Guardian Angels

[SamG]

For many weeks now I have been praying to my guardian angel to reveal his name and other things to me. I still have had no response. Does anyone have any hints or tips on how I can form a close relationship with my guardian angel and find a way to communicate with him/her?

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

SamG:

For many weeks now I have been praying to my guardian angel to reveal his name and other things to me. I still have had no response. Does anyone have any hints or tips on how I can form a close relationship with my guardian angel and find a way to communicate with him/her?

If you wait for your guardian angel to contact you, you could be waiting a long time. While angels have appeared to humans, it is rare. What we accept, we accept on faith alone, and that is what makes it faith.

Why not just give your guardian angel a name? I have . I call my Guardian Angel “Kim”. It is a name used by both males and females and since angels do not have a gender, I figured it was appropriate. But, any name will do. In fact, they are grateful that you think about them, because they “think” about you all the time.

You may be interested in the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum apostolate’s website, which has much information on the Holy Angels - that is what it translates to: Work of the Holy Angels.

Poke around this website, in particular at “Circulars” and you may find some pretty good stuff to read. Check out their books too. It is all based on scripture and fathers/doctors of the Church.

Here is one such circular, filed under “youth” called, You and Your Guardian Angel, written by the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross - a holy order closely aligned with this apostolate. I’m an adult and I find even the youth circulars interesting.

 

[tjmiller]

Why does the name matter?
Really?

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Lux_et_veritas:

Why not just give your guardian angel a name? I have . I call my Guardian Angel “Kim”. It is a name used by both males and females and since angels do not have a gender, I figured it was appropriate. But, any name will do. In fact, they are grateful that you think about them, because they “think” about you all the time.

.

Thanks for that…I have great devotion to my guardian angel…I never thought of just giving him a name! Pete strikes me as a good one! Thank you!

Peace in all things…Barb, Sth. Aussie

 

[silverwings_88]

Lux_et_veritas:

If you wait for your guardian angel to contact you, you could be waiting a long time. While angels have appeared to humans, it is rare. What we accept, we accept on faith alone, and that is what makes it faith.

Amen to this! Rather than praying for them to reveal their name to you (which really sounds more like forcing on my part, especially when since they are God’s creatures, they are also holy and should be treated with respect), giving them a nickname is okay.

Must go…

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Maybe what Sam meant was that he was waiting for his G.A. to pope a nickname in his head so that he would have some idea.

 

[SamG]

Yes, I was waiting to have a name revealed to me. But I have heard and read stories of people who know their guardian angel’s name, and know their interests and likes and dislikes. That, I believe, is amazing.

I already gave my guardian angel a nickname. I told him/her it was temporary until I discovered their real name.

 

[wjp984]

do we really all ahver guardain angels? I remember hearing about that kind of stuff when I was a little kid but never really took it as Catholic doctrine or something that was true and just thought it might have been something they just tell little kids. Seems appropiate that we all have one but I just never gave any thought as to what a guardain angel is and who mine is.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I’ve called mine by a particular name since I was three or so, and I am longggg past three. Sometimes it’s just “guardian” though. That’s the job, makes sense.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

wjp984:

do we really all ahver guardain angels? I remember hearing about that kind of stuff when I was a little kid but never really took it as Catholic doctrine or something that was true and just thought it might have been something they just tell little kids. Seems appropiate that we all have one but I just never gave any thought as to what a guardain angel is and who mine is.

Insofar as I am aware it is Catholic teaching that every person has a Guardian Angel, but you may like to submit it to The Apologetics Forum for an accurate answer.
As to the name of our Guardian, I tend to think that this must wait for Heaven to know the name in truth if they have a personal name, perhaps you may like to submit that to Apologetics too- some may have private revelations but that is personal, nor do I think is within the rules of these forums (unsure) to mention or discuss private revelations. Certainly I have never had one. I have merely ‘picked a name out the blue’ and Pete sounds fine by me! Hope Pete likes it!

Peace to you…Barb

 

[asquared]

SamG:

For many weeks now I have been praying to my guardian angel to reveal his name and other things to me. I still have had no response. Does anyone have any hints or tips on how I can form a close relationship with my guardian angel and find a way to communicate with him/her?

a prayer is not a non-negotiable demand. If it is a necessary and good thing for you to know the name of your guardian angel it will come to you in due course. If it is not necessary, you won’t hear it. To form a close relationship with your guardian angel, say the children’s prayer every day and form the habit of asking your angel for help and protection especially in stressful or dangerous situations.

Pope John XX111 is said to have asked his angel to speak to the angel of the person (head of state, a cardinal etc.) with whom he had planned an important meeting.

don’t expect to get email, text messages or locutions from your angel, that does not mean he is not there. God, saints, heavenly beings do not communicate in our terms, on our schedule, but in their own way and time.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

a prayer is not a non-negotiable demand. If it is a necessary and good thing for you to know the name of your guardian angel it will come to you in due course. If it is not necessary, you won’t hear it. To form a close relationship with your guardian angel, say the children’s prayer every day and form the habit of asking your angel for help and protection especially in stressful or dangerous situations.

Hi Asquared…here is a short prayer I say to my Guardian Angel I leant as a child: “Angel of God, my guardian dear to whom God’s Love commits me here, ever this day be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen”

Pope John XX111 is said to have asked his angel to speak to the angel of the person (head of state, a cardinal etc.) with whom he had planned an important meeting.

I used to ask my Guardian Angel to speak to another person’s Guardian Angel for me at times…thank you for reminding me of a wonderful old tradition! Long before Pope John’s time too in fact perhaps he learnt it as a child too.

don’t expect to get email, text messages or locutions from your angel, that does not mean he is not there. God, saints, heavenly beings do not communicate in our terms, on our schedule, but in their own way and time.

…well said…and it reminds me of something funny that happened one night. I had just hung up the phone and hence had a problem to deal with and thought “I’ll pray about it” and then reached for my mobile…that kept my laughing for the rest of that night!

Great Post…Peace…Barb

 

[BJRumph]

wjp984:

do we really all ahver guardain angels? I remember hearing about that kind of stuff when I was a little kid but never really took it as Catholic doctrine or something that was true and just thought it might have been something they just tell little kids

Well, according to “Cathechism on the Angels” conpiled by the OS, we have this:

Every one of the faithful has his own special guardian angel from Baptism (Sent. certa.)

Also note the CCC 336:

…“beside each believer stands an angel as a protector and shepard leading him to life”…(from St Basil Adv. Eunomium III)

Hope it helps.

As for non-standard prayer requests for our GA’s, I have in the past asked that they (my GA) go and attend another from time to time, either as a direct aid to the person, or to strengthen/aid their own angelic guardian.

Inter arma caritas

 

[JMJ_Theresa]

I ask my Guardian angel for lots of favors. If I have a lot of toddlers with me and I know it will be difficult to manuever across a parking lot, I send my Guardian angel to arrange a parking space for me. If I’m at Mass without my husband, I ask the guadian angels to help me with the little ones. However, those little ones don’t always listen to their guardians!

I send my Guardian angel ahead of me to prepare for a difficult or contentious get together or meeting.

I ask my Guardian angel to pray for my children and husband. I ask him to pray when I go to Adoration late at night. I am sometimes too tired to pray. I feel so guilty that I’m not adoring Jesus better. But, I know my Guardian is.

If I’m nervous about the van or the roads, I pray to him to take care of us. If things are contentious at home and I’m worried about the “bad guys” stirring things up, I pray to the Guardian angels of the house to toss 'em out.

If I can’t pray because of fatigue–whether mental or physical, I ask my Guardian angel to pray for me. Esp, if I pray a rosary incompletely or half heartedly.

I think the more you recognize, pray and lean on him, the closer you will become. Also, remember to thank him often and ask him to praise God for you.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

JMJ Theresa:

I ask my Guardian angel for lots of favors. If I have a lot of toddlers with me and I know it will be difficult to manuever across a parking lot, I send my Guardian angel to arrange a parking space for me. If I’m at Mass without my husband, I ask the guadian angels to help me with the little ones. However, those little ones don’t always listen to their guardians!

I send my Guardian angel ahead of me to prepare for a difficult or contentious get together or meeting.

I ask my Guardian angel to pray for my children and husband. I ask him to pray when I go to Adoration late at night. I am sometimes too tired to pray. I feel so guilty that I’m not adoring Jesus better. But, I know my Guardian is.

If I’m nervous about the van or the roads, I pray to him to take care of us. If things are contentious at home and I’m worried about the “bad guys” stirring things up, I pray to the Guardian angels of the house to toss 'em out.

If I can’t pray because of fatigue–whether mental or physical, I ask my Guardian angel to pray for me. Esp, if I pray a rosary incompletely or half heartedly.

I think the more you recognize, pray and lean on him, the closer you will become. Also, remember to thank him often and ask him to praise God for you.

Hi Theresa…great post with some excellent inspirations …thank you…

Peace…Barb

 

[Fergal]

I would echo what tjmiller said in a previous post. Why do you feel that your Guardian Angel has to have a name?

Why try to earth the supernatural? What is wrong calling your Angel by the name is loves best ‘Angel of God, my Guardian dear’?

Naming Angels is a New Age phenomonen which we should as devoted Christians not seek to emulate.

Does it make any difference whether your Angels name is known or not?

To call one Pete or Sam really to my mind is not appropriate. It undermines their supernatural nature and may actually not be to your Angels liking.

 

[asquared]

since I have always taught my children and grandchildren to pray to their guardian angel and enlist their help, they now assume, when I appear to be talking to myself, that I am communicating with my angel. That’s a good thing, maybe that will keep me out of the home for demented grandmas for a few years.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Lux_et_veritas:

Why not just give your guardian angel a name? I have . I call my Guardian Angel “Kim”.

silverwings_88:

giving them a nickname is okay

SamG:

I already gave my guardian angel a nickname.

Actually, if you do a search on this board, this subject was discussed in great length at one time (I can’t seem to find it now but I may not be using the ‘search’ featuire correctly) and the ending conclusion was that it was wrong to give your guardian angel a name because he/she already has a name and that name was given to him/her by his/her Creator. To use your own name is an insult to both the Creator and the angel.

Think about how you would feel if, as a parent, the teachers of your child in school decided to rename your child and call her/him something else.

 

[Carrie_Andrews]

I heard about naming your guardian angel years ago and asked mine what he’d like me to call him and the word Love popped into my head. If it was from my angel or not, I feel closer to my angel since I started using this title to address him. I love to greet the angels of people I come in contact with, even in passing, and I ask the angel to bring the person closer to God, and to protect the person(I say it internally,not verbally). I try to do this to if someones hassleing me in any way and usually the situation immediately (name removed by moderator)roves.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Fergal:

I would echo what tjmiller said in a previous post. Why do you feel that your Guardian Angel has to have a name?

Why try to earth the supernatural? What is wrong calling your Angel by the name is loves best ‘Angel of God, my Guardian dear’?

Naming Angels is a New Age phenomonen which we should as devoted Christians not seek to emulate.

Does it make any difference whether your Angels name is known or not?

To call one Pete or Sam really to my mind is not appropriate. It undermines their supernatural nature and may actually not be to your Angels liking.

Hi Fergal…you have a point!
I have been talking to my guardian angel quite familiarly since I was seven years of age and now sixty. I am sure my angel knows that I mean no disrepsect at all and that I do not subscribe to New Age spirituality as it is called. I hope so!..but as I say you have a point.

Peace…Barb