By Fr. Dale Allder,
Cathedral of the Risen Christ, Lincoln
Chubby babies with wings.
I would bet good money that each of you reading this has seen angels depicted in that way at least once. Let me be clear when I say that angels are much, much more than that. The weakest angel has greater power than all the armies of the world that have ever existed. The lowest angel in Heaven has a beauty that would make a thousand noonday suns look dim.
So, with the Feast of the Archangels Sept. 29 and the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels Oct. 2, don’t let this opportunity pass by! Angels are powerful, numerous, and wonderful. They have a nature which goes far beyond our ability to fully comprehend. For all these things, they are also our friends who want us to share in eternal happiness and who love us more perfectly than we love ourselves. They deserve our respect and reverence, and it’s worth spending time with them.
With that in mind, what I want more than anything else for you is that you are led to a deeper love and friendship not only with your guardian angel, but all the angels. Just as it is a mistake to think angels are infantile, it is also a mistake to think of them as some impersonal spiritual force or energy. That’s why it’s important to recognize that angels are persons.
Your angel has a name, received from God, that is wondrous (Judges 13:18). Angels have personalities! They are not human persons, but they are persons nonetheless. They can know you and love you on an individual level, and you can do the same with them, even if you can only do that perfectly in Heaven.
You have been given to the care of your guardian angel, whose singular task is to get you to Heaven. Everyone has one, even those who will never hear the Gospel. Estimates say that more than 100 billion humans have lived on Earth.
Traditionally, there are nine “choirs” of angels, with guardian angels coming from the lowest choir. 100 billion is a small number for an infinite God, and common interpretation of Matthew 18:12 is that the one lost sheep is humanity, and the 99 represent angels. Even St. Thomas Aquinas, called the Angelic Doctor, says that their number exceeds “far beyond all material multitude,” where each choir has significantly more angels than the one below it. So it is completely reasonable that you are the only person ever assigned to your guardian angel’s care.
Because God does not do things by random chance, why did God pair you two together? It was in His mind even before either of you were created. Perhaps there is something especially beautiful in that relationship which you’ll see in the life to come. Consider taking it to prayer.
Good parents want what is best for their children. Imagine if a parent devoted every waking moment to his or her child’s earthly welfare. From morning until night, the parent did everything to ensure that the child had an abundance of good food, education, affection, and so on. We would naturally be impressed at this extreme devotion. But even the most devoted parents grow weary and must sleep. Their powers and resources are limited. Their love, as profound as it might be, is imperfect.
This is not the case with angels.
Your guardian angel does not care merely for your earthly welfare. Your angel is concerned about the affair that should concern you most—eternity—and is doing everything possible to keep your soul safe for it. Humans tire. Your angel has not ceased to intercede on your behalf, even before your parents knew they had conceived you.
Humans have very limited power. Your angel could shake the very foundations of the Earth if God permitted it.
Humans love imperfectly and can be discouraged when rejected or disrespected. Your angel is just as zealous for your salvation and loves you just as intensely even if you reject his promptings and gifts ten thousand times. Who among us could claim that persistence?
Humans can become envious of the success of others. Your angel would be delighted if you surpassed him in glory and holiness in Heaven. When you die, your angel will accompany you and comfort you through Purgatory until you behold God face to face in perfect happiness.
Even after that, your angel will continue to love and cherish your friendship forever in Heaven. Are you aware of how great a gift your guardian angel is? When is the last time you fervently thanked your angel for all their prayers and assistance?
Even with these truths in mind, our tendency to focus on the physical world—and angels’ usual lack of a visible presence—can make it difficult to be mindful of them. Angels are spirits, lacking a physical body by nature. They may use their power to have a tangible representation of themselves as they carry out God’s will, as we see many times in Scripture, but this is unusual. Any time they visibly manifest their presence and power (or when they are depicted in art), it is supposed to convey some reality about who they are or what they do. Wings represent their role as a messenger—angel literally means “messenger”—and their readiness to do God’s will.
St. Michael is often depicted with weapons and armor to illustrate his role as a warrior who fights against Satan and his demons. Yes, even the depiction of angels as chubby babies at least conveys innocence (but not naivety) that we may only see in human children.
Angels may be invisible, but they are always there. Any time we are in the presence of other humans, there are at least as many angels present, ready, willing, and active in their desire to help us toward our eternal Home.
We have only barely scratched the surface! There is so much more to say! Like I mentioned earlier in the article, I hope you grow into a deeper love and friendship with the angels. They are your friends, intercessors, and protectors, particularly your guardian angel. May you especially grow in your friendship with your guardian angel, who has been present with you even as you read this article. May you, in all sincerity, truly call them an angel of God, your guardian dear.
