†Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs. St. Francis de Sales
- - - Today's Meditation“St. Luke tells us that “there appeared to Him [in the Garden of Gethsemane] an angel from heaven to strengthen him” (22:43). It was an angel in human form, as the expression used by St. Luke indicates an apparition visible to bodily eyes. An angel announced Christ’s coming into the world, a choir of angels proclaimed His birth, and after the temptation in the desert, angels came to minister to Him. The angels who ministered to Jesus came to assist Him after the trial of the forty days’ fast and the temptation. In Gethsemane an angel appeared in order to strengthen Him in advance for the awful climax of His mental anguish in the agony and bloody sweat. Jesus’ sufferings were concentrated in His soul, but from the soul they overflowed to the body, distressing and weakening it. It is likely, therefore, that the angel brought Jesus strength for both soul and body.” —Fr. Ralph Gorman, C.P.
Daily Verse †The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will! ▪ Psalm 103:19-21
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EWTN Daily Saint
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Guardian AngelsPatron Saint of: Protection, children, and travelers
Feast Day: October 2 October 2nd is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Although Guardian Angels have been venerated since the early days of the Church, it wasn’t until the 17th century that Pope Clement X extended their feast day to the Universal Church. Although not a dogmatic article of the faith, it is a firmly established Catholic belief that each individual human being has their own Guardian Angel assigned to them by God to watch over their soul, help them avoid sin and temptation, and lead them to heaven, taken in part from Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” The Church thanks God for our heavenly helpers, the Guardian Angels, who minister to us in our need and guide us on the path of salvation.
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Memorial of the Holy Guardian AngelsLectionary: 459/650 The Gospel for this memorial is proper. Reading 1Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5 The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning
and shown the dawn its place
For taking hold of the ends of the earth,
till the wicked are shaken from its surface?
The earth is changed as is clay by the seal,
and dyed as though it were a garment;
But from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm of pride is shattered. Have you entered into the sources of the sea,
or walked about in the depths of the abyss?
Have the gates of death been shown to you,
or have you seen the gates of darkness?
Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all:
Which is the way to the dwelling place of light,
and where is the abode of darkness,
That you may take them to their boundaries
and set them on their homeward paths?
You know, because you were born before them,
and the number of your years is great! Then Job answered the LORD and said: Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;
though twice, I will do so no more. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way. AlleluiaPsalm 103:21 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelMatthew 18:1-5, 10 The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: Matthew 18:1-5, 10Their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. (Matthew 18:10) As the last light slipped from the sky, the young man—alone on a hunting trip—realized that he was lost and cold in the dense woods. Suddenly another hunter whom he did not know emerged from the darkness. You lost, kid? Follow me. After a series of twists and turns, the man pointed out a path in the distance. Your cabin is just down there and across that footbridge. When the young man turned to thank him, his guide had vanished. Convinced that he had met his guardian angel, he treasured the story and told his children and grandchildren about the night he was rescued by his heavenly helper. Many people can tell stories like this: stories that describe miraculous protection from danger or guidance when hope seemed lost. Especially on today’s feast of the Guardian Angels, these stories can help us understand how much God treasures us. Jesus says that everyone has an angelic protector who is always in the presence of God (Matthew 18:10). That’s how much our heavenly Father treasures us! He gives each of us a heavenly guide who is completely committed to helping us on our journey to our heavenly home. As in the young hunter’s story above, our guardian angels protect us from external dangers. But that’s not all. In addition to sharing God’s concern for our physical safety, they also share his concern for our eternal future. And so they accompany us during hard times and help us fix our eyes on the One who will one day call us home. Considering the lengths to which the Lord went to rescue us from sin and death, how much more does he—and all of heaven with him—work to bring us into his kingdom! The guardian angels remind us that God loves each of us more than we can possibly know. He cares for us, and he has assigned us a perfect, pure spirit to assist us as we make our way in the dimness, over the footpath, on the way home. “Father, I can hardly imagine all the ways you care for me. Thank you for the angels you send to watch over me and my loved ones.” Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5
Psalm 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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From today's Holy Gospel:"“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”"
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From Roberto Juarez: "… Today Jesus says to us again: "Go". Go to your family, to your work, to your environments, to those who need hope and proclaim, above all with your life: "The Kingdom of God is near you". Let us ask the Lord to take away our fear of evangelizing, to grant us humility so as not to proclaim ourselves, to give us meekness so as not to impose, to give us poverty of spirit to trust in him and to make us instruments of his peace. Because the harvest is still abundant. And Christ continues to need disciples ready to set out on a journey." end quote.
From bro. Adrian:
A quick search about our Lord and Angels:
Key Biblical Events Involving Angels and Jesus are, • Birth and Infancy: Angels announced His birth to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and filled the sky with a "multitude of the heavenly host" praising God (Luke 2:13–14). • After the Wilderness Temptation: Following His 40 days of fasting and temptation by Satan in the desert, "angels came and ministered to him" (Matthew 4:11), providing food and care. • In the Garden of Gethsemane: Right before His arrest, "an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him" while He prayed in deep anguish (Luke 22:43). • Potential Protection: During His arrest, Jesus noted that He could call upon "more than twelve legions of angels" from His Father if He chose to do so (Matthew 26:53). • The Resurrection: Angels rolled away the stone from His tomb and announced to the women that He had risen (Matthew 28:2–7). And to top things off, our Lord says we all have an angel with us that looks to the face of Our Father in Heaven. What are the deep implications of this?'
A quick search says that:
Based on Matthew 18:10, Jesus' statement that the angels of ordinary believers or children always see the face of the Father establishes profound theological and practical implications: • Infinite Worth of Every Believer: Human value is not measured by societal status, power, or wealth, but by how deeply God cares for each soul, as reflected in the Catholic Daily Reflections. • A Serious Warning Against Scorn: Mistreating, mocking, or causing a humble believer to stumble invites the direct displeasure of God, because those individuals are under high-ranking heavenly protection according to insights from Desiring God. • Constant Connection to God: Guardian angels maintain simultaneous or instantaneous access to the presence of God while ministering on earth, meaning believers are never truly cut off or defenseless against spiritual attacks as noted in resources like Emmanuel Lutheran and Friar Musings. • High-Ranking Intercession: In Jewish and Christian tradition, angels who "see the face" of a ruler belong to the highest court; having such attendants implies that even the lowest person on earth has a direct line of advocacy in the courts of heaven To wrap things up, then why do bad things still happen to us?
Why do we trip and fall?
Why do we get lost?
Why are people getting hurt and hurting each other all the time?
The answer is simple. Free will. And, God's will among us. Saint Padre Pio had a strong relationship with his guardian angel and even our Lord Jesus too.
But one night, Padre Pio was visited by demons, and was beat up, bad. And this, on more than one occasion, to which Padre Pio approached his angel and asked why he was not stepping in to help. The angel said that our Father had allowed this to be.
Why? God permits demons to attack Padre Pio because He desires him to share in the suffering and anguish of Christ (such as in the desert, the garden, and on the Cross) to achieve greater holiness. Sounds backwards…but really, the world has everything backwards. Just look and see people's priorities. They say it is God, but not true.
Pay attention on Sunday's Gospel where two sons are asked to work at a vineyard. One says no. The other says yes. But they were backwards. The one who said no, changed his mind and went to work. The other said yes, but never went to work.
I asked the class….to end it, "could it be that we say we are Christ followers but aren't doing what He says?" Back to angels. Angels are servants as we read. Some Guardian angels come back to help after the person dies. They probably help hundreds of thousands…each. They guide, yes, they speak into our ear, yes, they lift our prayers to the Father.
Today, then, is OUR feast with them. They deserve recognition.
Say a prayer of thanksgiving today for them. And tell them Bro Adrian says "Hello"!
God our Father truly loves you.
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Random Bible Verse Proverbs 15:33 "The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor."
Word of the Lord!
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Month of Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa)
Devotion of the Month Opening prayer of Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows: O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with childlike trust. Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross. Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us poor, sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our sweetness, our life, and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen.
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God Bless You! Peace
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