Despise No One, not Even the “Little Ones” (The Holy Guardian Angels, October 2)

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There is a special prayer addressed to our guardian angels: “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom His Love commits me here. Ever this day, be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide, Amen! Many of us learnt this prayer when we were going for Catechism classes in preparation for either the First Holy Communion or the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Maybe, we learnt it and committed it to memory then so that we can “pour” them out for our examiners and pass our catechism exams in order to be qualified for the reception of the sacraments. Let me ask: How many of us still say that prayer? How many of us have really thought about the words of that prayer?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “the existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith” (CCC, no. 328). Our faith teaches us that from infancy to death, we are surrounded by the watchful care and intercession of the angels, who are always before God. And the “Prayer to Our Guardian Angel” clearly spells out the ministry and the task of our guardian angels. In that prayer, we learn that our guardian angel is to light, guide, rule, and guard us. Those words are deeper than they may appear. The angels are to act as light for us to see; they are to lead us to where we are supposed to go or to a place where God has prepared for us (Exo. 23:20-23); they are to rule us (that is, to exercise controlling authority over us) and to guard or protect us from danger. Yes, these angels are around us but they are pure spirits. We shouldn’t expect to see them with our naked eyes. But as spirits, they can embody human beings or take any medium to act and serve us.

The danger is that most often when our angels act and serve us through some means or people, we don’t take cognizance of the fact that they are at work. Sometimes, we choose not to follow, listen or be led or instructed by our guardian angels just because we are blind to see and understand that they are working through people, events, circumstances and other means. In the gospel reading (Matt. 18:1-5.10), Jesus warned the disciples not to despise the little ones because their angels are always at work, fighting for them and interceding for them. Angels can even take the form of the little ones (the poor, the dejected, the oppressed, the invalid, and the social misfit) to minister to us. Jesus warns us as He warned the disciples, “See that you do not despise these little ones”. The poor and the marginalized and the likes have angels interceding for them and beholding the face of God the Father for their sake. This is a powerful message that everyone is of great value to God. Despise no one!   



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