Gospel Delights!

Monday, October 2, 2023

Memorial of the Guardian Angels

Zec 8:1-8; Mt 18:1-5,10

The feast of the Guardian Angels honors a beautiful Christian tradition. 

When I first heard from my mom that I had been assigned an angel to be with me around the clock, I was truly fascinated. Growing up, I have been discovering the meaning of what my mother told me in many different ways. To know that our guardian angel is responsible for representing our cause to God, protecting us, assisting us in our prayer, and presenting our souls to God at our death is truly consoling. 

But is the idea of a ‘guardian angel’ a far-fetched claim? I believe it is not all that hard to understand for a moderner. 

Corporate banking has the concept of a ‘Relationship Manager’ who is assigned to an individual client 24*7. The customer can reach out to this ‘banking assistant’ with any queries regarding savings and investment. Though restricted to a professional setting, having a human as a stand-by assistant is still realistic. The comparison renders the idea of guardian angels easily relatable, though it remains unparalleled in many ways. 

Seen through the eyes of faith, the idea of divine companionship is real and comforting. The modern world cares so much about accompaniment precisely because it lacks it. It is true in the face of modern gadgets preying on our human company and friendship. Moreover, with unadulterated individualism reigning supreme, we are beginning to forget that we are ‘social animals.’ 

When reality is thus pricking, I find the tradition of ‘guardian angels’ to be very consoling and encouraging. 

I have a guardian, and that person is divine. I love it! 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar