Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, giving thanks for the care and protection of the angels whom God sends to accompany us throughout our lives.

Throughout Sacred Scripture, angels appear as messengers and servants of God, carrying out his will and helping his people. The Church has long held that each person is entrusted to the care of a guardian angel who watches over them and helps lead them towards God.

Jesus himself speaks of this special care in the Gospel of Matthew when he says: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”

Devotion to guardian angels developed gradually within the life of the Church. The early monastic tradition helped deepen awareness of the presence of the angels, while Saint Bernard of Clairvaux became one of the great teachers of devotion to them in the Middle Ages.

The feast of the Guardian Angels began to be celebrated more widely in the 16th century and was added to the Roman calendar by Pope Paul V in 1615.

Guardian angels are not simply part of childhood devotion. The Church teaches that their care accompanies us throughout life. They help us in our journey of faith, encourage us towards what is good and continually direct us towards God.

Today we give thanks for their unseen presence and ask that we may be attentive to the guidance God gives us through them.

🙏 Holy Guardian Angels, watch over us and lead us closer to God.