GUARDIAN ANGELS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Guardian Angels.”

Today - October 2^nd - we celebrate their feast.

Last night in preparing this homily I did some homework - some reading up - on “angels” and “Guardian Angels”.  What’s your read on angels?

FOR STARTERS

For starters angels are very much part of our Sacred Scriptures. We hear of them in all kinds of stories and situations in both Testaments.

Some angels have names - most don’t.

Some angels of God are destroying angels - wiping out enemies.

Some angels come to earth to help - to lead - to stand by - to camp themselves around folks to protect people. They are also pictured as part of the upper heavens giving praise to God - all the time - and when we pray we enter into their ongoing praise and music to God.  

They are part of the Hosanna singing “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.”

So they are very much part of our scriptures as well as our tradition.

We also find them mentioned in Islam, Mormonism, and various other religions.

In our Bible one of their key roles  - besides guarding and protecting us, is that they are messengers.

They are usually pictured with wings - because they seem to fly everywhere and flutter over someone - and then give them a message.

HERE IN THIS CHURCH

Here in this church they are holding holy water in the back of the church as you come in. There are images of angels up here around the tabernacle and on the edge of the old altar. We see them  in the stained glass windows - in the OLPH picture - up near the ceiling -. Evidently they can fly.

ANGELIC QUESTIONS?

Where are you with angels? Are they part of your spirituality? Are they part of your spiritual practices and prayers?

What are your wonderings about angels?

What are your questions about angels: good and bad angels?

What was the angel movement from about 10 or was it 15 years ago - when there were so many angels for sale - in all kinds of shapes and forms? It certainly was a money maker.  I received two little angels named “Andrew” - and I keep them on a book shelf - gathering dust - along with another tiny angel without a name. This chubby cheeked creature has a little card saying, “I’m Angel Cheeks, your Guardian Angel. I will be there when nobody else is, to care, kiss away tears and bring smiles on rainy days. And always - to be a very best friend. Because everybody needs somebody … That’s Me!”   Made in China.

If I was an artist, I thought of this last night, how would I sculpt or paint an angel? Answer: I’m not sure. Would I paint a ray of light, a hand on a shoulder, a bug in an ear, a push in the back, an index finger to the face?  That question gave me an understanding why artists often picture them as humans - but with wings.

I wonder why Protestantism rejected the Catholic practices about angels? The literature against Catholics said that they worshiped angels - along with Mary and the saints - and that’s idolatry. Catholics responded with a no. We just ask for their help, because we need all the help we can get. I was surprised about the Protestant attack on angels - because they are very scriptural.

As I read up on this last night I spotted some strange stories like in the middle ages relic savers would have objects like a branch from the burning bush of Moses and a feather off the wing of Gabriel the archangel. Boccaccio [1313-1375] told the story of a Friar who walked around saying he too had one of the feathers that dropped of the Angel Gabriel when he dropped into the bedroom of the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation.

That kind of stuff didn’t help Catholicism. And I agree with the criticism of the recent angel period that was non-denominational. Angel were being sold as these chubby faced clean feathered images. The criticism was that they might give you a feeling of the sacred - or the holy -  but there was no challenge - like that of dealing with a real person.

CONCLUSION

As to one’s Guardian Angel what I think would be helpful is to ask one’s Guardian Angel for guidance and to guard us from all harm.

I also think what would help is not to picture them as a tiny feathery creature - like a cherubic faced doll in a white dress - hovering over our right shoulder. Would it be better to imagine one’s angel as a voice - an inner voice?  Even that is tangible - and sensible. At this point, I think a good image for one’s Guardian Angel would be a voice that challenges us with messages each day on how to be a better Christian - a messenger like Gabriel who came to Mary and called her to  bring Christ into our world. So too us. Amen.