Last week on September 29th we celebrated the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels and on October 2nd we celebrated our Holy Guardian Angels. The existence of angels is a dogma of our Catholic Faith and is abundantly documented in Sacred Scriptures and Catholic Tradition. There are nine choirs of angels, and three hierarchies. These choirs and hierarchies are: first hierarchy - Angels, Archangels and Principalities; second hierarchy - Powers, Virtues and Dominions; and third hierarchy - Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim .
An angel is a spiritual creature, superior to human beings, with a three-fold mission: to praise God, to act as His messengers, and to watch over mortals. "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? ... For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:4-5).
The name "angel" is from the Greek "angelos" meaning "one who is sent" or "messenger". Though purely spiritual, they can show themselves to men in human form as in the story of Tobias.
Passages in Scripture point to the existence of an angel specifically assigned to each human being to help, guide and protect him or her through the journey of life: “Behold I will send my angel, who shall go before thee, and keep thee in thy journey, and bring thee into the place that I have prepared. Take notice of him, and hear his voice” (Exodus 23:20)
And in the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ speaking of children: “See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10).
So, each day let us take a little extra time to remember our guardian angels. In every difficulty, danger and temptation let us invoke our Guardian Angel. Let us ask them to offer our prayers to God with us and for us, and to help us know and live God's will in our lives. Let us also ask them to help us follow their example in constantly adoring God and caring for each other.