Memorial of the Guardian Angels
Lectionary: 458/650
Lectionary: 458/650
Job said:
Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has struck me!
Why do you hound me as though you were divine,
and insatiably prey upon me?
Oh, would that my words were written down!
Would that they were inscribed in a record:
That with an iron chisel and with lead
they were cut in the rock forever!
But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,
and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust;
Whom I myself shall see:
my own eyes, not another’s, shall behold him,
And from my flesh I shall see God;
my inmost being is consumed with longing.
Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has struck me!
Why do you hound me as though you were divine,
and insatiably prey upon me?
Oh, would that my words were written down!
Would that they were inscribed in a record:
That with an iron chisel and with lead
they were cut in the rock forever!
But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,
and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust;
Whom I myself shall see:
my own eyes, not another’s, shall behold him,
And from my flesh I shall see God;
my inmost being is consumed with longing.
Responsorial Psalm PS 27:7-8A, 8B-9ABC, 13-14
R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of
the Lord in the land of the living.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Gospel MT 18:1-5, 10
The disciples
approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“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.”
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“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.”
Meditation: "Their angels behold the Father in
heaven"
Why does Jesus warn his disciples to "not
despise the little ones?" God dwells with the lowly and regards them with
compassion. His angels watch over them as guardians. "For he will
give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways" (Psalm
91:11). God has not left us alone in our struggle "to refuse evil
and to choose good" (Isaiah 7:15). The angels are his "ministering
spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain
salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).
The angels are God's messengers and protectors
for us
Scripture is full of examples of how the angels serve as messengers and protectors. When Peter was chained in prison and kept under guard, an angel woke him in middle of the night, released his chains, and brought him safely out of prison, past several guards and through locked gates. When Peter realized he wasn't dreaming, he exclaimed: "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me" (Acts 12:11). When Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions, an angel protected him from harm (Daniel 6:22).
Scripture is full of examples of how the angels serve as messengers and protectors. When Peter was chained in prison and kept under guard, an angel woke him in middle of the night, released his chains, and brought him safely out of prison, past several guards and through locked gates. When Peter realized he wasn't dreaming, he exclaimed: "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me" (Acts 12:11). When Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions, an angel protected him from harm (Daniel 6:22).
The angels show us that the universe is
spiritual as well as material
John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), an early church father and renowned preacher, compared the guardian angels to the troops garrisoned in cities on the frontiers of the empire to defend it from the enemy. Basil the Great (329-379 AD) said, "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness and during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). The angels will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment (Matthew 25:31). The angels show us that this universe which God created is not just materialistic.
John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), an early church father and renowned preacher, compared the guardian angels to the troops garrisoned in cities on the frontiers of the empire to defend it from the enemy. Basil the Great (329-379 AD) said, "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness and during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). The angels will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment (Matthew 25:31). The angels show us that this universe which God created is not just materialistic.
The devil seeks to destroy us
The fallen angels (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelations 12:9), described in Scripture as evil spirits or devils (Mark 5:13; Matthew 25:41), seek our destruction (see 1 Peter 5:8). If they cannot persuade us to disown our faith and loyalty to Christ, they will attempt to divert us from doing the will of God by distracting us with good things that weigh us down or make us indifferent towards the things of God.
The fallen angels (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelations 12:9), described in Scripture as evil spirits or devils (Mark 5:13; Matthew 25:41), seek our destruction (see 1 Peter 5:8). If they cannot persuade us to disown our faith and loyalty to Christ, they will attempt to divert us from doing the will of God by distracting us with good things that weigh us down or make us indifferent towards the things of God.
God provides us with spiritual protection from
the evil one
God gives us the help of his angelic hosts and he gives us spiritual weapons, the shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness (see Ephesians 6:1-11), to resist the devil and his lies. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we, too, join with the angelic choirs of heaven in singing the praises of God. Do you thank the Lord for his guidance and protection?
God gives us the help of his angelic hosts and he gives us spiritual weapons, the shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness (see Ephesians 6:1-11), to resist the devil and his lies. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we, too, join with the angelic choirs of heaven in singing the praises of God. Do you thank the Lord for his guidance and protection?
"Lord Jesus, you are our refuge and
strength. May I always know your guiding hand and the help of your angels in
protecting me from all that is evil. Give me strength of will and courage to
refuse what is evil and to choose what is good."
 Heavenly Helpers |
|
October 2, 2014.
Feast of the Guardian Angels
|
|
Matthew 18: 1-5,
10
The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in
the Kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their
midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like
children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself
like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever
receives one child such as this in my name receives me. 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."
Introductory
Prayer: Father
in heaven, thank you for giving me another day to grow in love for you,
another day to move ahead in my spiritual life, another day to pray for the
souls closest to me. I want only to please you during this brief time of prayer.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace
of childlike simplicity.
1. Turning the Tables: The disciples are curious about the Kingdom
of Heaven, and their curiosity has a tinge of self-interest. They want to
know how to get ahead in the Kingdom. Their very question belies a
misunderstanding of Christ. The Kingdom, among other things, is reflected in
the Church on earth. And the Church, being universal, is a kind of family
that takes in all mankind. If ever we ask, “Who is the greatest in our
family?” we can be sure that it is the wrong kind of question. The more
appropriate question is: “How can I be a better member of the family? How can
I be a better husband? A better wife? A better son or daughter or brother or
sister?” That is the question Christ wants us to ask ourselves.
2. Child´s Play: We must not think that Christ had a naive notion
of children as little angels who never do wrong. So why does Christ hold up
children as models for the rest of us? In part, it is their simplicity, their
tendency to trust. They might not understand why a parent tells them
something, but they likely will accept it because they realize it comes from
someone who loves them. The spiritual life requires that same kind of trust.
We might not understand completely why God asks us to do something, but if
there´s a basic trust and openness to him, it is easier to follow his
commands. Many people, unfortunately, squander what should be the most
productive years of their lives because they doubt God and his Church. They
complicate things, only to find years later the wisdom of what Our Lord was
trying to tell them. By then, their faults can be forgiven, but not undone.
Once a vase is broken, it can be fixed but it will never be the same as if it
had never broken. Am I saying no to God because of a lack of trust?
3. Angelic Aid: Prayers to guardian angels used to be popular with
Catholics. It is fitting that we pray to them, because each of us has one.
"Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading
him to life," writes St. Basil (seeCatechism of the Catholic Church,
336). Our angel reflects God´s loving providence for our welfare and
protection. The world is a moral minefield, waiting for us to make the wrong
step. Our angel helps us make it through this valley of tears. Do I ever
think to pray to my angel?
Conversation
with Christ: The
simplicity of children can make me look foolish by comparison. I believe in
you and trust you, Lord. Help me to translate that trust into serenity and
simplicity. Let me accept the crosses of daily life with calmness, seeing
your loving designs behind them.
Resolution: I will say “yes” to the
next difficult thing someone asks of me, so long as it is something morally
good.
By Father Edward McIlmail, LC
|
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, MATTHEW 18:1-5,10
(Job 19:21-27; Psalm 27)
(Job 19:21-27; Psalm 27)
KEY VERSE: "For I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father" (v 10).
READING: Jesus had been teaching his disciples about the nature of discipleship when the disciples asked who was the greatest in God's reign. Jesus responded by placing a little child in their midst. In Jesus' day, a teacher's disciples were called his 'sons' or his 'children.' Therefore, a child meant a beginner in the faith, and not yet mature. Though lowly, children have tremendous worth before God and should not be despised as being insignificant; their guardian angels watch over them and intercede on their behalf. The disciples might regard themselves as strong and self-sufficient, but they must be submissive and put their trust in God. Followers of Jesus who have these qualities reveal God's love to the world. Whoever welcomes these humble servants are in fact welcoming Christ.
REFLECTING: In what ways do I need to become more childlike?
PRAYING: Angel of God, be at my side to protect me from all evil.
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
The English word "angel" comes from the Greek angelos, which means 'messenger'. The term "guardian" angels refers to the belief that each soul has an angel who is available to shepherd the soul through life, and help bring them to God. The feast, celebrating the angels began in many local calendars centuries ago, and was widely known by the 16th century.
CHILD'S PRAYER TO GUARDIAN ANGEL
Angel of God, my guardian dear to whom God's love commits me here Ever this day (night) be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen
PARENT'S PRAYER TO GUARDIAN ANGEL
O Angels of God, from heaven so bright, watching beside my children to lead them aright; Fold your wings round them, and guard them with love; Softly sing songs to them of heaven above. Amen
The English word "angel" comes from the Greek angelos, which means 'messenger'. The term "guardian" angels refers to the belief that each soul has an angel who is available to shepherd the soul through life, and help bring them to God. The feast, celebrating the angels began in many local calendars centuries ago, and was widely known by the 16th century.
CHILD'S PRAYER TO GUARDIAN ANGEL
Angel of God, my guardian dear to whom God's love commits me here Ever this day (night) be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen
PARENT'S PRAYER TO GUARDIAN ANGEL
O Angels of God, from heaven so bright, watching beside my children to lead them aright; Fold your wings round them, and guard them with love; Softly sing songs to them of heaven above. Amen
Guardian Angels.
Job 19:21-27. I believe I shall see the good things of the Lord in
the land of the living—Ps 26(27):7-9, 13-14. Luke 10:1-12.
We honour our guardian
angels, those spiritual beings privileged to gaze upon God even as they watch
over us (Matthew 18:10).
St Basil the Great, one of
the earliest Doctors of the Church, wrote, ‘Beside each believer stands an
angel as protector and shepherd leading us to life.’ Already here on earth the
Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels.
While some may consider
talk of guardian angels the stuff of myth, their existence is just more
evidence of God’s love for us. Remembering how God cares for us helps us to
live, trusting in his provision, seeking his will and thanking him for
his grace.
Father, thank you for
taking care of us and sending your angels to watch over us.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Don’t Hold Back
Nothing then, must keep us back, nothing separate us from Him, and
nothing come between us and Him.
October
2
Feast of the Guardian Angels
Feast of the Guardian Angels
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.
The
concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being is a
development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on Scripture but not directly
drawn from it. Jesus' words in Matthew 18:10 best support the belief: "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."
Devotion
to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. St.
Benedict gave it impetus and Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century
reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the guardian angels that angelic
devotion assumed its current form in his day.
A feast
in honor of the guardian angels was first observed in the 16th century. In
1615, Pope Paul V added it to the Roman calendar.
Comment:
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 until life's end.
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 until life's end.
Quote:
"May the angels lead you into paradise;
may the martyrs come to welcome you
and take you to the holy city,
the new and eternal Jerusalem." (Rite for Christian Burial)
"May the angels lead you into paradise;
may the martyrs come to welcome you
and take you to the holy city,
the new and eternal Jerusalem." (Rite for Christian Burial)
LECTIO DIVINA:
GUARDIAN ANGELS - MATTHEW 18,1-5.10
Lectio:
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 18,1-5.10
At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?'
So he called a little child to him whom he set among them. Then
he said, 'In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little
children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. And so, the one who makes
himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of
Heaven. 'Anyone who welcomes one little child like this in my name welcomes me.
'See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell
you that therein heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.
3) Reflection
• Today's Gospel presents a text taken from the Discourse of the
Community (Mt 18,1-35), in which Matthew gathers together some phrases of Jesus
to help the communities of the first century to overcome the two problems which
they had to face at that moment: the leaving or going away of the little ones
because of the scandal caused by some (Mt 18, 1-14) and the need of dialogue to
overcome the internal conflicts (Mt 18, 15-35). The discourse of the Community
treats of several themes: the exercise of power in the community (Mt 18, 1-4),
the scandal that excludes the little ones (Mt 18, 5-11), the obligation to
struggle to bring back the little ones, for their return (Mt 18, 12-14),
fraternal correction (Mt 18, 15-18), prayer (Mt 18, 19-20) and pardon (Mt 18, 21-35).
The accent is placed on acceptance and on reconciliation, because the basis of
fraternity is the gratuitous love of God which accepts us and forgives us. It
is only in this way that the community will be a sign of the Kingdom.
• In today's Gospel we meditate on the part that speaks about
the acceptance of the little ones. The expression, the little ones, or the
least does not only refer to children, but rather to persons who are not
important in society, including children. Jesus asks that the little ones be at
the centre of the concern of the community, because "The Father does not
want any of these little ones to be lost" (Mt 18, 14).
• Matthew 18, 1: The question of the disciples which results in
the teaching of Jesus. The discip0les want to know who is the greatest in the
Kingdom of Heaven. The simple fact of asking this question indicates that they
have not understood well the message of Jesus. The response of Jesus, that is,
the whole discourse of the Community, serves to make us understand that among
the followers of Jesus the spirit of service, of dedication of pardon, of
reconciliation and of gratuitous love, without seeking one's own interest, have
to be a priority.
• Matthew 18, 2-5: the fundamental criterion; the one who makes
himself as little as this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
"Then Jesus called to himself a child and placed him in the middle";
the disciples want a criterion so as to be able to measure the importance of
persons in the community. Jesus responds that the criterion is the little ones!
Children are not important in society; they do not belong to the world of the
great. The disciples, instead of growing towards the heights and toward the
centre, should grow down and toward the periphery! In this way they will be the
greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven! And the reason for this is the following:
"anyone who welcomes one little child like this, in my name, welcomes
me!" The love of Jesus for the little ones cannot be explained. The
children have no merit; they are loved by their parents and by all because they
are children. This is a pure gratuitous love of God which is manifested here
and which can be imitated in the community of those who believe in Jesus.
• Matthew 18, 6-9: Do not scandalize the little ones. The Gospel
today omits verses 6 to 9 and continues in verse 10. We give a brief key for
the reading of these verses, from 6 to 9. To scandalize the little ones means:
to be for them a reason for the loss of faith in God and of the abandonment
from the community. The excessive insistence on the norms and on the
observance, as some Pharisees did, caused the little ones to go away, because
they no longer found the liberty that Jesus had brought. Before this, Matthew
keeps very strong phrases of Jesus, such as the one of the mill stone put
around the neck, and the other one, "Alas for those who cause
scandal!" This is a sign that at that time the little ones no longer
identified themselves with the community and looked for another refuge. And
today? In Brazil alone, every year, approximately one million persons abandon
the historical churches and go to the Pentecostal ones. And these are the poor
who do this. They leave because the poor and the little ones do not feel at
home in their house! Which is the reason? To avoid this scandal, Jesus orders
to cut the foot or the hand and take out the eye. These affirmations of Jesus
cannot be taken literally. They mean that it is necessary to be very demanding
in the struggle against scandal which drives away the little ones. We cannot,
in any way, allow that the little ones feel marginalized in our community;
because in this case, the community would not be a sign of the Kingdom of God.
It would not belong to Jesus Christ. It would not be Christian.
• Matthew 18, 10: The angels of the little ones are always in
the presence of the Father. "See that you never despise any of these
little ones, for I tell you that their angels in Heaven are continually in the
presence of my Father in Heaven". Today, sometimes we hear the question, "But,
do the angels exist or not? Perhaps they are an element of the Persian culture,
where the Jews lived for long centuries during the exile of Babylonia? It is
possible. But this is not the important thing, this is not the principal
aspect. In the Bible the angel has a different significance. There are texts
which speak about the Angel of Yahweh or of the Angel of God and then suddenly
they speak of God. They exchange one for the other (Gen 18, 1-2. 9.10.13.16:
cf. Gen 13, 3.18). In the Bible the Angel is the face of Yahweh turned toward
us. The face of God turned toward me, toward you! It is the expression of the
most profound conviction of our faith, that is, that God is with us, with me,
always! It is a way of making God's love concrete in our life, even up to the
smallest detail.
4) Personal questions
• Are the little ones accepted in our community? Do the poorest
people participate in our community?
• The angels of God, the Guardian Angel, many times the Angel of
God is the person who helps another person. Are there many angels in your life?
5) Concluding prayer
Lord, you created my inmost self,
knit me together in my mother's womb.
For so many marvels I thank you;
a wonder am I,
and all your works are wonders. (Ps 139,13-14)
knit me together in my mother's womb.
For so many marvels I thank you;
a wonder am I,
and all your works are wonders. (Ps 139,13-14)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét