NV-Guardian Angels

NOVENA THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS
Novena starts on September 23rd and ends on the vigil of of the Feast Day October 1st
Or start on September 24th and finish on the Feast Day itself, October 2nd

What is a Novena?
A novena is a traditional devotion consisting of specific prayers recited on nine successive days. Besides being a form of praise, a novena is frequently offered for a particular intention. The first novena took place in the Cenacle, during the nine days preceding Pentecost, or the coming of the Holy Ghost. As a regular popular custom, this practice began in 12th century Christianity and continues to be beneficial today as a way of praying for healing, protection or other blessings for ourselves or others.

This particular novena is prayed to God in honor of the Holy Guardian Angels. The Guardian Angels are merely one group of angels among the 'nine choirs' of angels. We greatly underestimate the power of the angels. One single angel could destroy the universe, if God so wished it. God's Providence controls the power of the angels, even the power of the 'bad' angels, the devils, is subject to the Will of God. The neglect of a true devotion to the angels is one of the most pitiable things that we can be guilty of in our lives. Let us use this novena as a springboard to starting or bettering our devotion to these marvelous creatures of God.

In praying this Novena, as in the case of all prayer, it is good to begin by opening ourselves wholeheartedly to God's will, offering a simple act of trust in God's wisdom and in His providential love for us all, that disposes all things for the ultimate benefit of our souls and their salvation.

How to Pray This Novena
This novena is based on our ultimate goal, which is to reach God in Heaven. Each day of the novena is divided into the following parts: (1) a quote from Holy Scripture, (2) a passage from the writings of the saints or some theologian; (3) possibly a passage from the revelations made by Our Lady to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich or the Venerable Mary of Agreda; (4) a Meditation; (5) a Prayer; (6) after mentioning your intention, pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary; (7) a Closing Prayer.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Know, Love and Use Your Angel

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Reading on the Angels

Heaven is meant to be our home. Now to reach this home, one must mount the ladder of perfection, since only saints go to Heaven—which is no easy task. One needs help, guidance and companionship, and this cannot always be found in the world of men, especially today. Therefore, even though the world is highly populated, man often finds himself apparently and seemingly alone on the ocean, in the desert, on the mountain top, without realizing that we are never quite alone. Apart from God, who is present everywhere, we are always surrounded by intelligent creatures, who belong on a higher plane or level than man's, but who condescend to mingle with us and to interest themselves in all that concerns us, because their Creator and ours so wills it.

Yes, we actually live in two worlds—a small visible world and a vaster one that is invisible, but not unknowable nor unenjoyable. It is a world of spiritual beings whose inhabitants form a society far better and superior to the highest on Earth, and from which no one is excluded. The poorest and lowliest may be presented to the angels. That interesting apostle of the Sahara, Charles de Foucauld, found the invisible world delightful, and the most repulsive features of the visible world at least tolerable. From the heart of the desert he once wrote to a friend:

"Since I was twenty, I have always relished the sweetness of solitude whenever I got it. Even in my non-Christian days, I loved the solitude of beautiful nature, along with books, but now all the more, when the sweetness of the invisible world prevents one's solitude from ever being lonely. The soul is not made for noise, but for meditation; and life ought to be a preparation for Heaven—not only by meritorious works, but by peace and recollection in God. But man has launched out into endless discussions: the little happiness he finds in loud debates is enough to show how far they lead him away from his vocation." (Charles de Foucauld, by Rene Basin, p. 297).

Let us who aspire to high society seek an introduction to the angels as presented by Holy Scripture, as well as by St. Denis, St. John Damascene, St. Thomas Aquinas, Suarez, and by many other learned persons. Knowing the orderly sequence of created things on our globe, and realizing the great gap between man and the Creator of all things, reason alone might lead us to think of the existence of intelligent beings superior to ourselves.

"If there were no angels, most of God's works would be known to Himself alone .... Man is the only creature in the visible world capable of knowing and praising God in His works. But man's knowledge of nature is infinitesimal; his little mind works from the meager data supplied by the senses; he sees, as it were, but the glisten of a dewdrop, while the great ocean of truth is hidden from his gaze. It appears natural, therefore, to suppose the existence of, higher beings, who survey the whole scheme of creation; who see, with a superhuman intelligence, the wisdom and goodness of God mirrored everywhere, and make of every marvel they behold a theme of divine praise. Thus, the doctrine of the existence of angels gives the material world, with all its vastness, a new significance, for we conceive it as a book wherein the angels read of their Creator" (Apologetica and Catholic Doctrine, by The Most Rev. M. Sheehan, p. 68).

Fortunately, we do not need to reason about the existence of angels, since it has been clearly revealed to us in the pages of Holy Scripture. The psalmist, speaking of man, says: "Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and hast set him over the works of Thy hands" (Psalm 8:6). These words encourage us to become acquainted with the angels and to strive to lift ourselves towards their level. By so doing, we may enjoy their society even on earth, and at the same time draw nearer to God.

From the fact that our first parents were tempted by Satan, in the guise of a serpent, we are led to think that the angels were created before man, although some theologians maintain, with Dante, that all things were created simultaneously--"simple and mixed, both form and substance" (Paralipomenon 29:24). St. Augustine answers the oft-repeated question: "Why did Moses not tell us about the creation of the angels?" The learned doctor says that "the angels were not passed over in the account of the first creation of things, but are designated by the name of heavens, or of light." St. Thomas adds : "They [the angels] were either passed over, or else designated by the names of corporeal things, because Moses was addressing an uncultured people, as yet incapable of understanding an incorporeal nature: and if it had been divulged that there were creatures existing beyond corporeal nature, it would have proved to them an occasion of idolatry to which they were inclined, and from which Moses especially meant to safeguard them" (Summa Theologica, Ia. q. 61., art. 1).

What Catholics must believe in regard to creation was recorded at the Fourth Lateran Council. From this record we can be certain that "there is only one true God, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible, who by His almighty power at the beginning of time produced, out of nothlng, creatures of two kinds, namely, spiritual and corporeal, the angels and the universe, and then created man so as to have something in common with both, since man consists of spirit and body."

The angels, then, are pure spirits: this means that they are intelligent substances without matter or body. God is a pure spirit, but His spirituality is infinitely more beautiful and incomprehensible than that of the angels. The souls of men are spiritual, but naturally capable of union with a body; they are not pure spirits even when in a state of sanctifying grace. When God created the angels, He also created their abode: but He did not admit them without trial to the enjoyment of the Beatific Vision: which means, that although they had supernatural grace and some knowledge of their Creator, they did not see Him as He is.

Why did God create the angels? For His own honor and glory and for the happiness of intelligent creatures. The angels form, as it were, God's society. He richly endowed them, so that knowing, and loving, and serving Him willingly, they might be happy with Him forever. He created man for the same purpose—though a little lower than the angels. It behooves us, therefore, to become acquainted here below with the bright spirits with whom we hope to mingle forever in Heaven. God in His goodness has made this elevating communication possible for us. He permits some angels to be always near us. It is of faith that, although invisible, they exert a mighty influence on our lives: indeed, the angels, as well as we, belong to the Mystical Body of Christ. They guard the Church and "minister to them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). We may say that we already move in high society.

Meditation

With a correct view of good angels as our constant, intimate companions, one will never be very lonely—not even when apparently alone. Homesickness for Heaven will be lessened; and with buoyancy of spirit, one will easily rise above the things of this world to higher levels of life. "The path of the just as a shining light goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day" (Psalm 4:18). Let us learn from the example of the angels humbly to acknowledge our dependence upon God our Creator, Who has no need of us, but without Whom we can do nothing. "I have said to the Lord, Thou art my God, for Thou hast no need of my goods" (Psalm 15:2). Let us admire the wisdom and power of God in creating creatures, more richly endowed than we are: and who are, consequently, able to give Him a more worthy service, unencumbered by bodies that make the heavenward flight of the spirit painful and difficult.

These creatures are our guides and defenders along the precarious, narrow, steep path to Heaven. Yet they will not force us to do anything, for we have our (dangerous) free will. Let us freely, therefore, take more time to pray to these heavenly creatures and sincerely beg their aid and tune-in to their inspirations. This needs quiet of soul, something which the noisy world does not want to give us. We must therefore wrench ourselves away from the noise and distraction and try to discern the quiet 'voice' of our angel, who is only too willing to teach and guide, if we were only willing to listen and follow!

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on Earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Confidence in the Angels follows a Knowledge of the Angels

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Reading on the Angels
taken from "The Angels" by Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B.

It is a favorite theme, with St. Thomas Aquinas, to represent the whole physical world as being entrusted by God to the keeping of the angels. The stars in their courses are watched by the mighty spirits; nations are committed to the care of a heavenly prince, and there is no part of the universe which does not feel the breath of those whose mind beholds the countenance of God.

An all-pervading principle governs the theology of the spirit ministry—namely, an inferior thing in creation is invariably under the tutelage of a higher thing. To this great law there is no exception. The universe is held together with the golden threads of spirit power, as well as with the coarser sinews of natural energy. As a principle, in its vast and indeterminate form, this doctrine is very beautiful, and we should not go beyond this generic outline of a great truth; we cannot fill it up with specific facts and details, for the very reason that spirit power, however and wherever exerted, could not be observable in the physical order, precisely because it transcends the physical order.

One objection against this comprehensive theory of theology ought not to be made, that, under such a hypothesis, physical laws would become superfluous, as spirit activity and will would be the ruling elements of the universe. The theological theory of the universe leaves the physical theory completely untouched. It supposes, however, that there is, in the physical universe, a tendency to decay and a danger of disorder, however remote, however transcending observable phenomena, which is constantly being corrected by influences of a higher order. Nor ought we to consider those created activities of the spirits superfluous on account of God’s omnipresent vigilance over his universe. God multiplies created power, not because he could not effect the result himself, but because it is a more beautiful universe which has a hierarchy of potentialities.

The last form, the ultimate application of that great principle is embodied in the sweet and popular doctrine of the guardian angels. Every human being is under the tutelage of a heavenly spirit, and this in virtue of a natural law. It is not at baptism, it is at birth that every child of Adam is handed over to the keeping of an angel. Great as is the Christian Faith in the privileged state of those that are baptized in Christ, it never made the guardianship of the angel an exclusive privilege of the regenerate, but the unbaptized infant shares this divine provision with the baptized. Spirit guardianship of the human race belongs to nature itself. It is true that, in the Gospels, the angels of the children spoken of are the angels of children who have Faith in Christ: “Their angels behold the face of My Father Who is in Heaven” (Matthew 18:10), but Christian tradition has always been emphatic in admitting the universal guardianship of all men, because all men are, at least potentially, the children of God.

The question will be asked, at once, whether each human being has a separate angel, individually distinct from every other angel. To such a query it would be quite impossible to give an answer, unless we had some authoritative teaching. The work itself of guarding man could not be such as to necessitate the presence of a separate spirit for every separate human being. One angel has power enough to watch over millions with undivided carefulness; but the burden of opinion is in favor of individual angelic guardianship, not of collective protection. But for this we could give no other reason than that the will of God so ordered it.

Angel Talk
We know we have a guardian angel from the teachings of the Church herself, based both on the Old and New Testaments and Tradition, and from the writings of the Doctors of the Church. We have an assurance from the mouth of Jesus, who stated: "See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels always see the face of My Father Who is in Heaven" (Matthew 18:10). Scripture adds: "For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 90:11). And in the book of Exodus we learn that, in addition to our guardians, the good Lord often assigns other angels to help in particular situations. In giving certain rules to the children of Israel, God told them: "Behold I will send My angel, who shall go before thee, and keep thee in thy journey, and bring thee into the place that I have prepared. Take notice of him, and hear his voice, and do not think him one to be contemned: for he will not forgive when thou hast sinned, and My Name is in him. But if thou wilt hear his voice, and do all that I speak, I will be an enemy to thy enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee." (Exodus 23:20-22).

Meditation

"The whole physical world is entrusted by God to the keeping of the angels"
What a consoling thought! Wherever we go, whatever we might meet, of all this nothing is outside the control of the angels! The only thing lacking is our Faith and our confidence in these angels! Hope and confidence are built upon the knowledge of Faith. Just as we don't love God very much because we don't know very much about Him; likewise, we have little confidence in the angels, because we have little knowledge about them. Let us resolve to learn more and make more time to learn about them. That might mean giving up some vain time on the internet, or watching TV or movies, or some other secular activities. Yet all this will be to much profit!

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on Earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, Who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Angel Protection—Take it or Leave it!

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Reading on the Angels
taken from "The Angels" by Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B.

The protection of spirits must be conceived on entirely spiritual lines. No good purpose is served by false sentiment in a matter so holy. We could not say, with any vestige of truth, that the angel leaves his beautiful Heaven for this dreary Earth, to take charge of weaklings such as we are; for there is no real departure from the glories of angelic life, when a spirit assumes the tutelage (guardianship or protection or instruction) of a lower being; more truly, the lower being enters into the sphere of activity of one special spirit, just as a planet is kept within the orbit of one special sun. As I have said already, the angelic guardianship of man, by angels, is only the last instance of the mighty tutelage of the spirit world over the material world, with this difference, however, that free will comes into play where man is concerned.

Here again we must not ask for precise facts, but must be satisfied with the general principle. We must start with, the assumption that the human race has fared as it has fared up to now, precisely because it has been under the tutelage of spirits—a tutelage which is constant, all-pervading, the most permanent element in the preservation of the human race. We might say, to make this point quite clear, that if the human race had not possessed the spirit tutelage, then its history would have been very different from what it has been; it would have been infinitely more dismal, though we cannot indicate the facts and events directly attributable to the spirits that watch over man. And what is said of the human race, is also true of every individual human being; we must simply say that this life is what it is because he has been given, at his birth, into the keeping of an angel.

Very few occasions in a man’s mortal career can be traced to the immediate activity of his watching spirit; in fact, unless we are given a special revelation on the subject, not one event in life can be said with certainty to be the direct arrangement of the guardian angel. But we have much more: we have the assurance from our Faith that we are being guarded; we have never known any other kind of existence; we might almost say we do not know what it is to be without an angel, just as we do not know what it is to be without the laws of gravity. There is this a priori certainty that, if individual men are thus entrusted by the Creator to a mighty spirit, their whole life is profoundly modified, whether they know it or not.

Angel Talk

In the Acts of the Apostles St. Paul had a vision of his guardian angel, who appeared and prophesied when the ship on which the Saint was sailing as a prisoner was caught in a terrible tempest that lasted for days. Scripture relates that afterward, Paul spoke to those on board in this way: "And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but only of the ship. For an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, stood by me this night, saying: Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar; and behold, God hath given thee all of them that sail with thee," (Acts 27:22-24). On board were "two hundred threescore and sixteen souls." (Acts 27:37). The ship finally ran aground; "the forepart indeed, sticking fast, remained unmoveable: but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the sea." (Acts 27:41). The strongest on board were permitted to swim ashore, "and the rest, some they carried on boards, and some on those things that belonged to the ship. And so it came to pass that every soul got safe to land" (Acts 27:44). Just as St. Paul's guardian angel had prophesied, all who had been on board were saved. The only casualty was the ship.

Meditation

"From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their angels' watchful care and intercession."

No security firm or security guard can offer the kind of protection that an angel offers! Who could eve afford to pay for such a powerful protection "round-the-clock"? Yet security guards need the cooperation of the person they are guarding. If that person is reckless and "goes where angels fear to tread", then things will finish badly for such a fool. As Holy Scripture says: "A fool worketh mischief, as it were, for sport" (Proverbs 10:23). "He that loveth danger shall perish in it" (Ecclesiasticus 3:27). If God has given us angels as our protectors, then we need humility and obedience to their inspirations; and we need to avoid the sin of presumption by going "where angels fear to tread" while expecting them to help us!

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on Earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Praying to Your Guardian Angel

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Reading on the Angels
taken from "The Angels" by Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B.

It would be a mistake to think that the guardianship of the heavenly spirits is given to man only as the result of prayer; it is given absolutely, as a final, unalterable dispensation of God’s providence. This spiritual tutelage is meant above all things to keep the human race and human individuals in perfection of nature, and we may say without any exaggeration that the human race would have succumbed long ago to enemies, to deleterious influences, but for the ever-correcting, ever‑defending intervention of those benign powers.

Prayer to the angels is, of course, an act of piety much to be commended and most fruitful, for it is in our power to make use of that great tutelage to an extent which varies greatly according to each man’s good will; just as prayer to God, in another sphere, makes the divine Majesty more and more propitious, though it could not be said that God would have no thought of man unless man prayed. There is a providence, on the part of God, which is absolute and independent of man’s good will. In the same sense there is a spiritual tutelage of the human race and of every individual being which transcends the vacillation of man’s ethical state; the race is kept from destruction and internal dissolution for God’s own purposes, we might almost say, in spite of itself.

Angel Talk

St. Ambrose (340-397) cites his belief by remarking: "We should pray to the angels who are given to us as guardians." St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) was so mindful of guardian angels, that he adopted the practice of pausing momentarily, before delivering his sermons, to pray that the guardian angels of the congregation would soften the hearts of their charges to hear his words with benefit. Also, this saint recommended that "Since God often sends us inspirations by means of His angels, we should frequently return our aspirations to Him by means of the , same messengers." An authority on this subject, Fr. Suarez, S.J., writes that "Even though Scripture does not affirm explicitly the existence of guardian angels, nor has the Church defined this truth, it is nevertheless universally admitted, and it is so firmly based upon Scripture as interpreted by the Fathers, that its denial would be a very great rashness and practically an error."

In the book, The Mystical City of God, the Blessed Virgin tells the Venerable Mary of Agreda and us to "show thyself thankful for the favor which God vouchsafed thee in appointing angels to assist thee, teach thee and guide thee through tribulations and sorrows." The Blessed Virgin strongly exhorted the Venerable Mary of Agreda to "live attentive to the calls, urgings and inspirations with which these angels seek to rouse thee, move and excite thee to the recollection of the Most High and to the exercise of all the virtues."

In the little booklet, The Guardian Angels—Our Heavenly Companions, the anonymous author lists seven special offices rendered each of us by our holy guardian angels:

(1) They preserve us from many unknown dangers to soul and body.
(2) They defend us against the temptations of the evil spirits.
(3) They inspire us with holy thoughts and prompt us to deeds of virtue in the Divine service.
(4) They warn us of spiritual dangers and admonish us when we have sinned.
(5) They unite with us in prayer and offer our prayers to God.
(6) They defend us at the hour of death against the last attacks of our spiritual foes.
(7) They console the souls languishing in Purgatory and then conduct them to Heaven when their faults have been fully expiated.

An important lesson is given us by Pere Lamy (1855-1931), mystic and visionary, who writes: "We do not give the Angels the importance they possess. We don't pray to them enough. They are very touched when we pray to them. There is great benefit in praying to the Angels. Our guardian angels—what do we do for them? A little scrap of prayer in the morning, a little scrap at night ... Their mercy is so great towards us, and often we don't use it half enough. They look on us as needy little brothers. Their kindness towards us is extreme." The holy cleric adds:

"Nothing is so faithful as an angel ... Our guardian angel very often saves us from accidents. We give him freedom over us, but what can the angel do when we are not in a state of grace? They want to help us, but are powerless. When we refuse respect to Our Lord, we send His servants packing; and among us Christians, how many are there who implore their help and protection? A little prayer, "Good evening, my good angel," and so on . . . that's all. When we pray to Our Lord, we serve the same Master, and that leaves them liberty of action over us. We don't resort enough to the holy Angels. They are there, but they are left alone. We don't turn to them sufficiently."

Meditation

"We do not give the Angels the importance they possess. We don't pray to them enough."

As you sow, so shall you reap. You get what you merit. The Old Testament says: "For thou, O Lord, will render to every man according to his works" (Psalm 61:13). In the New Testament, Jesus says: "The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels: and then will He render to every man according to his works" (Matthew 16:27); and St. Paul says: "The just judgment of God, will render to every man according to his works" (Romans 2:5-6). What are the works of our hands? Are those hands immersed mainly in the world, or are those hands mainly raised in prayer?

"But", you will protest, "I have my duty of state to do! I have to work! I have to prepare meals and eat! I have children to raise! I have family members who need my attention! I pray when I can!" All true and all well and good, I will not argue with that; however, neither will I argue with the Word of God in Holy Scripture, where Jesus also says: "that we ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1) and where St. Paul writes: "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). What is prayer? It is not simply Our Fathers and Hail Marys, but it is a raising of the mind and heart to God. It is living in the presence of God at each moment of the day, knowing that you are in His presence at all times—just as mother has one eye on her baby all the time as she goes about her work; or as someone could be thinking about their family problems all throughout the day while they are at their place of work, or as sports fanatic could thinking sports all day long, at home, whilst driving or at work. Their mind and heart is immersed in their child, problem or sport. That is how we can pray always and faint not, and pray without ceasing. Our angels are there without ceasing and they faint not, let us not faint and fail in talking and praying to them, beyond the little scrap of prayer we might offer morning and night in the form of the popular guardian angel prayer.

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on Earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Defense Against Evil

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Reading on the Angels
taken from "The Angels" by Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B.

The sins of men are no signs that men are not guarded by good spirits, for, as St. Thomas says so well (Summa Theologica, Ia, q. 113, art. I, ad 3), we can act against the good inspirations of the spirit that is outside us, just as we can act against the good instincts that are within us. The good instincts remain as a great reality, in spite or our sinfulness; so likewise the angelic inspiration remains in spite of our voluntary deafness to it. Nor could it be said that the spirits work in vain, even with those souls who who are eventually lost. Not only are we to suppose, again with St. Thomas (Summa Theologica, Ia q. 113, art. 4, ad 3), that the most perverted of men are kept from greater evils by their heavenly guardians, but the evil committed by one man, is kept in check by those spirits of sanctity, lest it work havoc in other men.

This angelic guardianship is something natural, something normal, as normal as the great powers of the physical cosmos. The spirits have not received a mission to interfere with man’s free action; they have received a mission to save man from the results of his own evil deeds as far as is compatible with the higher dictates of God’s justice. When an angel shows his protecting power manifestly, as when he delivered Peter from the prison, you have a miraculous intervention which ought not to be taken as the criterion of the ordinary working of spirit tutelage. There can be miracles of angelic intervention, as there can be miracles of divine intervention; but they are exceptions; God and His angels work unceasingly for man’s welfare.

Angel Talk

St. Thomas Aquinas is of the following opinion: "As long as the child is in the mother's womb, it is not entirely separate ... And therefore it can be said with some degree of probability that the angel who guards the mother guards the child while in the womb. But at its birth, when it becomes separate from the mother, an angel guardian is appointed to it." St. Jerome agrees with this when he writes: "Great is the dignity of souls for each one to have an angel assigned to guard it from the moment it is born." However, St. Anselm has added that "Every soul is committed to an angel when it is united with the body." St. Anselm was obviously of the opinion that the guardian angel is assigned before birth.

St. Jerome and St. John Chrysostom share the opinion that every person, from the moment he is born into this world, has a guardian angel. On the other hand, St. Basil the Great and St. Cyril of Alexandria both limit the angelic ministry to faithful Christians. However, it is the opinion of the majority of theologians that guardian angels are given to all men. Suarez agrees with these theologians and the Doctors of the Church who maintain that the just as well as the sinner, the faithful and the unbeliever—the baptized as well as the unbaptized—all have angel guardians.

That each person has a guardian angel is also demonstrated in the lives of the Saints, who have thankfully left us accounts of their visions and experiences. Perhaps the earliest account is that of St. Hilary (476-558) that was written by Paul, one of his disciples. Butler tells us that the facts can be believed without a doubt, since it is a "substantially faithful record." The Saint's history reports that, as a lad of twelve, he was impressed with one of St. Paul's Epistles, so much so that he soon left home, crossed the Apennines and built a hermitage beside the river Ronco. When disciples became attracted to his way of life, he built an abbey where his followers practiced praise, prayer and manual labor. It is reported that he was always visibly protected by his guardian angel in times of danger, particularly when Theodoric the Goth threatened to destroy him and the abbey, because of the Saint's refusal to pay him tribute. The conqueror, however, became favorably impressed with the Saint, begged for his prayers and gave him territory for the enlargement of his abbey. The Saint died at the age of eighty-two.

Meditation

"We can act against the good inspirations of the spirit that is outside us, just as we can act against the good instincts that are within us. Our good instincts remain in spite or our sinfulness; so likewise the angelic inspiration remains in spite of our voluntary deafness to it"

The further away you drive from a radio station's transmission, the weaker the signal becomes. As you continue driving away from the transmitter, you start to pick up another radio station on the same wavelength, and its reception becomes more powerful the more you draw near to the new radio station's transmission center.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. We are constantly picking up signals and transmissions—either from Heaven, Hell or Earth. The closer we draw to God, the less powerful are the transmissions from Hell and Earth; while the further we pull away from God, the stronger are the signals from Hell and Earth, even to the point where we can no longer make out or receive the signals from Heaven. Our Guardian Angels are the messengers or carriers of God's signals to us. Yet they will respect our free choice in tuning in to whatever signal we wish.

However, we see the folly and danger of disbelieving or disobeying the messages of the Angels. Zachary, the priest and father of St. John the Baptist, disbelieved the Archangel Gabriel, when the angel told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would finally conceive a child in her old age. For his disbelief, he was struck dumb and lost his power of speech until St. John the Baptist was born. “And there appeared to Zachary an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And the angel said to him: ‘Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son.’ And Zachary said to the angel: ‘Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years!’ And the angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel, who stand before God! And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time!’” (Luke 1:11-20).

We see Lot’s wife disobey the message given by the angels and she was killed and turned into a pillar of salt: “Two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of the city. And seeing them, he rose up and went to meet them: and worshiped prostrate to the ground. And they said to Lot: ‘Hast thou here any of thine? Son-in-law, or sons, or daughters, all that are thine bring them out of this city: for we will destroy this place, because their cry is grown loud before the Lord, who hath sent us to destroy them!’ And the angels brought Lot forth, and set him without the city: and there they spoke to him, saying: ‘Save thy life: look not back, neither stay thou in all the country about: but save thyself in the mountain, lest thou be also consumed!’ And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven. And He destroyed these cities, and all the country about, all the inhabitants of the cities, and all things that spring from the earth. And his wife looking behind her, was turned into a statue of salt” (Genesis 19:1: 19:12-26).

By praying to our Guardian Angels, we open ourselves up more readily to their signals or messages. The more we pray to them, the more clearly they will be transmitted. However, the less we pray to them and the more we become 'prey' to the world, then the messages and signals of the world will swamp our souls. You become what you focus upon.

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on Earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Fighting Evil Spirits

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Reading on the Angels
taken from "The Angels" by Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B.

Illumination of man’s mind is the most direct and most constant effect of the angelic tutelage; according to St. Thomas (Summa, Ia, q. 113, art. 5, ad 3), it is not too much to say that the human race is kept in mental equilibrium through the unceasing watchfulness of the good spirits. There is, in spite of individual aberrations, a sanity of thought in mankind which makes all men to agree on some universal principles. Would it not be a beautiful thing to consider such unanimity as the result of the supervision of the spirits? Certainly Catholic theology would not be loth to encourage such a view.

Then there is that extremely important office of the protecting angels to ward off the darkening influence of evil spirits. So far we have been assuming that spirits are good, but Christian revelation does not allow such optimism to be complete; there are bad spirits just as there are good spirits, as we shall see in one of the following chapters. An immense amount of angelic work for man’s benefit must be of the defensive kind; man could never know, unless it were revealed to him, from what evils he has been saved. The spirits fight for us, to a great extent, without our knowledge, their mission is essential one of guardianship of a lower being, and it is carried out quite independently of that lower being’s participation or recognition. It is truly a trust, and the spirit is responsible for the full discharge of that trust to the heavenly Father, by Whom it was committed to him.

Angel Talk

All during her brief life, St. Germaine Cousin (1579-1601) was badly mistreated by her family, and in particular by her stepmother, who had the child sleep under a staircase on the outside of the home. Her only occupation was to shepherd the family's sheep, and in this chore Germaine made good use of her guardian angel, especially when it was time for Holy Mass. As soon as she heard the bell summoning the faithful, she would plant her crook in the ground and commend the care of her flock to her guardian angel before hurrying off to church. It is reported that never once did she find on her return that a sheep strayed or had fallen prey to the wolves who lurked in the nearby forest. Many other marvels are reported of this little saint before she died at the age of twenty-two. She is numbered among the Incorruptibles.

Père Lamy (1855-1931), who had numerous visions of angels, admits, "I often see them, and they do all sorts of kindnesses for me.” The holy priest was so familiar with his guardian angel that, "sometimes when it is going to be bad weather, my good angel comes and tells me, 'If you are going out [do such and such],' and I arrange things accordingly. Other times he says when I am getting ready to go out, 'You are too tired,' and I stay in. I see them [the angels] in the chapel, in my room, in the street. Still, not every day . . . They send me their light, and I am comforted whilst there is need."

Meditation

"The extremely important office of the protecting angels to ward off the darkening influence of evil spirits"

As Our Lady of Good Success and La Salette foretold: "The demon will try to persecute the Ministers of the Lord in every possible way and he will labor with cruel and subtle astuteness to deviate them from the spirit of their vocation, corrupting many of them ... Others, impelled by the malice of the devil, will themselves rebel against the spirit of the Catholic Church. Thus many souls will be deprived of innumerable graces, consolations and the strength they need to make that great leap from time to eternity" (Our Lady of Good Success) ... "The chiefs, the leaders of the people of God, have neglected prayer and penance, and the devil has bedimmed their intelligence. They have become wandering stars which the old devil will drag along with his tail to make them perish ... Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to Faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God. They will blind them in such a way, that, unless they are blessed with a special grace, these people will take on the spirit of these angels of Hell; several religious institutions will lose all Faith and will lose many souls." (Our Lady of La Salette).

What can a human being do against the devil? By himself, he is not match for the devil. Natural means will not suffice! We need the grace of God and supernatural means. God, knowing this, has given us His good angels for our battle with the evil angels. Yet so few souls have sufficient recourse to God's angels. An occasional short prayer to the angels is like trying to cure a cancer with an aspirin. Frequent and fervent prayer to the angels is required, If we wish to come through safely in what Sr. Lucia says is going to be a final battle between the devil and the Blessed Virgin. Let us add a frequent and fervent devotion to the angels to our devotion to Our Lady, and then we can be confident of coming through all battles successfully.

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on Earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Behaving Well in the Presence of Angels

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Reading on the Angels
taken from "The Angels" by Dom Anscar Vonier, O.S.B.

So far we have considered angelic guardianship in the life of nature, as one only of the great forces that keep the universe together; but it is evident that we cannot separate man’s higher and supernatural destiny from his natural life; we are called to the Kingdom of Heaven, the angels see in us their fellow-participants in the graces of the Holy Ghost, and they have the additional mission of leading us to Heaven.

In connection with this supernatural purpose of the spirit tutelage, St. Thomas makes a few wise remarks which, in a way, justify the common Catholic opinion that each man is under the protection of a separate spirit, that there is no disproportion between the ward and the guardian. Man’s destiny being eternal happiness, it is not too much that it should be watched over by one whose nature is unchangeably great. Again, the secrets of grace are the greatest secrets, they are God’s personal province, they are the dealings of the adorable Trinity, not en masse, but with individual rational creatures; only God knows the graces that make up the predestination of the elect.

It is not astonishing, therefore, St. Thomas would say, that individual angels are chosen to watch over human souls, which are treated with such preference by God Himself. God has messages to communicate to an angel about a definite human being, which are truly the secrets of the divine counsel: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?” St. Thomas has a good commentary on these words: “If we think of the last result of the spirit tutelage, which is the receiving of the inheritance, the angelic ministry is effective only in the case of those who receive the inheritance. Nevertheless, it is to be maintained that the ministry of the angels is not denied to other men, although, in their case, the ministry falls short of its final result—the leading on to salvation. Yet, in their case also, the ministry of the angels is not without its efficacies, as they are kept from many evils.”

Angel Talk

We are told by St. Thomas Aquinas that "Where there is grief and sorrow, there is not perfect happiness" and that "the Angels are perfectly happy, therefore they have no cause for grief . . . Angels do not grieve, either for sins or for the pains inflicted on men." While this might be true for the most part, some others have written of the Angels' "joy" or "sorrow" regarding events on earth, especially Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903), who wrote about the Angels' involvement in happenings mentioned in the New Testament. He wrote in his encyclical Augustissimae Virginis Mariae: "The Angels revealed each of these mysteries in due time; they played a great part in them; they were constantly present at them with countenances indicative of joy, now of sorrow, now of triumphant exultation."

The guardian angel of St. Gregory of Tours (538-594) was certainly not pleased each time he gave a blow to the Saint to rouse him whenever he fell asleep during prayer time. Similar incidents of this kind are mentioned often in the lives of the Saints when their guardian angels also admonished them for small faults, such as distractions or not applying themselves to the times of meditation and prayer.

The guardian angel of St. Frances of Rome (1384-1440) was so displeased when the Saint committed the slightest fault that he disappeared; whereas at other times he was always visible to her.

It is reported that St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) was also favored with the visible presence of her guardian angel and that once, while praying in the church, she turned her head to gratify her curiosity. The disapproving look given by her angel was so severe that for several days she was inconsolable and performed severe penances in atonement. BIessed Veronica of Binasco (1445-1497) relates a similar experience. She tells us that "once when prompted by curiosity, I happened during the time of Mass , to look at one of the sisters who was kneeling near the altar; the angel of God who is constantly beside me rebuked me with such severity that I almost fainted with terror. How threateningly he looked at me." She too performed penances for that fault.

St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903) was a stigmatist who was favored with the almost constant appearance of her angel. Her biographer writes, "When Gemma proved somewhat faulty, her angel was hard with her, either with reproaching words or remaining silent, or showing her a severe countenance, and even sometimes inflicting on her a punishment.” Gemma relates that once, after a fault, "I looked up and saw my guardian angel glaring at me." Another time he said to her, "Are you not ashamed to commit faults in my presence?" To this she added, "He darted at me such severe looks."

St. Antony of Egypt (St. Anthony of the Desert) (251-356) tells us what our spiritual progress means to both the Angels and the Saints: "I tell you truly, my beloved, that our carelessness and our humiliation and our turning aside from the way are not a loss to us only, but they are a weariness for the Angels and for all the Saints in Christ Jesus. Our humiliation gives grief to them all, and our salvation gives joy and refreshment to them all."

It would seem from these experiences of the Saints that angels do have some sort of ‘emotions,’ even though, as Thomas of Aquinas relates above, they experience continual happiness. It seems, however, that they experience something corresponding to anger and displeasure when it concerns the good of our souls and our advancement in the spiritual life.

Meditation

We can wonder if the Angels might feel some degree of sorrow when we the soul under their care commits serious sin. One can imagine that they hang their heads in shame and disappointment. Since they are ever solicitous for our spiritual welfare, we can imagine our angels being apprehensive when we wander into sinful situations and temptations? Let us not be presumptuous about temptation and danger, rashly thinking that our angels will presumably protect us as we "go in where angels fear to tread"! God helps those who help themselves! Having a guardian angel is not a license or a passport to deliberately enter into danger and temptations: "He that loves danger, shall perish in it!" (Ecclesiasticus 3:27).

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on Earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Use Them or Lose Them!

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

Angel Talk
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) confirms that guardian angels console their charges in Purgatory. Having mystically visited Purgatory on a number of occasions, she witnessed souls raising their hands to Heaven and imploring mercy. All the while their guardian angels were at their side consoling and encouraging them.

This saint gives us another example of the services rendered by guardian angels in her letter to Mother de Saumaise, dated July, 1688. St. Margaret Mary, who was a member of the Visitation Order and the visionary of the Sacred Heart devotion, wrote about a vision she experienced in which the Sacred Heart, once again, was shown to her and in which the Blessed Virgin gave various counsels. She writes that she was taken during this vision to a very spacious and beautiful place, where she saw a throne of fire, which supported the Sacred Heart. From this throne "shot forth flames so luminous and glowing that the whole place was lighted up and warmed by them." Present, in addition to the Blessed Virgin Mary, were St. Francis de Sales and St. Claude de la Colombiere. "The Daughters of the Visitation were there with their guardian angels beside them, each one holding a heart in his hand." Apparently the hearts were those of their charges. After various thoughts were exchanged ... "all the guardian angels drew near to present Him with what they held in their hands. As soon as these hearts touched the sacred Wound, they became beautiful and shone like stars. Some of them did not shine as brightly as others. The names of several remained written in letters of gold in the Sacred Heart, into which some of those I speak of eagerly disappeared and were buried with mutual pleasure ... These were the hearts of those who had labored the most to make Him known and loved ..."

The story is told that St. Gregory of Tours (538-594), while still a child, was much concerned because his father was seriously ill. One night, after fervent prayers, he had a dream in which his guardian angel instructed him to "write the name of Jesus on a small wooden chip and lay it on your father's pillow."

The next morning Gregory related the dream to his mother, who instructed him to do exactly as the angel had suggested. Needless to report, the father quickly regained his health. Some years later the father was again bedridden. Once again, Gregory prayed for his father, but this time the cure was different. The angel instructed him in a dream to use the liver of a fish. This, of course, is reminiscent of the miracle worked by the Archangel Raphael, in favor of the father of Tobias. Once again the Saint's father was restored to health and vigor.

A very busy guardian angel was that of St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), who remained visible to her most of the time. She tells us that he "would kneel beside her, reciting vocal prayers, such as the Psalms alternately, and ejaculatory prayers or aspirations." But in addition, he "comforted her during her illnesses; he cured her wounds after her first mystical scourging, and above all protected her in the dreadful fights she had to undergo against Satan." One evening, after having been beaten cruelly by the devil, the poor girl could not move. The angel enabled her to get up from the floor and to lie down on her bed, and he then stood watching by her bedside.

The Saint's angel even gave some advice that we might also heed. This is perhaps the only time that an angel dictated words of advice. These are the sentences: "Remember, my daughter, that he who really loves Jesus speaks little and endures all. I order you from Jesus, never to say your opinion if you are not asked to; never uphold your opinion, but at once give it up. When you commit a fault, accuse yourself without waiting to be questioned. And finally, remember to watch your eyes and think that the mortified eye will see the beauty of Heaven."

That angels are messengers of God is a fact that is not disputed. Angels also act as messengers for some people, as demonstrated in the lives of St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903) and St. Padre Pio (1887-1968). As related before, St. Gemma sent letters to her spiritual director, by way of her guardian angel; but in Padre Pio's case, the holy priest communicated, not only with his own guardian angel, but also with the angels of those he had accepted under his spiritual care—his spiritual children. Once when Padre Alessio saw St. Padre Pio reciting the Holy Rosary, he approached him and was asked by St. Padre Pio, "Didn't you see all those guardian angels going backward and forward from my spiritual children, bringing messages from them?"

Sometimes at night, while St. Padre Pio was reciting the Rosary, he was heard to say aloud such expressions as, "Tell her I will pray for her," or, "Tell him I will knock at the heart of Jesus for this grace." All who heard him speak this way, were convinced he was speaking with the guardian angels of his spiritual children.

Since our guardian angels are always eager to help us, we are advised by St. Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) to "Hide behind your good angel when you find it impossible to pray, and charge him to pray in your stead."

St. John Bosco (1815-1888) recommends, "When tempted, invoke your angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: he trembles and flees at your guardian angel's sight."

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Meditation

So precious are our guardian angels, yet so wretched is our use of them. When we consider the power of just one angel, and the poor use we make of that power, we ought to eternally embarrassed! One single angel could destroy the whole universe if God would so allow! We see how some of the saints employed their guardian angels to great effect. Let us strive to do the same!

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.

LITANY TO OUR
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my protector in all dangers,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my defense in all afflictions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most faithful friend,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my preceptor,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guide,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, witness of all my actions,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my helper in all my difficulties,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my negotiator with God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my advocate,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of chastity,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, lover of innocence,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, most obedient to God,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, director of my soul,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of purity
pray for me.
Holy Angel, model of docility,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my counselor in doubt,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my guardian through life,
pray for me.
Holy Angel, my shield at the hour of death,
pray for me.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray
Almighty and everlasting God, Who in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special Angel Guardian of their body and soul, grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that protected by the bounty of Thy grace and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic hosts, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Thou, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Living in the Presence of Your Guardian Angel!

Holy Scripture Says:
"For He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 90:11).

The Feast of the Guardian Angels
Beginning like many other feasts as a local observance, the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels was observed in various locations before it was placed in the Roman calendar. Among the earliest petitions from particular churches for a feast to be allowed as a supplement to the Breviary was a request from Cordova in 1579. Approval was received in February, 1582 for the special Breviary office of the Guardian Angels. The feast was still observed locally until Pope Paul V (1602-1621) placed it among the feasts of the general calendar. We read: "Paul V gave an impetus to the veneration of guardian angels by the authorization of a feast and proper office in their honor."

The feast was given further importance by Pope Clement X. (1670-1676) when he ordered the feast to be kept by the whole Church on October 2nd. This date is still reserved for the observance of the Feast of the Guardian Angels. In the proper office in the Roman Breviary and in the Mass of the Holy Guardian Angels, their threefold office is remembered in extracts taken from Sacred Scripture: they praise God, they act as His messengers and they watch over mortal men.

Angel Talk

Something Told Me Not To...
How many times have we heard the phrase, "Something told me not to," or have said it ourselves? Could the "something" have been our guardian angel who warned us of impending danger? How often have we narrowly missed being involved yin a traffic accident or a dangerous situation? How many times, when we were thoroughly lost, did we somehow find our way? Could an angel have directed us? When a friend one has not seen in years suddenly comes to mind, is it our angel telling us the friend might be in need of prayers? What of a departed soul one has almost forgotten? Is it our angel who reminds us of the soul who might need only a few prayers to escape Purgatory? When our minds drift away during Holy Mass, is it our guardian angels who nudge us into recollection?

All of us have had an experience that seemed to have been unusual and which we cannot explain. Could it have been a warning, an inspiration, a holy thought, a comforting thought, a direction, a remembrance given by our angels? Angels speak without words, but convey their messages, as it were, with inspirations.

May we be more tuned-in to the workings of our angels and thank them for their love, their attention, their many favors and their prayers.

Our Lady's Counsels
After each episode in the life of the Virgin Mary in Ven. Mary of Agreda's The Mystical City of God, a section is given entitled, "Instruction given to me by the Queen of Heaven." In one of these instructions, the Blessed Mother suggests "three different points":

1. The first is that thou, by incessant praise and acknowledgment, show thyself thankful for the favor which God vouchsafed thee in appointing angels to assist thee, teach thee and guide thee through tribulations and sorrows.

2. The second point is that thou, in every place and at all times, preserve love and reverence toward these holy spirits, as if thou didst see them with thy corporeal eyes, and that thou dare not do before them, what thou wouldst not do in public.

3. Let the third point be, that thou live attentive to the calls, urgings and inspirations, by which these angels seek to rouse thee, move and excite thee to the recollection of the Most High and to the exercise of all the virtues.

Saintly Counsels
St. Bernard (1090-1153), a Doctor of the Church, tells us that we owe our guardian angel profound respect for his presence, gratitude for all the benefits he confers upon us and confidence in his protection. The Saint likewise exhorted his spiritual sons: "In whatever place you may be, in whatever secret recess you may hide, think of your guardian angel. Never do in the presence of your angel what you would not do in my presence."

The Rev. Bruno Vercruysse, S.J. in New Practical Meditations, elaborates on the three obligations we owe our angel, as suggested by St. Bernard. First, we should show respect for his presence by acting in his sight, even when we are alone, as if we were in the company of some great person. Second, our gratitude for his, charity should express itself in docility to his inspirations and in thanking him every night for what he has done for us. Third, we should demonstrate our confidence in him by consulting and invoking him in all our doubts and wants, with the conviction that this will never be done in vain.

Meditation

It is our weak Faith that relegates the guardian to an obscurity in our lives. The visible, tangible all-pervading material world gets most of our attention, while the angels lay neglected and even totally ignored! Much is what they would do for us, but little is what we ask of them. It reminds us of the apparition of Our Lady to St. Catherine Labouré at the Rue du Bac in Paris (1830), where Our Lady had rings on her fingers—some giving off rays of light, while other rings did not. Our Lady explained that the rays of light were graces. The rings giving off rays were graces that God gave us; the 'ray-less' rings were graces God did not give us. When Catherine asked why God did not give them, Our Lady's reply was "Because you don't ask!" How different would our lives and our plight be, had we only, not only asked for graces, but also asked our Guardian Angels to take a more effective role in our lives. Much of the mess that we all find ourselves in—one way or another—is largely due to our neglect of the spiritual and supernatural, due to our preoccupation with the material and natural. Nobody should really be damned, but most souls are—mainly because of the willful refusal or indifferent neglect to use what God has given us to achieve our salvation. We expect Heaven to be presented to us on a plate! The only thing that is presented to us on a plate—and is very well and appealingly decorated—is Hell! The road to Heaven is hard and narrow and steep; while the road to Hell is broad, slopes downhill, requires no effort to walk and has shops and amusements all along it.

Prayer

Angel of God’s light, whom God sends as a companion for me on earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator.

Angel of God’s truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth.

Angel of God’s love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart.

Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watchful care. At the moment of my death, bring me to Heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love has committed me here; throughout this day (night) be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Angel Guardian, pray for me, a poor sinner, who has recourse to thee.