Guardian Angels

[Thomas2618]

I went to church with my parents to First Baptist today and the sermon was based off of the passage from Genesis about Jacob's ladder. Started me thinking:
1. What is the Church's official standpoint on guardian angels?

2. What are your thoughts on Angels that help us through dangerous or low points in our life?

3. What experience has anyone had with what they think might be an Guardian Angel moment.

(I must add here that I love the movie, "City of Angels", even if it doesn't have a Christian standpoint on it...It was a very very emotionally moving movie.)

[gitlance]

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy angels always serve and worship thee in heaven, so by thy appointment they may help and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


O God, who hast brought us near to an innumerable company of angels and to the spirits of just men made perfect: Grant us during our earthly pilgrimage to abide in their fellowship, and in our heavenly country to become partakers of their joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying...


Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name...


Countless throngs of angels stand before you to serve you night and day; and, beholding the glory of your presence, they offer you unceasing praise. Joining with them, and giving voice to every creature under heaven, we acclaim you, and glorify your Name, as we sing...


May angels surround him, and saints welcome him in peace.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother ...


Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tomb.

The Sun of Righteousness is gloriously risen, giving light to those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death.

The Lord will guide our feet into the way of peace, having taken away the sin of the world.

Christ will open the kingdom of heaven to all who believe in his Name, saying, Come, O blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you. Into paradise may the angels lead thee; and at thy coming may the martyrs receive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem.


Lord God, hear us. Sanctify this Table dedicated to you. Let it be to us a sign of the heavenly Altar where you saints and angels praise you for ever. Accept here the continual recalling of the sacrifice of your Son. Grant that all who eat and drink at this holy Table may be fed and refreshed by his flesh and blood, be forgiven for their sins, united with one another, and strengthened for your service. Blessed be your Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; now and for endless ages. Amen.

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Naomi4Christ]

I always thing of angels as God's workers, helping out in many areas of life - and I believe they exist and are hard at work today.

I don't really have a point of view on 'guardian angels'. Is it even a biblical concept?

[Thomas2618]

Thank you, gitlance...those are beautiful prayers. However, when I read them (maybe with exception to the first one) my understanding is that each prayer placed the Angels only in heaven...which is the aspect of Angels I understand. But what I meant to ask is about something along the lines of an Angel stepping between a car and a child to soften the blow or stories that you hear like that...

[Fish and Bread]

I don't really have a point of view on 'guardian angels'. Is it even a biblical concept?

During his commisioning of the 12 tribes of Israel near the end of the Book of Genesis, Jacob refers to "my [aka his] angel". In one of the Gospel, Jesus said each of God's little children have an angel watching over them in heaven. Now, if we want to be hyperliteral about those statements, it's possible that only Old Testament prophets (Or specifically just Jacob) and Christians who have not yet reached adulthood have angels. However, for want of any evidence to the contrary, I think the more likely interpretation is that everyone has an angel assigned to them and that Jesus meant "children" in the sense that we're all children of the Father (God).

John

[Naomi4Christ]

Thanks, John

[svdbygrace]

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy angels always serve and worship thee in heaven, so by thy appointment they may help and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


O God, who hast brought us near to an innumerable company of angels and to the spirits of just men made perfect: Grant us during our earthly pilgrimage to abide in their fellowship, and in our heavenly country to becomepartakers of their joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying...


Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name...


Countless throngs of angels stand before you to serve you night and day; and, beholding the glory of your presence, they offer you unceasing praise. Joining with them, and giving voice to every creature under heaven, we acclaim you, and glorify your Name, as we sing...


May angels surround him, and saints welcome him in peace.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother ...


Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tomb.

The Sun of Righteousness is gloriously risen, giving light to those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death.

The Lord will guide our feet into the way of peace, having taken away the sin of the world.

Christ will open the kingdom of heaven to all who believe in his Name, saying, Come, O blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you. Into paradise may the angels lead thee; and at thy coming may the martyrs receive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem.


Lord God, hear us. Sanctify this Table dedicated to you. Let it be to us a sign of the heavenly Altar where you saints and angels praise you for ever. Accept here the continual recalling of the sacrifice of your Son. Grant that all who eat and drink at this holy Table may be fed and refreshed by his flesh and blood, be forgiven for their sins, united with one another, and strengthened for your service. Blessed be your Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; now and for endless ages. Amen.

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

:thumbsup:

[svdbygrace]

Well, I think the concept comes from Psalm 91:11

"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

[AngCath]

Deut. 32:8: When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.

Matt 18:10: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

just 2 verses indicating that individuals and peoples have angels.

an Orthodox prayer:
O Angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me of everything I have done to offend you every day, and protect me from all influence and temptation of the evil one. May I never offend God by my sin. Pray for me to the Lord, that He may make me worthy of the grace of the All-holy Trinity, and of the Most Blessed Theotokos, and of all the Saints. Amen.