Religious Education

Guardian Angels: God's Loving Care

The month of October is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Rosary in the Catholic Church but it is also widely celebrated for its rich lineup of major saint feast days.  These include St Therese of Lisieux on October the 1st, St Francis of Assisi on the 4th, St Carlos Acutis on the 12th and St John Paul 2 on October the 22nd.

On the 2nd of October,  we celebrate a feast honoring the angelic protectors assigned by God to every person - The Guardian Angels.  

The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Guardian Angels, reminding us of God’s loving care and the special role angels have in His plan for us.

Angels are spiritual beings created by God. They are not human beings who have died, and we do not turn into angels when we die. Rather, angels are distinct from human beings, created by God to serve Him and carry out His will. Throughout the Bible, angels appear as messengers of God, bringing news, offering guidance and protection, and helping people recognise God’s presence in their lives.  Though few are named in the Bible, one that we do know of is the Angel Gabriel, who was sent by God to Mary to announce that she would conceive and give birth to a son named Jesus.

The Catholic Church teaches that God gives each of us a guardian angel to watch over us and guide us towards Him. Although we cannot see our guardian angels, we can trust in God’s loving presence and remember that He never leaves us alone.  Scripture reminds us of this beautiful promise. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10). In Psalm 91:11, we read, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” These passages remind us of God’s care for His people and the protective role of the angels.

Our guardian angels do not take away every difficulty or make our choices for us. Rather, they remind us of God’s presence and help us turn towards what is good, loving and right. We can ask our guardian angels to pray for us, guide us in making good choices and help us to be kind and thoughtful towards others.

At St Patrick’s, we can encourage our children to remember their guardian angels in their daily prayers, especially when they feel worried, afraid or unsure. Just as God watches over us, we are also called to look after one another, showing kindness, compassion and care in our classrooms, playgrounds and homes.

A beautiful way to celebrate this feast day is to pray together the traditional Guardian Angel Prayer:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,

To whom God’s love commits me here,

Ever this day, be at my side,

To light and guard, to rule and guide.

Amen.

May the Feast of the Guardian Angels remind us that we are precious to God, surrounded by His love and never alone on our journey of faith.

Kathryn Ady

Religious Education Leader