guardian

Baruch 1:15-22; Psalm 79 For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us; Mt 18:1-5, 10 

In the book of Exodus  23:20 ff we read,  "Thus says the Lord: See I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on your way and bring you to the place I have prepared.  Be attentive to him and heed his voice..." 

The guardian angels we celebrate today. 

We are all companions of angels, a little heaven on earth each and every day.  How much value has God placed upon us to give us each an angel to stand by us and lead and guide us?

Even when we feel alone the reality is we are never alone.  There is always an angel with us guiding us to that place God has prepared.

Jesus in today's gospel teaches us just how the angel protects us and guides us, "their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly father."

The angels protects us by "looking upon the face of {our} heavenly Father."  They protects us by worship and adoration. 

In their worship we are strengthen in goodness and encouraged on our way. 

We imitate the angels when we celebrate the Eucharist.  We gather to worship and to fall in adoration of our heavenly Father through Jesus who comes to us in the Eucharist.  Think about adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. 

When ever we go to adoration as we bow on our knee we are imitating the angels. 

When we pray for others to grow in strength and goodness we are imitating the angels. 

Now, we can do something the angels can never do.  We not only have angels as companions but we also are invited to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.  Angels can never receive the Eucharist for they have no body.  But, we can!

How much does God love us is seen in this reality: we have JEsus as the bread of life and we have angels as companions and guardians in this life. 

One other thing to ponder: in the agony of the garden according to Luke, an angel was sent to comfort Jesus.  IF Jesus availed himself to the assistance of the angels, should not we as well follow his lead?

scripture

"The Lord will guard you from evil, he will guard your soul.  The Lord will guard you going and coming both now and for ever." Psalm 121