Thursday in the 26th Week of Ordinary Time, October 2, 2025

The Feast of the Guardian Angels

Matthew 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

The belief in angel guardians is already implicit in the Old Testament in such passages  as  Exodus 14, 19-20: “And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removing, went behind them: and together with him the pillar of the cloud, leaving the forepart, stood behind, between the Egyptians’ camp and the camp of Israel.”  Here, a single angel protects the host of the Hebrew nation from Pharaoh’s chariots during the Exodus.  The belief was widespread and quite clear by the time the Son of God was born in Bethlehem so that when Jesus mentions, almost as an aside, that the angels assigned to children beheld the face of God in heaven, he reveals nothing new.  At the same time he confirms the reality of guardian angels and their role in our lives.

“Their angels in heaven.” This reminds us of the power they wield; it is not a mere terrestrial but a fully heavenly power.  With this power they defend us from the attacks of our relentless enemy the devil: “For [God] has given his angels charge over you; to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up: lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Psalm 92, 11-12).  The “stone” in the verse from the Psalm is a temptation or an occasion of sin.  Our guardian angels make it possible for us to defeat temptations and to avoid the near occasions of sin that we seem sometimes to just wander into.

“Always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”  The chief work of the angels is to glorify God.  In addition, they pray for us.  Those angels assigned to us by God from the moment of our conception are present in person in heaven, and present on earth through their watching over us and through their power.  It is worth thinking about that the angels assigned protecting each of us stands before God in heaven and sees his face.

We might wonder why the all-knowing, all-powerful God has his angels guard us.  Surely he does not need them to do so, as though his attention might be directed elsewhere than on us from time to time.  Rather, God in his marvelous Providence decrees that we help each other on the road to salvation.  In this way he most wonderfully displays his power.  Only the weak hoard their power, while the strong share it.

We give thanks to Almighty God that he assists us through his holy angels who will one da, we pray, guide our souls after our life on earth, to join their life in heaven.