Christmas Journey: The Primary Purpose of the Guardian Angels

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone." Psalms 91:11-12

Our guardian angels may protect us from harm once in a while but that is not their primary purpose. Accidents still happen and guardian angels don't have the power to prevent everything. They can protect us but we still have free will. Sometimes we place ourselves in very dangerous situations and I'm sure that the guardian angels cry when they are helpless to keep us from pain. It would be unfair to blame the guardian angels for every bad thing that happens to us or to our loved ones. Accidents and suffering came into the world when Adam and Eve sinned. It was not the angel's fault. We also need to remember that our time here on earth is only for a little while and we have to experience hardship in order to purify ourselves. We will all suffer on the way to heaven. In fact, suffering is an important part of our growth toward heaven (Rom 5:3, 8:17-18). In the end, we will all die, some sooner than later but that is the great equalizer. Death is our path to heaven. We all want to get to heaven but nobody wants to die. The angels' job is not to spare us from suffering and death. They know that we will not be tested beyond our strength (1 Cor 10:13). And our angels will be present to fortify us through all our trials.

The angels act as older siblings to us. They represent the interests of God, accommodated to the needs and understanding of a lower intelligence. They are trying to lead us to maturity as children of God: fuller knowledge, fuller responsibility, and greater love. If they lead us to solutions, we learn. If they do everything for us, we don't.

Guardian angels also have the power to help our imagination during meditation. If we ask for their assistance, they can actually place holy images in our minds to move us towards acts of love and virtue. Likewise, guardian angels can guard our minds from impure images. All we have to do is pray to them to guard us spiritually as well as physically.

"The Church venerates the angels who help her on her earthly pilgrimage and protect every human being" (CCC 352). The Church has, since its earliest days, encouraged a lively devotion to the guardian angels, not just for little children but also for adults. Remember that prayer most of us learned as children? "Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love entrusts me here; ever this day be at my side to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen." It would be a good idea if we make it part of our daily prayers.

Or we can address our guardian angels more conversationally in our own words. We may address not only our own angel, but also those of our loved ones. We can conspire with them as actively as possible. I conspire with my children's guardian angels all the time. "Please protect them. Please keep them out of trouble. Please help them be strong against peer pressure. I think that friend is a bad influence, please remove him/her from their path. Please help Alex with the exam he has today. Please protect Chabeli as she drives to and from work. Please be with Rafi as he travels." Sometimes I even conspire with my guardian angel to go give messages to their guardian angels. Remember, angels are messengers. They are masters of communication. They like it when our homes, families, workplaces, schools and neighborhoods are at peace.

But in the end, the primary purpose of our guardian angel is our salvation at the hour of death. They procure a peaceful death and ward off the demons from any final assault. Our angels will try to keep us from sin, so that suffering and death will always work to our advantage rather than our detriment. Their main job is to get us to heaven. This is a great conspiracy between God and His angels. The conversion of a sinner gives great joy to their guardian angel and to all the angels in heaven. "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Lk 15:10).

After death, the guardian angel's work of guarding is over. Their next assignment, if their charge is in purgatory, would be "intercessory work." They carry the prayers of the souls in purgatory to heaven and they continue to act as an advocate. They give comfort and solace to the souls in purgatory.

It is only after the soul that was entrusted to them reaches heaven that the work of the guardian angel is over. A guardian angel does not get reassigned to another human being. They belong to only one human being for all eternity. The guardian angel then rests in the joy of the Lord, and they have a special joy if the soul they guarded is in heaven with them.

If their trust is not saved, it doesn't mean that the guardian angel failed. All guardian angels do a good job but because humans have free will, sometimes no matter what the angel does, some humans won't cooperate and are lost forever. Even if their trust is lost, the angels rejoice in the justice of God. Angels are spirits, they have no emotions. They don't feel sorrow or shame for the final fall of their charge.

Jesus himself taught us to go to the angels. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when he was in agony, he was comforted and assisted by an angel (Luke 22: 43). Our lives will be much easier if we allow the angels to guide us, to comfort us and to lead us to heaven.

Sources:

1-The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible
2-Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
3-"Entertaining Angels" by Mike Aquilina (Catholic Scripture Study International 2013)
4-"Angels and Saints" by Scott Hahn 2014
5-"City of God" by St. Augustine 426 AD
6-"Catholicism.org: Q's and A's on the Guardian Angels