Memorial of The Guardian Angels

“Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:4

       When I was a teenager, my dad and I had an argument. He accused me of something that I didn’t do. I was terribly hurt, and it resulted to a cold war between us. After a week, I was planning to apologize, knowing that Dad is not the type who would say sorry. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it because no matter how I looked at the situation, I really wasn’t the one at fault.

       I was inside my bedroom when Dad came in. He sat at the foot of my bed and awkwardly said, “Son, I am sorry. It was my fault.”

       Apologizing is admitting that you’re at fault, that you’re not perfect. If we follow the world’s idea of greatness, then apologizing is quite ironic. But for Jesus, greatness is humility.

       The day Dad apologized was the day I saw his real greatness. It meant the world for a child looking for a real leader in today’s proud and selfish world.

       Are you humble enough to be great? Velden Lim (veldenlim@gmail.com)

Reflection: Whether you apologize or not, it does not change the fact that you‘re wrong. People know you’re wrong anyway, so you might as well be humble enough to admit your fault.

Lord, I am nothing without You. I can’t boast of anything but Your love for me despite my weaknesses.

Guardian Angels, pray for us.

Baruch 1:15-22 (or Exodus 23:20-23)

15 During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed: “Justice is with the Lord, our God; and we today are flushed with shame, we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem, 16 that we, with our kings and rulers and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors, 17 have sinned in the Lord’s sight 18 and disobeyed him. We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God, nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us. 19 From the time the Lord led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until the present day, we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God, and only too ready to disregard his voice. 20 And the evils and the curse that the Lord enjoined upon Moses, his servant, at the time he led our ancestors forth from the land of Egypt to give us the land flowing with milk and honey, cling to us even today. 21 For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God, in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us, 22 but each one of us went off after the devices of our own wicked hearts, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.”

Psalm 79:1-2, 3-5, 8, 9 (or Psalm 91:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 10-11)

R: For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the corpses of your servants as food to the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth. (R) 3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. 4 We have become the reproach of our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. 5 O Lord, how long? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? (R) 8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. (R)

Jesus invites us to have faith, with the trust of a little child that has an innate trust in his parents. God wants us to trust Him in the same way. He is trustworthy and will never let us down. God is faithful to His promises and will never forget us. Let us allow Him to lead us according to His will.

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Matthew 18:1-5, 10 (or Luke 10:13-16)

1 The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child over, placed it in their midst, 3 and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

think: God is faithful to His promises and will never forget us.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Proverbs 28-31

SURROUNDED BY ANGELS

One of the earliest things I remember about my grandmother is her constant reminder to never be afraid of anything because God has given me a guardian angel who protects me day and night. I also remember asking her what a guardian angel is, how he looks like, and whether I can see him. She went to her drawer, opened it and brought out a very old prayer book (later I learned it was from the 19th century). She showed me a black-and-white drawing of a handsome young man with huge wings who held out his arms in a protective manner so that a little girl crossing a narrow bridge would not fall into the raging waters below.

       This simple “catechesis” of my grandmother has helped me a lot when I was a kid because I always felt safe. The only problem was, I longed to see my guardian angel. But this, of course, never happened.

       In later years, when I heard today’s Gospel read in church, I came to know that even Jesus taught what my grandma had told me when I was a small kid. Reading the Bible, I came to know that they are powerful messengers of God. Whenever an angel appeared to somebody, the first thing he said was, “Don’t be afraid.” If he were as cute as the one on the picture in that old prayer book, nobody would be scared, shocked or afraid of seeing an angel. Even the Virgin Mary had to be calmed first when Gabriel visited her! No, angels are not cute little cupids, as we see them often portrayed by artists. Angels reflect a powerful God who loves us, His creatures, and wants to protect us from all evil and harm.

       Today’s feast then reminds us of our heavenly Father, who, as a loving Father, cares for us. He speaks to us through the warning voice of our conscience – which we often ignore. The teaching about the Guardian Angels confirms: God continues to  protect us. The angels are signs and proof of His loving care. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you conscious of God’s protection and love? Do you thank God and your guardian angel for so much care?

Lord, I often forget that without You and Your Fatherly care I would not be able to face the reality of daily life. Let me thank You today for giving me an angel to protect me always.