"'When the Son of man comes in His glory, escorted by all the angels, then He will take His seat on His throne of glory."  Matthew 25: 31.

     The Cathechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that the existence of the spiritual beings called "angels" is a truth of faith.
According to St. Augustine, "Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature.  Their nature, or what they are, is "Spirit". Their office, or what they do, if "Angel".  Angels are servants or messengers of God. They are , "...continually in the presence of My Father in Heaven." Matthew 18: 10  "... all His angels, mighty warriors who fulfil His commands, attentive to the sound of His words."  Psalm 103: 20.   They are spiritual creatures with intelligence and will.  They are personal and immortal creatures.  

     The angels belong to Christ, and He is the centre of the angelic world.  They were created through Him, and for Him.  "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? "  Hebrews 1: 14.  

     Before letting the angels join Him in heaven, God wanted to see if they would obey Him. Lucifer, whose name means "the carrier of light," was proud of his power.  He turned against God and said, "I will not serve!"  But Michael, whose name means "Who is like God?"  arose to fight for God.  The good angels joined him and they cast into hell Lucifer and the bad angels who followed him.  The bad angels are now called devils or demons.  

Since creation, angels have been present throughout the history of salvation.

Old Testament

     They closed the earthly paradise, the garden of Eden... "... and in front of the garden of Eden, He posted the great winged creatures and the fiery flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life."  Genesis 3: 24.  

     In Genesis 19, we read how angels were sent to destroy Sodom, and to rescue Lot and his family from the destruction. "When the two angels reached Sodom in the evening, Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. ... The men said to Lot, 'have you anyone else here? Your sons, your daughters and all your people in the city, take them away, for we are about to destroy this place, since the outcry to Yahweh against those in it has grown so loud that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.' " Genesis 19: 1-13

     They saved Hagar and her child Ishmael.  "God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven.  'What is wrong, Hagar?' he asked.  'Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy's cry in his plight. Go and pick him up and hold him safe, for I shall make him into a great nation.'  "  Genesis 21: 17-18

     An angel prevented Abraham from striking his son Isaac. "But the angels of Yahwey called to him from heaven. 'Abraham, Abraham!'  he said.  'Here I am,'  he replied.  'Do not raise your hand against the boy,'  the angel said.  'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God.'  You have not refused me your won beloved son.'   Genesis 22: 11-12

     The Angel of Death punished the Egyptians, but passed over the Israelites.  "When the Lord goes through Egypt to kill the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the doorposts and will not let the Angel of Death enter your houses and kill you."  Exodus 12: 23  (Good News Bible)

      An angel touched the lips of Isaiah.  "Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in its hand a live coal which it had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.  With this it touched my mouth and said:  'Look, this has touched your lips, your guilt has been removed and your sin fogiven.'  Isaiah 6: 6-7

     The angel Raphael was sent as a guide for Tobiah.  "This time the prayer of each of them found favour before the glory of God, and Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both.  ... and he was to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel as brid to Tobias son of Tobit, ... "  Tobit 3: 16-17

     An angel appears to Zechariah (Son of Berechiah).  "And the angel who was talking to me said, 'I will show you what they are.' ... They reported to the angel of Yahweh as he stood among the myrtles, ..." Zechariah 1: 9-11  There are several examples in Zechariah of angels talking to Zechariah and giving messages.  

New Testament

     Zechariah father of John the Baptist.  "But the angel said to him,   'Zechariah, do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you shall name him John.  He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord;  ...  even from his mother's womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.  ...'  Zecharia said to the angel, 'How can I know this?  I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.'  The angel replied, ' I am Gabriel, who stand in God's presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.  ...'  " Luke 1: 13-21

     And the angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus. "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God... to a virgin ... "  Luke 1: 26.  "...suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because She has conceived what is in Her by the Holy Spirit.'" Matthew 1: 20.   

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream.  "... suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,  'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because She has conceived what is in Her by the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a Son adn you must name Him Jesus, because He is the one Who is to save His people from their sins.' "  Matthew 1: 20-21

     Angels were with Jesus throughout His life on earth.  At His birth, God says, "Let all the angels of God pay Him homage." Hebrews 1: 6.

     An angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus.  "In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night.  An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them.  They were terrified, but the angel said,  'Do not be afraid.  Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared byt eh whole people.  Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  And here is a sign for you:  you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.'  And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words:  Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those He favours."  Luke 2: 8-14

     An angel appears to Joseph again. "...suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and His Mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the Child and do away with Him.' "  Matthew 2: 13

     Angels serve Jesus in the desert.   "Then the devil left Him, and suddenly angels appeared and looked after Him."  Matthew 4: 11

     An angel comforts Jesus.  

**N.B. All bibilical quotations are from The New Jerusalem Bible unless otherwise stated.

Feast Day: October 2

     The angels are pure spirits endowed with a natural intelligence, will power and beauty for surpassing the nature, faculties, and powers of man.  They offer continuous praise to God and serve Him as messengers and ministers, and as guardians of men on earth.  They are divided into three hierarchies:  Seraphin, Cherubim, and Thrones;  Dominations, Principalities, and Powers;  Virtues, Archarangels, and Angels.

     Those blessed spirits who are appointed by God to be protectors and defenders of men are called Guardian Angels.  Faith teaches us that each individual has a Guardian Angel who watches over him during the whole course of his life.  It is also a generally accepted doctrine that communities, the Church, dioceses, and nations also have their tutelary angels.

     The Guardian Angels defend those of whom they have charge against the assaults of the demons, endeavouring to preserve them from all evils of soul or body, particularly from sin and the occasions of sin.  They strive to keep us in the right path:  if we fall they help us to rise again, encourage us to become more and more virtuous, suggest good thoughts and holy desires, offer our prayers and good actions to God, and, above all, assist us at the hour of death.  

A Litany is a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations
or supplications with responses that are the same for a number, in succession. The Following
is the Litany of the Guardian Angels. On person leads, and the others pray the words in italics.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. 
Lord,  have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
     have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Queen of the Angels, pray for us.
St. Micheal, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
All holy Angels and Archangels,
Holy Guardian Angels, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who unceasingly behold the
     Gace of the heavenly Father, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who never part from us, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who are devoted to us in
     heavenly friendship, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, our faithful admonishers, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, our wise counselors, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who preserve us from many
     evils of body and soul, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, our mighty defencers against
     the attacks of the evil enemy, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, our support in the time of
     temptations, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who help us when we
     stumble and fall, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who comfort us in troubles
     and sufferings, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who uphold our prayers and
     carry them before the Throne of God, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who through your
     inspirations and encouragement help us to
     progress in the good, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who despite our faults never
     leave us, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who rejoice over our
     improvement and advancement in perfection, pray for us.

Holy Guardian Angels, who watch over us and pray
    for us even when we rest, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who do not abandon us in
     our agony of death, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who console the souls in
     Purgatory, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who lead the righteous into
     Heaven, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, with whom one day we hope
     to eternally praise and behold God, pray for us.
Noble Princes of Heaven, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, O Lord!

Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Our Father...

Bless the Lord, all His Angels,
you mighty ones who do His Will.
He has sne His Angels before you,
to guard you on all your ways.
My God, in the presence of the Angel I will bless You.
I want to adore You and praise Your holy Name.
Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto You.

Let us pray

Almighty, Eternal God, in Your ineffable goodness You have
assigned a special Angel to all men, from the womb onwards,
as a protection for body and soul.  Graciously grant that I may
follow my holy Angel so faithfully and love him so dearly, that
through Your grace and under his protection I may one day
reach the heavenly Father's House and may merit to behold
Your Divine Countenance together with Him and all the holy
Angels.  Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

     Every morning, and every night at bed time, we say the Angel of God prayer.  I don't think the boys could get to sleep, if they hadn't said it, no matter how tired they are.  It goes like this:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God's love entrusts me here.
Ever this day (night) be at my side,
To lead and guard, to light and guide.

     Angels are here to protect us, and help us.  And they will do what we ask them to.  Every night, Stephen sleeps with my angel Harold.  He just likes to have him there with him.  My sister has often sent her angel Gamileil, to give us all hugs, when she is far away, and cannot do it herself.  I have sent my angels to be someone who is ill, and when my friend "Gooser" was alone at night, I often sent Zyra to be with her. She has always had trouble sleeping when he husband was away, but with my angel there, she slept with no problem at all.

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