Angel Watch

“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in Heaven their angels continually see the face of My Father in Heaven” (Matthew 18:10)

If I could speak just a single sentence to comfort the hearts of my spiritual children, it would be: “You are never alone, because your guardian angel is always close by.” Each of us at birth has an angel assigned to our spiritual care by our heavenly Father. It is also our misfortune that from that time the devil is out to separate us from God and have his way with us. His intention is to control us, and our guardian angels would not be capable of countering that evil activity if Jesus Christ had not come to save us. The guardian angels were waiting for His appearance.

Thanks be to Christ the good angels are more powerful than the evil spirits. They can defend the Lord’s own children whom they were entrusted to protect. You will hear during the Divine Liturgy prayers that call upon the “angel of peace” to comfort and watch over the children of God. Whenever our parents or family members, our neighbors or fellow Orthodox communicants pray for us, they are serving as angels of peace on our behalf.

Our guardian angels protect us especially when we are traveling. When we leave home and when we return, as we travel in our automobiles, buses, trains, and planes, our angels are close at hand. Every journey we make, they go along—or better stated, go ahead of us. Tobit comforts a mother fearful of what might happen to her son setting out on a journey: “Do not fear, my sister, for a good angel will accompany him, his journey will be successful, and he will come back in good health” (Tobit 5:21).

That happens not only throughout our lives. Even on our ultimate journey angels are there to soothe and protect us. How beautiful and powerful is that comforting word chanted at the beginning of the funeral service, as we gather to celebrate the parting from one whom we loved on earth and who is about to take the journey alone to the waiting arms of the Lord. The phrase in Psalm 90:11, for example, reminds us that “He has given His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

It’s important for our spiritual and mental health that we are aware of the angels praying for us even when we are absorbed in things of this world and neglect our life in Christ. They pray when we don’t. They hold up our names before the Throne in Heaven, when we feel alone and abandoned. When we lose hope, they plead with the Lord on our behalf.

They don’t just stand by apart from our awareness of their presence. As we ascend to higher levels of spirituality, we will feel them and pray with them. Think of St. Herman of Alaska living alone on Spruce Island with no human being to share his solitude. He reminds us that he was never alone, because he was in the assembly of the heavenly angels and saints.

More, consider St. Luke’s gospel, where he tells us that our Lord in Gethsemane Garden, as He prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and gave Him strength” (Luke 22:42). The book of Acts also describes angels opening the prison cells and allowing the apostles to escape (Acts 5:19), speaking to St. Philip (Acts 8:26), even directing the centurion Cornelius to send for St. Peter (Acts 10:7).