In the communion of saints — the Church, the City of God — we human beings are the minority.
Christian teachers have long understood the Church to be the common dwelling of saints and angels. St. Augustine defined the City of God as including “the good, angels as well as men.” And the angels seem to outnumber us considerably.
Jesus teaches that all God’s children have angels in heaven who watch over them (Matthew 18:10). Beyond these guardian angels, Scripture reveals countless cherubim, seraphim, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, and heavenly hosts. The Book of Revelation speaks of “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” surrounding God’s throne.
The unseen world is apparently far more crowded than the world we see.
Yet these pure spirits are not gods. They are creatures. They had a beginning, and their knowledge and power are limited. Only God is eternal. Only God is creator.
Like us, they possess intelligence and free will. But unlike us, they passed their primordial testing, and so they will not fall; they will not sin.
The good angels chose to serve God. Their will is freely fixed on him. And now, by God’s design, they serve us as well.
The Bible gives us unforgettable glimpses of their guardianship. When the Prophet Elisha was surrounded by the Syrian army, his terrified servant saw only danger. Elisha prayed that the young man’s eyes might be opened. Suddenly the servant saw the mountains filled with horses and chariots of fire. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them,” Elisha told him (2 Kings 6:16).
Centuries later, King Herod imprisoned St. Peter and posted guards around him. The Church prayed while Peter slept peacefully in chains. During the night, an angel entered the prison, woke Peter, broke his chains and led him past the guards to freedom. It’s amusing that the Christians who greet Peter afterward are hesitant to believe it’s really him. They believe they’re encountering his angel!
St. Ambrose marveled at these stories. “The servants of Christ,” he said, “are protected rather by invisible than by visible beings.”
That protection did not end with the biblical age. Each of us lives within the loving providence of God, and each of us has a guardian angel. From our first moment until our last, that angel watches, guides, warns, and prays for us.
We can speak to our guardian angels silently in prayer. We can ask their help in resisting temptation, making decisions, and protecting those we love. We can also appeal to the guardian angels of our spouses, children, grandchildren, friends, and co-workers, asking their assistance in drawing all of us closer to God.
At every Mass, the veil between the visible and invisible worlds grows thin. We worship with “all the angels and saints,” joining their eternal song: “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
On Oct. 2, the feast of the Guardian Angels, the Church reminds us: We are never alone. Those who are with us are more than those who are against us.
