That they might guard you in all your ways

Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

Today, October 2, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of The Holy Guardian Angels, we are first invited to reflect on a passage from the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Philippians (2: 12-30), entitled “Work out your salvation”. Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot.

Guardian Angels are spiritual beings assigned by God to protect and guide each person throughout their life. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (336), "from its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by [angelic] watchful care and intercession." This means that every human being, regardless of their faith or baptismal status, is given a guardian angel. Scripture supports this belief. In Matthew 18:10, Jesus says, "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven." This indicates that even children have guardian angels who have direct access to God. The Church Fathers, including Saint Basil and Saint Jerome, and theologians like Saint Thomas Aquinas, have also affirmed the existence of guardian angels (Summa Theologian I:113:4). This belief is deeply rooted in Catholic tradition and is an essential part of understanding God's providential care for humanity.

Philippians is written to a group of believers with whom Paul founded a church, during his second missionary journey in approximately AD 49. Philippi was a Roman colony, with believers consisting primarily of Gentiles. This letter, written about 12 years after the founding of the Philippian church, is largely a thank you letter to the Philippians. The main message of the Book of Philippians is for the Christian community in Philippi to be steadfast in faith and to express joy. Philippians is recognized as Paul's joyous epistle and is also known as the "friendship letter" because of its tone. However, because Paul wrote this letter during a time of house arrest in Rome, it includes the major theme of rejoicing during suffering.