The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the events in our lives when we have known Providence guiding our decisions and actions.
Guardian close by
The reading from the Book of Exodus (CCCB choice) describes the reward of fidelity shown in the conquest of Canaan.
* [23:21] My authority is within him: lit., “My name is within him.”1
Psalm 69 is a prayer for deliverance from persecution.
* [Psalm 69] A lament complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical (Ps 69:2–3, 15–16, the waters of chaos) and literal (Ps 69:4, 5, 9, 11–13, exhaustion, alienation from family and community, false accusation). In the second part the psalmist prays with special emphasis that the enemies be punished for all to see (Ps 69:23–29). Despite the pain, the psalmist does not lose hope that all be set right, and promises public praise (Ps 69:30–36). The Psalm, which depicts the suffering of the innocent just person vividly, is cited often by the New Testament especially in the passion accounts, e.g., Ps 69:5 in Jn 15:25; Ps 69:22 in Mk 15:23, 36 and parallels and in Jn 19:29. The Psalm prays not so much for personal vengeance as for public vindication of God’s justice. There was, at this time, no belief in an afterlife where such vindication could take place. Redress had to take place now, in the sight of all.2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches true greatness.
* [18:3] Become like children: the child is held up as a model for the disciples not because of any supposed innocence of children but because of their complete dependence on, and trust in, their parents. So must the disciples be, in respect to God.3
Suzanne Braddock notes that Pope Francis referred to our guardian angels as our traveling companions. So often we think of them as belonging to the realm of children, but surely they are right beside us always.
Jesus portrays the actual awesomeness of guardian angels in Matthews gospel: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones (children), for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” The thought of a heavenly being assigned just to me, while gazing at God, puts me in my place: a beloved child of God, protected and guided always. 4
Don Schwager quotes “Their angels behold the face of my Father in heaven,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).
"It is not right to despise anyone who believes in Christ. A believer is called not only a servant of God but also a son though the grace of adoption, to whom the kingdom of heaven and the company of the angels is promised. And rightly the Lord adds, 'For I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.' How much grace the Lord has toward each one believing in him he himself declares when he shows their angels always beholding the face of the Father who is in heaven. Great is the grace of the angels toward all who believe in Christ. Finally, the angels carry their prayers to heaven. Hence the word of Raphael to Tobias: 'When you prayed along with your daughter-in-law Sara, I offered the memory of your prayer in the sight of God (Deutero-canonical book of Tobit 12:12). Around them there is also the strong guard of the angels; they help each of us to be free from the traps of the enemy. For a human in his weakness could not be safe amid so many forceful attacks of that enemy if he were not strengthened by the help of the angels." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 57.1) [Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."]5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 18:1-5, 10 comments that today, Jesus is telling us to “become like children” (Matthew 18:3). It may be hard for us grownups to accept the idea of angels, especially the idea of a guardian angel who watches over us. But it comes naturally to little children. For most of them, the idea that an invisible being is praying for them and protecting them is not absurd at all.
So maybe for today, you can try to recapture a bit of that childlike innocence and wonder as you pray. As you place yourself in God’s presence, imagine your guardian angel sitting there with you. Imagine that angel joining you in praise and worship, in intercession, and in quiet listening to the Lord. Take comfort in knowing that you are never, ever alone! “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.”6
Friar Jude Winkler reflects on how the Israelites turned away from the Lord (in the USCCB choice of first reading from Baruch). (Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29 ). In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus exhorts us to be like a child innocent and filled with awe, wonder, and simple in our motivations. Friar Jude warns against treating angels as a cult.
The Franciscan Media article on Guardian Angels comments that perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not only for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer, and to present their souls to God at death.
Devotion to the angels is, at base, an expression of faith in God’s enduring love and providential care extended to each person day in and day out.7
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Activist and author Rev. angel Kyodo williams. Raised in a Christian home, Rev. angel ultimately found her calling as a Zen Buddhist priest engaged in the pursuit of radical justice. Rev. angel offers suggestions for ways of developing compassion for self and others.
[Make] a practice of being open. Practicing being intimate, getting close. Not just to the people that you already feel love for and want to be close to, but to everyone. Open to the dentist, the bus driver, the clerk. Little by little you open up more and more. Open to Republicans if you’re a Democrat. To the Liberals if you’re Conservative. Your capacity to appreciate difference deepens. Open to white folks, Asians, Latinos, and East Indians. You accept the whole world with open arms not because you have been told you should, but because you realize in your heart that we are all ultimately deserving of love and compassion. Open to the poor and homeless, the sick and dying.8
We often appreciate the action of Guardian Angels when we look in retrospect at the events of our lives. We pray to remain open to the promptings of the Spirit to guide our decisions today and always.
References
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