Guardian Angel
Feast day: October 2
The Guardian Angel, a friend God gives us to protect us and lead us to him (02/10)
Who is my guardian angel?
Angels are spiritual creatures with no bodies, who always worship God and do his will. The wings in paintings are only a picture to help us understand how quickly they do God’s will. A guardian angel is the angel God gives to watch over each person.
The story in the Bible
Jesus said about little children: “in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 18:10). A Psalm also sings that God “will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways” (Ps 91:11).
The Book of Tobit tells how the angel Raphael took the form of a traveling companion and went with young Tobiah all through his long journey, keeping him safe from danger and bringing him home in peace (cf. Tb 5–11).
The Acts of the Apostles tells us that one night, Saint Peter was chained in prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood beside him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel woke him and said: “Get up quickly” (Acts 12:7). The chains fell from his hands, and the angel led him out of the prison. When he came and knocked at the door of the house where the Christians were, they did not believe it was him, and said: “It is his angel!” (Acts 12:15). The first Christians believed that each person has his or her own angel.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that from the beginning of life until death, human life is surrounded by the angels’ protection and prayers (cf. CCC 336). Since 1670, October 2 has been the feast of the Guardian Angels in the whole Latin Church.
Why does the Church celebrate them?
The angels are creatures of God, so we do not worship them; we worship God alone. But we honor them, thank them and ask them to pray for us. Your guardian angel shows you that God loves you so much that he gives you a friend in heaven, who always reminds you to do good and avoid evil.
A lesson for you
- Every morning and every evening, pray the Guardian Angel Prayer, greeting and thanking your angel.
- When you are afraid or alone, remember that your guardian angel is always beside you.
- When someone tempts you to do something bad, ask your angel to help you bravely say “no”.
Identifying marks
- An angel walking beside a child, a hand on the child’s shoulder: God gives each person an angel to protect and guide them.
- A finger pointing to heaven: the angel always turns us toward God, our true home.
- Wings sheltering a child: a picture of the angel protecting us from danger and from evil.
- A little bridge over a ravine: a familiar picture on holy cards: an angel leading a child across a dangerous place.
The text on this page is the saint card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Collect this card and read more about the saints in the app