Holy Guardian Angels

Today we remember the guardian angels, and the idea behind this feast is very ancient. Christian devotion to the angels comes from Judaism and began to develop with monasticism; as early as the fourth century, altars were being built in their honor. The feast as we know it was first celebrated by the Franciscans in 1500, as a local observance; in 1607 Paul V put it on the Roman calendar, and later it was set on October 2. The foundation tradition points to is a saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, about children: “their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father.” And there’s an episode in the Acts of the Apostles that has a comedy all its own: Peter, freed from prison, knocks at the door of the house where his friends are praying for him; the servant girl recognizes his voice and runs to tell them, and the others don’t believe her and answer “it must be his angel” — while Peter keeps on knocking. The prayer “Angel of God, my guardian dear” is, in Italy, the first one people learn and often the only one they remember by heart all their lives. The month of October is dedicated to the Virgin and, along with her, to the guardian angels. If your name is Angelo or Angela, today is your name day.