Bringing your Guardian Angel into your everyday life

Dear Katrina,

How can I develop a relationship with my Guardian Angel? We have this powerful intercessor so close to us it seems like a waste not to build that relationship. What do you recommend?

Beth

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Dear Beth,

Our Guardians Angels are great. It’s a shame they’ve come to be thought of as a childhood devotion. You’re hard-pressed to find imagery or iconography of these helpers that does not also feature a small child, but our spiritual protectors don’t fly from our side the minute we reach adulthood, so you’re very smart to want to develop a relationship with yours.

And they are mighty! Guardian Angels are fierce heavenly creatures. Remember that when angels were referenced in the Bible it was noted that their appearance brought a reaction of fear and awe from people.   

Children are almost inherently faith-filled and born with the capacity for belief. Adults struggle with belief when their views have been clouded by cynicism and doubt. You could argue that it’s in our adult lives that we need our Guardian Angels’ heavenly aid most, to protect us from ourselves.

Treat your relationship with your Guardian Angel like you would with anyone else. That means, Communicate! When we tell people that want to grow in holiness and become closer to God we ask them to pray, which is a supernatural form of communication. Your angel is simultaneously with you and before God, so yes, ask for angelic prayers to help you grow in holiness. There are plenty of prayers out there to use and plenty of ways in which our Guardian Angels can assist us.

But you don’t need formal prayers. Just talk to your angel. I often head into a meeting asking my Guardian Angel to nudge me if I’m about to say something stupid, or I ask my angel to meet with the angel of a co-worker if we’re having disagreements, in order to assist us in working together in peace.

Many people think of Guardian Angels as only (only!) the beings that keep us protected from physical harm and out of trouble, but they are also guardians of our spirituality and can help us fight off temptations. When I think of the word “guardian” and “angel” I have to remember that there’s strength and might in their very definitions.

To get a fuller understanding of the capacity of their might and the range of their supernatural abilities examine the Novena to the Guardian Angels. They comfort us, protect from evil, console us in Purgatory, and carry our prayers to the Throne of God.  

My Abuelita said that mothers would often send their own Guardian Angels after their children’s angel to carry prayers and messages. She believed the angels talked to each other, too, and why not? Some people even say that they will finish our prayers and rosaries if we fall asleep mid-prayer, if we ask them to.    

I like to ask for my Guardian Angel’s help before confession while making my examen. When I feel particularly tempted toward sin I ask my Guardian Angel for help. I often ask my Guardian Angel to look after my son or tell my son’s Guardian Angel thank you for watching him. On my small altar at home sit Mary, Jesus, Joseph, my patron saint, my son’s patron saint, and a icon of a Guardian Angel.

I don’t always remember the exact prayers dedicated to them or remember to pull up the full litany or novena on my phone, but I can remember to acknowledge their role in my physical and spiritual life and thank them for their assistance. It’s in those small ways that our  relationships with our  Guardian Angels become more intimate.