Feast of the Guardian Angels - October 2nd

"How great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it." – St. Jerome

According to St. Jerome as well as St. Thomas Aquinas, an angel takes watch over a person's body and soul at the very moment of birth.  All of us, whether we are saints or sinners, believers or skeptics, have guardian angels who:

• protect us from physical and spiritual harm;
• pray for us constantly before the throne of God;
• inspire us with good thoughts;
• incline us toward virtue;
• drive away evil;
• strengthen and console us in our sufferings;
• and eagerly await our prayers so that they may help us even more.

Today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Like many current feast days in the Church, this one was first celebrated locally in Austria, Spain and Portugal in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1608 Pope Paul V made it an official feast by placing it in the canon (the "official list"), and in 1670 Clement X declared it an "obligatory observance" for the universal church. It is one of two days in the liturgical calendar devoted just to the angels. The other is one we just recently celebrated, the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (September 29).

Attending Mass on this special day is, of course, the most wonderful way to honor our guardian friends. But there are other things we can do to show our love and respect as well:

• Say the Guardian Angel Prayer upon waking and before going to bed. (Pope John XXIII was known to say this prayer five times a day.)

        Angel of God
        My Guardian dear,
        To whom God's love
        Entrusts me here,
        Ever this day (or night)
        Be at my side,
        To light and guard
        To rule and guide.
        Amen.

• Meditate on all our angels do for us and how we can give them their due.

• Read about the angels. Here are some great online essays to get started.
  
      Our Guardian Angels by Fr. Joseph Ventura, C.P.
      The Role of Guardian Angels in Our Lives by Georges Huber
      Meditation for the Feast of the Guardian Angels, Pope John XXIII

• Teach our children about their guardian angels and then do something fun to commemorate the day, such as coloring an angel picture or two, writing an angel poem, making angel kisses together (see recipe at the end of post), baking an angel food cake, or having angel hair pasta for dinner.

• Finally, let's not forget them tomorrow! Of course we should give the angels special attention on their special day, but we have to make sure we give them our love, honor and respect every other day too. After all, it's not like they only watch over us on our birthdays.

Recipe for Angel Kisses

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet.

Whip the egg whites until frothy. Continue to beat while gradually adding the sugar and vanilla. When stiff peaks form, drop from a teaspoon onto the greased cookie sheet. Place in the oven and immediately turn the oven off. Keep the oven door closed for at least 2 hours. Then take them out and arrange the "angel kisses" on a plate and enjoy!

(From The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions for Children's Faith Formation, Beth Branigan McNamara, Sue Robinson, and Anne E. Neuberger)

St. Gregory and St. Michael at Hadrian's Tomb

St. Gregory the Great, like the recently blogged-about St. Bernard of Clairvaux, was a “super saint.” His virtues, heroic acts, teachings, writings, supernatural experiences, and, perhaps most importantly, his lasting impact on both the Church and secular culture today, have truly earned him the title “Great.”

On the anniversary of his death (March 12), I posted a story about “St. Gregory and the Beggar,” the beggar being an angel in disguise. Today on his feast day I would like to mention another angelic occurrence in the life of Gregory, this one featuring St. Michael.

In 590, a great plague struck Rome. When the stricken city had nearly reached its breaking point, Pope St. Gregory the Great united the people by preaching a sermon that filled them with hope and resolve. They were to bombard heaven with their prayers, declared Gregory, to such a degree that God and His Blessed Mother could not resist in ending the scourge. He rallied people from the seven corners of Rome and led them in procession through the streets as an act of penance, praying for forgiveness and atoning for sin. As the crowd reached the bridge of St. Peter’s, the miraculous occurred: St. Michael appeared in full view of the faithful over the tomb of Hadrian, sheathing his flaming sword to indicate the end of the plague. At the same moment, Saint Gregory heard angelic voices singing the antiphon, “Queen of Heaven, rejoice!”

To this day, the tomb of Hadrian in Rome is called the Castle of Sant’ Angelo, in memory of the visitation of Saint Michael and of the miraculous deliverance of the city from plague. A chapel was later built at the top of the tomb along with a large marble angel, which remained there for centuries until Pope Benedict XIV replaced the statue with a bronze one.

The custom of saying “God bless you” when someone has sneezed, and the making of the Sign of the Cross on the mouths of those who yawn, goes back to the days of Saint Gregory and the Roman plague. Because the disease typically ended in a spasm of sneezing or yawning, Gregory ordered that “God bless you” should be said to those who sneezed, and the blessing of the Sign of the Cross should be put on the mouths of those who yawned.

The Catholic Connection to Coffee

I wouldn't survive most mornings without coffee. I admit it, I'm an addict. I have been since my freshman year of college, when I decided that downing a cup or two of my parent's Maxwell House was better than sleeping through my 8:00 a.m. chemistry class. My grades soon thanked my wise choice, and I have ever since enjoyed a warm and comfy relationship with the dark and bitter brew. (I take mine black, thank you.)

 Several years back I came across an interesting tidbit of information about the Church's historical role in bringing coffee to the Western world. I did a little further digging and ended up writing a short article about it for Liguorian Magazine. I'm reprinting it here for all of my coffee drinking guests. Between all the latest research touting coffee's health benefits and this affirmation of coffee's, ahem, blessedness, all is good in java land. Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------

COFFEE -- THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION

by

Melaine Ryther

    He negotiated the Union of Brest in 1598, which brought the Ukrainian Church back in communion with Rome. He revised the breviary, forbade dueling, and promoted the forty hours devotion. Yet for many modern Catholics, the greatest achievement of Pope Clement VIII was allowing coffee to be introduced to the Western world.

    Long a part of Arab culture, coffee began finding its way into the West in the late 1500’s via Italian trade ships returning from Constantinople. The bitter elixir soon gained adherents among the populace in Venice and other port cities in Italy. Church officials in Rome, however, were wary of the dark drink. Fearing that coffee had been invented by Satan himself for the Muslim infidels, priests forbade the faithful to imbibe. They argued that if wine was the drink sanctified by Christ and used in Holy Communion, then coffee—the preferred beverage of the Muslims, who weren’t allowed to drink wine—must be the Antichrist’s brew.

    Into this ring of debate stepped Clement. Although known as a devout and spiritual Pope, Clement was not without his practical side. He spearheaded missionary efforts in the Far East, Persia, Mexico, and South America. He brought back into the Church schismatic Serbians and Ukranians. And, closer to home, he often visited hospitals, not only to comfort the sick, but to inspect the food that was being served.

    Having heard all the fuss about the devilish Turkish drink, Clement asked that a cup of it be brought to him. Onlookers held their breath as their beloved Pope first smelled, then sipped the exotic beverage. Would he die on the spot? Would the devil himself appear? Nothing quite so dramatic happened, of course. But after satisfying his palate, Clement did make a proclamation that was nonetheless surprising:

    “This Satan’s drink is so delicious,” Clement intoned, “that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall cheat Satan by baptizing it.” Clement further reasoned that it would be a larger sin to keep the drink from the Christian world.

    The on-the-spot blessing opened the floodgates for coffee imports to the West, paving the way for the first coffeehouses to open in Italy in 1645.

    It’s perhaps only fitting that the man to whom nine-to-fivers worldwide owe their gratitude started his career in a white collar setting himself—as a humble bank clerk in Fano, Italy.

Happy Valentine's Day

"What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them." - Sarah, age 7

St. Bernard on the Guardian Angels

St. Bernard of  Clairvaux (1090-1153) was one of the greatest preachers of all time. In fact, he became known as the Melifluous (“full of honey”) Doctor, because his words were so sweet. As previously noted, St. Bernard left us with a rich legacy of prayers, meditations, sermons, and teachings, particularly in regard to Mary and the angels. In honor of the Feast of the Guardian Angels, here are some angelic reflections from this great saint:

Be mindful then of these angelic princes when you go to pray or to sing the Psalms; stand with disciplined reverence and be proud that your angels continuously see the face of the Father. Since they are all spirits whose work is service, sent to help those who will be the heirs of salvation, they bear our prayers to God in heaven and return laden with graces for us.


In whatever lodging, in whatever nook or corner you may find yourself, cherish a reverence for your guardian angel. In his presence do not dare to do anything you would not do in mine. Or do you doubt his presence because you do not see him? Would it really help if you did hear him, or touch him, or smell him? Remember, there are realities whose existence has not been proven by mere sight.


With such bodyguards, what are we to fear? They can neither be subdued nor deceived; nor is there any possibility at all that they should go astray who are to guard us in all our ways. They are trustworthy, they are intelligent, they are strong — why, then, do we tremble? We need only to follow them, remain close to them, and we will dwell in the protection of the Most High God.


So as often as you sense the approach of any grave temptation or some crushing sorrow hangs over you, invoke your protector, your leader, your helper in every situation. Call out to him and say: Lord, save us, we are perishing.

Feast of the Archangels

Today is the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. The Church has a rich history-filled archive of devotions, prayers, practices, and liturgical traditions dedicated to these mighty spirits, and a simple Google search will yield a fantastic amount of information and devotions for personal prayer and meditation.

A few ideas for your consideration:

Read the Book of Tobit. It's one of the shorter books in the Bible and tells the fascinating and charming story of St. Raphael's appearance and guidance to Tobit's son Tobiah and his family.

Recite the Angelus in honor of St. Gabriel. This prayer reminds us of the important role this archangel played in the mystery of the Incarnation, and how Mary's simple response set into motion the greatest event the world has ever experienced.

Read and meditate on G.K. Chesterton's famous poem, "To St. Michael in Time of Peace" (see below), first published in 1929. It will renew your fervor and love toward this Prince of Angels.

Have a wonderful, angel-inspired day!


To St. Michael in Time of Peace

Michael, Michael: Michael of the Morning,
Michael of the Army of the Lord,
Stiffen thou the hand upon the still sword, Michael,
Folded and shut upon the sheathed sword, Michael,
Under the fullness of the white robes falling,
Gird us with the secret of the sword.

When the world cracked because of a sneer in heaven,
Leaving out for all time a scar upon the sky,
Thou didst rise up against the Horror in the highest,
Dragging down the highest that looked down on the Most High:
Rending from the seventh heaven the hell of exaltation
Down the seven heavens till the dark seas burn:
Thou that in thunder threwest down the Dragon
Knowest in what silence the Serpent can return.

Down through the universe the vast night falling
(Michael, Michael: Michael of the Morning!)
Far down the universe the deep calms calling
(Michael, Michael: Michael of the Sword!)
Bid us not forget in the baths of all forgetfulness,
In the sigh long drawn from the frenzy and the fretfulness
In the huge holy sempiternal silence
In the beginning was the Word.

A New School Year and a Lesson From St. Frances

The usual chaos and confusion that accompanies back-to-school week descended on our household right on schedule, this year bringing new and rather unpleasant surprises. For starters, my eight-year-old daughter, who is known to have, well, tear-duct emission issues (okay, she's a bit of a crybaby), came down with pneumonia two days before school started.

Now if there's any child in the world who needs to be there on the first day of a new school year, it's this one. How am I going to know what to do? Where to go? What side of my desk to put my pencil case in? As she asked these questions repeatedly between coughs, sneezes and wheezes, and as Day One loomed ever closer, I sensed panic coming on full bore. It hit her too, but cold medicine kept the edges dulled. Red wine helped with mine.

Well, Day One came and went. My daughter got well enough to go on Day Three, and all is well so far with her. (My teacher is so nice! I guess she was expecting Broom-Hilda.)

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

 

Today is the feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). St. Bernard was one of those “super saints” who comes along maybe once every century. A noted theologian, zealous Abbott, monastic reformer, papal advisor, schism mediator, gifted speaker, and inspirational writer, St. Bernard was officially proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1830. He is particularly known for his writings and sermons on Mary, and his Marian theology is still considered preeminent today.

“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal.”

St. Bernard also had a lot to say about the angels. Simple in style, but rich in substance, this quote should give us all pause to reflect:

“In whatever house, in whatever place you find yourself, respect your Angel, because he is present and is very close to you. Not only is he with you but he is there for you. He tries to protect you and be useful to you. With an Angel near you, what do you have to be afraid of? Your Angel cannot let himself be conquered or deceived. He is faithful; he is prudent; he is powerful: so why are you afraid? If you were lucky enough to see the veil fall from your eyes, you would see with how much attention, with how much solicitude the Angels are in the midst of those who pray, within those who meditate, over the bed of those who are resting, over the head of those who are ruling and governing.”

Simple Wisdom

St. Josemaria Escriva and a New Book on the Angels

Earlier this summer (June 26) the Church celebrated the feast day of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei. According to a new book published last year by the Vatican, The Angels: An Essential Guide, St. Josemaria was known for (among many other things, of course) his devotion to the angels.

"Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer was a devotee of the angels and when he entered in any church, he stood a moment. His associates knew the reason: he said he first let his angel pass and he would pass him."

The author of the book, Monsignor Marcello Stanzione, has written 40 books on the angels and is renowned as an "angel expert." Among other interesting tidbits in the book are his remarks regarding the modern popes and the angels. The famous Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, for example, was written by Pope Leo XIII. Pope John Paul II repeatedly said that he asked for his guardian angel's help on a daily basis. And his successor, Benedict XVI, has also publicly spoken about the angels and encouraged devotion to them.

Another point of interest, Msgr. Stanzione reminds us that the angels are examples to humankind. Unlike the fallen angels led by Lucifer, the good angels decided freely to follow God and do good. It's a decision that, ultimately, we all are called to make.

Unfortunately, The Angels: An Essential Guide only seems to be available in Italian. If anyone knows differently, please let me know.

Arrivederci!