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| “The Guardian Angel” by Carlo Dolci, 1675. |
Commentary:
Note: for this memorial the Gospel of the Proper is used.
Reading I: Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Commentary on Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Job, the faithful servant of God, has lost all his possessions. His family has been taken from him, and he has been personally afflicted. In these verses he begins his first soliloquy. Without asking for salvation by God, Job laments his desperate state, by beginning to question why he was even given the first gift of life (see parallels in Jeremiah 20:14-18, 1 Kings 19:4 and Sirach 23:14). The important element of this lament is the question itself: “why,” for what reason? Going further in vs. 20-23, the question is broadened to include all who are born into suffering and harsh servitude. In this early part of the Book of Job, there is bewilderment on Job’s part. Divine justice has not yet been introduced.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8
R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Commentary on Ps 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8
Reminiscent of Job, Psalm 88 is an individual lament. The psalmist cries out, having been afflicted and deserted by his friends. As the singer calls for God to attend his prayer in the first strophe, he considers his descent to death in those that follow.
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GOSPEL
Commentary on Mt 18:1-5, 10
This Gospel passage is used on the Feast of the Guardian Angels each year. The event is also recorded in St. Luke’s Gospel at Luke 9:46-50. The major difference is that here, in St. Matthew’s Gospel, the Lord speaks directly of the Guardian Angels who protect and watch over the children in the presence of the Heavenly Father as opposed to going on to another saying of Jesus. The emphasis in this passage changes from a treatise on humility to one which emphasizes God’s care for those who are most helpless, his children.
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Reflection:
Taking the flow of celebrations in the Church over the days leading up to this date, it almost seems as if we have been building up to the memorial of Guardian Angels. We have celebrated the Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, and just yesterday the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. From divine messengers and Saints who invite us to be as children in accepting their divine aid, the Guardian Angels present themselves in this memorial, an angelic presence, reminding us that God cares for us all and is with us constantly.
It is an opportunity for us all to reflect upon this question: If Jesus tells us the Guardian Angels exist and are real (“I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father"), do we accept and believe that aid is at hand, or do we continue to fear, thinking we are alone, fighting against the world with only our own strength to protect us? After all, we do not see the angelic messengers. We do not observe them actively participating in our lives. Unlike their depiction in the movies, objects and people do not fly around, guided by the hosts of heaven.
Ultimately we are given God’s assurance that his messengers are here with us, that at once they face outward watching over us and inward, worshiping God and His Son in the Heavenly Kingdom. We are called once more today to have the faith of a child as we go about our day’s activities. We should also not forget all those times we have been rescued by our Guardian Angels. May we accept God’s angelic aid and feel the peace flowing from his Son on this day.
Reflection:
Taking the flow of celebrations in the Church over the days leading up to this date, it almost seems as if we have been building up to the memorial of Guardian Angels. We have celebrated the Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, and just yesterday the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. From divine messengers and Saints who invite us to be as children in accepting their divine aid, the Guardian Angels present themselves in this memorial, an angelic presence, reminding us that God cares for us all and is with us constantly.
It is an opportunity for us all to reflect upon this question: If Jesus tells us the Guardian Angels exist and are real (“I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father"), do we accept and believe that aid is at hand, or do we continue to fear, thinking we are alone, fighting against the world with only our own strength to protect us? After all, we do not see the angelic messengers. We do not observe them actively participating in our lives. Unlike their depiction in the movies, objects and people do not fly around, guided by the hosts of heaven.
Ultimately we are given God’s assurance that his messengers are here with us, that at once they face outward watching over us and inward, worshiping God and His Son in the Heavenly Kingdom. We are called once more today to have the faith of a child as we go about our day’s activities. We should also not forget all those times we have been rescued by our Guardian Angels. May we accept God’s angelic aid and feel the peace flowing from his Son on this day.
Pax
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