"Angel Days" Are Almost Here

Every day, of course, is a day to remember our guardian angel—to ask for help, guidance, and inspiration, and to honor the heavenly companion God has given each of us. But just as we might make a birthday a little (or a lot) more special for a loved one, we give our angels a special honoring on their feast day, October 2. Even before that happy day, the Church honors the "big names"—Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael—on the Feast of the Archangels, September 29.

Just a friendly reminder that one way to "celebrate" angel days is by reading about them. And I, ahem, have just the book. 

Newly revised and expanded, Partners in Holiness: Guardian Angels in the Lives of the Saints tells the stories of ten men and women whose lives were graced by the visible presence of their guardian angels. From saints of old like Gregory the Great and Frances of Rome to modern saints like Faustina Kowalska and Padre Pio, this book takes the reader on a journey through time and space as it presents the many amazing ways angels interacted with their human charges. Filled with teachings, anecdotes, prayers, and devotions, it's a book for all ages to enjoy and benefit from.

Partners in Holiness is available at all your favorite online booksellers.

How to Get Closer to Your Guardian Angel: Tips from Blessed Carlo Acutis

 

From early childhood, Blessed Carlo Acutis displayed a deep interest in angels. He had vivid and concrete experiences of his guardian angel’s help from a very young age—encounters that strengthened both his faith and fascination with these heavenly beings.

The young Italian, who is soon to be canonized, even gave his guardian angel a name: Gabriel. In his view, the angel bore a resemblance to the famous Smiling Angel of Reims Cathedral.

Read the original article, written by Aline Iaschine and posted on Aleteia, here.

The Nativity of Mary - St. Anselm's Prayer

 

Ancient Prayer In Honour of Our Lady’s Nativity by St. Anselm

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O sacred Virgin; give me strength against thine enemies, and against the enemy of the whole human race. Give me strength humbly to pray to thee. Give me strength to praise thee in prayer with all my powers, through the merits of thy most sacred nativity, which for the entire Christian world was a birth of joy, the hope and solace of its life.

When thou wast born, O most holy Virgin, then was the world made light.

Happy is thy stock, holy thy root, and blessed thy fruit, for thou alone as a virgin, filled with the Holy Spirit, didst merit to conceive thy God, as a virgin to bear Thy God, as a virgin to bring Him forth, and after His birth to remain a virgin.

Have mercy therefore upon me a sinner, and give me aid, O Lady, so that just as thy nativity, glorious from the seed of Abraham, sprung from the tribe of Juda, illustrious from the stock of David, didst announce joy to the entire world, so may it fill me with true joy and cleanse me from every sin.

Pray for me, O Virgin most prudent, that the gladsome joys of thy most helpful nativity may put a cloak over all my sins.

O holy Mother of God, flowering as the lily, pray to thy sweet Son for me, a wretched sinner.

A Mother's Prayer to Her Children's Guardian Angels

 

I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company.

Amen.

The Incredible Final Journey of Father Mike

 

Dr. John Lerma, in his book Into the Light: Real Life Stories About Angelic Visits, Visions of the Afterlife, and Other Pre-Death Experiences, recounts his interactions with an elderly priest he identifies only as “Fr. Mike.” It is a fascinating story for all of us, particularly as we enter the season of Lent with penance and reparation on our minds.

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Fr. Mike was a Catholic priest dying of severe neck and head cancer at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston. He was missing an eye from the cancer and suffering intense pain, yet he refused any pain medication. Dr. Lerma, his attending physician, recalled Fr. Mike instructing him on the Catholic group Opus Dei's beliefs about pain and suffering. Fr. Mike felt his suffering would help countless souls worldwide, including other hospice patients. Though it went against his medical training, Dr. Lerma honored Fr. Mike's desire to feel his pain raw and unmodified.

 Despite describing his pain as unbearable, Fr. Mike maintained a joyful spirit, insisting he felt only love for God. He spoke of seeing angels dressed in white and said they were working on projects to spread optimism globally. Fr. Mike believed focusing too much on negative news darkens the soul and “puts us in a position to develop fear and judgment of others.” He also talked frequently about unconditional love and said random acts of kindness could stop wars and change the world. He cautioned that technology without God could destroy humanity but could also be a great good if controlled by people who were close to Christ. He saw prayer, knowledge, self-sacrifice, love, and joy as the keys to life.

 When Fr. Mike slipped into a coma, Dr. Lerma described him as glowing with incredible peace despite a racing heartbeat and labored breathing. On the day of his death a few days later, an ominous storm raged over the region, with the worst of it, it seemed, right over the hospital. When Dr. Lerma arrived in the hospice wing after being paged about Fr. Mike's passing, the lights were flickering on and off, yet there was “an incredible sense of peace in the midst of the chaos.” The nurse and secretary said they saw a bright light shine from Fr. Mike's room, making them think that the overhead lights were coming back on. But the most incredible event that happened, and which was witnessed by all, was that each time the lights pulsed, feathers fluttered down from the ceiling like snowflakes, vanishing as soon as they landed. Attending nurses also said they saw a glowing orb exit the priest’s body, circle the bed, and fly away. Moments later, the lights came back on.

 When Dr. Lerma went into the priest’s room, Fr. Mike still wore a striking smile, his palms were open, and he seemed downright blissful in death. Later, the dean of the Catholic university where Fr. Mike was once the president, reported similar electrical disturbances and falling feathers at their offices right around the time those things were happening at the hospital. The dean noted Fr. Mike had collected feathers from around the world throughout his life and kept them in a jar in his office. After the disturbances were over, the dean went to the priest’s office and discovered that the jar of feathers was empty.

Homilies and the Heavenly Hosts

 

Ángel lamparero, Benito de Hita y Castillo.jpg

It has long been a practice of many priests in the Church to call on their guardian angel for assistance before preaching or giving a sermon. St. Francis de Sales would greet the guardian angels of all those at Mass so that they might help him to preach in a way that would inspire the faithful to holiness and conversion. Dominican preachers were also known to begin their sermons by silently praying to the guardian angels of their listeners, seeking their intercession so that their words would have a real impact.

In an interview in which he discussed his belief in the need to revive the practice of private devotions, particularly devotion to the angels, Fr. Basil Cole, OP, Professor Emeritus at the Dominican House of Studies, recalled an interesting personal experience that drew on the traditions of his predecessors.

During a parish mission, Father Cole prayed to the angels of his congregants before delivering his prepared homily. To his surprise, the sermon he delivered deviated considerably from his original outline. However, the impact was profound. Penitents lined up for the sacrament of reconciliation afterward, attributing their presence to the sermon they heard. “I'm here,” said one person after another, “because of that sermon.”

Since that experience, Father Cole has consistently sought the assistance of the angels before teaching or preaching. He is certain that it improves the effectiveness of his ministry.

So, if you find yourself particularly inspired by the next homily you hear, it could be partly the doing of your guardian angel.

Beware of "Spirit Guides" . . .

 

. . . they may not be who they say they are.

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"The Catholic Church has long taught that each of us has a guardian angel to guide us throughout our lives on our way to God's Kingdom. In a demonic inversion of the sacred, some occultists posit that you have a personal spirit or a spirit guide."

In his latest blog post on The Exorcist Diary, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti reminds us to be ever vigilant of deceptive spirits, and to never try to communicate with our guardian angel via New Age or occult practices.

Read the whole post here.

Angels and Exorcisms

 

Domenico Ghirlandaio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It's comforting to reflect on how the angels are always with us in all our needs and circumstances. In his latest blog post, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti tells us how comforting and beneficial it is to him and his deliverance team to have angelic defenders present at exorcisms. 

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Exorcist Diary #237: Angelic Powers in an Exorcism

One of our afflicted persons has been particularly violent in sessions and needs strong restraints. At one point, he managed to break free and started to swing his arms wildly. The exorcist was justly alarmed and prayed aloud: "I ask the holy angels to restraint this man until we can secure him!" Immediately, his arms dropped to his side and remained motionless until he was restrained again. After being restrained, he again began to thrash, but was safely secured.

A particularly gifted individual told us that we have at least one angel from the angelic ranks of Powers at each of our exorcism sessions . . .
Read the entire post here.

Help For Financial Curses

Demons will try to take everything from you ... including your money. In this fascinating blog post repeated below, exorcist Msgr. Stephen Rossetti shares wisdom and warnings about the demonic and financial curses.

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Exorcist Diary #226: Financially Cursed

A man's cry for help to us caught my eye. He said:

"I own my own business. Large amounts of money come through but

I can never keep any of it. If it looks like I will have a little profit from a job,

something unexpected will ALWAYS pop up and take it, like a vehicle breaking

down, even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with it before. Recently a

customer wanted to pay their final payment with a credit card. I have three

different credit card systems, each under different companies, but the day I went

to collect the payment none of them would work...."

These were just a few of his examples. He had many more!

Read the entire post here.

An Exorcism in 1907

 

From Catholic Exchange:

"They carry enormous weights that two men could hardly lift (the girls are about sixteen years old). They understand Latin while in their fits, and they even speak it sometimes. They reveal the secret sins of the school children, etc. Sometimes they are lifted off the ground in spite of the sisters holding them. A few days before, while the sisters were holding Germana, she shouted, “I am on fire!” The sisters withdrew and saw the girl’s dress ablaze. Another time, her bed began to burn also, although there was no fire nearby. And so on . . ."

Read the entire article at Catholic Exchange >>

St.Michael, Prince of Angels

 

From Mary's Blog:

"During the summer just past, I was rudely awoken one night by a strong stench of burning. The air around my bed seemed heavy and thick with particles of scorched earth. In my sleepiness, I thought that someone had left a pot of earth-encrusted potatoes on the boil too long and that their muddy skins were now burning. But as I tried to move from bed, the smell of earth-on-fire came at me with a violent power that pushed me backwards and I wondered how I could even raise my voice to cry out that something was on fire. Then the ferocity of the stench struck me as not being of a natural origin and I realized that it was a variety of demonic attack and my soul shrieked, HOLY MICHAEL, PRAY FOR ME . . ."

Read more at Mary's Blog >>

An Angel in Chattanooga?

 

Photo by Fabrizio Rinaldi (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

"Was it . . . an angel?

One of the most incredible accounts I’ve heard involved a Christian chemist named Vincent Tan Ban Soon, who emigrated from Singapore. He was working in a laboratory late the night of March 25, 1993, this in Tennessee, and about 1:30 a.m., as he readied to leave, he happened to look out the door and spot a man standing next to his car, on the passenger side.

It was a tough part of town, known for its crime . . ."

Read more at SpiritDaily.com>>

St. John Henry Newman and the Angels

Newly canonized Cardinal John Henry Newman had an extraordinary devotion to the holy angels. In Sermon Notes he wrote:

“Many wonderful things in this world, but an angel more wonderful than all. If a creature so wonderful, what the Creator?”

In 1853, he wrote a beautiful poem to his guardian angel. Please take a minute to read it, with a prayerful attitude if possible. Your angel will be glad you did.


“Guardian Angel”

MY oldest friend, mine from the hour
When first I drew my breath;
My faithful friend, that shall be mine,
Unfailing, till my death;

No beating heart in holy prayer,
No faith, inform’d aright,
Gave me to Joseph’s tutelage,
Or Michael’s conquering might.

Nor patron Saint, nor Mary’s love,
The dearest and the best,
Has known my being, as thou hast known,
And blest, as thou hast blest.

Thou wast my sponsor at the font;
And thou, each budding year,
Didst whisper elements of truth
Into my childish ear.

And when, ere boyhood yet was gone,
My rebel spirit fell,
Ah! thou didst see, and shudder too,
Yet bear each deed of Hell.

And then in turn, when judgments came,
And scared me back again,
Thy quick soft breath was near to soothe
And hallow every pain.

Oh! who of all thy toils and cares
Can tell the tale complete,
To place me under Mary’s smile,
And Peter’s royal feet!

And thou wilt hang about my bed,
When life is ebbing low;
Of doubt, impatience, and of gloom,
The jealous sleepless foe.

Mine, when I stand before the Judge;
And mine, if spared to stay
Within the golden furnace, till
My sin is burn’d away.

And mine, O Brother of my soul,
When my release shall come;
Thy gentle arms shall lift me then,
Thy wings shall waft me home.

(The Oratory, 1853).

St. Apollonia (check out the pincers!)

Creative Commons license CC BY 4.0 

St. Apollonia

The Martyrology reads: "At Alexandria the holy virgin Apollonia—under the Emperor Decius (249-251) her teeth were beaten out; then the executioners built and lit a funeral pyre, and threatened to burn her alive unless she would repeat their blasphemies. After some reflection she suddenly tore herself loose from her tormentors and threw herself into the flames. The fire of the Holy Spirit that glowed within her was more intense than the burning pyre. Her executioners were astounded to see a weak woman willingly embracing death with such determination before they were ready to carry out their threats."

The saint was already well on in years. An account of St. Apollonia's martyrdom was written by Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria (died 265), a contemporary. She is honored as the patroness against toothache.

Apollonia, it might seem, committed suicide. Her act was used by the ancients as proof that it is permitted to escape dishonor or persecution through voluntary death. But the most authoritative moralists, including Saint Augustine, declare that even in such cases suicide is not permitted, and seek to justify Apollonia's heroic act by assuming that she acted according to a special mandate from God; without such a divine injunction no one is allowed to follow her example. The saints are not to be imitated on every point.

— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Dentists, tooth disease, toothache.

Symbols: Deaconess holding a set of pincers which often holds a tooth; gilded tooth; pincers grabbing a tooth; pincers; tooth and a palm branch; tooth; woman wearing a golden tooth on a chain.

Things to Do:

• Pray to St. Apollonia for a courageous and holy death. The elderly especially may beseech her to strengthen their faith as they weaken and approach death.

St. John Bosco's Guardian Angel Advice

"Take courage and pray; your guardian angel will also pray for you, and your prayers will be answered. Pray to your guardian angel. Invoke his aid if you should find yourself in any serious danger of body or soul, and I assure you that he will help and protect you."

St. John Bosco and the Big Gray Dog

On various occasions throughout his life, St. John Bosco found himself aided by a mysterious, yet gentle and loyal, large gray dog. The dog would appear unbidden when St. John was passing through dangerous neighborhoods, traveling on foot through the dark countryside, or, most famously, once when attacked by thugs. (The dog chased the thugs away after giving them a good scare with his not-so-little teeth.) St. John called his intermittent companion Il Grigio, Italian for "The Gray One."

A mysteriously as he appeared, the dog would trot away after accomplishing his duty. Not once did St. John ever see the dog take food or water. And on at least one occasion, the dog somehow disappeared from a cottage in which all the doors and windows were shut.

St. John had no doubt as to the origin of his furry friend: "It sounds ridiculous to call him an angel, yet he is no ordinary dog." Indeed, the saint firmly believed that had it not been for the big gray dog, his work would have been severely hindered, if not stopped altogether.

John Bosco, of course, went on to institute and organize the Salesians, a religious order for men and women under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales. Il Grigio reportedly retained a fondness for the Salesians long after John Bosco left the world. Between 1893 and 1930, sisters of the Salesian order testified that they had received the gray dog's protection on at least three separate occasions.

(A summary of information from Partners in Holiness: Guardian Angels in the Lives of the Saints)

Aquinas on the Angels

 

Thomas Aquinas was known as, among other things, the "Angelic Doctor.” He wrote extensively about the nature and mission of the angels in his masterpiece, The Summa Theologica, devoting a substantial part of his massive tome to them.

In keeping with the nature of this blog (i.e., easy to read and digest), I thought I'd post a "Top Ten List" of some of St. Thomas' points about the angels from the Summa.

These tidbits aren't arranged in any particular order, nor do they purport in any way to adequately represent the whole of St. Thomas's teachings on the angels. Nonetheless, I think there's enough here for us mere mortals to ponder and appreciate for quite some time And if the spirit should move you to further scholarship, you can read the good Doctor's entire discussion of celestial beings at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 

So, here we go:

1.  The angels were created in heaven. And it is fitting that creatures of the most perfect nature should be created in the most noble place.

2.  Angels were created in grace, and by using this grace in their first act of charity (which is the friendship and love of God) they merited the beatific vision and heavenly beatitude.

3.  God gives the angels their knowledge of things when he brings them into existence . . .Each receives what is fitting and necessary for its status and the service it is to render, and therefore some angels know more than others.

4.  Angels manifest knowledge to one another, and to this extent they "speak" to one another. But the speech of angels is not a matter of sounds or of uttered words. The speech of angels is a direct communication of knowledge from spirit to spirit.

5.  The faithful angels are a greater multitude than the fallen angels. For sin is contrary to the natural order.

6.  Angels, good or bad, can do wonderful things, but only such as lie within the power of angelic nature, and a miracle surpasses the powers of all created natures.

7.  Superior rules inferior; hence angels rule the bodily world. St. Gregory says that in this visible world nothing occurs without the agency of invisible creatures.

8.  God sends angels to minister to his purposes among bodily creatures . . . Angels sent in the external ministry are those whose names indicate some kind of administrative or executive office. These are, in descending rank, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels.

9.  Each human being, without exception, has a guardian angel . . . In heaven a man will have an angel companion to reign with him, but not a guardian; no guardian is needed when the guarded journey has been successfully completed. In hell, each man will have a fallen angel to punish him.

10.  An angel can illume the thought and mind of man by strengthening the power of vision, and by bringing within his reach some truth which the angel himself contemplates.


(The above translation and wording is courtesy of A Tour of the Summa by Msgr. Paul J. Glenn, Tan Books and Publishers.)

Feast of St. Francis de Sales

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." St Francis de Sales

Behold Our God

Mother Teresa's Express Novena

Mother Teresa was known for many things, not the least of which was her intense devotion to Mary. Rarely was she seen without a rosary woven around her fingers, Miraculous Medals at the ready to pass out to friends and strangers, and a prayer on her lips in praise or petition. Many times this prayer was the Memorare, one of Mother Teresa’s favorite invocations to the Blessed Virgin. A popular story about Mother Teresa is how, when faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, she immediately turned to Mary for help by praying an “express novena” of nine Memorares. And then a tenth in thanksgiving for favors received, such was her faith and trust.

Did it work? Well, those who worked with Mother Teresa were constantly in awe of how she seemed to always get what she wanted one way or another. Whether it was by appearing in person at the residence of a rich benefactor, influencing a powerful leader with carefully chosen words, or storming heaven with her prayers, Mother Teresa didn’t take no for an answer.

When I first heard about the express novena (also known as the “emergency novena”), I was intrigued enough to search the Web for stories about it. What I found was remarkable, and I urge you, dear readers, to do the same. There are countless testimonies out there that speak of the power of this devotion. And I am happy to say that I now count myself as a member of that camp. About a year ago I faced a personal crisis that led me to Mother Teresa’s emergency novena. I prayed it in my car on a cold February morning with as much fervor as I could muster given my depressed state of mind. Long story short, my crisis passed and my cloud lifted. While skeptics could claim it would have with or without the novena, I have no doubt our Mother in Heaven was looking out for me. Twice more this year I have had to turn to the novena for help. And twice more Mary has come to my aid. If anyone asks me if Mother Teresa’s express novena works, I will unequivocally say yes.

The Memorare is a beautiful prayer usually accredited to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, but its origins are actually unknown. The first manuscript of the Memorare appeared in 1489 as part of a longer prayer. It was popularized in the 17th century by a French cleric, Fr. Claude Bernard (perhaps the similarity in names is why it’s associated with St. Bernard), who taught it as part of his ministry to hospitals and prisons.

Regardless of who wrote it or where it came from, the Memorare is a treasure of our Catholic faith and should be taught to every child as early as possible. With child-like confidence let us return to it in our time of need.

The Memorare Express Novena

State your intention and recite the Memorare nine times.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.