The Feast of the Guardian Angels, and our 14th Anniversary
I cherish many memories from the past 14 years of marriage, but our wedding ceremony will always remain among the most significant. For our Nuptial Mass, we opted for a very nontraditional wedding gospel reading. Without possibly knowing what would lie ahead or the difficult, and often heavy, circumstances our marriage would face, we were prompted to select Matthew’s “The Cure for Anxiety” (Matthew 6:25-34). It is certainly the Holy Spirit who knew that relying on God’s provision would be essential to our life together.
Matthew’s gospel says, “do not worry about your life [...] for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I wish I could say that we have never worried. If you know us, you know it is quite the opposite.
Several years after we were married, I realized we shared the date with the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Thankfully, nothing is a coincidence for God. It made sense considering all we had survived during the first decade of marriage – several back-to-back pregnancies, a miscarriage, the death of my mom, a fatal car accident with a 30-day stay in the hospital, job losses, career changes, financial stressors, spiritual valleys, parenting fails, and more. It is humbling to consider that, at the moment our Sacramental life together began, all the angels and saints were present with us on that altar (Heb 12:22-24) and have continued to join us in an earthly life that requires divine assistance. There are so many human “reasons” to construct worry, but I cannot think of a time, even at our lowest, when God did not provide. We have experienced His care in financial miracles, job opportunities, stamina to continue, comfort in times of grief, and even in the details of juggling busy schedules and creating experiences with our kids.
The Catechism reads: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.’ Already here on earth, the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God” (CCC 336). The role of guardian angels is also seen in Psalm 91, Matthew 18:10, and Acts 12. In reality, I feel guardian angels are an expression of God’s providential love for us – that He loves us deeply enough to assist us in this way. I cannot help but believe our guardian angels have aided in the assistance we have received.
This past February, Josh and I had a beautiful (and emotional) opportunity to reaffirm our wedding vows before the Eucharist. We reaffirmed the commitment to love one another “for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” In our Catholic funeral liturgy, one of the most beautiful parts is the Final Commendation and Procession to the Place of Committal which says, “In peace, let us take our brother/sister to his/her place of rest […] May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive you and with Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have eternal rest.” How beautiful that the loved one is officially entrusted into God’s eternal care, especially alongside lifelong friends in the angels and the saints.
It is my prayer that when our vows are fulfilled at the end of our lives, when death does us part, the angels lead us into Paradise where perfect Love is fulfilled. Until then, I am so very grateful for the Angels of God, our Guardians dear, to whom His love commits us here and I hope ever this day they’re at our side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.
+
For a beautiful 5-part series on angels and their role, start here: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/angels-i
