PRAY TO YOUR GUARDIAN ANGELS

The Guardian Angel and his soul, with St Ursula and St Thomas, by Caravaggio, in the collection of the Prado

Today is the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. Our Angels are given to us by Almighty God to protect us from our own foolishness and from others. They have no other interest but to look after us; think about it, we do not make their life easy! It is good to get into the habit of speaking to them regularly, to treat them as the friends they are, to thank them for their care, and to ask them to walk with us through the trials of life, to walk with us in Death, and to lead us to the step of the Throne of Grace. The Church is silent about how many Angels each of us has to guard us, some say one, the Dominican tradition teaches two, one to protect us and one to protect other people from us. Others say we may each have four.

The following prayer, originally composed as a Novena, may fruitfully be used as a daily prayer to our Guardian Angels.

O HOLY ANGELS, whom God, 

by the effect of His goodness 

and His tender regard for my welfare, 

has charged with the care of my conduct, 

and who assist me in all my wants 

and comfort me in all my afflictions, 

who support me when I am discouraged 

and continually obtain for me new favours, 

I return you profound thanks, 

and I earnestly beseech you, 

O most amiable protectors, 

to continue your charitable care and defense of me 

against the malignant attacks of all my enemies. 

Keep me away from all occasions of sin. 

Obtain for me the grace of listening attentively 

to your holy inspirations 

and of faithfully putting them into practice. 

In particular, I implore you to obtain for me 

the favour for which I ask. 

[Here mention your need.]

Protect me in all the temptations and trials of this life, 

but more especially at the hour of my death, 

and do not leave me until you have conducted me 

into the presence of my Creator  

in the mansions of everlasting happiness. Amen.

Holy Guardian Angels, protect us.