GUARDIAN

 ANGELS

INTRODUCTION

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

That’s the title of today’s feast: “The Holy Guardian Angels.”

I’m going to make two points about angels: first, they protect us and second, they bring us messages.

FIRST: THEY PROTECT US

The theology of the Guardian Angels is that God has angels watching over us. I’ll take them. I‘ll take that protection.

Many images of angels in religious art - especially for children - has an angel flying or walking with a child.

And if we were brought up as Catholics we were taught that childhood prayer, “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom his love, commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.”

As you know there is also in theological story and tradition the story that Lucifer - the Light Bearer - a very powerful angel - sinned - dropped God and God dropped him.

Instead of serving others - he was into himself.

And his sin is often described as pride - which is often described as the worst sin - that Lucifer could not take anyone above him.

Contrast with that: yesterday’s second reading from Philippians - that God humbled himself - becoming human - became even lower - became a slave and a servant - and lowered himself even more - dying the death of a criminal.

So the first message we can get from Angels - is that they are for serving us, protecting us - not themselves. We see that in the good angels - and in contrast in the bad angels who did not serve us - but they were into themselves - in to pride, power, having great lights. That can blind us - and we need the opposite humility - the ability to serve others.

SECOND THINGS ANGELS DO: THEY BRING MESSAGES TO US

The second message about angles is that they are messengers.

That might be the clear basic reasons in the scriptures for angels. They bring messages to Gideon, to prophets, to Mary and Joseph.

They bring messages from God to people.

CONCLUSION

In you look around at religious art - statues, pictures, stained glass windows - angels seem to be floating around - with wings or on wheels.

My favorite image of an angel is Clarence - the angel apprentice in the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

He protects Jimmy Stewart and he brings messages to him.