!” So let us protect the faith of our little ones whom we have a custodian role, whether we are referring to little ones or those new in their faith. We must seek to protect and guide them, leading them to Christ.
Let us not walk alone in faith. We have the Guardian Angels to accompany us in this difficult journey to God. We only need to turn to them for guidance and for divine protection. He is ever ready to come to our assistance. Indeed, we read that Jesus in His Temptations in the desert, and especially in His last moments in the Agony in the Garden, was consoled by the angels. (cf Mt 4:11; Lk 22:43) Truly, if the Lord needed the assistance of angels in His journey of life, so we too must turn to the angels who can give us the courage to obey His will. Let us pray to our Guardian Angels and ask them to intercede for us.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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