St. Basil tells us, “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” (quoted in CCC 336). In the nine choirs of angels, we glimpse the glorious logic of divine providence. How beautiful are God’s designs for the human family. We can say that God thought of everything for love of us! Angels are all around us. “Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels . . . they belong to him because they were created through and for him . . . they belong to him still more because he made them messengers of his saving plan” (CCC 331).
“The assistance of the angels that is given to the soul is to continue throughout the whole course of its life. Not even sins can suppress it. They can only sadden the angel of the soul. But angels do not merely protect the soul against the attacks of the devil; they also try to make it progress in the spiritual life. The angels, then, appear first of all as aiding the soul in its spiritual ascension.”
When a storm arises, and we’re cast headlong into the middle of spiritual combat, the good angels lead us with inspirations to overcome evil with good. We need angelic help to conquer sin and evil and to heed the call to holiness. It takes continuous effort to build up a family, and, in one quick moment, a poor decision can tear the family asunder. The ripple effect can be devastating. Encourage each family member to develop a holy friendship with his guardian angel and the choirs of good angels.
Think of family members and their assigned guardian angel. When my son was away at college, I prayed that my guardian angel would communicate with his guardian angel. This was fruitful. “What mother has not noticed the narrow escape of one or the other of her children from imminent danger, probably without thinking that it may have been through the intervention of its faithful Guardian?”
Author Jean Danielou beautifully sums up our need for angelic assistance: “These guardian spirits have been sent to aid the human race. For our weakness is such that, if the guardian angels had not been given to us, we could not resist the many powerful attacks of the evil spirits. To this end, we had need of a higher nature. We know that this is so from the words with which the Lord strengthens Moses, trembling in his fear, ‘My angel will go before thee.’” Only in heaven will we know the countless times that our guardian angels, St. Michael, and the choirs of good angels saved us and our loved ones from grave harm.
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This article is adapted from a chapter in A Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Kathleen Beckman which is available from Sophia Institute Press.
Art for this post on Angels: Cover and featured image used with permission.
