Tuesday, October 1, 2024

02-OCT-'24, Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels


Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Lectionary: 457/650

Reading 1
Job 9:1-12, 14-16
Job answered his friends and said:

I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.

Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15
R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Alleluia
Psalm 103:21
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 18:1-5, 10
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections 

Your Protector and Guide

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”  Matthew 18:10

The reality of angels is fascinating to most people, especially to children. The Guardian Angels, in particular, are often pictured in sacred art as walking hand-in-hand with children. And though this is true, they also walk hand-in-hand with each one of us throughout our lives. This is their sacred duty given to them by God. In quoting Saint Basil, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the existence of Guardian Angels by saying: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life’” (#336).

Imagine, in an earthly sense, that you had a personal bodyguard to look after you day and night throughout your life. Perhaps this evokes two different sentiments. First, it would most certainly comfort you when there is imminent danger around. You would know you are not alone and that you would be kept safe from physical harm. Another sentiment it may invoke is that of a loss of personal privacy. If someone were watching over you, day and night, you would always be aware of their watchful eye. Everything you said and did would be noticed. For some, this may not always be welcome. Why? Because this means they see all you do, including your sin. Fear of judgment, the loss of personal privacy and the like may be difficult to accept.

But now imagine that this “bodyguard” is one who offers no judgment, acts with perfect love for you, keeps confidentiality with perfection and cares only for your well-being. Though it may be hard to imagine that such a person could exist, that person does exist in the person of your guardian angel.

Your guardian angel is real, has a keen and powerful intellect, has a will perfectly united with the will of God, and was created for the single purpose of protecting you and leading you into the fulfillment of God’s will. When you sin and stray, your guardian angel’s only concern is to guide you back to God. When you are fearful or in trouble, your guardian angel’s only care is to protect you and fill you with God’s peace and courage. And though God could have provided you with all of these graces directly, without the mediation of an angel, He chose to do so through the mediation of your personal guardian angel. Only in Heaven will we fully understand the profound depth of love, protection, and care given to us by these angelic beings.

Reflect, today, upon the intimate knowledge that your guardian angel has of you. As you ponder this reality, rejoice that someone knows you so well and loves you with a perfect love. This angel of yours not only loves you perfectly but also has been entrusted with great power from God to protect you and shepherd you to the fulfillment of your life mission. Prayerfully acknowledge the great gift that your guardian angel is to you and entrust yourself more fully to this angelic mediation.

Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body 

GUARDING ATTACKERS

“See that you never despise one of these little ones. I assure you, their angels in heaven constantly behold My heavenly Father’s face.” —Matthew 18:10

Guardian angels don’t just guard us. They are very specialized guards. They don’t so much guard us from attacking enemies as much as they guard us when attacking enemies. Guardian angels have the job of guarding us as we attack the gates of hell (Mt 16:18). They guard us “on the way” to war and then in war (Ex 23:20). Their job is not so much to protect us from our enemies but to wipe out our enemies (Ex 23:23).

We as Christians are called to be militant — not in physical violence but in spiritual warfare (see Eph 6:12). We are to turn the world right side up (see Acts 17:6) and be a force to be reckoned with. When we fight this good fight (see 2 Tm 4:7), we need this specialized type of guard duty from the guardian angels. However, if we aren’t militantly attacking the gates of hell, our guardian angels are underemployed.

If you want to see your guardian angel at work, then fight for the Kingdom of God against the kingdom of darkness.

Prayer:  Father, make me such a threat to the kingdom of darkness that I will need my guardian angel.

Promise:  “Unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God.” —Mt 18:3

Praise:  Teenage Wally asks his guardian angel for protection each time he drives a car.

Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word

“So sublime is the dignity of the human being that from his birth there is appointed to each one a guardian angel,” says Saint Jerome. According to Catholic Angelology the guardian angel enlightens, protects, guides and prays for the person entrusted to his care. One has to befriend one’s guardian angel and pray to him every day. Besides this, we are expected to identify guardian angels in our own life in the form of human beings such as friends, relatives, teachers, spiritual directors and our mentors. Moreover, we are also called to be guardian angels to those who are vulnerable, confused, in need and are in danger. How do I understand the concept of a guardian angel in the digital world where our handsets seem to have assumed this important role? 

Prayers
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. Amen. Guardian angel, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, you are our refuge and strength. May I always know your guiding hand and the help of your angels in protecting me from all that is evil. Give me strength of will and courage to refuse what is evil and to choose what is good.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 275: The Glory of Humdrum Days
At first thought, “humdrum” and “glory” may not appear to go together unless they were used in contrast.  But these two words are married together in the Mind of God.  They are “married” in the sense that we are able to glorify God and obtain holiness through our day-to-day humdrum duties.  Though this may not be immediately apparent, understanding this unlocks a door to the treasures of Heaven in countless ways.  By discovering this deep spiritual truth you are able to offer every moment of every day to God and win His abundant Mercy through every action of your life.  For example, even your breathing can become a source of the Mercy of God when you offer it to Him for His glory.  If that doesn’t make immediate sense to you don’t dismiss it.  Seek to offer and sanctify every action and you will begin to discover that every action of every day can become a source of the continual outpouring of the Mercy of God (See Diary #1373).

Try a simple exercise today.  As you breath in, pray interiorly that the Will of God enters your soul, and as you breathe out, offer your own selfishness to God.  Try to think about this as often as you can throughout the day.  Pretty soon you will discover that you are glorifying God even through this most basic human act.  Discovering this will help you realize that every act of your day, no matter how small, can become a source of the outpouring of the Mercy of God.

Lord, as I breathe in I invite Your perfect Will and Mercy into my life.  And as I breathe out, I submit to Your Mercy all my sin and self-will.  Jesus, please consume every act I do this day.  May even the smallest act be done for You and for Your glory.  Nothing is too small for You, dear Lord.  May I discover Your abundant Mercy in all things throughout my day so that my life may become a continual offering to You and a constant instrument of Your Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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